Ferns, horsetails and clubmosses are a surprisingly diverse group with a fascinating natural history. Some ferns are as tiny as golf tees, and others may tower to head height. Horsetail stems contain so much abrasive silica that they can be used to scour pots! Did you know that the spores from certain clubmosses are highly explosive and were used in creating flashes to light photos taken in the 1800s? This new addition to the North Woods Naturalist Series covers more than 100 species of ferns and friends native to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Range maps, habitats, nature notes and an easy to understand description for each species are paired with more than 250 colour photos.
Joe Walewski is the Director of Naturalist Training at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. He earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University and a M.Ed. in Environmental Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. When away from work, Joe finds plenty to do helping his wife, Lori, in the garden and banding birds (especially hummingbirds). He enjoys rambling and exploring outdoors with his daughter, Jenny. Joe continually strives to reduce his ecological footprint. In an effort to reduce his contribution of global warming gasses, Joe commutes to work by foot, bike or ski at least fifty percent of the time.