Marion Lobstein's
2006 Field Botany Course
At the University of Virginia's
BLANDY EXPERIMENTAL FARM
Email Ms. Lobstein

EVEC 493/793 - Field Botany: 3 credits
(graduate or undergraduate credit through UVA)
June 26 - July 13, 2006
9 a.m. - 4 p.m all three weeks

This course will cover basic principles of botany with emphasis on the classification, identification, and evolution of flowering plants. This course will integrate lecture and laboratory with an emphasis on fieldtrip experience concentrating on identification and ecology of flowering plants of the Mid-Atlantic region. Eor teachers taking this course, emphasis will be on relating information and course experiences to SOL.

Have you ever wanted to know how to identify a wildflower, shrub, tree, or even a weed growing in the wild or in your garden? Do you learn best by hands-on and fieldtrip experiences? Would you like to be part of a state-wide effort to develop a modern identification manual or Flora for the plants of Virginia? If the answer to any or all of these questions is “yes,” Field Botany at Blandy Experimental Farm is the course for you!

As she has since 1991, Marion Lobstein will be offering her popular Field Botany course (EVEC 493/793) this summer at Blandy. This 3- credits course may be taken for undergraduate or graduate credit as well as audited. Participants will meet 9 a.m. to 4 p.m June 26-July 13, 2006.

This exciting field-based course will cover the basic principles of botany with emphasis on the classification, identification and evolution of flowering plants. Lectures and laboratories will cover the evolution and life cycles of major groups of plants, structure and function of plant vegetative (stems, roots, and leaves) and reproductive organs, characteristics of common flowering plant families of Mid-Atlantic region, ecology of plants communities, and history of botanical exploration in colonial Virginia to modern day. Most of this information will be available on a CD-ROM that Marion is developing for this year’s class.

Fieldwork will focus on the use of plant dichotomous (identification) keys and other aids to identify species of flowering plants and on field recognition of flowering plant family characteristics. This year’s class will focus on field testing dichotomous keys that are projected to be used in a new Flora of Virginia, an identification manual for native and naturalized plants that occur in Virginia, Marion is currently involved in helping develop. The Flora of West Virginia will also be used as used in plant identification.

For more information call Marion Lobstein at (703) 536-7150, email her at mblobstein@earthlink.net, or visit her webpage (http://www.mblobstein.com).

This course will support teachers in implementing Virginia's State SOL's (Standards of Learning)requirements pertaining to botany.

Texts

Flora of West Virginia, P.D. Strausbaugh and E.L. Core [Lobstein will have copies of this text available for students to purchase at a discounted price from her]
Introductory Botany: Plants, People & the Environment, Berg [Lobstein has a limited number of copies of this text available for students to purchase or borrow from her or students may purchase a used copy online; call/email Lobstein for good websites to order this text used] /other college level botany text
Handout Packet and Course Information CD-ROM developed by instructor
Flowering Plant Families, Wendy Zomlefer (Optional): [copies will be available in the classroom]

See course listings available at Mountain Lake Biological Station for additional biological, ecological and evolutionary courses.

Additional course offerings are listed at the University of Virginia Summer Session.