Great Natives of Midwestern Ecotype

July 2009 Edition

Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype

In the GNOME News March article feature, native grasses were being studied in reducing and breaking down the chemi-cal atrazine– one of the most commonly applied agricultural chemicals in the US.

Researchers at the University of Missouri took information from the atrazine studies and started to apply those results to an-other large problem in the United States- TNT contamina-tion.

Today there are 538 sites iden-tified by the Department of Defense as having Trinitrotolu-ene (TNT) and cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (also called RDX) contamination. 20 of these sites are classified as the coun-try’s most dangerous aban-doned toxic waste locations.

TNT and RDX pollution pose a threat to the human nervous and to kidneys and liver. It is believed to cause cancer and also increases risk of birth de-fects.

Robert Lerch, John Yang and Chung-Ho Lin began talking about how chemically similar atrazine is to the explosives TNT and RDX.

“If it worked for atrazine, we thought it might work for these things,” said Lin, a research professor for the University of Missouri Center for Agrofor-estry.

The team is finding that eastern gamagrass and switchgrass are the most effective. These break down the toxic chemicals into harmless water and CO2.

The normal cost of cleaning a contaminated area of TNT or RDX is between $10,000 and $1 million dollars and acre. The native grass solution, if it follows results in the lab, would cost about $3000 an acre.

Volume 10 , Issue 1

THE BIG PICTURE: Native grasses stronger than TNT?

July 1 , 2009

Did you know...

• TNT contaminates hundreds of US sites from military firing ranges to old produc-tion dumps to water-ways?

• The higher the de-mand or requests for natives in retail out-lets, the more likely they are to stock them? Ask for natives!

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Plant Profile 2

Native on the Net 2

Best Books 2

Organization Spotlight 3

Native News 3

Planting with a Purpose 3

Featured Interview Invasives! Fantastic Fauna Focus on the Future

4

5

5

6

GNOME NEWS

G N O M E ’ S M I S S I O N

Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native flo-ral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a net-based forum where mem-

bers can share their pas-sion, plans, ideas, and ques-tions with other people hav-ing a common interest. You can participate in many different ways.

1. Join our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296

2. Submit articles, pictures, sto-ries, or plans for publication.

3. Visit or link to the website 4. Pass on the newsletter.

Missouri researchers (from left) Chung-Ho Lin, Robert Lerch and John Yang are investi-gating whether native grasses can clean up pollution caused by ex-plosives at hundreds of locations across the country.

Ruellia humilis is the wild native perennial version of the commonly planted annual petunia (they belong to differ-ent families). It is similar in growth habits, getting to be about one foot tall. It must have been an easy one– it got 100% of the votes on the Name that Native webpage.

This plant originally lived east of the Rocky Mountains and was found all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It was also found in New Mexico and Ari-zona.

This plant is currently blooming, having light purple flowers and

a darker purple lines running toward the co-rolla used by pollinators as a guide to the nectar. It grows low to the ground and readily re-seeds itself.

A fascinating seed disper-sal method is utilized by this plant. Seed pods will freeze with seeds inside. When they begin to thaw

they explode from internal pressure to spread seeds many feet from the parent plant.

Faunal associations are mainly long-tongued bees like the Anthrophorid and Leaf-cutting bees. Leaf cutters will also use the leaves of this plant for creating brood nests.

I have found this plant to be a nice background plant for other savannah and prairie plants. Do to its prolific seed-ing, it can also create an effective ground cover. Though I do not dead head it and let it go to seed, it can be kept blooming by doing so.

Another unique thing about this book is that it covers all of the prairie states, not just the Midwest. Since part of the focus of book is to extol the benefits of na-tive plants and the biodiversity they create, it is nice that the regional focus is expanded.

This book by Sally Wasowski is almost like having three books in one– field guide, natural his-tory book, and how-to lessons.

One of the things I enjoyed about the book was how it seamlessly tied scientific knowl-edge into common and readable language. Often times a book like this is either too technical or too elementary. This book will have experienced and novice gardeners enjoying it.

One more excellent thing about this book would have to be the

photos. Taken by Andy Wasowski, these photos really illustrate the many wonder-ful native plants in various set-tings.

It sells for be-tween $20 and $30 dollars and is well worth it!

Page 4

N A T I V E O N T H E N E T

Ruellia humilis– Wild Petunia

B E S T B O O K S – G A R D E N I N G W I T H P R A I R I E P L A N T S

Summertime is again upon us and with that come a caval-cade of interesting tiny crea-tures until winter makes it too cold for them. Unfortunately many of these animals are difficult to identify. This site will help you!

To begin, all species are clas-sified by order, making it rela-tively easy to narrow your

search. By scrolling down the orders, you are sure to find where your crawler fits in.

At the bottom, there are links to help id your animal as well. You can also submit your photo if you can’t find it by browsing.

With amazing pictures, you will enjoy just looking at bugs!

Sometimes wading through sites looking for good resources on na-tive plants is just too time consum-ing. This section should help!

This month’s featured site is : North American Insects and Spiders

http://www.cirrusimage.com/

“If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed [and] if we are not willing [to change], we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect” ~Jacques Cousteau

Wild petunia can reseed to create a beautiful blooming groundcover!

Volume 10 , Issue 1

This is a great book for those interested in native flora.

GNOME News

The Fair Trade Federation is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organiza-tions fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade move-ment, building equitable and sustainable trading partner-ships and creating opportu-nities to alleviate poverty.

Mission statement taken from

www.fairtradefederation.org

You might be wondering what fair trade has to do with native plants and ani-mals– especially those in the Midwest.

A lot!

Fair Trade products are focused on reducing or eliminating poverty. As a secondary benefit, environ-mental issues are often focused upon. I will site as an example shade grown coffee by small independent farmers. Large scale coffee growers oust families and clear habitat. By supporting small farmers that grow shade-grown coffee, our

North American migrant birds have a place to overwinter.

Check out the site. You can find all sorts of fair trade products with the drop down menu on the right sight of the home page.

There are a larger variety of natives and cultivars being of-fered commercially every year . This doesn’t mean that they are easy to find.

A friend of mine was looking to add some small native clump grasses to her landscape this spring. She was frustrated when natives were not readily available at her normal plant suppliers.

Sometimes no matter what you try to do, a plant just doesn’t thrive where it is planted and dies. When this happens, why not replace it with a native?

Creating new beds, whether with traditional ornamentals or natives, can be expensive. One good way to bring natives into your landscape in a less expen-sive manner is simply to replace unwanted plants or ones that have died with natives.

There are some links on GNOME webpage to assist you in locating native plant sources. Increase your diversity with native plants!

Page 5

ORG A N I ZAT I O N SP O T L I G H T: F A I R T R A D E F E D E R A T I O N

P L A N T I N G W I T H A P U R P O S E : N A T I V E R E P L A C E M E N T S

When this acid is exposed to sunlight it degrades. This is where the plant gives a double whammy. The degraded acid is then turned into mesoxalic acid. Both acids are highly toxic and create a “cellular death cascade” in victim plants.

With an increase in UV-B expo-sure due to global climate change, this plant is accidentally

taking advantage of the new cycles to actively conquer new areas.

The study, which is published in the June issue of the scien-tific journal Plant Signaling & Behavior, is believed to be the first to report the effects of UV-B radiation on plant allelopathy.

Researchers at the University of Delaware have found out why Phragmites australis, a tall, feathery looking reed commonly seen in roadside ditches and other moist areas, is becoming one of the most invasive weeds in the United States.

This plant produces gallic acid to kill neighboring plants– often times these are native ones.

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” ~Russel Baker

Changing the world one gift at a time

N A T I V E N E W S : “ S U P E R W E E D ” A N D C L I M A T E C H A N G E

When adding plants to your yard, consider planting natives!

Wild Ones is an organization that “promotes envi-ronmentally sound landscaping practices to pre-serve biodiversity through the preservation, resto-ration and establishment of native plant communi-ties.”

Donna VanBueken is the Executive Director of this North American not-for-profit environmental edu-cation and advocacy or-ganization.

I was lucky enough to have contact with Donna and she agreed to answer a few questions for this in-terview. Thanks Donna!

Q- What is your mission for Wild Ones? A- To help them become a stronger and bigger national organization for people advocating the use of native plants in natural landscaping.

Q- What are some things that you think can be done to promote native plant use? A- Education is the key. As an organization, Wild Ones cannot do it all, however. It will be important to partner with organizations who can provide the elements of this natural landscaping move-ment that Wild Ones cannot. From an individual perspective, education is still the key. Use of the guidelines Wild Ones developed so many years ago is still relevant. BRASH http://www.for-wild.org/download/GrowItDontMowIt.pdf

Q- Why do you think that there are so few nurser-ies and retail outlets for native plants? A- Education, again. Traditional landscaping since the 40's has been lawns and duplicates of the beautiful European garden. It goes back further than that, however, to the idea that man can con-trol nature. Slowly, however, through the knowl-edge scientists are discovering about how the circle of life actually works, we are beginning to realize the importance of nature in human-kind's existence. With that knowledge, nurseries and their customers are beginning to realize that the native plant species have a really important place in our existence. With that realization, nurseries will begin changing their stock from only non-

native plants to include natives because their customers will begin asking that they do.

There is also one other element to be considered

and that is that non-native propagation resources have been readily available, while native plant re-sources have had to be developed. The devel-opment of any new "industry" particularly one which is so de-pendent upon educa-tion is slow and costly. In time, as the industry grows, the costs will be equalized and native plant prices will become more com-petitive with non-native plants.

Q- Wild ones recently acquired a headquar-ters on Stroebe Marsh in Wisconsin's Fox Val-ley . What are the immediate plans at the site for the summer? A- We started our rain garden last year, and al-though we still have some work to do on that garden, we're planning to do the entrance gar-dens this year. Volunteers have also been work-ing at removing buckthorn and honeysuckle and just cleaning up the site. Initially, because we're just settling in, most of the work is being done by volunteers, so the development of our planned demonstration gardens is going slowly. Volunteers are always welcome and we've set aside Fridays as "work days" for Wild Ones members and friends.

Once we're completely moved into the WILD Cen-ter and have some semblance of routine estab-lished, we will begin looking for grant funds to develop the rest of the demonstration gardens and restore the prairie and the riparian woodland.

Q- Do you have a favorite quote or slogan that guides you in your endeavors? A- I have two. Wild Ones mission is to help people learn about the benefits of using native plants in natural landscaping. And If nothing moves in your landscape but a lawn-mower, it’s time to think about designing a natural yard.

Page 6

O N E O N O N E W I T H W I L D O N E D O N N A V A N B U E C K E N

Executive Director of Wild Ones

Donna VanBuecken

Volume 10 , Issue 1

“If nothing moves in your landscape but a lawn-mower, it’s time to think about design-ing a natural yard.”

GNOME News

I was riding in the car recently and my passenger remarked what pretty grasses we have in our ditches along I-88. What she was referring to was not a “grass”, but Phragmites australis, also known as the common reed.

Perhaps one of the reasons that this inva-sive plant has not re-ceived more press is because until recently, there has been much debate as to whether this species is native or introduced.

Research has some-what settled this de-bate by finding both native and introduced genotypes.

This is a clonal grass growing up to 18 feet tall. They have hollow culms and showy tufts when in bloom.

They will spread through seed dispersion, but also through rhizomes. Some of these rhi-zomes have over 200 stems.

As mentioned in the Native News this month, new research has shown just how deadly this plant the to native flora. Contain-ing toxic acids, this plant can aggressively conquer new territory.

It is currently widely distributed throughout the US and is causing a decline in native forms.

Bats are one of the most feared and misunder-stood mammals in North America. So, if you have chiroptophobia, set your fear aside for a moment and read on. Maybe this information will give you an appreciation for these beneficial insectivores.

Myotis lucifugus is a common bat in North Amer-ica. Commonly called the little brown bat, it feeds mainly on insects near water.

This bat is brown and has small ears compared to other American species. It only weighs about 1/3 of an ounce on average. It is usually about 3 1/2 inches long and has a wingspan between 8 and 10 inches.

There are three different roosting sites that this bat will use: a day roost, night roost, and hiberna-cula. Bats need to have warm temperatures to come out of the torpor that they use to reduce energy expenditure. This is why they use human dwellings– especially attics or barns in summer-time. They will also utilize bat houses.

Page 7

F A N T A S T I C F A U N A : T H E L I T T L E B R O W N B A T

IN VA S I V E S- C O M M O N R E E D

This bat’s diet includes many insects that humans consider a nuisance. Midges, beetles, moths, mayflies, and mosquitoes all are on the list of prey for this species. In fact, a single little brown bat can eat 1,200 insects per hour during peak feed-ing times. It is not uncommon for them to eat near their own bodyweight in a night.

Let’s debunk some myths– first, bats may fly near your head, but they don’t get tangled in hair. Did you know that only 1/10th of 1% of wild bats carry rabies? If they have it they usually become para-lyzed and not turned into frenzied biting machines. Oh– one more– bats aren’t blind– they can see as well as you do!

“I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does.” ~Jorge Luis Borges

Common Reed Distribution

Myotis lucifugus—little brown bat Visit www.batconservation.com

Primary Business Address 1753 Wick Way Montgomery, IL 60538

Great Nat ives Of Mid-western Ecotype

I have often heard parents espousing the benefits of early socialization. Socialization “gets them ready” to not only distinguish people by name, sex, role, or personality, but it also by learning appropriate behavior toward others in a variety of circumstances.

What about the same philoso-phical application to the natu-ral world? Wouldn’t everyone benefit from “getting to know” the animals that also inhabit

“Snakes”, “Bugs”, Worms”, and “Spiders”. What sort feelings to these words evoke in you? Fear? Apprehen-sion? Disgust? If they do, you are not alone.

I was thinking about seemingly universal reac-tions to things similar to those mentioned above. It could be that these are remnants of hard-wired instincts that were once necessary for survival in our natu-ral history. That would make sense from a evolutionary stand-point. But I think there may be another factor at play in addition to this.

Have you ever watched a child outside without interfering? It seems bugs are at least interesting and at most awe inspiring. Spiders are approached tentatively, but kids are drawn to them like a moth to a flame.

their spaces? What about a basic social understanding of their plant companions? I feel we are not allowing these les-sons to be taught in our culture any longer.

While it may be an extreme case, I have neighbor (I call him the Lawn Nazi) that simply has groomed his yard to lifelessness. He has a small child. How can that child be expected to under-stand global climate change, let alone help to solve it when the

example is spray, smash, and mow?

Sure, the child will get a good edu-cation from books, school, and pos-sibly some day trips to a zoo or na-ture center. He/she will likely get read books about apples and apple trees. But would he/she recognize one if she saw it outside of the pa-per world (ok-maybe in the fall if it were bearing)? Would you?

Perhaps we are still driven by in-stincts. Or maybe we need some natural socializing...

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

E-mail: GNOME.Native@gmail.com

There’s no place like GNOME!

Socializing with a 13-lined ground squirrel

GNOME

Great Natives of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a net-based forum where members can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest in native species.

Check out our site!!!

Join our facebook group!

(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296)

This is our primary forum location. The newsletter as well as open discussions are there and also other links to people and groups that focus on natives.

Got an article? Now accepting member submitted news and photos! Once you have something to share, send it to the email listed at left. Monthly news articles will, of course, give credit to the contributor. Everyone welcome!

We’re on the Web! http://gnomenative.webs.com/

Ref

eren

ces

Pict

ures

Bi

g Pi

ctur

e Ph

oto-

http

://w

ww

.kan

sasc

ity.c

om/1

05/s

tory

/125

3873

.htm

l

Inva

sive

s M

ap p

.5- h

ttp:/

/pla

nts.

usda

.gov

/jav

a/pr

ofile

?sym

bol=

PHAU

7

Com

mon

Ree

d p.

5- h

ttp:/

/ww

w.u

m.e

s/eu

bact

eria

/VIS

U/44

_Phr

agm

ites%

20au

stra

lis.jp

g

Fant

astic

Fau

na p

.5- h

ttp:/

/ww

w.b

illba

tboy

.ca/

galle

ry/

phot

os_o

f_ba

ts/0

01.jp

g

Artic

les

Cove

r- ht

tp:/

/ww

w.k

ansa

scity

.com

/105

/sto

ry/1

2538

73.h

tml

Nat

ive

New

s p.

3- h

ttp:/

/ww

w.s

cien

ceda

ily.c

om/

rele

ases

/200

9/06

/090

6031

3143

9.ht

m

Inva

sive

s- h

ttp:/

/ww

w.in

vasi

vepl

ants

.net

/phr

agm

ites/

Fant

astic

Fau

na p

.5- h

ttp:/

/ani

mal

dive

rsity

.um

mz.

umic

h.ed

u/si

te/

acco

unts

/inf

orm

atio

n/M

yotis

_luc

ifugu

s.ht

ml