Hike Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge August 17
Floodplains and Flatwoods of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
When: Saturday, August 17, 2013, 10:00 am–3:30 pm EDT
Where: Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, Jennings-Jackson County, Indiana
Leader: Daniel W. Boone, field botanist and Certified Arborist for Bartlett Tree Expert.
Trail Conditions: Mostly off-trail, but flat; conditions could be very wet, so rubber boots are recommended. Site is also very buggy with deerflies and mosquitoes.
What To See: We will see southern swamp forest, flatwoods, an acid seep, and open wetlands. One area has large swamp chestnut oaks. Interesting plants are the state endangered climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens), camphorweed (Pluchea camphorata), aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis), catchfly grass (Leersia lenticularis), and the northeastern native range limit of overcup oak (Quercus lyrata).
Directions: Located near Seymour, the signed refuge entrance gate is approximately 2.5 – 3 miles east of I-65 on US Highway 50. Turn south at gate and proceed to the Nature Center and Book Store to meet at 10:00 am. We will car pool through the refuge to choice areas. Note: If coming from the west on US 50 allow extra travel time, as bridge construction is occurring between I-65 and the refuge entrance gate.
Questions? Contact Daniel Boone by email at (jerboo@fuse.net) or phone (513) 641-6572. Given the time span of the hike, bringing a lunch is recommended (although participants are free to depart the hike whenever desired).