• Monday, December 3. Our annual potluck will be held at the Parkview Hills Clubhouse on December 3 at 6:30 PM.  Please bring a dish to pass and tableware.
  
  The chair of the Biology Department at Andrews University, David Steen,
  will present "Consider The Lilies", and enlighten budding photographers.
  
  The artistic wealth inherent in wildflowers is well known. For centuries painters, photographers, philosophers, and poets have worked hard to capture and communicate the beauty of ephemeral wild flowers. Even Jesus himself, in Luke 12:27 suggested that we "consider the lilies" and learn lessons from them. Plant physiologist, David Steen, describes himself as a wanna be photographer who has spent years trying to get the perfect plant photographs. It hasn't happened yet. But in this relaxed year-end, Christmas season presentation, Steen shares some of those attempts. Expect to experience the common wildflowers and plant communities in uncommon ways. After showing some of the results of his quest using both photography and electron microscopy, he will give us a brief tutorial on how to shoot and process digital photographs of wildflowers to give them their best presentation. Watch how Adobe's photoshop can take a common photo and render it in uncommon ways. If you enjoy seeing wildflowers in a new light, up close and personal, you won't want to miss this evening of beauty and splendor.
  
  Directions:  exit I-94 at Oakland Drive. Go north to Parkview Ave (D & W is on corner).Turn left (west) on Parkview ave and go to light at Greenleaf Blvd entrance to Parkview Hills.Turn south onto Greenleaf Blvd and go past tennis courts. Avoid the turn-off to the right and the clubhouse will soon appear on your left.Come right in the front door!From downtown Kalamazoo take Oakland drive south to the D & W supermarket on the corner of Parkview Ave and turn right to get to Greenleaf Blvd.
   

  2008 Winter Meetings

• Monday, January 21.  The Grass Genus Ixophorus (Ken Hiser), Oshtemo Library, 7 PM

• Wednesday, February 27. Wetland Communities of Michigan (Brad Slaughter)  Christian Church, 2208 Winchell, Kazoo 7 PM Socializing, 7:30 Program

• March 17, Monday.  Species Interactions and Adaptation in a Changing World (Jen Lau)  Oshtemo Library  7 PM

• April 14, Monday. Pineapple Taxonomy (Tim Evans)  Oshtemo Library  7 PM

2008 Field trips

• May 3, Saturday,  Spring Ephemerals.  Fort Custer Training Area

• May 23-26,  Spring Foray (White Pine Chapter) Spring Lake

• June 14, Saturday.  Floodplain Forest  (Dave Foerster’s Woods)  Between M-43 and Paw Paw

• August 9, Saturday.  Palmer Preserve (Fens)  Paw Paw Lake, Texas Township

• September 20, Saturday. Cass RR Prairies, Cass County

2008 Fall Meetings

• October 20, Monday.  To be announced.  Oshtemo Library  7 PM

• November 17,  Monday.  Ecological History of the Great Plains.  Oshtemo Library  7 PM

• December 1,  Monday.  Winter Holiday Potluck (Speaker to be announced) Parkview Hills Clubhouse, Kalamazoo  6:30 PM