On Monday we were tasked with estimating the number of flowering plants in P2, one of the experimental plots. We set off to P2 and decided to count 1/3 of the plot. In P2 there are 80 rows of Echinacea plants and we decided to count every third row to get an estimate. Overall we did not find many flowering plants, only 70 flowering plants with a total of 89 heads. None of the plants were very far along in flowering and we will likely have some time before we have to start doing phenology.
The ever spectacular P2 view
Some of the non Echinacea native prairie plants like lead plant, little bluestem, veiny pea, prairie rose, and hoary puccoon. We also saw some invasive brome and alfalfa.
Hoary puccoonA bird’s nest found along the south end of the plot
Just checking in after the first few days of fieldwork this summer! I’m getting used to fieldwork that’s individual-plant oriented rather than surveying an entire community, since the EP focuses on long-term monitoring of individual Echinacea plants.
That said, I did like getting a prairie community refresher through the diverse range of plants we saw at Staffanson Prairie, a Nature Conservancy preserve we explored yesterday. Mia, Lea, and I had a good time looking at some plant field guides after work to remember what they all were. (Featured species: bracted spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata, below!)
Besides Staffanson, it was interesting getting a sense of the range of prairie fragments––along roadsides, on hillsides, next to a landfill, etc., anywhere that isn’t in use for agriculture––that we’ll be monitoring this summer. Right now there’s lots phenology monitoring, which starts with flagging Echinacea plants that are already starting to flower. Today Erin started showing me how to use the GPS that we’ll use for surveying the flowering plants. Lots to come FLOG!
Long-bracted spiderwort, Tradescantia bracteata Fun fact: this plant is called spiderwort because the juice in its stem is sticky and apparently looks like a spider’s thread! The landfill prairie site––landfill in background
Today was an amazing first day at The Echinacea Project. While it may have gone slightly unexpected due to COVID-19, we managed to have a product and fun-filled day. I’m so excited to have been introduced to the wonderful plant, Echinacea angustifolia!
We began our day by meeting at the Hjelm House for introductions and COVID-19 guidelines. As a junior in highschool, networking is extremely important. One perk of working with Team Echinacea is that I get to meet an array of people from different backgrounds, experiences, and have access to an endless supply of knowledge about ecology and conservation. This became apparent when we visited Staffanson, where new and recurring team members familiarized themselves with native and non-native species. This experience opened my eyes to the extensive biodiversity of prairie, as well as how burning affects the versatility and populations of flowers, grasses, legumes, and any other plants you might find.
John got a really awesome picture of me with the “monster plant”, which is known to provide several Echinacea heads. Featuring me, for size reference!
After our trek through Staffanson, we visited “South of Golf Course”, a heavily disturbed prairie remnant. The lack of biodiversity and clear topographical difference reminded us of how human interaction can impact environment, but also provides us a place to study ecological restoration in heavily-impacted areas.
After lunch, I had a chance to visit some remnants with team member Lea, where we practiced flagging, observing, and estimating Echinacea plants. Thanks to that, I now know what to look for when trying to observe several species of plants, which will be crucial for future experiments.
I then spent the afternoon visiting a controlled burn near the Hjelm house. During the burn, several flags that marked former Echinacea (planted by the team for observation) had suffered, and were less-than-impressive. Team member Emma and I worked hard to replace and mark flags, which will be helpful in future experiments this summer.
An example of a flag Emma and I marked this afternoonAn image of our hard work, as well as the remains of some poor, poor flags. At least the Echinacea benefit from that!
By the end of our flag restoration extravaganza, it was time to pack up and head home. Now, we get to rest and do it all tomorrow! I’m excited to see where our projects take us this summer, which will all be documented in our flog!
Student, Alexandria Area High School ’21 , Alexandria Technical and Community College ’21
Research Interests
I am interested in studying how human interaction can effect plants and wildlife. I also am interested in learning all about the plants and the animals that live in the prairies too. I love learning!
Statement
I am from Alexandria, Minnesota. In my spare time I like to go on adventures, hangout with friends and family and play music. I play the harp and percussion!! Some of the things I love in life are: the mountains, marching band, music, sleeping, plants, fun hats, flannels and dancing.
When I graduate high school I plan to move out to the mountains and go to school either at Colorado State or Montana State. I want to major in math and environmental studies, and then go into environmental law. I am so excited to work with everyone this summer and to be able to learn!
My research interests are in how plants interact with their surrounding organisms and environment. And in this pollination biology perfectly is nesseled quite nicely. I have enjoyed using molecular work to follow where pollen is moving in populations of plants. I have been on Team Echinacea before (Summer 2018 and Team Echinacea East 2019) and I am looking forward to be back on the team and in the field!
Statement
I am from Buffalo, NY, and yes it finally stopped snowing around a month ago. In my spare time I like to knit, embroider, and most recently bake (it became my quarantine pass time). My dog Ellie is my sidekick and we love to go on adventures together, trying not to get in too much trouble.
This is me presenting a poster of my senior thesis dressed as a saguaro cactus
I am interested in studying the genetic traits of wildflowers in prairie ecosystems, with a focus on natural selection and advantageous phenotypes. Often times, flowers are overlooked when speaking of biodiversity. However, flowers are necessary to the structure of every ecosystem, as they allow symbiotic relationships for basic and complex organisms alike. By indicating and preserving advantageous traits, I hope to learn how scientists may help endangered plants through assisted breeding and appropriate preservation practices.
Statement
I am from Alexandria, Minnesota. In my spare time, I like to practice violin, study languages, and write historical fiction pieces on Eastern Europe. I love classical and folk music, especially the works of Vaughn Williams, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich. When I have the time, I enjoy researching and recreating historical dresses from around the world.
When I graduate high school, I plan to attend college and apply my love of language, history, and science to become either a medical geneticist or sociocultural anthropologist. I also hope to use my voice to spread awareness about environmental conservation. As of recent, my favorite animated movie is Howl’s Moving Castle, which always goes well with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I’m looking forward to this research experience, and I’m excited to see what summer of 2020 has in store!
You may not be able to see it, but I’ve got a big smile under that mask!
Biology Major; Spanish minor, Carleton College 2021
Research Interests
Hi! I’m Emma, a senior biology major at Carleton College. I did a mini-internship with the Echinacea Project in December 2019 and I’m excited to spend the summer as a part of the team in the field! I am passionate about prairie ecology and I’m especially interested in prairie plant communities. I’m looking forward to learning more about population ecology this summer, and finding out how my community ecology interests fit into the Echinacea Project’s research.
Statement
I’m from Aurora, a small town on northeast Minnesota’s Iron Range, and this spring I spent time at home while finishing my spring term classes online. I’m also on Carleton’s cross country and track teams and am a Spanish minor. Besides plants, I like to run, read, explore, spend time outside, and hang out with friends and family.
This picture of me is from last summer which I spent doing restoration monitoring with the Nature Conservancy in prairies across the Dakotas and Minnesota!
Biology and German Studies, Binghamton University, 2022
Research Interests
I am interested in studying the effect of non-native species on ecosystems, with a particular interest in developing sustainable ways to control and prevent further damage from invasive species. I am excited to learn more about how research done by the Echinacea Project can be applied on a larger scale to promote conservation of prairies.
Statement
I am from around Albany, NY. In my spare time I enjoy baking pies and bread, traveling, and reading. I especially like watching The Great British Bake-Off and other wholesome cooking shows. I am also interested in research regarding the development of animal models and treatment methods for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Biology and Environmental Science, the College of William and Mary, 2019
Headed to the Applied Ecology department at North Carolina State University
Research Interests
My main interest is in how natural populations of plants respond and adapt to changes, such as habitat fragmentation, pollinator decline and invasion by other plants. With the Echinacea Project I have primarily worked on managing our database of the demographic characteristics and spatial positions of Echinacea angustifolia in remnant prairies. This summer I’m excited to help collect and add the 26th year of data to this database. I’m hoping to continue cleaning and improving our dataset in order to understand how plants’ spatial positions are related to their flowering efforts. In my graduate work I’m looking forward to learning more about pollination biology and North Carolina’s own prairies!
Statement
I’m from Raleigh, NC, and I’m headed back there this summer to begin a PhD at NCSU! I love to draw and bird, and I’m hoping that Stuart will let us take the canoes out again this summer because that’s another one of my favorite things to do. On the weekends you’ll find me traipsing through the prairies chasing birds, soaking up the sun in a hammock or feverishly farming pumpkins in Stardew Valley, which the team introduced me to last summer. On Bach Night you can catch Riley and I watching The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, Listen To Your Heart or old seasons of these shows (for when a global pandemic has halted their production.)
Me and my favorite member of Team Echinacea, Chekov!
We want to be a safe. Here’s the COVID-19 preparedness plan that we developed for summer fieldwork. It’s a work in progress, but we intend for this plan will guide our first week. At the end of the week we will discuss how it works, how it doesn’t, and make modifications for the following week.
