Red Cedar Chapter News November 2003

October Meeting Notes

At least twenty RCC members and a number of nonmembers attended the October meeting. Several nonmembers heard the meeting announcement on television or radio; thanks to Mary Leys for publicizing our meetings! Sarah Dickinson has been writing our newsletters since last year, but her long commute and new job make publishing this newsletter difficult; thanks for your help, Sarah! Sherry Kovach provided the following synopsis of Shawna Patterson Myer’s presentation on collecting herbal medicines:

Poaching has become a major problem that has affected certain plant populations, especially wild ginseng. Harvesting plants from the middle size of the population rather than the strongest or weakest plants helps to preserve the population.

Plant medications are not regulated by the FDA. Some wild plant growers are not aware that certain leaves or seeds are poisonous. Some roots of administration may have no medicinal effect or may even cause liver damage. For example, the myth that goldenseal would clean evidence of drug use began as a casual comment in a 1907 novel and now populations of goldenseal are threatened in Canada. Native Americans used many plant medicinally, such as mullein leaves to treat asthma. Today slippery elm is in 50% of present-day cough medications. Burdock is being researched for anti-tumor properties.

Invasive Plant Species Survey

MSU graduate student Charlotte Reemts and I (Jason Kilgore) are preparing a proposal to inventory, prioritize, and recommend management action for invasive plant species eradication at Fenner Nature Center. This project would be a joint venture between RCC and the MSU Dept. of Plant Biology Graduate Student Organization that will serve as learning, education, conservation, and recruiting tools, all of which are objectives for our Club and Chapter. Jason will make a short presentation on this project at the November meeting; please let me know if you are interested in reviewing the proposal.

Fenner Nature Center Workdays

The weather was so beautiful on Saturday, October 11, that folks were probably enjoying the day in other ways. RCC member Jason Kilgore, Fenner Director Clara Bratton, and a Fenner Board member pulled honeysuckle north of the parking lot area. Tom Smith of Grassroots has been contracted to complete the restoration of the oak-hickory demonstration area where we have previously worked. The next Work Day for this project will be Saturday, November 8, from 9-11 a.m. If interested, arrive with gloves, work clothes (long pants), and drinking water.

Spring Foray Planning Committee

If you are interested in helping out with the planning of the Foray, then please attend our meetings (6-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 26, Nov. 16, Dec. 7) in Room 168 Plant Biology Building. Contact Jason for more info.

RCC Officer Nominations

This newsletter has been mailed a week early to give you more time to consider and submit nominations to Sherry Kovach (PH 517-669-5909) for the Executive Officer positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary for the 2004-05 terms. Nominations will be accepted via phone or at the November meeting, after which time nominations will be closed. Sherry will confirm the nominees’ consent, collate the ballot, and present the ballot in the December newsletter for vote by mail or at the December meeting. The Chapter Bylaws contains a description of duties associated with each Officer position, and nominees are encouraged to contact the current Officers for a detailed description of actual responsibilities. Please contact Jason if you would like a copy of the Chapter Bylaws, which should be posted on the web at http://michbotclub.org/chapters/rcc/rcc_bylaws.htm

RCC Newsletter

If you would like something announced in our Chapter newsletter, please let Jason know two weeks before the next meeting.

Next Meeting:

Frank Dennis, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, MSU
"Heritage Apples: A Taste of History” (apple tasting included!)
Tuesday, November 4, 2003, at 7:30 p.m.
Room 168 Plant Biology Building
Michigan State University (Use the center north door)

Red Cedar Chapter Officers and Committees

President

Jason Kilgore

517-272-0737

kilgorej@msu.edu

Vice President

Robert Bloye

517-353-9630

bloyerob@msu.edu

Treasurer

Sharon Cramer

517-333-8944

lsharcramer@aol.com

Secretary

-- currently open –

Directors-at-Large

Term: 1/02 through 12/05

Robert Bloye

Bob and Betty Peebles

Field Trip Committee:

-- open –

Isobel Dickinson Committee:

Patrick Fields, Steve Stephenson

MSU Natural Areas Plant Inventory Committee:

Bill Schneider

Foray Scholarship Committee:

Pat Fields, Elaine Chittenden, Martha Davidson

Foray Planning Committee:

Marianne Barrone, Robert Bloye, Elaine Chittenden, Pat

Fields, Jason & Pam Kilgore, Mary Leys, Erica McConnell,

Barb Mead, Bob & Betty Peebles, Ron Priest, Steve

Stephenson, Marlene Wesselman

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ November 1999 ] [ December 1999 ] [ January 2000 ] [ February 2000 ] [ March 2000 ] [ April 2000 ] [ May 2000 ] [ Sept. 2000 ] [ Nov. 2000 ] [ December 2002 ] [ November 2003 ] [ December 2003 ] [ February 2004 ] [ December 2004 ] [ January 2005 ] [ February 2005 ] [ June 2005 ] [ September 2005 ] [ November 2005 ] [ December 2005 ] [ January 2006 ] [ February 2006 ]