EcoQuest July 2020

Find Native Thistles

Our native thistles (Cirsium sp.) are important components of our landscape. Unfortunately, they are often all mistaken for invasive, weedy plants. Our native thistles can be distinguished from the only two invasive thistles in our area by occurring individually (versus rhizomatous as in Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense) and lacking rigid hairs on the upper leaf surface (as in Bull thistle, Cirsium vulgare). All thistles are easily recognized by their large, prickly stature and flowers arranged in heads.

The new Head Curator of Natural History Collections at Denver Botanic Gardens, Jennifer Ackerfield, is passionate about thistles. Her research has even identified at least two new species of native thistles “hidden” in plain site in Colorado. Help DBG document the abundance and distribution of all native thistles by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of July. Your findings will show up on the July EcoQuest iNaturalist project as well as the overall Denver EcoFlora Project.

Cirsium undulatum, or wavy leaf thistle, is a common native thistle in the metro area:

WHAT IS AN ECOQUEST?
EcoQuests, part of the Denver EcoFlora project, challenge citizens to become citizen scientists and observe, study, and conserve the native plants of the City via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile app.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

1. Download the iNaturalist app or register online at iNaturalist.org
2. Take photos of the plants in bloom that you find on your daily neighborhood walk. It is ok if they are weeds! But avoid taking photos of cultivated plants in gardens or in your home.
3. If you are concerned about revealing the location of sensitive organisms or observations at your own house, you can hide the exact location from the public by changing the "geoprivacy" of the observation to "obscured."
4. Post your findings on iNaturalist via the app
5. Your observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project
6. You can add an identification to your photo when you post your findings on iNaturalist, or leave it blank for others to identify.

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE GIVEN COVID-19?
As a participant, it is up to you how much or how little you take part. Please stay close to home and maintain a social distance of 6 ft. from people. Wear a cloth mask in public areas. Respect closures and avoid places of high use. Do only what feels safe for you and your family and is in accordance with your local regulations.

WHAT IS THE GOAL?
The EcoFlora project is designed to meaningfully connect citizens with biodiversity, and to assemble novel observations and data on the metro area’s flora to better inform policy decisions and conservation strategies.

Posted on July 2, 2020 03:38 PM by jackerfield