CMC Wild Plant School-Sign up Today!

 WILD PLANT SCHOOL

This is a unique opportunity to meet others who share a love of Colorado’s flora while gaining tools to identify plants your hikes.  You will also receive resources to learn more on your own. Note: the field sessions are not typical CMC hikes. These sessions will exercise your brains more than your legs – each field class will be less than 2 miles round trip. Some days are less than one mile!

The classes will help you identify and understand the wildflowers, shrubs, and trees in three Colorado life zones through a variety of teaching methods. All evening lectures take place from 7-9 pm at the American Mountaineering Center, 710 10^th Street, Golden, CO 80401.

The school consists of three courses.  Each course will focus on the plants in a different life zone during a field day and an evening lecture. Approximately 30-40 plants will be featured per course, with opportunity to gain a depth of knowledge about interesting ecological relationships, human uses, family characteristics, and how to identify the species using key characteristics and a simple key.  The evening lecture for each life zone includes a preview of some of the plants you will see in the field as well as an introduction to basic botany vocabulary. You will have an opportunity to examine and dissect flower and leaf components, learn the basic arrangements.

FOOTHILLS LIFE ZONE:  elev. 6,000 – 8,000 ft

Class: Foothills Wildflowers,Trees, & Shrubs:

·   Evening lecture – Thursday, May 12

·   Field session – Mt. Falcon Park, Jeffco Open Space, near Morrison, CO

Saturday: May 14 (Mt. Falcon Park)

9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. each day (starting at the trailhead)

    

MONTANE LIFE ZONE:  elev. 8,000-10,000 ft

Class: Montane Wildflowers, Trees, & Shrubs:

·   Evening lecture – Thursday, June 9, 7-9 pm

·   Field session – Reynolds Park, Jeffco Open Space, near Conifer, CO

 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (starting at the trailhead)

Saturday: June 11

           

ALPINE LIFE ZONES:  elev. 11,000 – 14,400 ft

Class: Alpine Wildflowers, Trees, & Shrubs:

·   Evening lecture – Thursday, July 14, 7-9 pm

·   Field session – Loveland Pass, Summit Lake

8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (starting at the trailhead)

Saturday:  July 16

TO REGISTER:

Online at www.cmc.org/education

By phone: 303-279-3080 X 2

CLASS FEES:

Individual classes (include a lecture and a field day)

·         $35/class for CMC; $45/class for nonmembers

REFUND PROCEDURES:

No refunds will be issued for cancellations unless requested at least 1 week prior to the first class. A 50% refund will be granted for cancellations requested more than seven days prior to the first class. If the CMC cancels the class for any reason, a full refund will be issued.

FEE INCLUDES:

·         Instruction by Native Plant Masters certified by CSU Cooperative Extension, and graduates of the CMC Wild Plant School.

·         Plant checklists and handouts.

·         Depending on the course, Rocky Mountain Flower Finder or Alpine Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains, pocket plant keys by Janet Wingate, and Loraine Yeatts.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

Guennel, G.K. Guide to Colorado Wildflowers Volume 1: Plains and Foothills. Littleton, CO: Westcliffe Publishers, 1995

Guennel, G.K. Guide to Colorado Wildflowers Volume 2: Mountains. Littleton, CO: Westcliffe Publishers, 1995

Optional:

Weber, William. A Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope. Niwot, Colorado: University Press of Colorado, 1990.

OTHER NEEDED COURSE ITEMS:

·         Notebook/pen/drawing materials;

·         Hand lens – available from COSCO Colorado Scientific Store, 95 Lincoln Av, Denver, CO   303-777-777

·         Lunch/water and standard A trip day hike gear

DIRECTIONS TO AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERING CENTER (AMC):

710 10^th Street Golden, CO 80401  Education Office: 303-996-2748; Main Office: 303-279-3080 X100

The CMC is housed within in the American Mountaineering Center, in downtown Golden.  The American Mountaineering Center is the historic, former Golden Junior/Senior High School--  a blond brick building on the NE corner of 10^th St. and Washington Avenue, facing Parfet Park and kitty-corner from the Golden Visitor Center. Parking is available in the parking lot on the north side of the building off of 9^th Street and Jackson.  Please enter the AMC through the main entryway from the parking lot.

Directions from North Denver and Denver International Airport:

Go west on I-70.  Take exit 265 onto highway 58 (W), to Golden.  Exit at Washington Avenue. Left (S) onto Washington Ave.  Left (E) on 9^th street. Right (S) on Jackson Avenue. Right into the parking lot.

CARPOOLING TO FIELD TRIPS:

We will arrange carpools at the evening lecture for each course.

For more information: contact Brenda Porter  Call: 303-996-2748 or e-mail: porteb@cmc.org