Vascular plant FIeld experience
This page is the starting point for investigating opportunities to learn the basic skills used in the identification of several specialized plant groups, namely bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts), grasses, sedges, and rushes (the graminoids). Bryophyte identification workshops have been ongoing for several years, initially through the Texas Master Naturalist’s Annual Meetings, and more recently at field sites primarily in east Texas. The addition of grasses, sedges, and rushes to the curriculum has broadened the scope of workshops to include families that are prevalent in many Texas landscapes, but are often perceived as being difficult to identify.
Workshops are offered throughout the year with the primary emphasis being in the late winter, spring, and early summer. The cooler and damper times of the year are generally reserved for bryophytes, since these organisms are at their best (in the field) during this time. The graminoids are usually better in late spring and into the summer. These workshops are designed to equip the participant with skills to confidently identify these plants independently. The format of the workshops consist of lecture and laboratory sessions, and includes ample time in the field to learn field identification characteristics and ecology in situ.