For a full list of our 2023 Spotlight on Nature events, go here.
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Spring Wildflowers, Ferns, and Lichens
May 13, 2023 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Details about the event are below. Tickets are FREE.
Activity: The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration would like to welcome you to their land on St. Joseph Ridge for a partnership event with Driftless Area BioBlitz. Join us for an afternoon spent learning about some organisms easily found in springtime– spring ephemeral wildflowers, ferns, and lichens–as we hike down to a natural freshwater spring! After a short presentation, we’ll venture out into the woods to find as many species as we can, and we’ll catalogue them by taking a picture and posting it to the iNaturalist app.
This event will begin by hiking down an unpaved bluff trail and end by hiking back up. The trail is well-maintained, but can be steep at times. This intermediate-level hike will be at your own pace. Please be aware of your ability before going on this hike.
Presenters:
Beth Piggush: Hello, my name is Beth Piggush and I am the Integral Ecology Director for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Part of my role is to manage the 200 acres of ancestral Ho-Chunk land that the Sisters have cared for the last 150 years. The FSPA land on St. Joseph Ridge is private property including woodlands, prairies, a natural spring and gardens. On behalf of FSPA we would like to invite you to join us this spring in identifying wildflowers, ferns, and lichens through the Driftless Area BioBlitz. Outside of my time with FSPA, my husband and I are running after our three daughters, avoiding rain and black flies with family outdoor adventures, practicing permaculture at our La Crosse home, and cooking or preserving anything I can grow or forage.
Beth Piggush: Hello, my name is Beth Piggush and I am the Integral Ecology Director for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Part of my role is to manage the 200 acres of ancestral Ho-Chunk land that the Sisters have cared for the last 150 years. The FSPA land on St. Joseph Ridge is private property including woodlands, prairies, a natural spring and gardens. On behalf of FSPA we would like to invite you to join us this spring in identifying wildflowers, ferns, and lichens through the Driftless Area BioBlitz. Outside of my time with FSPA, my husband and I are running after our three daughters, avoiding rain and black flies with family outdoor adventures, practicing permaculture at our La Crosse home, and cooking or preserving anything I can grow or forage.
Siena Muehlfeld: Hi, my name is Siena Muehlfeld. I serve as Land Sustainability Coordinator for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. I am responsible for managing FSPA’s 200 acre Villa property on St. Joseph Ridge. I maintain the forests, prairies, and trails, and care for all the plants and animals who live on the land. I also help coordinate events so that Sisters, their affiliates, and the public can enjoy and learn about the property. I have worked for 5 years in the field of ecological restoration, including time spent at the Wisconsin DNR and several Wisconsin land trusts. In my free time, I can be found exploring the Driftless area with friends and family, tackling home projects, or traveling to experience new places. I’m excited to meet you!
Part of the Spotlight on Nature Event Series
The series, part of the Driftless Area BioBlitz 2022 Nature Challenge, is your chance to participate in a bioblitz with experts sharing their passion for and knowledge of the driftless region. There will be eight different events, each focusing on various taxa like fungi, moss and lichens, pollinator plants, birds, and insects, including nocturnal and decomposers.Please note:
- Registration required for this event
This FREE event can be attended in-person or virtually on Facebook live (link to come).
Project team
Beth Piggush
Presenter
Siena Muehlfeld
Presenter
Vicki Miller, S2TCR Founder
DABB Team
Erica Black, DABB Coordinator
DABB Team
Partners
