From Pollen to Flowers: Plant Life Cycles

On July 1, 2018, our community had an exceptional opportunity to go hiking with renowned naturalist Dana Visalli.

Dana previously shared his diverse natural history skillset in the Highland Wonders series through a talk on wildflowers, participation in the “Evening with the Experts” plant ID event, and by leading a “walk through time” hike in the highlands. Those who have spent time in the field with Dana know that he is equally adept at discussing and observing Big History and bumblebees as he is mushrooms and native plants. One couldn’t go for a hike with a more well-rounded naturalist. Dana’s July 1 hike focused on the life cycles of plants. From budding, flowering, and pollination to seed set, dispersal, and seed germination, Dana helped us observe and understand the strategic timing of the living plant world. This hike was moderately strenuous, traveling mainly but not always on trails, with sections of uneven terrain and forest debris on the ground.

Dana Visalli has worked for the last 26 years as a professional botanist and naturalist. He has published the quarterly natural history journal, “The Methow Naturalist” for the past 23 years, and has directed a summer ecology camp for children for 26 years. He lives in the Methow Valley, where he is an organic market gardener, and maintains the regional species lists for flowering plants, mosses, lichens, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.