Description
Observing wildflowers is a joy. From early March through mid-October, one can find wildflowers with an amazing variety of blossom forms and colors, leaf shapes, and fruits. The spring ephemerals such as American Trout-lily, Bloodroot, and Sessile-leaved Bellwort break winter’s spell with short-lived, but glorious blossoms. Wildflowers of nutrient-poor habitats such as Pitcher-plant and Round-leaved Sundew construct traps to capture insects to supplement their diets. Goldenrods and Joe-Pye-weeds bring brilliant color to our late summer and fall landscapes. During this presentation, Bill Gette will explain and show images of the important plant and blossom parts (e,g,. axil, sepal, nectar tub). He will show photographs illustrating important keys to identification (e.g., blossom shapes, leaf forms, leaf arrangements). With this background information, Bill will work through the identification process using Wildflowers of New England by Ted Elliman. Bill will conclude his talk by discussing the different strategies wildflowers have evolved to exploit their environments (e.g., parasitism, carnivorism, symbiotic relationships). Bill hopes that this introduction to wildflowers will inspire participants to take long walks in the woods, along country roads, or through fields looking for these gifts of nature.
Bill Gette began leading area, domestic U.S., and international travel programs for Mass Audubon in 1986. Since then, he has traveled to all seven continents studying and photographing wildlife. He joined Mass Audubon full time in 1996 as the Founding Director of the Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport. At Joppa Flats, Bill developed the Birder’s Certificate Program – a college level ornithology course; developed and taught the Certificate Program in Bird Ecology to train naturalist guides in Belize; and operated the Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for over 20 years. Bill retired from Mass Audubon in 2016, but remains very active teaching workshops. He is the Past-President of the Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Bill enjoys sharing his photographs and travel experiences through his PowerPoint presentations.
