The number Pink Lady’s Slipper orchids (sp. Cypripedium acaule) popping up in the NE woodlands this season is amazing! This plant can live up to 25+ years but not produce its first bloom for nearly a decade! So, if we’re seeing a ton of blossoms this summer, what was going on ten years ago? Let native species lead your learning, and mast bloom steer your inquiry! With the Pink Lady’s Slipper as a point of entry, support an interest in Native American studies, U.S. history, ethnobotany, poetry, ecology, phenology, ecology, endangered plants, and mythology. Read more in our post, Nature-Based Learning: Learning through the Lens of the Wild Orchid.