On Saturday August 21st, a very hot and humid day, the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy hosted a group of nature enthusiasts at Peterson Natural Area in Mecosta County for an annual summer wildflower walk. With its wide-open spaces, Peterson Natural Area is home to the best collection of meadow/grassland plants on any CWC preserve. Despite the hot weather and lack of shade the group persevered and was able to discover more than thirty species of summer wildflowers. Some of the highlights included six species of goldenrod (Canada, smooth, lance-leaved, elm-leaved, old-field, and rough-leaved), large numbers of great blue lobelia, a carpet of joe-pye weed (a pollinator favorite) along the creek that bisects the property, and plenty of common milkweed. We also spotted eleven species of butterflies including monarchs, great spangled fritillary, meadow fritillary, and a pair of Leonard’s skippers (Hesperia leonardis) – our first sightings of the species at Peterson Natural Area.
Setting out (photo by Cathy Murray) 
Common milkweed 
Exploring the wet meadow near the center of the preserve (photo by Cathy Murray) 
Joe-pye weed along the creek – a pollinator favorite! 
Clouded sulphur butterfly on joe-pye weed (photo by Stan Lilley) 
Monarch butterfly 
Common boneset 
Least skipper (photo by Stan Lilley) 
Bumblebee on lance-leafed goldenrod 
Leonard’s skipper on common boneset (photo by Stan Lilley) 
Dotted horse-mint 
Exploring the dry upper fields in the back half of the preserve 
Earthball fungus 
Monarch caterpillar on common milkweed 
Relaxing after the hike
