We will travel to Little Grand Canyon located approximately ten miles west of Carbondale in western Jackson County. Please assemble in the Lawson Hall parking lot for a departure time of 8:00 AM. Bring insect repellant, sturdy shoes for hiking, a copy of Guide to the Vascular Flora of Illinois (Mohlenbrock), and a lunch. I will provide the drinks! We will hike the entire circular trail that takes us down to the flood plain of the Big Muddy River. Expect to see a bountiful display of wildflowers! After eating lunch at the trail head, we will return to Carbondale at ca. 1:00 PM.
List of commonly seen spring-flowering plants at Little Grand Canyon
We will travel to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Please assemble in the Lawson Hall parking lot for a departure time of 8:00 AM SHARP! Students who are not here at this time will be left behind. Many students purchase a lunch at the Garden, however, feel free to bring one of your own if you wish. We will not only be able to tour the Garden (should be spectacular at this time of the year), but we are also going to be given a personalized tour of the herbarium and library by Dr. James Miller. We will depart at ca. 3:00 PM and arrive back in Carbondale at ca. 5:30 PM.
The PLB 304 class of Spring 2008.
At base of Little Grand Canyon ravine on the coldest and wettest field trip here to date! Left to right Travis Engel, Ian Casey, Karla Gage, Melissa House, Jared Urban, and Justin Beynon.
PLB 304 class, on a much nicer day for a field trip, Saturday, April 26, 2008. Left to right: Travis Engel, Melissa House, Jared Urban, Ian Casey, and Justin Beynon.
Overlooking Little Grand Canyon, at the Sphagnum site.
304 class at the Sphagnum site.
304 class, at the bottom of Little Grand Canyon ravine. Kristina Trendl, Heather Nickrent, Josiah Zayner, ?, and Ryan Campbell.
Mitella diphylla (Bishop's cap). A member of Saxifragaceae.
View up the sandstone cliff showing Saxifraga forbesii (Forbes' Saxifrage).
Trillium gleasonii (White Trillium). A member of Liliaceae (Trilliaceae).
Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine Poppy). A member of Papaveraceae.
A view from the trail overlook showing the Mississippi River floodplain, LaRue swamp, and the sandstone bluff of Little Grand Canyon.