Each spring, many species of native wildflowers bloom in our local deciduous forests. We will begin by exploring their ecology: how they live in the shade, support pollinators, and disperse their seeds. Through close observation exercises, we will learn how to identify the most common species and discuss which ones are the easiest to grow in backyard gardens. Finally, we will examine how these plants are responding to warming winters, using a local data set begun in 1962.

Moderator: Carol Trosset is a lifelong naturalist with graduate degrees in cultural anthropology and biology. Now retired from a career studying higher education effectiveness, she is a frequent speaker and field trip leader for local nature and garden clubs. She is the author of The Woods: The Natural History of an Acre in Southwestern Ohio, published by the Ohio Biological Survey.