This class will study the native flowers of prairie fens and wet meadows at their peak bloom. Prepare to get your feet wet as we hike out to observe, identify, and enjoy various species that make up the gorgeous and colorful floral display marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Emphasis will be put on improving identification skills through keying out plants and brushing up on basic botanical terminology. Prairie fens are hotspots of biodiversity. They are globally rare ecosystems occurring primarily here in the glacial interlobate region of Michigan's southern Lower Peninsula.  We will discuss the ecology of these unique living communities, and attempt to understand how wetland plants fit into the larger web of life here in the Upper River Raisin watershed and beyond. Bring a copy of the Field Manual to Michigan's Flora and/or Newcomb's Guide to Wildflowers if you have them.