11-34-CWS | March 30, 2011
BILOXI, Miss. — In celebration of Earth Day 2011, nationally renowned botanist Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock will lead a Botanical Stroll through a Gulf Coast Savanna on Saturday, April 16, from 9-11 a.m. at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in east Jackson County. Mohlenbrock has written over 50 books and more than 500 publications on plants and writes a monthly column for the journal Natural History.
The savanna contains many carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants, sundews and butterworts, along with many other unique and beautiful grasses, orchids, shrubs and trees. Participants will be shown how to recognize many of these plants and also be able to photograph them.
“Dr. Mohlenbrock is amazing! He is a living field guide of wild plants. You will be impressed at what he can teach you in just a short time,” says NERR Education Coordinator Jennifer Buchanan. All participants will receive a copy of the NERR’s plant guide. This event is part of the NERR’s continuing series of Adventure Quencher events.
Pre-registration is required for this event; only 25 spaces are available. For more information or to preregister, call Jennifer Buchanan at 228-475-7047 or 228-860-5634 or e-mail her at jen.buchanan@dmr.ms.gov. Participants are encouraged to arrive early at the Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center at 8:30 a.m. The tour will depart promptly at 9 a.m. Participants should wear a hat and closed-toe shoes, preferably waterproof boots.
The 18,000-acre Reserve is home to several rare or endangered plant and animal species and serves as an essential nursery habitat for numerous important commercial and recreational fish species. The Reserve is managed through state-federal partnership between the DMR and its local partners—Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi State University and the Nature Conservancy—and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Visit the NERR online at www.grandbaynerr.org.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at www.dmr.ms.gov.
Contact: Shelly Becker
Phone: 228-523-4051
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