Jo Latimore
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jolatimore.bsky.social
Jo Latimore
@jolatimore.bsky.social
2.5K followers 1.6K following 400 posts
Freshwater Ecologist at Michigan State University. Director of @msue-lakes-streams.bsky.social. Invasive species, science communication, public engagement. Hiker, kayaker, reader, listener.
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jolatimore.bsky.social
I enjoyed speaking with @carol-thompson.bsky.social for her story on Michigan's current drought. The impacts are real, especially for lake and river levels in central and southern Michigan.
A screenshot from the US Drought Monitor (droughtmonitor.unl.edu) on October 16, 2025, shows areas of southern Michigan in moderate and severe drought.
October 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
I love hanging out with botanists. You wouldn't believe* how long a dozen of us spent admiring every detail of this goldenrod on a northern Michigan beach last weekend.

*Unless you are, in fact, a botanist.
A goldenrod plant blooms in front of the trunk of a very large fallen tree on a sandy beach, with tall white pines in the background.
September 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Field season isn't over yet! I finally joined our summer macrophyte survey crew in the field last week for a beautiful day assessing the plants in Upper Hamlin Lake, Mason County, MI. After spending the summer working together, this MSU student team is a well-oiled machine! #MacrophyteMonday
A collage of 6 photos of smiling people on a boat, collecting aquatic plant data. There is a photo of the lake with a forested shoreline and an underwater image of an Eurasian watermilfoil plant.
August 18, 2025 at 2:05 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Michigan field guides? Online for free? Yes, please!
Screenshot of the free online selection of Michigan field guides, including such titles as Birds of Michigan, Wildflowers of Michigan, Animal Tracks of the Midwest. and Michigan Rocks and Minerals.
July 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
...Through the Looking Glass. Both are through University of Wisconsin Extension.

cnroutreached.asapconnected.com#ProductDetai...
July 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
My favorite regional guides are Aquatic Plants of the Upper Midwest by Paul Skawinski, and...

cnroutreached.asapconnected.com#ProductDetai...
July 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
This is great for invasive species and the native plants that look similar to them. There's an older key to common aquatic plants from MSU Extension. Some recent invaders are not included (we hope to update this one next!): www.micorps.net/wp-content/u...
July 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Our new field guide just arrived from the printer! So happy. Can't wait it to get it into people's hands!

(If you just can't wait to see what's inside, it's already available online: www.canr.msu.edu/resources/aq...)

#MacrophyteMonday
A hand holds a spiral-bound booklet entitled, "Aquatic invasive plants: A field guide for Michigan lakes, streams, and ponds", published by Michigan State University Extension. An illustration of Eurasian watermilfoil decorates the cover.
July 22, 2025 at 12:19 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Snails on parade!

@experiencegr.bsky.social
A series of colorful snail sculptures on a pedestrian bridge in the evening.
July 21, 2025 at 3:40 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Too busy today, helping Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program volunteers search for invasive plants in SW Michigan, to take photos of the work, but did manage to capture my lunch from a food truck I stumbled upon between lakes, and the lovely last lake of the day. 😍
A Chicago dog (no onions!!) with fries and drink on a picnic table. A small lake with a natural shoreline under a blue sky.
July 15, 2025 at 11:16 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
I co-led two days of aquatic plant field trips for the Michigan Botanical Society last week in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A few highlights... #MacrophyteMonday
Bloom of the white water lily, Nymphaea odorata. My favorite. Most people's favorite! Watershield (aka snot bonnet), Brasenia schreberi, in bloom. Pale maroon flower among oval floating leaves. Our intrepid crew of paddling botanists heading out among abundant plant life under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. The purple flower spike of pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata, just coming into bloom, surrounded by arrow-shaped green waxy leaves.
July 14, 2025 at 3:10 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Happy #MacrophyteMonday! I photographed this flower of an aquatic plant along the shore of a lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan today. Can you name it? Bonus points for naming the floating-leaf plant in the background...
The tiny flower of an aquatic plant. It is yellow and looks like a tiny orchid on a very thin stem held above the damp plant.
July 8, 2025 at 2:59 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Time to botanize! Sign-ups are open for the Michigan Botanical Society 2025 Grand Foray in Gladstone. I'll be helping lead 2 aquatic field trips. The list of trips - and the expert leaders - is stellar!
#MacrophyteMonday

michiganbotanicalsociety.org/new-page-3
Cover of the Michigan Botanical Society brochure, showing a sketch of the jack-in-the-pulpit plant and describing the group as The Native Plant Society of Michigan.
June 2, 2025 at 3:25 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Time for a timeline cleanse. Here are some pretty flowers I photographed at @michiganstateu.bsky.social last summer.😍
A large yellow flower A large red and white flower A purple coneflower bloom A large pink and white flower with a yellow center
May 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Hooray! My team and I were awarded a new grant today to assess the aquatic plant communities of previously unsurveyed Michigan lakes. 🎉💧🌿

I'm acutely aware that this is a rare point of light in a highly uncertain scientific funding landscape. Hats off to our state natural resource agencies.
The submerged, floating, and emergent plant assemblage of a clear lake.
May 13, 2025 at 8:17 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
I was pleased to see this sign of spring a few days ago here in Michigan!
Two small morel mushrooms peek up out of leaf and pine litter.
May 6, 2025 at 1:41 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Taking a community science approach to aquatic invasive plant monitoring

Join me and some current volunteers for a webinar on May 28 to learn about how we're working together to discover and track invasive plant populations in Michigan's inland lakes.

www.michigan.gov/egle/newsroo...
Two women study an aquatic plant while sitting on a pontoon boat. One holds a clipboard and pencil, ready to record data about the plant.
May 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Water hyacinth is a popular water garden plant that can spread aggressively in lakes and rivers. Learn to identify and report sightings in the wild using our new ID cards for invasive aquatic plants! We can provide quantities at no cost to interested organizations. bit.ly/aiscards #MacrophyteMonday
Illustration of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive aquatic plant with round, waxy green leaves held above water by inflated petioles. The image highlights key features: free-floating growth, showy upright flower clusters that range from purple to white, and dense, feathery roots. A red banner marks it as invasive, with a note encouraging reports to EGLE via email at egle-wrd-aip@mi.gov. Includes Michigan State University Extension and EGLE logos.
April 28, 2025 at 5:59 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
One of my favorite photos from our recent visit to the Netherlands.
Canal, Amsterdam. 2025-04-10.
#BlueskyMonday
A blue sky with a few little white clouds over a canal in Amsterdam. Boats are docked on either side of the canal and brick bulidngs line both sides.
April 22, 2025 at 2:11 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Ring in spring with a peep! Getting to know the spring peeper.

(Don't be fooled by its small stature - Michigan's smallest frog also happens to be its loudest.)

#FrogsAreCool #Frogs #herps

www.canr.msu.edu/news/ringing...
Stock image of a spring peeper - a brown frog on some leaves, with its vocal sac inflated.
April 3, 2025 at 8:43 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Here's the invasive hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) for comparison. In particular, note the readily visible serrations on the edges of the leaves and greater number of leaves per whorl. Hydrilla was 1st found in Michigan in August 2023, in ponds that were since dredged. (2/3) 🧵
#MacrophyteMonday
Illustration of Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), an invasive aquatic plant with green, serrated leaves and a long, flexible stem. The image highlights key features: 3-8 leaves per whorl, serrated leaf edges, spines on the underside along the midvein, and tubers at the end of stems found in sediment. A red banner urges viewers to report sightings to EGLE with a provided email address.
March 31, 2025 at 11:47 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Common waterweed (Elodea canadensis) is an important native aquatic plant in Michigan waters. Unfortunately, because we're used to seeing it, we might not notice the aggressive invader, hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata). Can you tell the difference? (1/n) 🧵#MacrophyteMonday
Illustration of Common Waterweed (Elodea canadensis), a native aquatic plant with green, smooth-edged leaves and a flexible stem. The image highlights key features: a leaf arrangement of typically three leaves per whorl and smooth leaf edges. Includes Michigan State University Extension and EGLE logos.
March 31, 2025 at 11:44 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
You're famous! Or at least, your Tolypella is!

Just for fun, here's Tolypella intricata from a fairly large, clear lake near me in Michigan.

#MacrophyteMonday
A pressed example of "bird's nest stonewort", a relatively uncommon macroalgae from Michigan, USA. The bracts form a "bird's nest" like clump at the top of the plant.
March 18, 2025 at 12:44 AM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Here's the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil for comparison. In particular, note the larger number of leaflets per leaf, and the leaves' tendency to go limp when pulled from the water. (2/3) 🧵
#MacrophyteMonday
Illustration of Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), an invasive aquatic plant with green, feather-like leaves and a reddish-brown stem. The image highlights key features: leaves that fall limp when removed from the water, feather-like submerged leaves, more than 12 pairs of leaflets per leaf, and a whorled leaf arrangement with four leaves per whorl. A note mentions hybridization can lead to intermediate traits. Includes a red banner urging viewers to report sightings to MISIN with a provided website link (https://www.misin.msu.edu/MISIN).
March 17, 2025 at 8:08 PM
jolatimore.bsky.social
Not all milfoils are equal! Here in the US, the mention of watermilfoil brings to mind the negative connotations of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil. However, there are many desirable native species, including this Northern watermilfoil. Can you tell the difference? (1/3) 🧵
#MacrophyteMonday
Illustration of Northern Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum), a native Michigan aquatic plant with green, feather-like leaves. The image highlights key features: leaves are stiff when pulled out of the water, feather-like submerged leaves, 5-10 pairs of leaflets per leaf, and a whorled leaf arrangement with four leaves per whorl. Includes Michigan State University Extension and EGLE logos.
March 17, 2025 at 8:04 PM