Membership
Using Technology in the Garden
Our September member meeting focused on useful apps for plant identification and invasive species reporting. Here are a few of the apps discussed:
- iNaturalist: iNaturalist helps you identify plants and animals with visually similar suggestions and verification by dedicated contributors. You can share your observations and start a conversation about what you saw.
- Seek: Drawing from millions of wildlife observations on iNaturalist, Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and more in your area. Scan the environment with your device’s camera to identify the organisms and life around you. Add different species to your observations and learn all about them in the process!
- EDDMapS: EDDMapS is a web-based mapping system for documenting invasive species and pest distribution. It is designed as a tool for state Exotic Pest Plant Councils to develop more complete distribution data of invasive species. As of September 2024, EDDMapS has over 8.4 million records.
- SASHA: An acronym for Sun and Shade Analyzer, SASHA is an app which quickly analyzes a location and tells you the average hours of direct sunlight it will get, taking into consideration shading foliage, buildings, etc. Users can go to a plant’s location, quickly scan their surroundings with the app’s camera, and the app will compute the daily direct sunlight at that location, averaged over the date range they have chosen, taking into consideration all objects which might cast shade.
- PlantNet: PlantNet is a citizen science project available as an app that helps you identify plants thanks to your pictures. Users who have created an account can share their observations, which can then be reviewed by the community and used by the AI to teach it to recognize plants.
Fall Blooms
Right now asters, goldenrod, and black eyed susan’s are in full bloom. Enjoy these wonderful photos taken by our very own Wild Ones Officer, Jill Ziehr, from her thriving-with-life backyard!
Wild Ones Fall Journal is Out Now!
View the journal here! Highlights in this issue:
- Discover how incorporating native grasses and sedges into your native habitat can boost pollinator health by providing essential food and shelter (pg. 6).
- All you need to know about community science programs with Karen Oberhauser (pg. 11).
- Looking to conserve water and support your native plants? Learn how to build a simple rain barrel with our easy guide (pg. 29).
- Prepare for this fall’s seed swaps by learning expert tips on collecting, storing, and germinating milkweed seeds to grow toxin-free plants (pg. 35).
Jill’s Plant of the Month
October: Located in prairies and woodland edges, Sky Blue Aster is a medium-sized aster with large lavender flowers that grows in full to part sun in dry to medium soil. The larvae of beetles, leafminers, flies, and walking sticks feed on the foliage and flower parts. Up to 100 caterpillar species use asters as a host plant. This beautiful late blooming aster provides pollen and nectar at a critical time for those beneficial insects overwintering or migrating. Asters are a keystone plant according to the National Wildlife Federation, supplying pollen to 33 specialist bees. Most specialist bees nest underground and look for nesting spots near their host plant. You can leave undisturbed areas of bare ground in your yard and garden to help these nesting bees. Sky Blue asters continue to be a valuable food source in late fall and winter by providing seeds to finches and juncos. This aster is stunning in any garden or prairie with its profuse blooms! Plant with showy goldenrod, little bluestem, butterflyweed, flowering spurge, culver’s root or native coneflowers.
Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)
Follow Us on Facebook!
Did you know that our Central Wisconsin Chapter has its own Facebook page? Click here to follow along!
