Using Social Media to Find Natural Features

I have had several great and successful outings this spring looking for new life plants and butterflies. How do you find Olympia Marble Butterflies or the threatened Dwarf Lake Iris and know when to look?

Dwarf lake Iris

First of all pay attention when you are out and about, not only to what is blooming when you are there but what may be there at other times of the year. For instance, in the fall of 2014 while at the Headlands new Mackinaw City, I notice some large patches of a very small iris on the rocky beach area. My first thought was Dwarf Lake Iris. I made a note and decided to return when they were blooming as I had never seen them bloom before. But when should I drive 300 miles and not have a wasted trip? Enter Facebook! While I was trying to figure out when to make a couple of day trek north for this flower someone posted on the Michigan Botanical Club’s Facebook page that they were blooming in the Upper Peninsula. I began checking weather forecasts and my calendar to see when I could go and decided everything would come together for 2 days, beginning in 2 days. I also wanted to see Butterwort in bloom and had noted seeing some in the UP. While researching Butterwort, I also discovered that Bird’s-eye Primrose grows in the same habitat. Dwarf Lake Iris and the Primrose bloom May – June and Butterwort blooms June – July but since I would be within an hour of where I had seen Butterwort east of Cedarville it was worth the chance to check out the Butterwort. Well, Butterwort was not blooming but literally hundreds of Primroses were blooming at all my stops near Lakes Huron and Michigan. The beauty of these little flowers was worth the drive even without the Butterwort blooming. While searching the rocky beaches of Lake Huron I was delighted to find Dwarf Lake Iris as well and yes the suspected iris at the Headlands was Dwarf Lake Iris.

Another success thanks to the Michigan Butterfly Facebook page was the Olympia Marble in Allegan. I saw posts with photos that they had been sighted there. But Allegan game area is a large area, where do you look. Fortunately I remember where I had seen host plants last summer and returned to that location to find the butterfly. After a short walk, there one was sitting on a flower 20 feet from my truck. An added bonus in the area was the Lupine and Bird’s-foot Violets in bloom.

To aid in finding when and where to look for new and interesting things use these helps.

Keep notes on what you see when out in the field and note when might be a good time to return.
Join email list or join Facebook pages for groups such as the Michigan Botanical Club, Wildflower Association of Michigan or local butterfly, insect, bird or plant groups,
Follow people on Twitter that will post when they see things.
Be a detective and follower all clues you find.