Friday, August 1, 2008: 7:00 AM-11:55 PM

West Well St. Entrance , Midwest Airlines Center

FT 1 - Door County Coastal State Natural Areas (OVERNIGHT)

Baileys Harbor Township, in Door County, contains the highest-known species diversity in the State of Wisconsin. This two-day trip will explore the “ecological gems” of the area, focusing on the prominent land features, plant communities, and associated wildlife habitat. The trip will begin at The Ridges Sanctuary, a National Natural Landmark. The Ridges protects the highest-quality Great Lakes Ridge and Swale community in the state, and is home to over 25 species of orchids and boreal forest relicts. We will also visit Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach, which contains high-quality shoreline communities, intact boreal forest, and significant populations of the federally threatened dwarf lake iris. Day two will take us to North Bay State Natural Area, which protects one of the largest undeveloped stretches of Lake Michigan shoreline in Door County. This site contains large examples of northern sedge meadow, northern wet-mesic forest, and expansive marl flats. The waters and wetlands around North Bay support the third largest breeding population of the federally endangered Hines emerald dragonfly, and nearly 95% of Lake Michigan whitefish spawn in this area. We will conclude the trip with a visit to Meridian Park State Natural Area. Meridian Park protects a portion of the Niagara Escarpment, which supports one of the most diverse communities of rare land snails in the Midwest. High-quality northern mesic forest is found growing along a mile-long, 60-foot-high sand dune that traverses the property and bounds the southern end of Kangaroo Lake, an embayment lake cutoff from Lake Michigan during the post-glacial land rebound of the last Ice Age. This trip will happen rain or shine, and will occur on mostly flat ground. Conditions at times become wet and hummocky, so prepare accordingly. Participants should bring binoculars, field guides, wettable footwear, and insect repellent.

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See more of The 93rd ESA Annual Meeting (August 3 -- August 8, 2008)