Trout Creek Ecological Reserve #7 Warden’s Report, July 2015

ER Warden Laurie Rockwell has submitted this monthly report.

• a very hot 24c at 5.30am with high cloud and forest fire smoke.
• four plants were in flower including only 3 Mariposa Lillies (Calochortus macrocarpus). Years ago,before Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria genistifolia), took over their main growing area,many more could be found. 2 plants were in both flower and seed. The active Mecinus sp. beetles,which had left the area, have done great damage to the toadflax, so that fewer than a dozen plants had flowers.
• For the second month I found no rosettes of Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa); as usual, I expect these plants to rebound with a wet spring. After several years of digging out Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) I found no plants on this trip.
• The early hot weather was evidenced in almost no Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) berries, even dried on on stems, and most plants dried or drying up weeks earlier than usual. There were 2-3 bushes of Wax Current (Ribes cireum) with berries, but the berries were almost void of moisture.
• the grasslands are so dry that I found only a few grasshoppers and 1 medium-sized beetle; no butterflies, flies or moths.
• again, because of a lack of water, forage and berries, I saw no mammals, only a small bear scat and a few old deer tracks.
• there was no sign of human activity.
• the golf course is still (over) watering a good portion of the reserve at the 12th green.
• identified fence repairs are pending.