January 2005

Red Cedar Chapter Newsletter
January 2005

The purposes of this organization are: 1. Conservation of all native plants; 2. Education of the public to appreciate and preserve plant life; 3. Sponsorship of research and publications on the plant life of the state; 4. Sponsorship of legislation to promote the preservation of Michigan native flora and to establish suitable sanctuaries and natural areas.

January Meeting Program: Native Eatable Plants

Acting president, Heather Hallen-Adams introduced the program and conducted the January meeting. Members and guests were treated to a feast by Peter Carrington. He presented us with an extensive menu of Michigan native edible plants that could become a nutritious and delicious part of our daily diet. He served it up with humorous asides that kept us entertained while he outlined an amazing variety of Michigan plants that grow wild all around us. Peter is the Communication Manager for the MSU College of Natural Science and teaches wilderness survival classes on the side.

When asked how he became interested in edible native plants, Peter said that when he was getting started as an illustrator, he learned what the words "starving artist" meant. He got hold of Euell Gibbons, "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" and a plant identification book and soon 90% of his diet in those early years came from foraging for plants growing wild. Instead of feeling deprived, he learned that delicious and nutritious foods are growing all around us. They could become a major food sources if we learned which native edible plants are locally available and cultivated a taste for them. Peter showed slides of many edible Michigan plants and described how to prepare them.

Bitterness characterizes some of the plants. Peter told us it is a taste well worth acquiring. Some of the plants described require special preparation such as double boiling of selected plant parts to reduce their bitterness, but many wild plant parts can be picked and eaten as they are. For example, Eastern Redbud flowers are delicious. Chickweed, one of Peters favorites (Stellaria media ) is delicious in a salad. Pineapple weed (Matricaria dioscorea ) when added to hot water makes a satisfying pineapple flavored tea. Lambsquarters (Chenopodium albums ) is one of our most useful and common weeds. Lambs quarters seed was found in the stomach of the thousands of years old man found frozen in the Alps. Burdock is a market place vegetable in the rest of the world. Japanese knotweed root tastes like rhubarb and makes an excellent pie. Sunflower seeds which can be eaten raw or toasted contains 20% protein and healthy oil. The catalog of edible plants is extensive. Peter described ways to prepare Jerusalem artichoke, common milkweed, swamp milkweed, buckwheat sorrel, sheep sorrel, curled dock, bitter dock, ladys thumb, butterfly weed, strawberry blight, and saltbush.

We were cautioned to learn which plants are good for us and which could be fatal. Everyone recognizes a dandelion when they see one but members of the carrot family can get tricky. Dandelion flowers are good just as they are and can be made into a delicious fritter with a little pancake batter. (Peter said that you can make wine from dandelion flowers but then you can make wine from anything not made of metal.) Eating the root of the water hemlock is a quick way to depart this earth. There are many edible plant books on the market. The good ones identify edible plants and tell you how to prepare them. To help us get started Peter recommended Petersons "Field Guide of Edible Wild plants". A good internet key word is "ethnobotany".

Opening Comments: This months chapter acting President, Heather Hallen-Adams, brought the meeting to order. We had five guests this evening whom Heather extended a warm welcome. Thanks to members for personally inviting some of them. Getting interested people to come to our meetings is an excellent way to increase membership. Heather also made a few other announcements prior to Peter Carrington’s talk, including: request for nominees to fill this years chapter President position; ideas for future speakers and field trip sites; volunteers to bring refreshments for our next meeting.

Another point of business that needed to be addressed was a request for a nominee to replace Betty Peebles as Director at-Large. This is a three year position and one of three members representing our chapter at the State Board meetings. Catherine Yansa volunteered as a nominee. Any other members wishing to volunteer for this position may contact Ron Priest (517 349 7407) Email: priest@msu.edu A vote will be taken at our February meeting.

Heather did an excellent job of conducting the meeting. She made everyone feel welcome and kept things going smoothly. Bob Peebles will be "Guest Conductor" for the next meeting.

Robert Bloye informed us that Donald Dickman’s new book, "Michigan Forest Communities: A field Guide and Reference" was now available. Robert bought 10 copies at the reduced price of $10 each and was able to offer them to us for that price. This is a discount of $5 from the single copy price. Donald Dickman and Larry Leefers gave us a most informative program last year taken from their work in writing a previous book, "The Forests of Michigan". Thanks to Robert, ten of us now have a beautifully illustrated field guide which is richly illustrated with forest plant pictures and location maps. It is available at Michigan State University Extension, ISBN No.1-56525-019-2.

Our thanks to Sherry Kovach and Marlene Wesselman for the excellent refreshments provided this night.

Nominations for Directors-at-large and for president are now open. Directors-at-large represent the Red Cedar Chapter at three state Michigan Botany Club meetings a year. If you are interested in serving as either president or director-at-large contact Ron Priest.

January State Board Meeting News: RCC Members at-Large attending were Betty and Bob Peebles, Robert Bloye. Also attending was Catherine Yansa. Both the Southeastern and Huron Valley chapters have experienced a member decline. Larry Nooden said theHuron Valley is now experiencing an increase due to several factors, including: increasing number of field trips, listing field trip plants sited in their newsletter, hosting speakers on environmental activism, and establishing a web site to advertise their planned meetings and field trips. Others actions implemented are: affiliating with other organizations such as Wild Ones and providing a year free membership to new members and the active member bring that new member. (Funds are provided by the Hanes Fund.) These are some ideas we might consider as look to make our chapter more attractive and increase membership.

Bob Peebles has volunteered to be our “Guest Conductor” at our February meeting.

RED CEDAR CHAPTER, MICHIGAN BOTANICAL CLUB

2005 MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS*

(Updated 28 January 2005)

FEBRUARY TUESDAY, 01 February: 7:30 PM, Room 168, Plant Biology Bldg., M.S.U.

Guest Speaker: Don Simons. Late Ice Age Peopling of the Lower Great Lakes.

MARCH TUESDAY, 01 March: 7:30 PM, Room 168, Plant Biology Bldg., M.S.U.

Guest Speaker: Jeremy Emmi, Executive Director of the Michigan Nature Association.

SATURDAY, 19 March, 10:00 AM Field Trip: Van Atta Woods. Trail lead by Bob Peebles.

APRIL TUESDAY, 05 April, 7:30 PM, Room 168, Plant Biology Bldg., M.S.U.

Guest Speaker: Heather Hallen-Adams “Putting the Fun Back in Fungi”

SATURDAY, 16 April, 10:00 AM Field Trip: Scott Woods. Trail leader:______________________

MAY SATURDAY, 21 May, 10:00 AM. Field Trip

JUNE SATURDAY, 11 June, 10:00 AM. Field Trip: Trail leader:Heather Hallen-Adams Fungi trip site to be set closer to trip date.

JULY SATURDAY, 16 July (tentative) Field Trip: Prairie Restoration Project, Dewitt. Host and trail leader: Clifford Welsh.

AUGUST SATURDAY, AUGUST (date and site to be set) Summer BBQ

*For those needing a ride or wishing to caravan a meeting site will be announced in RCC newsletter preceding each field trip.

FEBRUARY MEETING:

DON SIMONS

Late Ice Age Peopling of the Lower Great Lakes.

Tuesday, 01 February 2005, 7:30 PM

Room 168 Plant Biology Building

Doors open by 7:00 PM with refreshments shortly thereafter.

Red Cedar Chapter Officers