Rare and endangered. Exists primarily on the south-shore dunes of Manitoulin, and a few other small locales in Michigan.

One of the special attractions we took the Wisconsin boating friends to see today. First breakfast at Mum's in Mindemoya, then, for them, some banking and grocery shopping, and then for all of us a quick trip to Providence Bay. Being boaters, they are like we used to be—completely ignorant of the interior of Manitoulin. They know the shoreline, outlying islands, and harbors; and the harbor towns as far as walking is practical, but beyond that all is the mystical realm of the Great Manitou. We do believe they enjoyed ourlittle tour.

And, they got to see the famous Pitcher's Thistle. To most people the Pitcher's Thistle looks like any other thistle, and to most people thistles are things to be eliminated. But the Pitcher's Thistle, being so rare, is highly protected. If you have one on your property you are pretty much screwed, since you can't do anything that would in any way harm it. On the other had, if you are a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist you are pretty much delighted that you have one of the world's rarest plants growing in your front yard.

Most property owners within Pitcher's Thistle ecozones have invested big bucks in a beach. And these folk like their beach to be beach, with no green stuff, and especially no thistles. They want pure, clean, unadulterated sand, with nothing more than the occasional bit of goose poop.

Here on Mudge Bay, there are four or five properties with sandy beaches, extending our way from THE Sandy Beach. These are up-scale properties. And the people who own them like their beaches immaculate. The the most expansive (expensive) of these beaches are groomed (or plowed) continuously, sometimes twice a week. And they are plowed so deeply that it is often impossible to walk the beach, as Pax and I do regularly, without sinking ankle deep.

I think this is wrong. It kills all native vegetation and destroys habitat of all native wildlife. It makes the beach just an extension of the carpet inside the house.

But, here, on our beach, where we have not sand but boulders, we pull alder seedlings and cattails, whack back the nine bark and birch weeds, and poison the poison ivy.

Is there a happy balance somewhere?

Anyway, long live Pitcher's Thistle (but just over on the south side of the Island.)