To start the day, Team Echinacea split into two groups – one group went to Loeffler Corner W and Yellow Orchid Hill to look for flowering echinacea heads, and the other went to Aanenson to collect demographic data on the flowering heads that they worked hard to find the previous day. Some of the Aanenson crew also got to communicate with the International Space Station as they learned to use the GPS unit for survey data.
Utilizing echinacea eyes(we didn’t actually communicate with the ISS but the base station in Alexandria is great for very accurate GPS points)Flowering echinacea with three heads!
After lunch, Team Echinacea regrouped for a team data collection effort at P10, where the wind made it difficult to stand up straight. Squatting to measure the small echinacea planted in these plots was a little less difficult, but we still had to do some hat chasing throughout the afternoon. Despite the wind, we managed to find a record leaf measurement of 21cm tall.
(Let’s pretend like the pink flags don’t mean we couldn’t find a plant)Daytona demonstrating an excellent measuring team effort
After measuring P10, the team headed to Andes where a deluxe team dinner of sweet potato tacos was to be served. But the tacos were only the beginning: Sophia made a pineapple upside down (right-side up?) cake that was sweet enough to fuel a Cotton Eyed Joe line dance, porch swinging, and hills exploring that followed. Legend has it that there’s even a bunker we could’ve gone to during the storms last night, but that’s yet to be discovered.
A group photo!Alex surveying the hillsAnd finally, the video you’ve all been waiting for: Lindsey, Johanna, Joey, Emma and Alex demonstrating their line dancing skills
Environmental Science and Learning Sciences, Northwestern University 2024.
Research Interests
I am interested in studying conservation ecology and plant biology. Most of all I am just happy to learn.
Statement
I grew up in central Connecticut but have since moved to Wilmington, NC. After a life on the east coast, I’m excited to experience the beauty of the midwest (outside of the Chicagoland area, where I attend school). I am happy to be able to work with such an amazing, friendly, and fun team of passionate folk! When I’m not working, I love to sail, write, listen to music, cook, bake, and enjoy some peace and quiet with my three dogs.
I am interested in studying Echinacea angustifolia (that’s why I’m here!). I also love insects and pollinators and plant-insect relationships. I am especially fond of milkweed. I want to learn more about doing science and also GIS.
Statement
I was born in Rochester, MN, but currently reside part time in Lincoln, Massachusetts and attend college in Saratoga Springs, NY. In my free time I like to catch frogs, toads, and snakes. I like to go swimming but I’m afraid of sea monsters. I also like to read, especially comic books, but occasionally real books.
Today, half of the team went to LCE to get trained in on Demo and Surv. A previous group had identified most of the flowering echinacea with blue pin flags. Some of the demographic information about the plants we logged using our visors included; how many rosettes, how many flowering heads, if it had ants and/or aphids, and what tag number. We removed the previous blue flag and used a neon flag to indicated that the information had been logged. Jared and Alex trained us in using the visors. Later, Emma and I worked with the GPS unit to survey the plants that were already flagged with neon and replaced it with a white flag. We also got to meet the newest member of the team, Joey!
Jared showing us the protocol for demo.Daytona, Emma, Alex, Sophia, Jared, and Joey working on demo.Emma and Britney using the GPS unit to Surv.
Andes crew (Johanna, Geena, and Sophia) and Elk Lake house (Lindsey and Mia) headed out at 9am this Sunday morning to beat the heat by tubing down Long Prairie River. A balmy 99 degree Fahrenheit was the high for the day, but we kept it cool in the water. Our 2 mile lazy-river ride clocked in at an average speed of 1.7 mph, and on the way we saw red-winged blackbirds, dragonflies, fish (both dead and alive), dogs, and sea monsters.
Andes Crew decided to stay in after a wild night of street dancing on K-Town Friday night. Mia and Lindsey representing Elk Lake house competed in the pictionary tournament against the Andes Crew, Sophia, Geena and Johanna. Andes won, however the competition was neck and neck. Check out some of our fan favorite and winning art pieces includes, canary, buffalo, foul line, Marx brothers, paper back, parade. See if you can guess from the pictures! Stay tuned and join the next pictionary tournament hosted by yours truly, Andes Ski Hill and Friends.
Biology and Environmental Science, University of Minnesota-Morris 2021
Research Interests
I am interested in studying plant and insect conservation, plant-insect interactions, and the effects of fire on plant reproduction.
Statement
I am from St. Paul, MN, and I joined Team Echinacea as an intern last summer in August. I’m excited to actually see some flowering Echinacea this year! In my spare time, I like to climb trees, bake pastries, and read books about dragons.
When we arrived at Hjelm in the morning we were informed that the Elk Lake House had declared today Big Hat Friday! It was a hot day without a cloud in the sky, so the big hats were definitely appropriate.
The team split in half to do our morning tasks. One group went to finish up some flagging in the experimental plots to help us out later on in the summer, and my group went out searching for flowering echinacea. We headed out to Riley and East Riley to begin our search. Once we got there Jared gave us all a great demonstration on how to set yourself up to find the most echinacea. The key is to look silly while doing it! We found some to flag, but the bright sun certainly was not making it easy on us and I have a feeling that when we visit again there will be more plants to spot.
Alex and Jared in their big hats searching for echinacea
Before lunch we had a presentation from Jennifer Ison about her projects in p2 and then the whole team got to share short ABT’s about what we are interested in doing this field season. Then we were all off to p10 to flag and measure for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the flagging didn’t go as fast as we expected but we got it done and most of the team got their first introduction into measuring! It was a great finish to a fantastic first week!
Emma and Britney doing some of the first measuring of the year!
Between June 3 and June 12 (2022), members of the Echinacea Project planted 503 Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) seedlings across four sites in Solem Township. These sites included an area south of Experimental Plot 8 (149 seedlings planted June 3), a hilltop at Hegg Lake WMA (117 seedlings planted on June 9), a disturbed area at Staffanson Prairie Preserve (117 seedlings planted on June 10), and a hilltop at Eng Lake WPA (aka eth, 120 seedlings planted on June 12).
I promise this photo contains a green milkweed seedling we planted…
We hope these seedlings grown from locally-collected seed will establish new thriving populations of this declining plant species and provide a reliable seed source for future restorations. They may even provide future research opportunities to learn about the reproductive biology and demography of green milkweed! Thanks to the MN DNR, the Nature Conservancy, and USFWS for giving us permission to plant seedlings.
A new ice cream store just opened in Morris! Understandably, Mia, Lindsey, and I had to check out its grand opening. Just Chillin’ serves Bridgeman’s ice cream, and we tried the Wolf Tracks, Carmelicious, and Banana Buttercup. The first two flavors passed our rigorous ice cream evaluations, but Mia described the Banana Buttercup as “interesting” in true Minnesotan fashion, which means it wasn’t very good.
The ice cream gang
Since Lindsey had never been to Morris, I had to give a full tour of town. We checked out the creepy, derelict florist shop and drove through the University of Minnesota-Morris campus. We did not spot any horses on campus, unfortunately.
Just chillin’ on the porch swing
Next, we visited the West Central Research and Outreach Center. We wandered through the horticulture garden and found some suspicious ornamental orange Echinacea, which Mia identified as Echinacea purpurea. We also discovered a porch swing and a croquet game. The most challenging obstacle required us to hit the ball up an incline and through a hollow log. Lindsey was a pro croquet player, but Mia and I struggled, and it took us more tries than we would like to admit. If anyone challenges us to a croquet tournament, I’m placing my bets on Lindsey.
Hole in one!Mia struggles with the hollow logAn exhausting ordealThe croquet champion
