Slideshow

In "Missouri's Natural Wonders Guidebook," Don Kurz has created a useful guide for any of us planning hikes for ourselves or for groups.

The book highlights 100 areas that represent the best of Missouri's natural world. Kurz checked out more than 1,600 public lands to come to this list. For the tech savvy or gadget blessed among us, the guide provides GPS coordinates.

Among the wonders listed in the book are prairies, waterfalls, shut-ins, caves, wildlife areas, geologic features, springs, trails, swamps and nature centers.

Kurz’s name is a common one on many MONPS members’ bookshelves. His other titles include “Trees of Missouri Field Guide”’ “Trees of Missouri”, “Illinois Wildflowers”, “Ozark Wildflowers”, “Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri”, “Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri Field Guide” and “Scenic Driving the Ozarks Including the Ouachita Mountains.”

Kurz has been a professional botanist, writer and nature photographer for more than 30 years. He was awarded the Erna R. Eisendrath Education Award in 1998 by MONPS.

Kurz plans to sign books in the lobby outside the gift shop at the Missouri Botanical Garden from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 5.

http://store.cloudland.net/merchant.ihtml?step=4&pid=88&id=1

Pictures of July Flowers

Including trips to Brownsmead Gardens, Graham Cave State Park, Victoria Glades, Shaw Nature Reserve, Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, Onondaga Cave State Park, and Johnson Shut-Ins State Park. Includes Hexalectris spicata (Crested Coral Root Orchid) and shots of the damage and current condition of Johnson Shut-Ins after the Taum Sauk Reservoir failure of December 2005.

Pictures of May Flowers

Including trips to Cuivre River State Park, Lon Sanders Canyon, Shannon County with Father James Sullivan, and a new population of Phlox carolina.

Pictures of April Flowers
Including pictures of the new orchid to the state!

March in Missouri

Shaw Nature Reserve, March 7, 2009

This strange looking plant was blooming in late july and August. It suffered all kinds of abuse including being run over by a utility truck and chomping by caterpillars, who ate the flowers up before they could seed. I wanted to identify it all summer, but could not find anything close in the books I have. Anybody hazard a guess?

I discovered a woodland vine that seems agressive. The floor tiles in the attached images are 6" so that you can tell the scale of the plant. It has three leaves and seed pods that resemble smaller versions of those on a redbud. Do you know what this vine is? What should we do about it? It is vining over and covering up the ground and all of the understory plants wherever it shows up.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/monativeplants/

May brings even more beautiful Missouri wildflowers. I get out as much as my schedule permits and these are my photos from trips to Pickle Spring Natural Area, Shaw Nature Reserve, Valley View Glades Natural Area, and Razor Hollow Natural Area.