NEW! Winchester Meadow SNA botany blitz

The second 2016 botany blitz will be led by Thomas Eddy on Saturday, August 20 at Winchester Meadow State Natural Area from 10am-3pm. From the WDNR website “Winchester Meadow features a large, open sedge meadow-marsh situated in an extensive depression northwest of Lake Winneconne. The site boasts a diverse flora composed of woolly-fruit sedge, tussock sedge, blue-joint grass, marsh bellflower, blue-flag iris, marsh fern, marsh cinquefoil, and soft-stem bulrush. Shrub cover is mostly low with numerous species of willow, white meadowsweet, and bog birch. Some of the wetter areas contain small pools with at least three species of bladderwort present. The outer portions of the meadow is mostly tussock sedge with lake sedge and slender willow while the inner region is dominated by wire-leaved sedge mixed with lesser amounts of lesser panicled sedge, Buxbaum's sedge with patches of tussock sedge and large patches of cattails and soft-stem bulrush. The site is notable for its lack of invasives. Rare animals present include northern harrier, Forester's tern, and yellow rail. Winchester Meadows is owned by the DNR. The site was purchased by the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust and later transferred to the DNR. It was designated a State Natural Area in 2012” (http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=661).Directions:

From the intersection of Highway 150 [renamed County Road II] and Steeple Hill Road in Winchester, go west on CR II 2 miles, then south on County M 0.5 miles, then southwest on County MM 2.4 miles to a small easement access lane. Walk west 0.15 miles into the site. This easement access is not readily visible due to overgrown vegetation. There is no parking area—parking will be on road next to easement. (My yellow 2000 VW beetle will be parked there.)

Suggested items to bring along: wellies or hip waders, field guide, insect/tick repellent, drinking water, sack lunch, camera, binoculars, pencil/pen, notepad.

Please forward this email to other potential blitz volunteers who may be interested in attending. The blitz information is also posted under “Announcements” on the BCW website (https://sites.google.com/site/botanicalclubofwisconsin/news/newwinchestermeadowsna20august) and the BCW Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BotClubWis/).