LICHEN IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP

February 13, 2016 

SCHEDULE

9:30-10:15 - Meet at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics for a tour of the new facility, including the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario Herbarium. 

10:15-10:30 - Walk over to the new science complex (room 3315)and get microscopes stations set-up. 

10:30-11:30 – Lecture - An introduction to lichen and lichen identification. Bring a book or paper to make notes. 

11:30-12:00 - Training with microscopes and chemical preparation, bring a lighter if you have one. 

12:00-13:00 – Guided identifications. A key to the common lichens of southern Ontario will be provided along with specimens. We will all walk through the identification of the same species as a group to get you familiar with the keys and important lichen features. 

13:00-14:00 - Lunch, bring your own, or there is food on campus. Attached is list of the campus options available on Saturdays. You will also have time to drive to nearby restaurants if you prefer. The campus bookstore will be open at this time as well. It has a good collection of botanical literature. 

14:00-14:20 – A short lecture on lichen identification. 

14:20-16:30 - Independent identifications. Work through different specimens on your own. I will assist everyone individually. Specimens will be available to work on, but I encourage you to bring your own. Specimens from your own projects, special places, or your backyard will resonate with you more than mine and it will help you to become more familiar with them in the field when you know where they came from. 

16:30-16:45 – Optional. A walk around campus to look at lichen on the trees.

Here are some pre-workshop readings: 
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/collectionsandresearch/troymcmullin.shtml
http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/blog/lichen-10-reasons-to-make-it.html?referrer=https://www.facebook.com/#.Vp5yf5orIdU

This is a list of all the lichen species known from the Arboretum at the University of Guelph: 
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/collectionsandresearch/biodiversitylichens.shtml
These are the species we will be looking at predominantly. The Arboretum study was published - the pdf is attached. 

A limited number of these books will be available for purchase: 
http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=775b44cb5a817c9bd893346bc&id=2f08786395&e=c806bc54d4

Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions: rmcmulli@uoguelph.ca

TWO ISLE ROYALE BOTANY WORKSHOPS NOW BEING OFFERED IN 2016!

JUNE 6-11    AND     SEPTEMBER 6-11

Experience four days in Lake Superior's Isle Royale National Park either in the spring or fall and learn to identify the diverse plants that live on this incredible island! 

 BOTANY WORKSHOP INFORMATION:

These special botany workshops, sponsored by the Isle Royale; Keweenaw Parks Association (IRKPA), and taught by botanist Janet Marr, are open to anyone with beginning/intermediate knowledge of plant identification who is interested in learning to identify the native flora of this species-rich Lake Superior island. 

 Workshop participants will spend four days on Isle Royale either in the spring (June 6-11) or fall (September 6 -11) learning native plant species, using such tools as a dichotomous key and hand lens to identify plants. Other topics will include discussion of island plant communities, rare species, ecology, and invasive species.  

 Most workshop activities will take place outdoors.  Optional evening sessions will also be offered to review plants learned earlier. 

 REQUIREMENTS for both workshops:

Workshop participants should be able to walk up to 8 or so miles in one day with a daypack on rocky, sometimes steep, trails and bedrock, sometimes slippery, shoreline. 

 INSTRUCTOR for both workshops:

Botanist Janet Marr, the workshop instructor, has had many years of experience studying plants across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale.  Janet taught the 2007-2015 Isle Royale botany workshops as well as many botany, aquatic, and wetland plant workshops in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.  She is co-author of the Isle Royale Natural History Association's Island Life, an Isle Royale Nature Guide. 

 ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED TO 12 PARTICIPANTS.  Past botany workshops have filled up very quickly so sign up soon! Contact Kristine Bradof at 906-482-7860 or  kbradof@irkpa.org   for more information about workshop registration or to register.  Contact Janet Marr at 906-337-5529 or jkmarr@mtu.edu for details about the workshops themselves.

 INFORMATION SPECIFIC to each of the two workshops is below (June 6-11 workshop info is first followed by September 6-11 workshop info).  NOTE:   The fee for each botany workshop covers instruction, camping, user fees, meals on the island, notebook, Slavick/Janke’s Flora of Isle Royale, and transportation to and from either Houghton, Michigan, on the Ranger III (June workshop) or Grand Portage, Minnesota, on the Voyageur II (September workshop). 

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 JUNE 6-11 workshop (Rock Harbor area):

Field trips in the June 6-11 workshop near the northeast end of Isle Royale will include Tobin Harbor, Scoville Point, and Raspberry Island, places that are all located in the vicinity of Rock Harbor.  Workshop attendees will meet in Houghton, Michigan, on Monday (6 June) afternoon and travel from Houghton to Rock Harbor (on Isle Royale) on the Ranger III boat on Tuesday (7 June).  Participants will return to Houghton on the Ranger III on Saturday (11 June).

WORKSHOP FEE for JUNE  6-11 workshop (Rock Harbor area):  $699 per person if registered by March 7 ($25 discount for IRKPA members; see http://irkpa.org/ for information on becoming a IRKPA member).  $725 per person if registered after March 7 ($25 discount for IRKPA members.

SEPTEMBER 6-11 workshop (Windigo area):

Field trips in the September 6-11 workshop near the southwest end of the Island will include the Windigo nature trail and trails to Huginnin Cove and along Washington Harbor to the Grace Creek overlook. Workshop attendees will meet in Grand Portage, Minnesota, on Tuesday (September 6) evening and travel from Grand Portage to Windigo (on Isle Royale) on the Voyageur II on Wednesday (September 7). Participants will return to Grand Portage on the Voyageur II on Sunday (September 11). 

WORKSHOP FEE for SEPTEMBER  6-11 workshop (Windigo area):  $699 per person if registered by March 7 ($25 discount for IRKPA members; see http://irkpa.org/ for information on becoming a IRKPA member).  $725 per person if registered after March 7 ($25 discount for IRKPA members.

 For information about Isle Royale National Park, see their home page at  www.nps.gov/isro/  or call  906-482-0984.