June 12 and June 19, 2021

Wildflower Walk Training

Today’s Agenda (Day Two)8:30 - Welcome and Review (30 min)

9:00 - A few new plants – plant walk at Lily Pool and North Pond (90 min)

10:30 – BREAK (10)

10:40 - New Plants at North Pond and North Pond (30 min)

11:10 - Go on Wildflower Walk (Video) and Debrief (30 min)

11:40 – Review Interpretation/Tour Development (15 min)

12:00 - Wrap up, next stepsSign up for a shift!

Wildflower Walk Training

Day 2

Welcome Back!

Any questions since last week?

Wildflower Walk Training

Walk through Lily Pool and North Pond

● Review plants from last week

● Introduce new plants

Wildflower Walk Training

Break!

Wildflower Walk Training

Wildflower Walk Training

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Description: unbranched, alternate-leafed stalks rising typically to a height of 2-3’Flowering: Tubular flowers are 2-lipped, with the three lobes of the lower lip appearing more prominent than the two lobes of the upper lip, blooming July- Sept

Wildflower Walk Training

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

Description: Up to 4’ tall, basal rosette of leaves with smaller leaves on stem, central white vein Flowering: purple spike of flowers, blooming late summer

Wildflower Walk Training

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Description: 3-10’ tall, growing in bunches with purple-blue tint to the stem and inflorescenceFlowering: seed heads resemble a turkey foot, blooming from September-February

Wildflower Walk Training

Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)

Description: 6-12’ tall, thick central stem, some branching,deeply lobed leaves covered in hairsFlowering: bright yellow flower, 6-30 per plant, blooming July-September

Wildflower Walk Training

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Description: 2-3’ tall, usually unbranched but may exhibit some branchingFlowering: showy, bright blue flowers are in the axils of leafy bracts and form an elongated cluster, blooming July-September

Wildflower Walk Training

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Description: 1-3’ tall, growing scattered or appear to be bush-like, plant and leaves secrete milky liquidFlowering: stark orange flowers, 25 individual flowers in an umbel formation, blooming late spring to summer

Wildflower Walk Training

Obedient Plant/False Dragonhead (Physostegia virginiana)

Description: up to 4’ tall, hairless stem, oppostie leaves up to 5” long by 1.5” wide, toothed margins, growing in large coloniesFlowering: tall spikes (up to 10” long) of flowers, each flower 1” long, pinkish to white, August to September

Wildflower Walk Training

Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)

Description: 3-10’ tall, basal clump of huge 2’ long heart-shaped leavesFlowering: bright yellow flower, sunflower-like in loose clusters, blooming July-September

Wildflower Walk Training

Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra)

Description: unbranched and 3-6’ tall, stem smooth and sometimes reddish, alternate compound leaves up to 2’ long, 1-7 palmate leafletsFlowering: on a long stalk, large 5-8” panicles, each flower is ⅓” with 5 pink petals, blooming from bottom up, June to July

Wildflower Walk Training

America Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Description: up to 6’ tall, unbranched stock. Compound “pea-like” leavesFlowering: striking yellow flowers blooming July-August

Wildflower Walk Training

Wildflower Walk Training

American Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum)

Description: 3-4 ft., erect plant with leafy stems Flowering: light blue to violet flowers borne singly or in clusters in axils of upper leaves and forming an elongated, spike-like cluster, blooming June to August

Wildflower Walk Training

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Description: 3-10” tall, basal leaves wrap around single flower stalk and continue to unfold as the flowers wither away.Flowering: 8-16 white petals, yellow center, lasting 1-2 days, blooming March-April

Wildflower Walk Training

Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

Description: 2-3’ tall, zigzag stems and its toothed, broad-ovate leaves.Flowering: small, axillary clusters on the upper parts of the stems and stem ends, mid-summer to fall

Wildflower Walk Training

Wildflower Walk TrainingCommon juniper (Juniperus communis)

Description: spreading low shrub forming large clumps, blue green evergreen foliage, blue/ black berries

Wildflower Walk TrainingEastern Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Description: 3-9’ tall shrub on multiple woody stems, bark of stem frequently peeling backFlowering: 5 white petals, dozens of stamens, May-June, giving way to ⅓” greenish-red fruit

Pickerelweed, Pickerel rush (Pontederia cordata)

Description: 2-4’ tall, glossy narrow, arrow-like leaves, growing in dense coloniesFlowering: 3-6’’ long spikes of blue color, blooming June-October

Wildflower Walk Training

Wildflower Walk TrainingSnakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

Description: 1.5-3’ tall, hairless stems, opposite leaves are 5” long by 3.5” wide, serrated, grows in large coloniesFlowering: each flowerhead is ½” across and has 10-30 florets, August-October

Spatterdock (Nuphar advena)

Description: underwater stems up to 6’ long, flat, leathery, oval/heart-shaped, lilypad-like leaves (to 16” long) stand erect above or float on the water surface. Flowering: bright yellow, opens in the morning & closes at night, blooming May-October

Wildflower Walk Training

White water lily (Nymphaea tuberosa)

Description: large round flat leaves, float on the surface of water, deeply cut almost half way throughFlowering: large fragrant white flowers, open early morning to noon, blooming July-October

Wildflower Walk Training

Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Description: 15-20’ tall, deciduous, alternate leaves, deep venation, rough texture Flowering: fragrant yellow flowers with crinkly, ribbon shaped petals, blooming October-December

Wildflower Walk Training

Virtual Wildflower Walk

And Debrief

What did you like?

What would you do differently?

Wildflower Walk Training

Tour planning:

1) Choose a month and a location (Lily Pool or North Pond)Sign up today!

2) Pick theme/main message people should rememberGet feedback from the group

3) Develop your tour based on what may be in bloom at that time/location

Choose about 10 plants that you can identify4) Remember to have visitors DO something

Touch, smell, observe…

Wildflower Walk Training

Give Your Tour!

What’s the main message (theme)?

What plants/stories are you going to tell?

What will visitors do?

Wildflower Walk Training

Tools you can use to develop and refine tour● Your training manual.

● Pre-Tour species walk with Aaron Hammond. Tour guides may meet some time the week before their tour with Aaron for a wildflower identification walk around the pond.

● LPC's wildflower index cards with talking points that include folklore, bloom times, special physical features, sensory opportunities, habitat stories, and a few jokes.

● Trusted websites.

● A field guide of your choice.

Wildflower Walk Training

Starting and Ending the Tour● Introduce yourself and the Conservancy.

● Summarize your theme and what the Conservancy does

● Ask group members to not pick the wildflowers when trying to identify flower species on their own. Take a picture instead!

● Encourage your group members to join us on another Wildflower Walk this year. lf we do not already have their email address, collect it so they can receive future email notices about all our park tours.

● Encourage your group members to come back with their handout to learn the plants on their own, or to bring a friend or spouse and give their own tour!

● Say Thank You!

Wildflower Walk Training

Give Your Tour!

Wildflower Walk Training