Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

Natural Landscaping

Do you have a passion for native plants and natural landscaping? Do you wish you knew more about native plants and biodiversity? If so, I invite you to join this blog and learn about native plants, natural landscaping and biodiversity a little at a time.

As Executive Director of Wild Ones for 17 years, one of the things I enjoyed the most was to share with members and others the new and interesting information I learned about things related to the Wild Ones mission. So now as I continue on with my next life adventure, [Read more…]

WCHF Announces 2020 Inductees to Hall of Fame

The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (WCHF) has announced the selection of three conservation leaders for induction into the Hall of Fame on April 25, 2019 at the SentryWorld (the Atrium) in Stevens Point. The 2020 Induction Ceremony will celebrate our 100th inductee into the Hall of Fame.

The Inductees – Stephen Born, Jens Jensen and Stanley  Temple

The inductees this year will be Stephen Born, a well-known UW-Madison professor who specialized in environmental planning and worked on almost every aspect of water management, from the Great Lakes to inland lakes to groundwater and rivers and watersheds, and is an expert fly fisher; Jens Jensen, a landscape architect who developed many of our Midwest parks, focusing on indigenous plants and ecological processes of this region’s prairie landscape, and also founded the “school of the soil” in Door County known as The Clearing; and Stanley Temple, a UW-Madison professor who worked in the areas of habitat fragmentation, invasive species and other factors leading to species declines, and now serves as a Senior Fellow with The Leopold Foundation, researching, writing and speaking about Leopold.

The Induction Ceremony

The public is invited to join us in the day’s events held at SentryWorld. SentryWorld is located at 601 Michigan Ave N, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

9:00AM Social Time & Coffee Reception
9:45AM Welcome
10:00AM Induction Ceremony
1:00PM Luncheon

The Induction Ceremony and Coffee Reception are free. There will be a fee for the luncheon of $25.00. Reservations for lunch can be made online or by calling Schmeeckle Reserve at 715-346-4992.

Watch this blog post for more details during the next few weeks. Again, all activities are open to the public.

Inductee Biographical Summaries

Stephen Born

Stephen Born’s impact on conservation in Wisconsin and beyond is so broad and varied it almost defies description, except to say he has been tireless in his work.

A resident of Wisconsin since 1969, he was a faculty member in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at UW-Madison for 36 years, a director of State planning and energy offices and a founder of non-governmental conservation organizations like the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

An intrepid angler, he is also co-author of “Wisconsin’s Trout Streams: The Anglers Guide,” a seminal work which focuses not only on where to fish, but also on stream ecology and the story of how these cold-water treasures were saved and restored.

His broad range of services included co-chairing the Waters of Wisconsin Initiative of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He has served on national and State Trout Unlimited senior leadership boards, including presidency of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. He was a chief advisor to former Governor Patrick Lucey on the decision not to dam the Kickapoo River in the 1970s, which lead to the creation of the 8,500-acre Kickapoo Reserve. He served on Gov. Tommy Thompson’s Blue Ribbon Stewardship Task Force. He also had key roles in development of policy on Wisconsin’s ground water and coastal resources.

These are but a few of his contributions to State and national conservation causes. Born is simply a force of nature when it comes to bringing people with differing views and ideologies together to forge unified and strong coalitions to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources. Since he continues to serve a number of non-profit groups as a board member or other volunteer, his resume is still under construction.

Jens Jensen

Danish born Jens Jensen was a landscape architect and a tireless advocate for conservation of our natural heritage. Aesthetics, in his work, always came second to protecting nature. Through his vocation and avocation, his aim was to bring people and nature together. Upon his death, the New York Times called him “dean of American landscape architecture.”

In 1913 Jensen initiated Friends of Our Native Landscape. There were chapters in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan with several hundred members, including Aldo Leopold. Jensen was a persistent proponent for national parks, forest preserves, state parks, state forests, scenic areas, county parks, and sanctuaries with notable successes in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Florida.

He was a strong proponent of urban planning and railed against urban sprawl, especially when it intruded on natural areas. He was instrumental in development of a plan for parks throughout Chicago and in establishing the Cook County Forest Preserve, a collection of dozens of wetlands, forests, and prairies, throughout greater Chicago. Jensen campaigned against urban sprawl along the southern Lake Michigan shoreline, leading to creation of Indiana Dunes National Park, contiguous with Indiana Dunes State Natural Area.

Jensen moved to Door County in Wisconsin in 1935, where he zealously continued his advocacy for protection of natural areas. He was a principal proponent of The Ridges Sanctuary, Cave Point county park, Whitefish Dunes state park, and Ellison Bay Bluff county park among others. One of Jensen’s many legacies is The Clearing, established on his Door County property in 1935 with the aim of immersing people in nature for “spiritual renewal.” Thousands have attended a short-course at The Clearing, now a non-profit school, where Jensen’s philosophy of working with nature is the pervasive theme.

Stanley Temple

Stanley Temple’s impact on Wisconsin’s natural resources has been wide. He has worked as a scientist, communicator and teacher. During his 32 years on the faculty of the UW-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, he worked on endangered species such as Peregrine Falcon, Trumpeter Swan and California Condor. His research on habitat fragmentation has helped manage areas such as the Baraboo Hills. Temple’swork has been instrumental in the areas of habitat fragmentation, invasive species and factors leading to species declines.

Now that he is re tired, he helps spread Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic as a Senior Fellow for the Aldo Leopold Foundation, researching, writing and speaking about Leopold. Using Leopold’s original botanical records and more recent surveys, Temple co-published new research on climate change impacts on plant phenology through the paper “Record-Breaking Early Flowering in the Eastern United States.” He brought the Passenger Pigeon alive to Wisconsinites with presentations and articles during the 100th anniversary of the passing of the pigeons in 2014, and he has advised organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, International Crane Foundation, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and Aldo Leopold Foundation.

Temple created and was the first editor of the peer-reviewed journal Bird Conservation published by Bird Conservation International, served as the editor of the Wisconsin ornithological journal The Passenger Pigeon published by the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, and served as associate editor of the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) The Auk and the scientific journal of the Ecological Society of America Ecological Applications.

Temple continues his life work today on behalf of Wisconsin’s natural resources. He is frequently cited as an expert not only on the State’s natural history, but as one who has worked to protect it.

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Prairie Strips have Big Impacts on Pollinators and Water Pollution

Iowa State University initiated a program in 2003 which focuses on planting tallgrass native prairie strips in farm fields, benefiting soil, water and biodiversity. It is called STRIPS. The benefits determined so far can be found in their easy to read report Prairie Strips: Small Changes, Big Impacts.

Prairie STRIPS

The Science-based Trials of Row-crops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) program studies the effects of native tallgrass prairie on soil, water, and biodiversity on farms.

Photo of prairie strip courtesy of Iowa State University

Strips of native prairie of varying sizes have been planted on experimental and commercial farms. The strips are often employed in concert with other regenerative agriculture techniques such as cover crops and no-till practices. (Regenerative agriculture seeks to capture carbon in soil and above-ground biomass to reduce greenhouse gas accumulation and support soil health, water quality and native wildlife.)

After several years of data collection, the STRIPS team found including even a small amount of native prairie on a farm substantially improves water quality and nutrient retention, reduces erosion, and generates other benefits.

For example, in farmed watersheds, the addition of only “10 percent prairie reduced sediment export by 95 %, phosphorus export by 90 %, and nitrogen export by nearly 85 % in surface runoff water when compared 100 percent row crop watersheds.”

Tallgrass prairie is a diverse mixture of native grasses and flowering plants uniquely adapted to the climate and soils of the central United States. Prairie strips keep vital soil resources in crop fields. Deep-rooted prairie plants increase soil organic matter and improve water infiltration. The
plants’ stiff, upright stems slow surface runoff and help hold soil in place during heavy rains. (Prairie Strips: Small Changes, Big Impacts) Photo taken at Flint Hills Scenic Byway Wildflower Identification Garden

Further, after seven years, “an average of 51 native plant species were found in prairie strips, compared to 13 species found within the row crop areas.” These native plants, of course, provide habitat for birds, small mammals, bees and butterflies, and other beneficial organisms that cycle nutrients, increase soil fertility, and provide pest control and pollination services. Fields with prairie strips host “twice as many birds and bird species than those with 100 percent row crops.” (Prairie Strips: Small Changes, Big Impacts)

There is one concern, however. The Xerces Society is concerned about the results from farmers who are integrating the STRIPS program, but still using agricultural chemicals in the surrounding row crops. These chemicals could potentially harm pollinators and other organisms attracted to the prairie strips. The Xerces Society is monitoring this concern.

A really good article about the STRIPS program can be found at Civil Eats.

Wouldn’t it be grand if farmers would begin to reverse the loss of native habitat and biodiversity which has resulted because of modern-day agricultural practices, by simply adding some prairie strips to their fields? ‘Practical and beautiful as well!

The information above was reprinted in part from the Native Plant Conservation Campaign with permission from Emily B Roberson, PhD.

Thanks also to Sharon Bochner who brought a similar article to my attention.

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Forest Fire causes Fungi to Grow

Fire-loving fungi are among the first organisms to appear on the forest floor after a fire, followed closely by mosses and lichens. Photo by Karen Hughes

With all the forest fires rampaging through the drought-stricken areas of the USA and Canada, there appears to be at least one other glimmer of goodness that comes from all this damage. I think we’re all familiar with the Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) from western USA, which requires fire to melt the resin from its serotinous cones so they can germinate. But there is also a fungi which becomes active and grows after a forest fire. It is called Pyrophilous.

A variety of club mosses (Lycopodium spp) appear on the stump and around it on the forest floor.

A study conducted by Daniel B Raudabaugh etal suggests that Pyrophilous taxas are endophytes of bryophytes and club moss, and also endolichenic fungi of lichens. What this means is that the Pyrophilous fungi which appear out of the ashes of a forest fire are apparently living patiently in the bodies of mosses and lichens just waiting for a forest fire to free them to grow.

Further investigation needs to be conducted to determine the extent and duration of the endophytic relationship – can it go on forever if there is no forest fire?

Other research has suggested that Pyrophilous fungi spores lie dormant in the soil or that they occur as mycorrhiza root pathogens or soil saprobes. Still other evidence suggests they might also be found in tree trunks or the tree canopies. However, there is still a lot to research about the Pyrophilous taxa.

A really good layman’s explanation of this phenomenon can be found in PhysOrg

Other Plants Requiring Fire to Germinate

Other pines which produce serotinous cones include the Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) aka Scrub Pine which grows in North Central and Northeastern USA and Table Mountain Pine (Pinus pungens) aka Hickory or Prickly Pine which grows in the Appalachian Mountains.

Another plant which appears after a forest fire in Northern California and Southeastern Oregon is the Baker’s Globe Mallow (Iliamna bakeri) aka Baker’s Wild Hollyhock. This flowering shrub needs the extreme heat of fire to germinate and produce its beautiful pink blossoms.

Vocabulary (in order of use):

Serotinous means remaining closed on the tree with seed dissemination delayed or occurring gradually.(Merriam-Webster)

Fungal endophytes are extremely common and highly diverse microorganisms that live within plant tissues, but usually remain asymptomatic. (Oxford Academic)

Endolichenic fungi are diverse groups of predominantly filamentous fungi that reside asymptomatically in the interior of lichen thalli. (ResearchGate)

Mycorrhiza is a a beneficial type of fungi that grows in association with most plant roots. … Mycorrhizae also release powerful enzymes that help dissolve nutrients such as organic nitrogen, phosphorous, and iron. Mycorrhiza may also be known as fungus root. (Maximum Yield)

Pathogen is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. The term is most often used for agents that disrupt the normal physiology of a multicellular animal or plant. (ScienceDaily)

Saprobes are the group of fungi that act as decomposers, feeding on dead and decaying wood, leaves, litter, and other organic matter. To digest this they secrete enzymes that break it down. (Te Ara)

Thalli plural for tallus refers to the body of a plant that does not have leaves, stems and roots. In botany, historically, this term has been applied to algae, fungi and the various divisions of bryophytes. Although algae and fungi are no longer classified as plants, the term thallus has been retained to refer to the bodies of algae and fungi. (Botany Dept U of Hawaii at Manoa)

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Sprezzatura in the Fall Garden

The following post by Stephpanie Walquist is reprinted from the West Cook Wild Ones website. I found her  description of the beauty of the fall prairie wonderfully refreshing.

Flanked by the bronze stems of the faded Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata), the Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) sets off the earthy tones of prairie sprezzatura.

Rembrandt, an Old Master who used earth tones to offset golden light, used a technique he termed sprezzatura, meaning apparent carelessness. In the spirit of artistic and environmental sensibilities, let us native gardeners unite under this term.  Allowing the gardens to stand during fall and winter, we might appear careless about the gardens, but instead we are intentionally caring for biodiversity.

If we cut everything down, where would Bumblebee sleep? The “unsightly” holes? Reminders that Monarch caterpillars were there. Photo by Stephanie Walquist

Standard gardening wisdom says to cut everything down when things start to die. This would be a loss–nothing to look at as well as the devastation to the animals that depend on our yards. Instead of cutting our plants down because they do not conform to conventional garden aesthetics, it’s time to unlearn that habit of seeing and learn to appreciate these plants and their colors as they prepare for winter. We are in good company, like the Old Masters, or Piet Oudolf, designer of Lurie Gardens. Let’s revel in the glorious golds, maroons, vermillions, siennas, and umbers that decaying plants offer us.

This attitude might be a relief too if you’ve felt like you failed because you didn’t have fall interest or winter interest and feel like you have to work hard to get plants that have structures to rival flowers all year long. The good news is that if you have plants around you, you already have fall and winter interest.

Let’s change our aesthetics, our idea of what’s beautiful. We could start to look at the yellows of Common Milkweed with a new appreciation while expanding our color vocabulary. Right now, the leaves on my milkweed are chartreuse with some at the top a glowing gold as they hold the sunlight. Later, they will be more of an ochre as the sun moves overhead.

Leaves are a beautiful dusty vermillion. Photo by Stephanie Walquist

Brown is a beautiful color–there are so many shades of it, and when the light hits brown leaves, they can look purple or red in hue. The stems and leaves on White Snakeroot are a gorgeous russet color. Some of the milkweed stems are a toasted almond color, with the veins becoming more mahogany. The Rose Milkweed leaves are a dark ivy green with mottling of plum and rose hues. It just takes a few moments to start to see the beauty in decaying plants.

These colors are produced by chemical pigments, adding an extra layer of interest as we look at different plants and notice what their fall colors are once chlorophyll production begins to subside. The Common Milkweed’s yellow is an outcome of xanthophyll and carotenoids. But Rose Milkweed usually turn wine-colored, which is the result of anthrocyanins. Does that impact Monarch caterpillars? Science and art always end up overlapping.

As the fall progresses, and plants begin the process of shutting down, let’s challenge ourselves to see the beauty in the autumnal palette of decay, making way for winter, readying for spring.

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