Events Past

2024

02.13.24  "The Intrigue of Botany: Ramblings on Fifty Years At Letchworth."  Speaker Doug Bassett has been naturalist at Letchworth State Park since the 1970s, and knows the park like no one else.  We are grateful to have him as our speaker prior to his imminent retirement next April.

01.09.24  "Quaking Mats, Muck, & Mire: Bog-walking in Western New York, Part II."  Wayne Gall will share still more of his vast knowledge of WNY's most uncommon, most restricted, most unknown, and most beautiful habitats.  Wayne has served as head naturalist at Tifft Nature Preserve, Curator of Entomology at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and Regional Entomologist & Research Scientist, NYS Department of Health.

2023

12.12.23 "Orchid Genera on Five Continents." Please note that our December meeting this year will feature a speaker.  Jim Pisarczyk's presentation will introduce us to orchid species from around the world, and will feature native species (not hybrids).  Jim, in addition to serving as our current NFBS president, is an avid and successful orchid grower and member of the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society.  Holiday refreshments will be served following the meeting.  If anyone can bring a small plate of goodies to share, that would be most welcome.

11.14.23 "Historic Herbaria at Buffalo State University."  Our speaker will be Jim Battaglia, who will introduce the 20,000 botanical specimens at Buff State through a look at some historic plant collections and their stories from the age of Linnaeus to yesterday.  Jim is a founding member of NFBS and its first president.  He is WNY's foremost lichenologist, was the driving force behind the re-opening of the Clinton Herbarium at the Buffalo Museum of Science under the leadership of NFBS members in 2010, and has been curator of the Eckert Herbarium at Buffalo State since 2011.  Refreshments will follow in celebration of NFBS' 40th anniversary.

10.10.23 "Quaking Mats, Much, and Mire: Bog-walking in Western New York."  Speaker Wayne Gall will lead the audience dry-footed through some of WNY's most uncommon, most restricted, most unknown, and most beautiful habitats.  Wayne is an original NFBS member and currently its president-elect.  In the past he has combined his loves of entomology and botany as head naturalist at Tifft Nature Preserve, Curator of Entomology at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and Regional Entomologist & Research Scientist, NYS Department of Health.  In celebration of NFBS's first meeting 40 years ago on October 28, 1983, a reception will follow the October meeting.

09.16.23 Nature View Park in Amherst.  This field trip will be between four and six miles on level ground, both on and off trail. Conditions are often muddy, so bring appropriate footwear.  The walk will explore the unique mature forest communities and adjacent successional habitats that develop on the poorly-drained glaciolacustrine soils of the lower Tonawanda Creek basin. Rare southern tree species like Shumard Oak and Pumpkin Ash reach their northern range limits here, with a diverse and distinctive herbaceous flora in need of additional inventory.  This is a joint trip with the New York Flora Association. If you wish to participate, you must sign up through the NYFA website. https://nyflora.org/events-directory/  Leader will be Erik Danielson, Stewardship Coordinator at the Land Conservancy and botanist extraordinaire.

09.12.23 "The Marvelous Mallows". Our speaker will be Michael Siuta, long-time Clintonia editor, original NFBS member, and past president.  We will take a look at the Mallow Family (Malvaceae).  The importance of this world-wide family of wildflowers, weeds, garden plants, shrubs & trees is overlooked.  Mallows provide us with food, clothing, medicine, and natural beauty, and have touched cultures over the ages all around the globe.  Michael will also give a brief summary of the history of NFBS.  If you have any memorabilia from NFBS' early years, please bring them to share at this meeting.  Our guest of honor will be Natalie Yaskow, an original member and at 100 years of age our oldest member.  Refreshments will be served following the meeting. 

09.08.23  Letchworth State Park.  We will join legendary park naturalist Douglas Bassett on one of his scheduled park walks to see "unique wetlands, fens, boggy swamps, springs, seeps, streams, and old growth trees."  Length 2-3 hours.  Bring lunch.  Doug is preparing to retire, and this may be our last chance to take advantage of his immense knowledge of the park.  

08.20.23 Private property in Wyoming County, formerly the Schoellkoff Camp, 1373 Burrows Road, Cowlesville.  A 600-acre property containing upland woods, wetlands, porcupines, beavers, & fishers. Bring lunch.  Directions: Clinton St. (Route 354) east into Genesee County and through Cowlesville.  Turn right on Burrows Road (if you come to Route 77 you missed the turn) and drive south to main entrance and parking lot for Schoelkoff Camp on left side of road. Guide on site will be Andy Lance, who knows the site well.

07.29.23 Beaver Island State Park, Grand Island.  Botany hike, part of the 17th annual Paddles Up day.  Leader:  Ed Fuchs

07.22.23 Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area, Lawtons.  A return trip to explore an old-growth area and a bog/fen.  Meet at Home Depot parking lot on Mile Strip Road, east of I-90 exit 56.  Bring lunch.  Leader:  Michael Siuta

06.25.23 Houghton Bog & Furman Fen plus picnic. Joint trip with Nature Sanctuary Society to visit two preserves where orchids should be approaching peak bloom.  Meet at Sprague Brook Park south of Colden, on Foote Road just east of Rte. 240.  Bring water shoes or boots, lunch, drinking water.  Call Ed Fuchs if coming, 598-1307.  Guide on-site will be Wayne Gall.

06.18.23 Lost Nation State Forest  Lost Nation Road, near Centerville in the northwest corner of Allegany County.  A 1,344 acre property with hardwood forests and some open areas.  Moderate hike with little elevation change.  This will be a joint trip with New York Flora Association.  Leader:  Ed Fuchs.  Participants must register through the NYFA website.  https://nyflora.org/events-directory/  Those coming from the Buffalo area and wishing to carpool, meet at 8:30 in East Aurora at the parking lot behind the movie theater.

06.2-4.23 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage Friday: Allenberg Bog Slog, leaders Steven Daniel & Wayne Gall.  Saturday: Blacksnake Mountain Trail hike to visit forested seeps with great plant diversity, leader Steven Daniel.  These plus several other botany-focused walks are scheduled.  Must register online at Allegany Nature Pilgrimage.

05.20.23 NFBS Native Wildflower & Plant Sale at Harlem Road Community Center.

05.21.23 Four Mile Creek State Park Lake Ontario shore (reschedule of trip cancelled in 2022).  We will be searching for Flowering Dogwood trees in bloom, and admiring some huge trees along the way.  Meet in the parking lot at the entrance.  Call Joanne Schlegel for directions or if you wish to carpool, 716- 835-6042.  Guide on site:  tentatively Mark Hittle.

05.13.23 Knapp Road in West Falls Private property (near East Aurora).  Mostly forest with spring wildflowers, also some open meadow and a ravine with creek and waterfall.  Ascent from the creek will require some effort on our part. Guide on site: Property owner.

05.09.23 "A Letchworth State Park Atlas: Exploring Its Nature, History, and Tourism Through Maps."  Our speaker will be Stephen Tulowiecki, Associate Professor at SUNY-Geneseo.   Mr. Tulowiecki's primary focus is the study of forested ecosystems, particularly prior to European settlement in the northeastern U.S.

05. 05-08.23 Yellow Springs Ohio Field Trip Week-end field trip to Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Clifton Gorge State Preserve, and John Bryan State Park (3 adjacent preserves along a gorge in Yellow Springs, Ohio, about an hour west of Columbus).  This exceptionally rich site boasts 12 species of oaks, 5 species of hickory, 4 species of sumac, fringe tree, wahoo, leatherwood, southern hackberry, and abundant spring wildflowers. Friday & Monday will be driving days.  The distance is 380 miles, interstate almost all the way. 

I have acquired a plant list for this trio of preserves, which I am still deciphering because it came with common names only and a lot of those names are different than the ones we use in WNY.  However, I can guarantee (as can Carol) that this is a very rich area botanically with 12 species of oaks, 5 species of hickorys, 4 species of sumac, plus things like fringe tree, both northern & southern hackberry, leatherwood, burning bush, sassafras, bald cypress, and more.  I am still working on the herbaceous plant list, but I can mention harbinger-of-spring and 5 species of trilliums.  I think we will spend Saturday at Glen Helen, and probably go over to Clifton Gorge on Sunday where I am told the north-facing gorge slopes have a number of rarities.

04.29.23 Akron Falls Park This park has excellent spring wildflowers and a beautiful waterfall.  Meet at the rear of the nearby McDonalds, corner of Main St. and Rte. 93.  

04.11.23 "Stories of Species Introductions Gone Awry." Our speaker will be Dr. Christopher Pennuto, Professor of Biology at Buffalo State College, with interests in stream ecology, invasive species, and aquatic entomology.  Dr. Pennuto is Program Coordinator of the Great Lakes Center at SUNY-Buffalo and also Director of the WNY PRISM invasive species partnership.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL BE OUR ANNUAL DINNER MEETING, at J's White Elephant Restaurant in Lackawanna, commencing at 6:00 p.m.

03.14.23 "Stewartia, Pinckneya, and a Rare Oak: A Vignette of Collaborative Conservation." Elizabeth Thomas will be our speaker.  She will detail some recent field botany projects occurring in the southern U.S., including a search for the possibly extinct Chisos Mountain Oak in Texas and collecting germplasm from Stewartia trees (related to Camellias) in the southeast.  Ms. Thomas has worked in both agriculture and public gardens in Washington, Florida, New York, and Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard). 

02.14.23 "Wet Forest Communities of the Tonawanda Creek Basin" Speaker, Erik Danielson will be focusing on the rare tree taxa (Shumard Oak, Pumpkin Ash, and Shellbark Hickory), hybrid complexes, and associated herbaceous species of this habitat, which he feels is in desperate need of additional study. Erik is currently Stewardship Coordinator at the Land Conservancy. He previously presented a wonderful and informative program on the biggest & tallest trees in WNY and has led some terrific field trips as well.

2021

11.09.21  "Saving the Allegany Wildlands and its Diverse Flora and Fauna."Our speaker will be Jajean Rose-Burney, Deputy Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy.  In the past he has worked on urban design projects and protecting wetlands in Costa Rica and Mexico.

10.12.21,  "Botanizing the West Coast, 2021--Channel Islands to Crater Lake". Our speaker will be NFBS member Wayne Gall, who has given us numerous superb presentations in the past.  Wayne is currently Regional Entomologist and Research Scientist with the NYS Department of Health, and has served as Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the Buffalo Museum of Science.  He also loves botany, and in the past has contributed articles to Clintonia.

09.26.21  Wilson Tuscarora State Park, Niagara County.  Join us in a hike with the New York Flora Association.  We will meet at the entrance road on north side of West Lake road, Route 18.  We will spend some time looking at fall composites and then walk a woodland trail.  

09.14.21 "Restore the Gorge--Restoration of the Niagara River Gorge." Speaker Andrew Lance has taught biology and ecology courses at Lorain County Community College in Ohio, and worked on urban reforestation projects with Cleveland Metroparks.  He is currently a Restoration Ecologist with the Western New York Land Conservancy, where he is working on a restoration project in the Niagara Gorge.

09.11.21  Field Trip: Margery Gallogly Nature Sanctuary, Grand Island.  This new preserve is owned by the WNY Land Conservancy. At 145 acres, it is one of the largest forests remaining in the Niagara River watershed.  Directions: I-190 to Grand Island, exit at Whitehaven Road, proceed west to Assumption Cemetery at 290 Whitehaven.  Trailhead and small parking lot are at southwest corner of cemetery. 

08.14.21  Field Trip: Moss Lake East of Rushford in Allegany County. A small lake with woods containing black oaks, and a bog accessed by a boardwalk.  Easy walk.  Meet in East Aurora at the parking lot behind the theater on Main St. 

07.31.21Field Trip: East River Marsh & more, Grand Island  Meet at Beaver Island Kayak Launch & trailhead at the end of East River Road (off of Ferry Road) in Beaver Island State Park for a walk along the Niagara River shoreline and adjacent wetland forest.  After lunch those interested can walk the new trails at Margery Gallogly Nature Sanctuary.

07.10.21 Field Trip: Lost Nation State Forest, east of Arcade in Allegany County Meet in East Aurora at the parking lot behind the theater on Main St.  For those wishing to go directly: drive north from Centreville on North Hill Road, left (west) on Dow Road, right (north) on Lost Nation Road to parking lot on right.  We will hike the Lost Nation Stream Trail, a 3-mile loop.  

06.19.21 Field Trip: Niagara Gorge Meet at the Niagara Falls Amtrak Station parking lot, on Main St (Rte. 104) north of the falls.  Bring lunch.  Note: there will be stairs to descend into the gorge.  Leader on site will be Andrew Lance, Restoration Ecologist with the WNY Land Conservancy and leader of the restoration project in the gorge. 

06.12-13  Field Trip: Valentine Flats Area at Zoar Valley  

New York Flora Assn. trip, NFBS members welcome.  See NYFA web site for details.

06.05.21 Niagara Frontier Botanical Society Plant sale

05.22.21Field Trip: Upper Canadaway Creek, on Burnam Road in Chautauqua County.  

We will return to a magnificent wooded site we visited under the guidance of Eric Danielsen on Sept. 14, 2019.  It was filled with magnolias, slippery elm, towering sycamores and glorious ferns, and we commented at the time that we should come again in the spring.  

05.15.21  Field Trip: Village Green Park, Elma.  

This site has a historic sawmill and a nice variety of spring flora in wooded and creekside habitats.  This is an easy walk--almost everything is close to the trail.  We hope to find abundant white trout lilies and bladdernut in bloom.  Meet at the Rite Aid parking lot on Union Road, West Seneca, just south of the exit from Rte. 400.  Picnic tables are available--bring an optional lunch.  

05.11.21 "Is Spring Out of Sync?  Changing Seasons in our Changing Forests."  

Mason Heberling will talk about his research on forest wildflowers and climate change.  Mr. Heberling is Assistant Curator of Botany at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, and also Adjunct AssistantProfessor at the University of Pittsburgh.

05.08.21 Field Trip: Como Lake Park, Lancaster.   

Years ago Como Park was renowned for its spring ephemerals, especially white trout lilies along the lake, but invasive lesser celandine has been overrunning the native plants.  We will see if we can find any remaining native plants, and also explore sections of the park away from the lake.  Directions: Route 20 (Broadway) past Lancaster City Hall, right on Lake, left on Como Park Blvd, left on Quincy and into the park. 

04.24.21 Field Trip: John B. Austin Nature Park, Lockport 

Date dependent on the arrival of spring.  Two NFBS member went there last year and found abundant spring wildflowers.  Directions: Route 78 (Transit Rd.) to north edge of Lockport, turn right (east) on Slayton Settlement Road.  Parking lot is on right and is well marked. 

04.13.21 "Monitoring and Managing Ash--a Program for Long-term Ash Conservation." Jonathan Rosenthal is Director at the Ecological Research Institute in New Paltz, NY.  He will discuss current efforts to save the ash tree from extinction through selective breeding.

03.09.21 "What Shapes Understory Herb Communities in the Southern Appalachian Mountains?" Matt Candeias.  Matt was a NFBS member during his undergraduate years at Buffalo State College.  He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois.

02.09.21 "In Search of Some Rare Ones." Bonnie & Joe Isaac have been searching for plants of special concern in Pennsylvania during the last two field seasons.  Bonnie is Collections Manager of the herbarium at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and also current president of the Botanical Society of Western PA.  Joe is now retired, having served as an urban forester, and as a field botanist for the Carnegie Museum.

01.12.21  "The Miniature World of Mosses and Liverworts--An Introduction to Bryology".  Robert (Bob) Klips is well-known to many of us as a former NFBS member. Bob has for many years been on the faculty at Ohio State University in Columbus in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Biology. He has recently "retired."

2019

12.10.19 "What Plants Say" We will enjoy another botanically themed movie, and enjoy holiday treats afterward.

11.12.19  "The Mountains of Southeastern Arizona--A World Apart (Sierra Madre Zone)."  Speaker Joanne Schlegel spent 2015-16 living in this area, exploring the several mountain ranges that contain plants found nowhere else in the U.S.  Joanne is a past president of NFBS, and is currently vice president & field trip chairman.

10.14.19  Field Trip: Canadaway Creek in Cassadaga, Chautauqua County.  The ravines of upper Canadaway Creek in Cassadaga, Chautauqua County.  Possible all-day outing/hike/creek walk.  If water in the creek is high, the hike will be about 2.5 miles.  If the water level is low and the group is adventuresome, it could be up to 5 miles. There are maintained trails, with railings in the steep portions.  There may be creek crossings, but only if the water is low.  It will be led by Erik Danielsen and other members of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.   

10.08.19  "Trees, By the Numbers."  Our speaker will be Erik Danielson, member of NYFA and the Chautauqua County Water Conservancy, superb botanist and leader of our recent field trip to Gratiot Point.  Erik has lately been seeking and studying the oldest/biggest trees in WNY and has made some remarkable discoveries.

09.10.19  "New York Wildflowers and Their Natural Communities."  Professor Bruce Gilman is newly retired from the Dept. of Environmental Conservation and Horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College, where he taught aquatic ecology, field botany, and glacial geology, and was director of the Muller Field Station and curator of the Finger Lakes Herbarium.  His research has included study of old growth forest dynamics, Great Lakes alvar communities, and Finger Lakes water quality.

09.07.19  Field Trip: Stella Niagara Preserve in Lewiston.  Purchased by the WNY Land Conservancy in 2015 from the Sisters of St. Francis and including 1/4 mile of shoreline--the largest privately-owned undeveloped stretch of land along the Niagara River. It is also an important birding site. Restoration projects on-site have made substantial progress, including creation of a wetland & sedge meadow for frogs and dragonflies.  Graham Tuttle, restoration manager for Stella, will lead the walk.  

08.17.19  Field Trip: Garden Day.  We will visit the beautiful gardens of three of our NFBS members, then go out for lunch. 

07.12-14.19  Annual Weekend Trip: Botanizing the Adirondacks.  Participants will need to drive to our lodging on Friday, July 12. We will do a full day of botanizing on Saturday and a shorter day on Sunday. We will have two terrific guides–Steve Daniel and Anne Johnson. Steve has suggested possible visits to Bonaparte Swamp and to a mine tailings site which has become famous for–amazingly–its orchid diversity. More details will be coming in the next Clintonia.

06.08.19  Field Trip: Point Gratiot Park, Dunkirk.  Lake Erie in Dunkirk. The diverse sandy beach flora here includes Potentilla paradoxa(S1), and the cliffs host Houstonia, Shepherdia, American Bittersweet, Hop Tree and much else. Unfortunately, we will have to wade through knee deep water to access the cliffs, so bring appropriate footwear.  Our guides on site will E. Danielsen and other members of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. 

05.18.19  Field Trip: Private property on Genesee Road in Colden.  The owners purchased this 111-acre property about 6 years ago. It contains a mix of woods, wetlands, and former fields. They are in the process of trying to restore it, with 3000 new trees already planted, Hopefully the marsh marigolds here will be in full bloom. Our guide on site will be property owner M. Dearing.

05.14.19  "Meet the Spurge Family." Michael Siuta, our speaker, will examine the Euphorbiaceae family, which occurs around the world and whose relationship with man goes way back in history. This fascinating family has given us medicines, poisons, allergens, industrial products, weeds, wildflowers, and ornamental plants. Michael has been a member of NFBS since its inception in 1983. He has twice served as president and has served as editor of Clintonia since 2005.

05.11.19 Field Trip:  Heart's Content Trail, Allegheny National Forest south of Warren, PA.  This one-mile loop trail is reputed to have excellent spring wildflowers.  It also includes 20 acres of virgin forest with 300-400 year old trees and is said to be the most important site for virgin hemlock & white pine in PA.  Other trails are here as well. 

05.04.19 Field Trip:  Felker's Falls and Devil's Punch Bowl, Ontario.  These two preserves lie on the Niagara Escarpment at the eastern edge of Hamilton, Ontario and are owned by the Hamilton Conservation Authority.  They both have beautiful waterfalls, and Felker's also contains woods, trails, and several rare plants and critters. 

04.12.19 "True Bugs: Household Invaders, Human Biters, and Plant Pests. Long-time NFBS member Wayne Gall will be our speaker. During his long and impressive career, he has been resident naturalist at Tifft, curator of entomology at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and regional entomologist for the NYS of Department of Health, He has taught graduate courses at Buffalo State College and U.B., and is currently serving as entomologist for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture with a laboratory at the Peace Bridge.

03.12.19 "The Battle Against Invasive Species: Some Recent PRISM Crew Projects."  Speaker Lucy Nuessle is the new Project Manager at WNY's Invasive Species Management Program. Ms. Nuessle graduated from U.B. in 2012 with a double major in environmental studies and chemistry. She has worked for the Clean Air Coalition of NWY, at Reinstein Woods, and for the DEC's Giant Hogweed Control Program. She has also worked at an organic farm and a local nursery.

02.12.19 "Unique Sedges of New York."  Speaker Scott Ward will discuss this often overlooked and under-appreciated group of plants, with special notes on their subgroups and habitats. Mr. Ward is a graduate student at SUNY-Brockport. In 2015 he was awarded a grant to begin a long-term tree study in Bergen Swamp, and has also undertaken projects studying plant cover in a section of 12-Mile Creek and invasive swallowwort in various habitats.

01.08.19  "Environmental Impacts on Tourism in the Rockies". Speaker Scott Cheyne is a native of Alberta, Canada, where he has led many tour groups in the area of Banff & Jasper National Parks. He is currently taking special classes in St. Catherines, Ontario in preparation for a possible park ranger position in one of Canada's national parks.

2017 

12.10.17 “The First Flower” We will view his acclaimed NOVA video which follows scientists as they attempt to find the oldest flowering plant in the fossil record.  Following, please join us for holiday treats, bring something edible to share if you can. 

11.14.17 “The Long History of Apples.” Speaker Darrel Oakes has graciously rescheduled his presentation which was snowed out last March.  Mr. Oakes is owner of Lynoaken Farms, one of the largest commercial apple growers in WNY.  In 2006 he partnered with an Amish horticulturist to plant over 350 varieties of heritage apples, including many varieties dating from the 1700s and 1800s.  He has promised to bring both apples and wines for us to sample.

10.07.17 Field Trip: Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY. Mt. Hope was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest municipal cemeteries in the U.S.  Its 196 acres include picturesque glacier-created hills and valleys, wild wooded areas with old trees, and many planted trees (including 10 species of oaks).  People buried here include Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.  Leader on-site will be Richard Cook, who has supervised restoration work on the property.  

10.06.17 “Paleobotany in Patagonia: Fossil Flowers and Fruits from the early Paleocene of South America.” Speaker Dr. Nathan Jud is a Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell University in the field of Paleobotany & Evolution.   The Buffalo Geological Society has invited us to join them for this presentation.

09.26.17 Field Trip: Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Those who wish to carpool meet at 9:00 at the I-90 park-and-ride on Transit Road.  Others meet at the Iroquois Visitor Center off Rte. 63 at 9:30.  Trails are flat and easy, and provide a wide range of habitats from wetlands to fields and woods.  Bring lunch.  Leaders: Laurie Baldwin & Joanne Schlegel.

09.12.17 “Restoration along the Lower Niagara River”. Speaker Dave Spiering will discuss restoration projects in the Niagara Gorge and the Stella Niagara Preserve being done by the WNY Land Conservancy. The talk will focus on the unique native plants that are growing and will be planted in the area. Dave is Conservation Project Manager for the WNY Land Conservancy, previously chief ecologist at Tifft Nature Preserve, and a NFBS member.

07.14-17.17 Field Trip: New Hampshire. Our major field trip this summer will take us to the White Mountains area of New Hampshire. Former NFBS president Jason Sorens now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire where he teaches at Dartmouth College, and he has offered to lead our group to some beautiful and unique sites in his new neighborhood. Possible destinations include Ossipee Pine Barrens, Nancy Brook Virgin Spruce Area, Rhododendron State Park, and others.

07.01.17 Field Trip: College Lodge, SUNY-Fredonia. SUNY-Fredonia property south of Fredonia. Joint trip with NYFA.

06.17.17 Field Trip: Furman Fen & Houghton Bog. Joint trip with Nature Sanctuary Society.

06.03.17 Field Trip: Deer Lick Preserve. Deer Lick Preserve on south branch of Cattaraugus Creek. This 400-acre preserve near Gowanda is owned by The Nature Conservancy and includes meadows, ravines, and old-growth forest with 100-foot trees. Meet at Home Depot on Mile Strip Road just east of I-90 Blasdell exit (Exit 56).

05.20.17 Field Trip: Sprague Brook Park. Directions: Rt. 240 south past Colden and Kissing Bridge, turn left on Foote Rd, ¼ mile to park entrance. Meet in main parking lot. 

05.13.17 CANCELLED! Field Trip: Letchworth Woods, Amherst Campus of SUNY-Buffalo. Patricia Eckel’s article in a recent issue of Clintonia (May 2014) described these woods as largely old-growth and mentioned finding many good things here including Black Gum, Cucumber Tree, Tulip Tree, Sassafras, Pin Oak, Spring Beauty, Goldthread, Beechdrops, and Dwarf Ginseng.

05.09.17 “The Gardens of the FLW Darwin Martin House and Graycliff Estate”. Horticulturist Nellie Gardner will speak on the history of both of these Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces and on the restoration of the grounds currently underway at both sites. Nellie received a degree in Agronomy from Cornell, has worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension and started an agricultural consulting business. She currently owns and runs her own flower farm, and is overseeing the restoration work at both Wright properties.

04.22.17 Field Trip: Counterfeiters Ledge, Akron. Join steward Joanne Schlegel at the place where spring happens first in Western New York. Spring wildflowers should be abundant, especially Hepatica, Cutleaf Toothwort, Early Meadow Rue, and violets.

03.18.17 Field Trip: South Park Botanical Garden. On South Park Avenue in Lackawanna, one block north of Ridge Road. Cold weather won’t matter! We will enjoy beautiful plants indoors, and view the many changes and improvements recently completed at the Garden. 

04.11.17 “Appalachian Spring—A Celebration of Woodland Wildflowers from the Carolinas, north Georgia, Kentucky, and the Great Smoky Mountains.” 

Speakers Carol and David Southby are naturalists and garden designers, specializing in native plants for butterfly & wildlife gardens.  They lecture and lead field trips for natural history and garden groups, and have led nature tours to their native Britain.  They are also photographers, and have had several several local exhibits of their butterfly photography.

03.14.17 CANCELLED! Meeting: “The Long History of Apples.”

Speaker Darrel Oakes is owner of Lynoaken Farms, one of the largest commercial apple growers in WNY. In 2006 he partnered with an Amish horticulturist to plant over 350 varieties of heritage apples on his property, with many varieties dating from the 1700s and 1800s and earlier.

02.14.17 Joanne Schlegel “The Beautiful, Green, Sonoran Desert.” Speaker Joanne Schlegel recently spent 7 months living in Tucson, Arizona, studying local flora in the heart of saguaro country. She is past president of NFBS and currently its vice president and field trip chair.

01.10.17 Barbara Blackburn "The Third Day" Speaker Barbara Blackburn will present a program on plants of the bible, a topic derived from her love of herbs and cooking. Barbara is a member of the Herb Society of America. As a writer she has been the “Kitchen Wizard” for Metro Community News and a restaurant reviewer for WNY Family Magazine.

2015

12.08.15 Annual Members Night. Please bring your interesting botanical specimens or photos to share, a topic for discussion, or information on a topic that will expand our knowledge.

11.06.15 Robin Wall Kimmerer: The Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation.  Our November meeting will be dedicated to the memory of Jerry Lazarczyk, a long-time NFBS member who made a generous bequest to NFBS in 2014. The NFBS board has been working in conjunction with the WNY Land Conservancy to bring Robin Kimmerer to speak in Buffalo on Tuesday, November 10, and a portion of Jerry’s bequest will be used to fund this evening.

Robin Kimmerer is Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse. Her writings include the book Gathering Moss, which was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for nature writing in 2005. She is a member of the Potawatomi nation, and the founding director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, whose mission is to create programs that draw on both indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge.

10.13.15 Mark Whitmore: Invasive Bugs That Eat Trees—The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Others.  Mr. Whitmore, Extension Associate in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell. His areas ofexpertise include forest ecology and biological controls of forest insect pests.

09.12.15 Field Trip: James Allan Provincial Park, Ontario.  James Allan Provincial Park is located on the Lake Erie shore west of Dunnville, Ont. (1-1/2 hours driving time).  This small, undeveloped park includes a peninsula jutting out into the lake with a sand beach on one side and a limestone pavement on the other, providing two different plant communities within a small area. The park also includes roads and paths adjacent to wet ditches which contain interesting plants. 

09.08.15 Stephen Tulowiecki: “Unfamiliar Forests: Comprehending Forest Change in Western New York Over the Last 200 Years.  Speaker: Dr. Tulowiecki recently received his doctorate from the Geography Dept. at SUNY-Buffalo, and is currently on the faculty at SUNY-Geneseo. Here are links to Dr. Tulowiecki's articles: UB: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/05/048.html

and the one in Ecological Monographs: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/277295089_Native_American_impacts_on_past_forest_composition_inferred_from_species_distribution_models_Chautauqua_County_NY

08.15.15 Field Trip: Chautauqua Creek Oxbow Preserve. In Sherman, a site recently donated to the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy containing 21 acres of forested gorge lands rich with ferns, mosses and fungi in hemlock-beech-maple woods.  Guides on site: Becky Nystrom, Biology Prof at Jamestown C.C., and Jay Stratton, donor of the land.

08.01.15 Field Trip: Burgeson Wildlife Sanctuary. Audubon Nature Center near Jamestown.  A 650 acre preserve with 5 miles of easy (some paved) trails through wetlands.

07.24.15 Field trip: Stella Niagara Preserve in Lewiston.  The preserve has been recently acquired by the WNY Land Conservancy. It has a beautiful view of the Niagara River and is rich in history. We will meet at the town park parking lot on the corner of Lower River Road and Pletcher Road. Insect repellent and sunscreen are recommended. The preserve has a gentle slope and should be easy to walk.

07.22.15 Field Trip: Klydel Woods.  A wetland forest in North Tonawanda now an Audubon preserve.  

07.11-12.15 Field Trip: Overnight trip to Pennsylvania.  We will return to Wolf Creek Preserve near Slippery Rock (north of Pittsburgh) where we were rained out last year, hopefully timing our trip to see its gigantic lilies in bloom. On Sunday we will explore Presque Isle State Park at Erie.

06.27.15 Field Trip: Houghton Bog & Furman Fen in southern Erie County. Annual bog walk with members of NSSWNY. Meet at 8:30 at Sprague Brook Park, entrance on Route 240 at Foote Rd. Bring lunch and boots or water shoes. Easy hike.

05.23.15 Field Trip: Hunters Creek Park.  Meet in parking lot behind the theatre on Main St. in East Aurora.

05.12.15 “Exploring Plant Rarity Through the Lens of Recruitment.”  Matt Candeias & Adam Labatore. Matt and Adam are currently completing graduate biology degrees at Buffalo State College. They have been exploring seed and habitat limitations in urban and rural settings, investigating the presence or absence of certain plant species using germination trails. Matt and Adam have been working on a research project at Tifft Preserve.  

05.09.15 Field Trip: Backus Woods, Ontario.  Backus Woods is between Turkey Point and Long Point in Ontario.  This 875 acre preserve is regarded as one of the highest quality old-growth forests in Ontario and its best remaining tract in the Carolinian Zone. 

05.02.15 Field Trip: Niagara Escarpment Preserve. Rained out.  We will join members of the WNY Land Conservancy at their new Leete Road preserve in Lockport.

04.25.15 Field Trip: Akron Falls Park.  We will explore the section along the steep walls of the ravine (path is easy). Meet at 10:00 at the McDonalds in Akron, at the intersection of Main Street and Route 93. Bring lunch to eat at the picnic tables in the park.

4.14.15 Annual Dinner Meeting: Dr. Donald Leopold. "Truly Rare and Other Protected Plants of New York State, with an Emphasis on Terrestrial Orchids." Dr. Leopold is an internationally known botanist, Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair of the Dept. of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Dr. Leopold received a PhD in forest ecology from Purdue. He has published 4 books and over 50 papers, including Native Plants of the Northeast–A Guide for Gardening and Conservation, Timber Press. He has taught courses in dendrology and wetland ecology. His research includes the ecology of old-growth forests and wetlands, the biology of rare plant species, and the biodiversity and restoration of ecosystems. Many will remember him as our terrific guide during our 2012 field trip to the Syracuse area. 

04.13.15 Field Trip: Thousand Acre Swamp  Penfield (Monroe Co).  Nature Conservancy Preserve of 300 acres at east edge of Rochester, with well-maintained trails and boardwalks.  Meet at truck stop at I-90 Pembroke exit (Route 77)

03.10.15 Jonathan Titus “The Latest Word on Japanese Knotweed and Garlic Mustard.”  Jonathan will discuss his recent research on these two invasive plant species. Jon is Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at SUNY-Fredonia where his focus is on botany and field ecology.

02.21.15  Field Trip: Buffalo Botanical Gardens  It will be informal and a chance to get out during the winter and see friends. 

02.10.15 Dr. Robert Warren. “Ghosts of Cultivation Past—Cherokee Legacy Shapes Tree Patterning”.  Dr. Warren’s research has focused mainly on species interactions in a changing climate, but also on the dispersal of species by native Americans. He is currently Assistant Professor in the biology department at Buffalo State College.