Identification of Native Grassland Plants
- Start Date: May 24, 2016
- End Date: May 25, 2016
- Time: 8:30am-5:00pm
- City: Invermere BC
- Venue: PyneLogs Gallery & Cultural Centre
- Instructor: Dr. Terry McIntosh
PHOTO CREDITS: Terry McIntosh (images 1 and 3) & Bryan Kelly-McArthur (Images 2, 4 and 5)
Course Description
This is primarily a field-based course where students visit a variety of grassland or shrub-steppe sites and investigate the diversity of native plants that make up these important habitats. Field recognition tips for at least five species of grasses and fifteen species of forbs (non-graminoid flowering plants) will be provided. The course focuses on how to recognize important families of plants, identifying and discussing the significance of invasive plants at each site, and how to properly collect and press (preserve) plants so that they can be identified at a later date.
The equivalent of one-half a day will be spent in a classroom showing images of the various plants during a PowerPoint presentation as well as examining dried specimens.
Instructor
Dr. Terry McIntosh is know well as one the most knowledgeable botanists in British Columbia. He has been a workshop facilitator for many years, implementing botanical workshops (for vascular plants and mosses) in Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse, Kluane National Park, and Corvallis, Oregon, and on Salt Spring Island. His research and other work activities have been primarily focused in the dry interior, mainly in the Okanagan Valley but also in the eastern parts of BC. Terry teaches a field botany course every summer at UBCO in Kelowna. He is also associated with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC in Vancouver. He is a Board Member for the Flora of North America project based in St. Louis, Missouri. You can contact Terry via email here: ttmcintosh@shaw.ca
Who should take this course?
This course is designed to be of service to individuals who require a working knowledge of common grassland plants as well as being useful to people who want to further develop their botanical skills. Although it is designed as an introductory course, the instructor will be available to help those who want to build up their botanical knowledge base beyond an introductory level.
While this course is designed primarily for the working biologist, anyone is welcome to take this course to take advantage of this unique learning opportunity and enjoy the beauty of the field sites.
