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Science versus Faith

All of us have our every-day grind in life. Unending daily responsibilities and commitments that you just have to plow through. But sometimes, perhaps rarely, something unexplained happens that epitomizes years, maybe decades, of your cumulative day-to-day efforts. Recently, I had one such event.

I was spot spraying invasive woodies (shrubs, small trees, brambles) in a small prairie remnant. I know this prairie intimately. Roughly a decade ago, we did the first clearing of old-growth honeysuckle and multiflora rose. And every year since, we have been fighting the resurgence of woodies with an array of counterassault management techniques. Each advancing year, more finesse is required to suppress the diminishing woodies without harming the advancing native plant species.

On this day, I have three hours available. My mind calls up a mental image of the prairie, and the day’s tasks flow out: Knock back the brambles in the ravine but avoid harming the arrow-leaved violets. The multiflora rose bushes on the east face need controlled; watch out for the pale-spiked lobelia and purple milkwort. Be careful killing the honeysuckle bushes above the rock outcropping, and avoid damaging the northern bedstraw, bastard toadflax, early buttercups. And so on.

Focused on my assignments, doing what I know, it happens. A plant pops into view that’s not in my mental image. I study the plant, momentarily torn between my work-day programming and my love of discovery. Discovery wins; I stop. I recognize the plant as an orchid, a member of the lady’s tresses family. And to my delight, there are dozens more! It’s a Great Plains lady’s tresses. The lack of basal leaves helps reveal its identity. It’s an uncommon plant found in high-quality prairies. I’m thrilled to welcome a new member to this small prairie remnant.

Finding a new plant species in a familiar area leads to reflection. These moments are the crowning reward in the life of a restoration practitioner. It exemplifies what keeps us going. We cling to faith, hoping our toiling efforts lead to discovery, and discovery will lead to more faith.

Why did this plant appear now? I might be able to lay out some clever hypothesis, but the reality is, I have no idea. As a society, we have not placed much emphasis on understanding our ecosystems, so it’s understandable why scientific knowledge is lacking.

But then, my dilemma – do I really want to know?

Originally published in Environmental Returns.

5 Comments (Open | Close)

5 Comments To "Science versus Faith"

#1 Comment By Connie Samples On January 10, 2019 @ 12:44 am

David, would that discovered Great Plains ladies be a Naked Lady? I know that’s not the point of your article but I am curious.
Connie

#2 Comment By David On January 10, 2019 @ 5:18 pm

Hi Connie,

I’m not familiar with the common name Naked Lady. Do you happen to know the botanical Latin or scientific name for it?

The Great Plains lady tresses Latin name is Spiranthes magnicamporum.

Thanks, David

#3 Comment By Alan Nagel On January 12, 2019 @ 1:40 pm

Seed of prairie plants can have a very long dormant survival in the soil, without its being clear what causes an eventual germination. I’m not sure there’s anything mysterious about the popping up of Ladies’ Tresses in an already recognize prairie remnant.

#4 Comment By Joe Artz On January 12, 2019 @ 5:32 pm

Several years ago, in the middle of our Iowa City backyard, in area of full sunlight, a trillium popped up and grew into a mature plant. For its efforts, my wife transplanted it into the shade, and it has expanded into a colony of a dozen plants, the centerpiece of what’s become our woodland garden. I don’t know how it got there — we do have a well-preserved soil (A-E-B-C) back there, so maybe it’s a survivor. I agree with you, David: it’s not important how or why, what’s important is to appreciate what a gift it was.

#5 Comment By Alan Nagel On January 12, 2019 @ 7:12 pm

Well put, Joe. We have a patch of wake-robin, sinking Benjamin, red trillium that volunteered and seems to be well established. “a gift” is exactly right.