Waist deep in wildflowers

My first visit to the Valentine Reserve did not disappoint. An oasis in the middle of our somewhat troubled town, the Reserve was alive with children, scholars, and of course the sights and sounds of nature.

I attended Public Outreach Director, Leslie Dawson’s wildflower walk, which takes participants through five habitats on the Reserve. A late snow year made the timing perfect … the flowers were at the height of their season. In some areas they rose in full bloom to our hips and higher.

In each habitat Dawson pointed to, and described the characteristics of the flora and fauna before our eyes. From corn lilies to Manzanita, the walk covered a wide spectrum of plants and their uses. We learned that while Native Americans used some plants such as Mule Ears for toilet paper and baby diapers, others like the Pennyroyal can cause miscarriages and could have been used as a form of birth control.

Dawson kindly admitted at the very start that while she did not expect us to remember all of the names of the wildflowers we saw, she did hope we would at least remember the names of the five habitats. (Mixed conifer, riparian, meadow, sagebrush, and chaparral … mission accomplished!)

Along the way Dawson shared interesting facts not only about the wildflowers, but also about the Reserve itself. For example, each year it hosts approximately 300 different scientists, 3,000 kids, and 45 college classes.

Participants in the wildflower walk at Valentine Reserve found themselves waist-deep in specimens on several occasions.

The outreach talks are presented in an effort to bring the public into the Reserve in small doses, and hopefully prevent trespassing that could endanger the research projects underway on the property, like Will Wetzel’s work with galls that we witnessed, or simply the natural habitat that is thriving there.

Presented mostly during the month of July, Dawson explained that the talks could not be expanded into August because that is when the Reserve is implementing its forest management plan. Approximately 4,000 trees are removed from the Reserve each year. It may sound like a lot of trees, but removing that amount keeps the forest natural while avoiding build up of fuel loads. Many of the trees have already fallen from the weight of winter snow.

Prison labor is used for the cleanup throughout August, which is why there are no public programs during that month, Dawson further explained. Plus, in August you would never have the huge display of wildflower color we witnessed.

While the remaining talks for 2011 are already full, keep an eye on vesr.ucnrs.org for postings and registration for 2012 programs.