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BUDS, BARK, & BRANCHES

Identifying Sligo Trees, Shrubs, and Vines in Winter

Field botanist John Parrish leads two walks introducing us to the many clues to identify trees and shrubs in winter. Each trip will focus on a different end of the watershed, the Fall-line/Coastal zone and the Piedmont headwaters. John will point out diagnostic features such as buds, bark, berries, branching habit, scent, and habitat preference of common native and non-native woody plants. John Parrish is Vice-President of the Maryland Native Plant Society. He is the author of the "Comprehensive Inventory of Sligo Plants and their Occurrences," published on the Sligo Friends web site. He also authored "Woody Plants of Montgomery County, Maryland" published in the Journal Marilandica. And this winter he is teaching Winter Wood Plant Identification for the USDA/Audubon series on Natural History Field Studies.

For the Jan. 7 walk, meet at the west end of the Kemp Mill Shopping Center parking lot, near the entrance to the Park.

On Feb. 4, meet at the playground on Elson St. between Elson Place and 14th Ave. We plan to have inexpensive plastic magnifying glasses and a beginner's key for winter woody plant ID available for purchase at both walks.

In case of severe weather, walks will be cancelled. Check the FoSC web site for updates or leave your phone number at mwilpers@yahoo.com to be notified of cancellation.