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2008 Lake Michigan Exploration Workshop
The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (5/14)
4th-10th grade teachers and non-formal educators from the Great Lakes region are invited to participate in the Lake Michigan Exploration Workshop, August 2-8, in Chicago. This workshop is designed to promote Great Lakes and ocean sciences in formal and informal education and forge lasting relationships between science researchers and educators.
Drinking Water Week
American Water Works Association (5/6)
Drinking Water Week, May 4-10, is a unique opportunity for water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.
American Wetlands Month
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (5/2)
This May will mark the 18th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, a time when EPA and its partners celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the Nation's ecological, economic, and social health. It is also a great opportunity to discover and teach others about the important role that wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide.
Great Lakes Regional Research Information Network (GLRRIN)
GLIN's May 2008 Site of the Month (5/1)
Established in 2006 by NOAA Sea Grant, GLIN and regional partners, GLRRIN provides a powerful means to foster collaboration, acquire funding, highlight research needs and issues, and increase the overall impact of Great Lakes research. GLRRIN is a free service and offers research-related news and upcoming events, and profiles of Great Lakes researchers and their current projects.
Mother Earth Water Walk
(4/28)
Two Anishinawbe Grandmothers, and a group of Anishinawbe Women and Men have taken action regarding the water issue by walking the perimeter of the Great Lakes. The 2008 Lake Michigan walk kicked off April 26.
Shipwrecks and Maritime Tales of the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
Ohio Sea Grant (4/24)
The shipwrecks within this website are a mere sampling of the hundreds of shipwreck sites located in the depths of Lake Erie. The goal is to make the visitor aware of the rich maritime history which lies beneath the surface of Ohio's Lake Erie.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
What is flora?
Brief floral history of the Great Lakes basin
The importance of native landscaping
Native plant species of the Great Lakes region
Some resources for starting your own native plant garden
Native flora fun facts!
Take a quiz!
References
What is flora?
Flora was once known as the Roman goddess of flowers, though today we use the term to
refer to plant life, including trees. We'll be focusing on vascular plants, which have specialized
supporting and water-conducting tissue called xylem
and phloem, and typically possess roots, stems
and leaves. Nonvascular plants, such as mosses, lack an internal conducting system for water and
nutrients, so they depend on their immediate surroundings for moisture.
To be considered a plant, an organism must possess certain characteristics: photosynthesis, cellulose, stationary existence and lack a nervous system.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants transform energy from the sun into the energy they need to survive. Through photosynthesis, plants are able to convert water, carbon dioxide and minerals into oxygen and energy. Without photosynthesis, there would be little food or other organic matter on Earth; the air would be full of carbon dioxide; and most organisms, including humans, would disappear.
Cellulose is the basic structural component of plant cell walls,
making them rigid and "boxed" shaped. Enabling the leaves and stems of a plant to stand up
straight is an important function of cellulose. Plants also lack the means to move on their own as
well as a nervous system. The nervous system is a group of organized cells that allow an organism to
respond to sensory impulses.
Vascular plants are classified as either gymnosperms or angiosperms. Gymnosperms, meaning "naked seed," have an exposed seed, which can also include a pinecone. Softwood trees, such as conifers, are examples of gymnosperms. Angiosperms, meaning "hidden seed," include 80 percent of the Earth's plants, including all flowering plants. The seeds of angiosperms are enclosed within fruits, often called ovaries. In addition to flowering plants, hardwood trees, such as oak, maple, hickory, birch and poplar, are classified as angiosperms.
Graphics: snow trillium (credit: USDA PLANTS database); xylem and phloem model (credit: Britannica.com)
