May 2020 observations and field notes

Morels, planting, flood mitigation, wildflowers, bitterbrush, milkweed

The crew filled and placed more than 500 sandbags on May 21st, in preparation for the Bitterroot River

Morel mushrooms took advantage of the soil moisture in the Clubhouse Floodplain.

Bitterbrush bloomed through the downpours.

When the rains passed, the sun came out, and arrow-leafed balsamroot flowers illuminated the hillsides.

We collected wild asparagus seeds in 2012.

We sowed 3,000 Oregon sunshine seedlings in the seed orchard this week.

Last winter we weed-whacked and burned a mosaic of sagebrush lands between Tongue Creek and Sheep Camp.

The once suppressed forbs already hide most of the old sage stobs.

Green shoots rose through the ash of last month

We dug and transplanted milkweed roots in the early spring snow.

Many of the planted trees and shrubs are poised for a banner year.

A few new signs were placed to direct visitors.

Purple vetch flowers canvased the slope above Sheep Camp.