BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CalDiscovery//caldiscovery//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH DESCRIPTION:Cedar Rapids: education\, this weekend (Fri Sep 18 to Sun Sep 20\, America/Chicago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so su bscribe rather than download. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (h ttps://caldiscovery.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contai ns information from CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/cedar-rapids-ia/this-weekend-education.ics X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT12H REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT12H X-WR-CALDESC:Cedar Rapids: education\, this weekend (Fri Sep 18 to Sun Sep 20\, America/Chicago). Rolling: the window moves forward every day\, so s ubscribe rather than download. Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery ( https://caldiscovery.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Conta ins information from CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. X-WR-CALNAME:Cedar Rapids · education · this weekend · CalDiscovery BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Organizing\, Editing & Managing Your Nature and Wildlife Photograp hs DTSTART:20260920T140000Z DTEND:20260920T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260908T181946Z UID:10002039-1789894800-1789920000@indiancreeknaturecenter.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Skunk cabbage is one of the rare treasures you can find on the Indian Creek Nature Center trails.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Secrets You Find When You Slow Downby Trail C oordinator Nick McGrath Imagine a beautiful natural landscape here in Iowa . Is it of towering trees\, expansive prairies\, or dazzling displays of w ildflowers in bloom? These bold features can easily capture our attention but only tell part of the story.  Found singularly within the canopy\, tu cked beneath shrubs and grasses\, nestled among rocks and against tree tru nks\, or quietly growing along woodland paths are countless plants that ma ny will pass by\, unaware of their uniqueness or importance in the landsca pe. They are quite easily overlooked\, but these plants add remarkable div ersity\, beauty\, and ecological value. Spread out across Indian Creek Nat ure Center’s property are a host of unnoticed plants that serve critical roles and bring vibrancy and a sense of fullness into the natural landsca pe.  Peeking out from the woodland edge is a non-aggressive plant called purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens). Most may pass this by\, albeit s lightly puzzled\, assuming it is a common milkweed that is out of place. U pon closer inspection\, the observer will find minute differences in size\ , texture\, shape\, and color.  The purple milkweed boasts a vibrant dark fuchsia color that seems to call out\, “Hey! Look over here by the tree line!” This particular milkweed thrives in a part-shade environment and\ , unlike the common purple milkweed\, does not spread through rhizomes\, u nderground stems capable of sprouting new plants\, making it much less com petitive. On your next mid-summer hike\, take a closer look around the tra ils immediately surrounding Amazing Space\, and you just might spot this p urple milkweed! A snowy trek along the Bena Brook area of ICNC could land you in the world of skunk cabbage\, so mind your nose and watch your step! Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is part of a very small group of pl ants capable of thermogenesis\, the ability to metabolically generate heat . In late winter and early spring the interior of a skunk cabbage can be u p to twenty degrees warmer than ambient temperatures\, helping to melt the surrounding snow and emit a truly pungent smell\, fitting of its name. Th e combination of heat and odor attracts and supports all manner of early s eason pollinators. Skunk cabbage falls into the botanical family Araceae\, characterized in part by a spadix and spathe. The spadix is most similar to a stem covered in tiny flowers while the spathe is a modified leaf that surrounds the spadix. An easily recognized example of this is the inflore scence (flowering parts) of a household peace lily\, also in the family Ar aceae. Other notable family members include monstera and philodendron! Ano ther Araceae member happily calls the Nature Center home and is quite fasc inating to see in person. Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) can be found throughout the property in deep\, moist woodland shade. This small\, unique plant gets its name from the arrangement of the spadix and spathe\ , resembling a preacher inside a pulpit. If you stumble upon this plant\, it is best to look but not touch due to significant amounts of calcium oxa late crystals throughout the plant. Do\, however\, count the number of lea ves! This long-lived plant stores energy underground and decides\, based o n available energy\, whether to emerge that year as a male or female plant . A single leaf usually indicates a male plant since it takes less energy to produce pollen than fruit. Two leaves (or the presence of fruit) indica te a female plant. Typically\, Jack-in-the-pulpit will revert to a male pl ant the year after fruiting to recoup energy and start again. These plants may not always demand our attention\, but they are an important part of w hat makes Indian Creek Nature Center such a rich and diverse place to expl ore. The next time you walk the trails\, slow down\, become an observer an d take time to notice the small\, often overlooked plants around you. You may be surprised by how much life is growing right at your feet! LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T181946Z URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/event/organizing-editing-managing- your-nature-and-wildlife-photographs/?utm_source=caldiscovery&utm_medium=i cs&utm_campaign=cedar-rapids-ia X-SOURCE-NAME:Indian Creek Nature Center X-SOURCE-URL:https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR