preservation restoration education A quarterly publication of the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area research Spring, 2014 Director Dr. Ken Steigman, 972-219-3926 Gathering the Adder’s-tongue [email protected] Nearly 200 Adder’s-tongues have recently joined the Green Dragons, Bladder- Restoration Manager worts, and other plant oddities which add richness and diversity to the native Richard Freiheit, 972-219-3827 [email protected] ecosystems represented at LLELA. Never heard of an adder’s-tongue? That’s not too surprising. Limestone Adder’s-tongue (Ophioglossum engelmannii) be- Education Coordinator longs to an obscure group of uncommon small ferns that are rarely seen, ex- Lisa Cole, 972-219-3930 cept by those who make it a point to search them out in appropriate habitat. [email protected] LLELA staff visited a population of these unusual ferns a few weeks ago, Educators Brigid Corbett thanks to an invite from local naturalists Jim Varnum and Carol Clark. Con- Morgan Larson trary to the plant’s name, the site was not on limestone soil at all, but on very Cindy Schlaht sandy Eastern Cross Timbers soil. Standing under a canopy of post oaks with Erin Taylor the ground covered in fallen leaves, we could not see any adder’s-tongues Diane Wetherbee until we swept away some of the post oak leaf litter. After some searching, a few leaves were found barely protruding from the ground. Once the search Gate Hosts Virginia Griffith image solidified in our brains we found several more plants. As we began to Sue Southworth carefully dig in the loose sandy soil literally hundreds of these tiny ferns were 972-219-7980 evident, just under the surface of the soil. Many of them had developed hori- zontal root systems that routinely budded vertically from the nodes. Mailing address: Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area Ferns are unlike most of the plants we grow in our gardens. They make no 1801 N. Mill Street, Suite A flowers, and no seeds. Instead, a mature fern produces spores which blow Lewisville, TX 75057 away on the wind. When they reach a spot in which to germinate, each spore will produce an intermediate stage called a gametophyte. Gametophytes pro- www.ias.unt.edu/llela duce both sperm and egg cells, and can be self-fertilized or cross with other gametophytes. Once fertilized, the gametophyte produces the “fern” we rec- Like LLELA on Facebook! Go to ognize, which is the sporophyte (mature) stage. But the adder’s-tongue does www.facebook.com/ LLELALewisvilleLake not look very familiar even in its sporophyte stage. It is basically a small ellip- tical leaf which grows a little spore-producing stalk. continued At left, you can see why most people never notice adder’s- tongue at all. At right, notice the horizontally creeping root system of this fern, and one of its growth nodes We were originally summoned to this site for a plant rescue, as we were told the immediate area was going to become a road and these secretive little plants would be lost. However, before our departure we learned that the development plans had changed and they were in no danger after all. Great news! Since we found that there were thousands of the plants in the area, we were granted permission to remove a small number for relocation in appropriate habitat at LLELA. Currently some have been planted in like soils, while the remainder are growing in the LLELA propagation nursery. One more native plant has found a home at LLELA, as we work to rebuild our ecosystems…sometimes one diminutive species at a time. At left, a newly-dug adder’s-tongue is cradled in LLELA Director Ken Steigman’s hands. At right, a few of the adder’s-tongues are settled into pots in LLELA’s greenhouse. Did You Know? Species in the Adder’s-Tongue family (Ophioglossaceae) have the highest chromosome numbers of any known vascular plant species...as high as 600+ pairs. Humans have only 23 pairs. Spring Kayak Tours on McWhorter Creek Would you like to see yourself in this picture? LLELA staff is leading a number of kayak tours on McWhorter Creek this spring. All skill levels are welcome; paddlers receive an introduction to kayaking on dry land before pushing off into the water. All equipment is provided. Don’t delay in registering; these trips fill up quickly. March 2, 2:00—4:00 p.m. March 23, 9:00—11:00 a.m. March 29, 2:00—4:00 p.m. April 13, 3:00—5:00 p.m. $15/paddler plus $5 LLELA gate fee. Ages 7 years and up. Contact [email protected] or 972-219-3930 to register. Registration is required. Follow Friends of LELLA on Twitter: @LLELAFriends Friends of LLELA members enjoyed food, fun, and prizes at our 2014 kick-off meeting on a recent cold February evening. A poll taken at the meeting indicated that a majority of members preferred to hold quarterly meetings, so watch for our next gathering in May. Please plan to attend our “Greenhouse Warming” on March 8 (see below). Although we will be hav- ing chocolate and champagne (or wine) we invite you to dress in your warmest woolies and wellies (boots) and come out to celebrate this wonderful addition to LLELA. Woolies and Wellies Champagne and Chocolate Tasting Celebrating the Opening of the LLELA Greenhouse And Honoring LLELA Friends, Volunteers & Donors March 8, 2014 • 7 to 9 pm Special Presentation at 8 pm Put on your warm clothes and wellies and join us at the greenhouse for a beautiful outdoor evening at LLELA! It’s upscale gone back to nature. For more info or to RSVP: 214.478.1064 or [email protected] Before the greenhouse warming event, we would like to ask our friends and volunteers to come out and help us spiff up the greenhouse grounds on Saturday, February 15, from 10:00-Noon (there will be coffee & donuts!). March and April will be busy months for LLELA. Ambassador training will be held on March 19 and 22. This training will equip volunteers with the information and tools they need to spread the word about LLELA as we move into manning booths at local fairs and celebrations and making presenta- tions to various groups. Please contact Scott Kiester ([email protected]) for more Ambassador information. Scott will an- nounce exact times for training after conferring with our soon-to-be LLELA Ambassadors! On April 26, 2014 LLELA will host the “One Ale of a Trail” Run. Proceeds from this event will ben- efit LLELA operations and programs. This will be a huge fundraiser that will require lots of volun- teers to direct people, hand out water and snacks to runners, etc. The Friends of LLELA will be a key part of the Run’s success. Please contact Kristy ([email protected]) or Elaine ([email protected]) to volunteer to help that day with the run. Please also let them know of any possible corporate donors you think may be interested in being a sponsor for this event. Generous sponsors will be the key to realizing great success for LLELA. Please check out this link to learn more: http://www.onealeofatrail.net/ Special Classes Coming Soon at LLELA Edible Wild Plants: $50 March 23 Survival Mini-Trip: 1:00--5:00 pm April 25 at 9:00 am to April 27 at 5:00 pm $200 To register, contact Mark Suter 979-777-3902 [email protected] We are excited to welcome Mark Suter of Primitive Texas back to LLELA! Mark is an accomplished survivalist whose knowledge, environmental ethic, and personality make his classes popular all over Texas. Edible Wild Plants The class will consist of wild plant identification walks through the natural habitats at LLELA. Emphasis will be placed on physical plant characteristics, edible plant parts, proper plant preparation, and available season of har- vest. Some poisonous wild plants will also be covered, since these often grow right with the edible ones. Come join us as we explore the world of edible wild plants and expand your diet to include these nutritious wild resources! Wilderness Survival Mini Trip You'll have fun and feel more confident after spending three days and two nights in the field. Skills covered may include creating shelter, purifying water, finding edible wild plants, primitive hunting, and trapping (no animals will be harmed). Maximum 10 students - sign up soon! Spring Break Eco Adventure Camp at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area March 10—14, 2014 9—12 year-olds 8:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. Monday—Friday $190/child; Registration deadline: March 3, 2014 Five full days of exploration! Campers will enjoy a wide variety of activities: Animals Aquatics Bird watch and more! Go fishing and more! Investigate Explore a insects pond Track animals Kayak Forestry Survival Meet (and climb) a Learn orienteering tree Blaze trails Discover woodland wildlife Identify plants and more! and more! Play For registration information contact: Games Lisa Cole (LLELA Education Coordinator) Questing at 972-219-3930 or [email protected] Nature art or visit LLELA.org and more! What’s Happening at LLELA? ** Schedules are subject to change. Call the LLELA Gatehouse at 972-219-7980 to confirm.** Homestead Open House Walk through LLELA’s restored 1870’s log home and smokehouse, February 15, 12 —3 p.m. a replica dugout, and an unrestored barn. Friendly and knowl- March 15, 12—3 p.m. edgeable staff and/or volunteers will be available to answer ques- April 19, 12—3 p.m. tions. There is no fee for this program, but LLELA’s admission is May 17, 12—3 p.m.