On the weekend of Sept. 12-14, the Missouri Native Plant Society will meet in the St. Louis area and explore the LaBarque Creek watershed in nearby Jefferson County.

This unique area is laced with sandstone canyons and plants characteristic of earlier times in our state’s geologic history. The landowners in the area and several partnering public agencies have come together in an attempt to stave off development and protect this special place for future generations.

Much more information is available by visiting the organization's website at www.labarque.org.

For years, part of the watershed was held aside as Nature Conservancy property and known as LaBarque Hills. This tract was rugged and beautiful but difficult to access. The Missouri Department of Conservation has taken over responsibility for this area and added to that property to develop a much more accessible LaBarque Creek Conservation Area.

The area in and around the watershed has been identified as one of MDC's 33 conservation opportunity areas in Missouri and more can be learned by obtaining a brochure describing this area at www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/coa/22.pdf. A 1,000-acre tract in the watershed has been donated to the state by a gentleman and conservationist named Don Robinson, and it will become a Missouri state park. The area has also been nominated and will officially be added to the Missouri Natural Areas program in the near future. Members of the St. Louis chapter of MONPS along with the Webster Groves Nature Study Society have visited the area numerous times and have developed a plant list that includes upwards of 700 vascular plants and over 150 bryophytes, many of them state listed and of high conservation value. We have much to see and to learn from a visit to the area.

Itinerary

On Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. at MDC's Powder Valley Nature Center, we will have the privilege of hearing Mike Arduser speak to us about the LaBarque Creek area. Mike is a conservation biologist with MDC, and many of us know him for his expertise in the entomology area with the order Hymenoptera (bees and wasps). He, along with others, was instrumental in bringing attention to the area, surveying the area for some of its special organisms and geology and working on the development of a plan for its protection. On Saturday morning we will meet at the Powder Valley parking lot at 8:00 a.m. and carpool to the LaBarque Creek area for a day of fieldtrips. Again on Sunday, we will meet there at 8:00 a.m. for an additional short fieldtrip in the morning. The MONPS board meeting is scheduled for Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Powder Valley facility.

Directions

For those of you coming to St. Louis from out-of-town, the Powder Valley Nature Center is at 11715 Cragwold Drive (63122). Take I-44 east from I-270 and exit south (right) at Lindbergh Boulevard. Go a short distance on Lindbergh and take Watson Road west (right). Turn right from Watson Road at the traffic light onto Geyer Road and go ¼ mile and turn left on Craigwold Road. Follow Craigwold for about 1½ miles to the Powder Valley entrance on the right.

Lodging

A block of rooms has been set aside at the Quality Inn, 3730 S. Lindbergh Blvd. (63127), near Powder Valley. To make your lodging reservation, call (314) 842-1200, weekdays 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and ask for Carol Sherrell. Tell her you are with the Missouri Native Plant Society. She handles group contracts for the motel and prefers that you talk to her, directly. These rooms will be released for general reservation by Aug. 29, so call before then. A room with two beds for two adults has been quoted at $62.99 plus tax.

Additional lodging at Drury Inn & Suites, Corner of I-44 and MO 141. The phone number is (636) 861-8300. The cost is quoted as $69.99 plus tax for a room with one king, $74.99 plus tax for a room with two queen beds.