The Maka Flora Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society has planned two field trips for 2012. If you enjoy the outdoors, have an interest in plants, like to hike or are just curious about trying something new, plan to attend one or both of these outings. You do not need to be a Native Plant Society member to participate.
In advance of the field trips, Maka Flora member and USDA National Grasslands Botanist, Libby Knotts, will be presenting a program on native plants at the Sidney Public Library on June 6 at 7:00 pm. This presentation is part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. Everyone is invited to the program to learn more about prairie plants and the adult summer reading program.
This summer’s field trips offer a variety of landscapes, plants and interesting site-seeing. The descriptions provided here are brief, so contact the trip leaders identified below with any questions to be sure the trip meets your expectations, physical abilities, and equipment. If you plan to bring children, please ask the trip leader if the activity is appropriate for your children. Be prepared. Wear appropriate clothes and shoes. Bring food, water, extra clothes, raingear, sunscreen, insect repellent, sunglasses, hat, and any other personal gear you might need. Montana weather can change rapidly! For more information on the following field trips, contact Libby Knotts at 406-774-3778 or at [email protected].
June 9 - Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge 10:00 a.m. Explore the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a natural prairie wetland that attracts many types of waterfowl and is surrounded by prairie, including unique sand dune prairie with interesting plants. Easy to moderate hiking. Meet at the Refuge headquarters, just one mile south of the town of Medicine Lake, MT. Bring a dish to share for a potluck picnic lunch. For more information on the refuge, go to http://www.fws.gov/medicinelake.
August 18 - Brush Lake State Park – 10:00 a.m. Montana’s newest state park surrounds an ancient glacial lake. The lake has a sandy beach, good swimming and camping is allowed. Come for clean-up around the lake and plant walks. Bring garbage bags and gloves and something for a potluck picnic. From Plentywood go south 15 miles on Highway 16 to Highway 258 (East Reserve Highway), go east about 15 miles to Brush Lake county road, turn south 1 mile. From Medicine Lake, go north 8 miles on Highway 16 to Highway 258. For more information on the park, go to http://stateparks.mt.gov/parks/visit/brushLake.
The Montana Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization chartered in 1987. Today there are over 600 members and six chapters across the state. The Maka Flora Chapter represents a large area of eastern Montana. Maka is the Sioux word for prairie, and flora is the Latin word for flower. You can learn more about the Montana Native Plant Society by visiting their website at http://www.mtnativeplants.org.
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