Dutton Prairie (near Dutton) with Will Van Hemessen

Dutton Prairie (near Dutton) with Will Van Hemessen on Saturday, August 3rd, 2019 (9:50am)

The Dutton prairie occupies a narrow strip of land along the former CSX railway west of the town of Dutton in Elgin County. The significance of the site was recognized at least as early as the 1970s and the West Elgin Nature Club in partnership with the Elgin Stewardship Council leased 24 acres of the site in the 1990s. The site contains a high density of rare and significant prairie flora, including some species found in just a few other locations in Ontario. Charismatic species to be seen here include pale echinacea (Echinacea pallida), compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), field thistle (Cirsium discolor) and a vast meadow of dense blazingstar (Liatris spicata) and Ohio goldenrod (Solidago ohioensis). The trip will also have a focus on graminoids, including some rare species such as stiff panicgrass (Coleataenia rigidula). A controlled burn was conducted in 2000 but continued management is needed to reduce encroachment of willows (Salix spp.) and dogwoods (Cornus spp.) and invasion of Phragmites into this sensitive prairie remnant.

Note: For those that register through Eventbrite, we have allowed for a refund period of up to 7 days before the trip. That means you may still sign up for trips ahead of time even if you aren’t sure of your plans, and as long as you request a refund through Eventbrite before that time, you will receive a full refund. Cancelling your Eventbrite ticket also allows us to open your spot on the trip to people on the wait list. If an event is listed as SOLD OUT, you can still put yourself on the wait list, and if someone else gives up their spot, we will contact the waitlist to offer the spot(s). As always, you will need to sign the trip waiver, which from now on will be provided by the trip rep at the start of every trip.