In June, I headed back to Wilderness State Park with Huron Pines AmeriCorps member Zack Pitman and Kettering University Professor Jim Cohen to survey dwarf lake iris. Jim Cohen is collecting leaves within and among dwarf lake iris populations to look at genetic variability.

Left to right, Zack Pitman and Jim Cohen conducting dwarf lake iris survey.

Mosquito swarms tried to carry us away, but we persisted and surveyed two populations; one of which had the rare white flowers growing alongside the usual purple!

Both purple and white dwarf lake iris flowers in the same population.

Thank you, Zack and Jim for your interest and help with the project!

Huron Pines AmeriCorps member Zack Pitman and I visited several inland populations of Dwarf Lake Iris in Menominee and Delta Counties. Genetic research in the early 1990's found these populations to be genetically distinct from the near shore populations. The hypothesis is that these are relic populations from a post-glacial lake level or lake drainage site, which occurred 10,000 to 15,000 years ago (Orick 1992). I'm excited to find out what Dr. Jim Cohen, Kettering University, will discover in the genetics of the leaf samples we have been collecting given the advancements of the field in the last 27 years.

Although the dwarf lake iris was blooming the day before in the Lower Peninsula, we struggled to find flowers in the Menominee populations. We did find several fruits.

Left: Zack Pitman taking habitat measurement of dwarf lake iris population in Menominee County
Right: The density of the dwarf lake iris in that area.

One record of Dwarf Lake Iris population we had in Delta County hadn't been visited by our staff since 1992. Kenneth Carruthers from Upper Peninsula Power Company was good enough to take Zack and I to the site. The Upper Peninsula Power Company had a private survey for listed species on their property several years ago, and the surveyors had failed to find any Dwarf Lake Iris. We hoped to have better luck, but after a few hours, we came up empty. The habitat looked suitable, but no dwarf lake iris.

Thanks for all of your help this week Zack!

Orick, M.W. 1992. Enzyme polymorphism and genetic diversity in the Great Lakes endemic Iris lacustris Nutt. (dwarf lake iris). Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA.

The last week of June, I had the pleasure of traveling with Bill Parsons and Archie Kiogima Jr. from the Little Traverse Band of Odawa Natural Resource Department to Dwarf Lake Iris populations in the Beaver Island Archipelago. I got to ride on the Odawa Research Vessel to several islands to gather the spatial extent and habitat data of dwarf lake iris populations.

The Little Traverse Band of Odawa Research Vessel with Bill Parsons on board.

Archie Kiogima Jr. and Bill Parsons setting course to islands in the Beaver Island Archipelago.

The high Lake Michigan water levels aided their boat with the shallow underwater spits, but it also inundated some patches of dwarf lake iris!

Thanks again to Bill and Archie for taking me out!