Winter 2020 Vol. 37, No. 4 “…dedicated to the study, appreciation, and conservation of the native flora and natural communities of Illinois.” Test your knowledge with this tree bark quiz! All trees are in the Bald Knob Wilderness so they are all common in upland woods in southern Illinois. See page 15 for answers. Photos: Chris Benda. It's that time of year when we ask that you renew your memberships. It helps us greatly if you renew online at https://illinoisplants.org/about-membership/. We had to find a new printing and mailing service so I apologize to those of you who are receiving this newsletter late via postal mail. However you receive your newsletter, I hope you enjoy it! Chris Benda, Editor In This Issue • President’s Message • Carex Corner: Carex crawfordii • Welcome New Members • Vernal Pool Soil Seed Banks • INPS News • Floristic Survey of JJC Main Campus • Mad-Dog & Number 300 • Other News & Web Links • Botany Humor 1 Governing Board Message from the President President It’s hard to believe my term as President is already up. Floyd Catchpole It’s been a wild and crazy time. And a really good time, too. I look forward to seeing what this amazing group of Past President people will accomplish next. In the last decade, I have watched us bring on a new generation of young board Paul Marcum members, chock full of energy and enthusiasm, while Vice President our seasoned members have risen to the occasion. Together, we have made sweeping improvements in Susanne Masi services provided and organizational efficiency, freeing Secretary up time and energy to better serve our members, the public, and the plants of Illinois. Angela Kerber We have embraced technology, with Jeff Nelson, our wonderful webmaster, Treasurer bringing us into the modern era with more and different information being posted. Courtney Cartney Our bookkeeping has been brought up to a new level of professionalism by Courtney Cartney (Treasurer) and, thanks to our membership, we are on a sound Erigenia Editor financial footing. Dr. John Taft Illinois is losing rare plant species, sometimes without even recognizing how severe the threat was until they are gone. The INPS has taken the lead in Harbinger developing a watchlist of rare plants that have not made the State Editor: Chris Benda Endangered/Threatened Species list, sometimes because not enough is known Layout: Marta Witt about their populations. Working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chris Benda and fellow board members Paul Marcum, John Taft, and Membership Emily Dangremond have developed this watchlist. Susanne Masi, along with Amanda Pankau Connie Cunningham and Emily Dangremond have expanded the Grants Program to include Survey Grants of up to $5,000 to assess populations of State E/T and Webmaster watchlist species and develop recovery recommendations. Jeff Nelson The publication of The Harbinger, led by Chris Benda, continues to inform our At-Large Board members of events in Illinois, and John Taft is working on our peer-reviewed Emily Dangremond journal Erigenia. Lack of article submissions has been a challenge for Erigenia. I Gretel Kiefer encourage members to submit articles and to encourage others to do the same. Anna Braum Like any successful organization, it’s not all work and no play. Current Northeast Jean Sellar Chapter President cassi saari implemented the first (and subsequent) Botany Big Jason Zylka Year anywhere to encourage Illinois botanizing by certifying annual plant species counts, which has led to the discovery of new species here. Other states are now copying us and it seems we have started a movement. For the first time in my memory, INPS did not have an Annual Gathering of members to socialize and see natural Illinois in 2020. We hope the epidemic will allow this fine, fun tradition to resume in 2021. Our chapters contribute so much to our organization. From hosting symposia (Kankakee Torrent and Southern) to posting videos of meeting presentations (Central and Southern) to hosting and advertising plant sales and field trips, our chapters bring INPS to the local level. There is not enough space here to mention all those who have labored to make INPS into the effective organization it is today. Each and every one of you has helped by being a member, even if you have not participated in our events. Why not come and join the party? It will help make the memories of a lifetime. Floyd Catchpole, President INPS 2 INPS Chapters CENTRAL CHAPTER KANKAKEE TORRENT SOUTHERN CHAPTER Springfield CHAPTER - Bourbonnais Carbondale Trish Quintenz (President) Floyd Catchpole (President) Chris Evans (President) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] FOREST GLEN CHAPTER NORTHEAST CHAPTER Champaign/Urbana, Danville Chicago Paul Marcum (President) cassi saari (President) Check out the Illinois Native [email protected] [email protected] Plant Society Events Calendar for Chapter meetings and GRAND PRAIRIE CHAPTER QUAD CITIES CHAPTER workshops. Bloomington/Normal Rock Island Joe Armstrong (President) Bo Dziadyk (President) [email protected] [email protected] Welcome New Members Grand Prairie Chapter Quad Cities Chapter Northeast Chapter Randall Carriger Phil Rezin Mary Ashley Lauren Howell Gregory Wahl Christos Economou Sylvia McDermott Cooper Forsman Linda Owens Central Chapter Barbara Graue Jesse Smith Tim & Jean Bollinger Breanne Heath Jenni Dahl Tessa Murray Southern Chapter Rachel Helmich Gladys Reyes Samantha Childerson Natalie Long Erin Rhodes Marji Gibbs Kathy Soath Nancy Shevel Laura Regular Karen Taira Breanna Whitley Dolph Williams INPS News INPS 2021 Grant Opportunities Available: Application Deadline January 31, 2021 Students, citizen scientists, conservation groups and institutions are alerted to consider applying for an INPS Research Grant for up to $2,500 to fund one-year projects. The grant is for research-focused studies on Illinois native plants such as life history, reproductive biology, demography, genetics, comparative site inventories, and community ecology, as well as research on threats to native plants and communities, such as invasive species. Laboratory research as well as projects focused on research relating to education about or restoration of native plants and plant communities will be considered. Projects involving student research or volunteers will be given special consideration. All projects must demonstrate how they support the mission of the Illinois Native Plant Society. INPS is also excited to continue its new second grant for 2021: the Survey Grant. This grant for up to $5,000 will fund searches for Illinois Endangered, Threatened, or some rare species for which current data is inadequate to assess their status and for which field surveys and recovery recommendations are needed. INPS worked with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to develop a priority list of species for the surveys. Experienced botanical field surveyors, either independent or associated with an institution, are invited to apply for this grant. Partnerships are encouraged. 3 Full application details and forms for the Research Grant and the Survey Grant are available online. Applications must be received by January 31, 2021. Awards will be announced by March 31, 2021. INPS is grateful to be able to increase its grant award amounts this year, thanks to contributions from membership fees, generous donations to the Grant Program, proceeds from the 2019 Annual Gathering, and support from the Central Chapter for one grant conducting studies within the Central Illinois counties. CHAPTER NEWS Central Chapter News Check out the many programs we have recorded and put on our webpage at https://illinoisplants.org/central- chapter-videos/ Dr. Eric Grimm is well known by many people in Illinois and his contributions to science are innumerable. A palynologist (study of fossilized pollen), he began his career at the Illinois State Museum as the Curator of Botany, rising to become the Director of Sciences in 2013. He passed away suddenly at age 69 on November 15, 2020. Read his obituary at https://www.koberfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Dr-Eric-C- Grimm?obId=18962012#/celebrationWall Southern Chapter News Check out the recent programs we have recorded and put on our webpage at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM2oqNzKy7fjDisqqrxaiAw. Researching Invasive Plants Webinar, January 19, 6:30PM. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y29wt6fr. Quad Cities Chapter News Like all state groups the Quad City Chapter has felt the constraints of pandemic restrictions. We still have plans to view and discuss two prairies under our purview. The long-delayed field trips to the newly planted, one-acre St. Patrick's Prairie in Andalusia, and to the Tim and Debbie Toal Prairie in nearby Milan, IL, have been postponed till spring (or at least better weather) and possible clarification of group size for outdoor trips. The St. Pats Prairie, planted in spring of this year with a 60-pound mixture of native plant materials from the 3,000-acre TNC Nachusa Grasslands in Lee County, displayed considerable germination and flowering of big bluestem and Indian grass plus forbs such as brown-eyed Susan and some asters. However, a very heavy flush of crabgrass and other weeds came in all season, so we had to have a "hair cut" mowing (at nine inches height) several times during the summer. We look forward to how the native species will respond after winter stratification. We will compare this behavior with the three-decades-old prairie restoration of the Toal Plot which has a fine growth of native tall grasses and showy forbs. Regular controlled burning by the Toals has had positive results on this one-acre plot across the years, but weedy invaders still persist. We plan comparison of these two units in the years ahead. Northeast Chapter News The Northeast Chapter is pleased to share the newly elected slate of board members for the 2021-2022 term. Returning to the team are: President: cassi saari, Vice President: Mark Kluge, Membership Chair: Kathleen Garness, Treasurer: Jason Zylka, and At-large Board Member: Sheri Moor.