Day 2: The heavy rain and blustery winds of last week had an unanticipated effect on the Sundews of Lake St. Clair. Three-quarters of the way through a 12-mile paddle, I swung by to say "Hi" to my little friends in Site #2 and couldn't find them or the structure on which they'd been growing. A nearby "island" was in its accustomed spot, but the chained-together logs were nowhere to be seen. Site #1 was intact, and I made many trips back and forth between the two locations as I tried to pinpoint any evidence of my precious Droseras, and only succeeded in finding one solitary specimen. Where had they gone?
The mystery was solved when I gave up searching and began paddling back toward the confluence of the lake's four lobes. A quarter of a mile south of where I'd last seen it, there was the "raft" of logs strung out but still chained together, and to my utter delight, one of them was simply covered with Sundews, far more than I'd seen last week. It made no sense to mark the location with the GPSr, not with the colony on a winter cruise. I'll simply have to remember some of the "raft's" distinctive features and search for it each time I go out.
My readers will be happy to learn that my documentation of this species has been referred to both the Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program and to the leading Washington State botanist who works with the Dept. of Natural Resources on rare plant issues. These Sundews are well on their way to having the protection they deserve.
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