The Gratiot Lake Conservancy sponsored an aquatic plant workshop on August 19 and 20 at Gratiot Lake.
Pipeworts, burreeds, bladderworts, water-milfoils, awlworts, bulrushes, quillworts... Workshop participants waded into unfamiliar territory to learn to identify these local aquatic plants. The workshop held at Gratiot Lake was taught by botanist Janet Marr.
Workshop activities took place both inside the classroom and in and near Gratiot Lake. Participants learned to use a hand lens to magnify flowers, fruits, and other plant parts that are important in identification of aquatic plants. They also learned surveying and collecting techniques as they explored the importance of aquatic plants and how they have adapted to having wet feet. Participants were shown how to distinguish non-native invasives such as Eurasian water-milfoil from their native relatives.
Horned Bladderwort,
Utricularia cornuta
Bladderwort Image courtesy of USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913.
Illustrated flora of the Northern States and Canada. Vol. 3: 232.
