This fall a four-day, intermediate level bryophyte identification workshop will be offered at the Andrews Experimental Forest, Blue River, Oregon. The class will meet Monday through Thursday, September 25—30. Assembly will start Sunday evening by checking into a room at the Andrews Experimental Forest and setting up in the classroom. This workshop is designed for participants with a strong botany background and a general knowledge of the basics of bryophyte structure and life cycles. Folks who have some experience identifying bryophytes can expect to kick their level of competence with the regional flora up a notch or two.
The class involves four days of integrated lectures, field study and lab practice. A classroom with good microscope bench space for all students is available. Students are asked to bring their own microscopes and critical dissecting tools.
The focus of this workshop will be an intensive training in using the contemporary identification keys pertinent to our area. Primary attention will be directed to mastering Contributions Toward a Bryoflora of California: II A Key to the Mosses (D. Norris and J. Shevock, Madroño 2004) with attention also given to Elva Lawton's 1971 Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest. The two moss volumes of the Flora of North America will be on hand as well as other texts. Identification of liverworts and hornworts will emphasize Contributions toward a Bryoflora of California: III Keys …for Liverworts and Hornworts ( W. Doyle and R. Stotler, Madroño 2006) and the just formally published Guide to the Liverworts of Oregon (D.H. Wagner, Northwest Botanical Institute 2014). Using electronic keys will be demonstrated with time for in-class practice by students with laptop computers.
Participants will receive a generous selection of valuable, mostly unpublished material, both printed and in digital format. They will get a comprehensive review of online resources and the most useful current literature from other parts of the world, too. An ample selection of study specimens will be provided. Participants will be taught lab techniques needed to observe the features used in keying with supervised practice of these techniques. More advanced students are encouraged to bring challenging or critical specimens for supervised study.
There are apartments for students on site. Cost is very reasonable: $25 per night with your own linens and sleeping bag. Linens (sheets and towels) are only $10 for the duration. The stay will involve five nights, arriving Sunday, September 25 and leaving on Friday morning, September 30. Staying on site means we can have evening sessions in the classroom and socialize in the apartment common area. You will need to be able to feed yourself. The apartment kitchen is furnished with pots and pans and utensils. We’ll work together and eat together.
Cost is $350 plus Andrews apartment fees. Space is limited; early inquiry is recommended. Please contact me directly at davidwagner@mac.com.
David H. Wagner, Ph.D.
Northwest Botanical Institute
P.O. Box 30064
Eugene, OR 97403-1064
