Native Plant Press January 2020 The Native Plant Press

The Newsletter of the Central Puget Sound Chapter of WNPS Volume 21 No. 11 January 2020

Holiday Party Recap On Sunday, December 8th, the Central Puget Sound Chapter held our annual holiday party. The event was a potluck, and the fare was wide-ranging and excellent. The native plant-focused silent auction offered several hand-made wreaths, numerous potted natives from tiny succulents to gangly shrubs, plant-themed books and ephemera, and a couple of experiences. The selection occasioned some intense bidding wars, with Franja Bryant and Sharon Baker arriving at a compromise in their battle over the Native Garden Tea Party.

A highlight of the party was the presentation of awards to Member, Steward and Professional of the Year. Each year, nominations are submitted by members and the recipients are chosen by the CPS Board.

Stewart Wechsler (left) was chosen Member of the Year. Stewart is a Botany Fellow for the chapter and for many years has offered well-attended plant ID sessions before our westside meetings. In addition, he often fields the many botanical questions that we receive from the public.

David Perasso (center) is our Steward of the Year. David is a Native Plant Steward at Martha Park on Lake Washington and has been working to restore the historic oak/camas prairie ecosystem at the site. The site is now at the stage where David was able to host a First Nation camas harvest recently. He is also an active volunteer at our native plant nursery, providing vital expertise in the identification and propagation of natives. David also volunteers at the Covington prairie remnant and at the Beacon Food Forest.

Pat Parks (right) was awarded the Professional of the Year award for her ongoing support and commitment, as both a vendor and a volunteer, to our plant sales. In addition to providing high- quality plant materials, Pat helps set up attractive displays at the sales. Pat, in turn, credits Tom Johnson and the CPS for supporting her development as a highly capable propagator of bulbs.

We thank the volunteers who arrived early to set up, with special mention to Chrys Bertolotto and Franja Bryant, who solicited, organized, wrote up and awarded the many silent auction items. Julie O’Donald, Sharon Baker and Janka Hobbs stepped up and introduced the award winners. And we also thank the sturdy souls who stayed late and helped pack up the décor for another year.

Please Note: The Field Trip to Evans Creek Preserve is full.

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Attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival FREE! Franja Bryant, Education Committee Chair

2020 Flower and Garden Show February 26 – March 1 Washington State Convention Center,

Happy New Year! 2020 brings the 30th Annual Northwest Flower and Garden Festival. The Central Puget Sound Chapter represents WNPS in this 5-day event, a wonderful opportunity to share our enthusiasm for native plants and to explain the value and service they provide to our environment. For more information about the event visit: http://www.gardenshow.com.

This year’s Festival will run from Wednesday, February 26 – Sunday, March 1. Would you like to attend it for FREE? Volunteer for one 3-4 hour shift at our WNPS educational booth and you will receive free entry to the show for that whole day ($25 value). You might even recruit a plant enthusiast friend to volunteer with you and then explore the show together before or after your shift.

Sign-ups will be done online. Please click on this link to reach our Doodle poll where you can select dates and times convenient for you: https://doodle.com/poll/4v3fbka2c599in7y. Once you are signed up on the Doodle Poll we will be in touch with further information about admission, etc.

Show dates at the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle: Wednesday Feb. 26th – Saturday, February 29th 9:00am – 8:00pm Sunday March 1st – 9:00am – 6:00pm (Tuesday, Feb. 25 will probably be our move-in day and we will need a couple of extra people to help with this. Signing up for Tuesday on the Doodle Poll will earn you a free ticket to the show.)

Daily volunteer shift hours: 9:00am – 1:00pm 1:00pm – 4:30pm 4:30pm – 8:00pm

ALSO: Are you creative? Do you have special ideas for how to make our booth a stand-out this year? We would love to hear your ideas. Please share them with Franja Bryant ([email protected]) .

We may also need some substitutes on short notice during the show. If you are generally available and willing to substitute on particular days or at particular times, please contact either Franja or Elizabeth

Page 2 of 8 NPP Vol 21, No. 1 January 2020 Native Plant Press January 2020 2020 Programs:

Please note: there is no January Westside program.

January Program Birds in Our Midst: Creating Gardens Filled With Life Julie O’Donald Sammamish Library Saturday, January 25, 2:00 – 3:30pm Please note day, time and location change.

Backyard Wildlife Habitat Steward and Master Gardener, Julie O'Donald will give an overview of the elements that create beautiful gardens for birds and people, emphasizing best native plants for birds and design features that create habitat. Photos of birds with their food plants will show how to bring nature home to any property. Julie's personal certified wildlife habitat contains over 200 species of native plants and attracts birds, butterflies, pollinators and beneficial insects

Julie O'Donald has over 30 years’ experience creating wildlife-friendly gardens. She has focused on the use of native plants integrated with ornamentals to attract butterflies and pollinators. Julie's garden has been featured in Pacific Horticulture and The Butterfly Gardener magazines, as well as the book, Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide, 2018. Active in educational community outreach, Julie volunteers for the Washington Native Plant Society, the Washington Butterfly Association, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, and the National Wildlife Federation Public invited, refreshments, admission is free. Produced by Cheryl Wagner

February Programs: Please note, there are two programs for February 2020! One is at the Mountaineers on Thursday, February 6th; the other is at Bellevue Botanical Garden on Wednesday, February 12th. Please especially note that the Bellevue program is on a Wednesday.

Chelsea and Beyond: Looking at Pacific Northwest Plants in Great Britain Sarah Gage Mountaineers Program Center Thursday, February 6, 7:00pm

Many Pacific Northwest plants found a welcome reception in British horticulture when Archibald Menzies, David Douglas, and other plant collectors started transporting them “across the pond.” Sarah will share observations of Northwest species seen during visits to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and travels in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Some of our native plants have become beloved garden subjects in Great Britain—selected and hybridized into numerous cultivars. Some have become invasive, while many of our locally problematic invasives are treasured natives in the hedgerows and fields of the British countryside. Vanquish any February doldrums with pictures and tales of flowers, gardens, and scones.

Sarah Gage, M.S., M.F.A., past president of WNPS (1995-96), managed the University of Washington Herbarium for thirteen years (1988–2001), co-authoring A Centenary Survey of Plant Life in Washington State, and participating in the International Kuril Island Project (1995–2000). From 2005 to 2019 she worked on biodiversity conservation and salmon recovery at the Recreation and Conservation Office in Olympia. She serves on several WNPS committees: Communications Committee, Editorial Board for Douglasia, Financial Advisory Committee, and Fundraising Committee. She has curated the Botanical Rambles blog for WNPS since the blog began in 2012. Photo: Camassia by Sarah Gage Public invited, refreshments, admission is free. Produced by Sharon Baker and Shelley Evans

Page 3 of 8 NPP Vol 21, No. 1 January 2020 Native Plant Press January 2020 Current Forest and Tree Health Issues in Western Washington Kevin Zobrist, Professor, Extension Forestry, Washington State University Bellevue Botanical Garden Wednesday, February 12, 7:00pm Please note this program is on the 2nd Wednesday of February.

Dead and dying trees have proliferated throughout western Washington. Hemlocks and cedars have been particularly hard hit, causing concern for many property owners. The talk covers the basics of forest health in western Washington. Learn about current and spreading issues affecting the area, risk factors, and how to know how well a forest is functioning. Know what’s normal and what’s not, when to be concerned, and what to do if you suspect a problem.

Kevin is a professor with Washington State University. He coordinates the Extension Forestry program in the Puget Sound area, working with people who own forested property. Kevin has two forestry degrees from the University of Washington. His research interests include forestry education and outreach methodology, using technology in forestry education, forest owner demographics, forest health and ecology, and native trees. He is based in Everett and is the author of the book Native Trees of Western Washington.

Plants on Islands: Insights Into the Flora of the San Juan Islands Peter Dunwiddie Mountaineers Program Center Thursday, March 5, 2020 7:00pm

Prior to 2005, the flora of most islands in the San Juan archipelago had never been studied. Over the past 15 years, our understanding has begun to change as a result of detailed surveys we have conducted documenting the vascular plants found on over 125 islands. While such a large number of species lists might seem eye-glazing to an extreme, these data provide a remarkable resource for exploring diverse, fascinating questions regarding the biogeography of islands in the Salish Sea. In this talk I will draw on these data to trace some surprising patterns relating to the abundance and distribution of species, and how characters such as mode of dispersal, species origin (native versus non-native), rarity, island size, and remoteness (distance from the mainland or other source areas), affect the composition of species on different islands.

Peter Dunwiddie is an affiliate professor in the Biology Department and in the School for Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin and completed his doctoral degree at the University of Washington. Peter has worked as an ecologist and restoration biologist for more than 35 years with conservation organizations including the Massachusetts Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and the Center for Natural Lands Management. His work for these organizations and now as a private consultant focused on ecological restoration and management, fire ecology, recovery of rare species, and conservation planning with many land trusts, non-governmental organizations, and state and federal agencies. He has conducted extensive research and published widely in diverse fields, including conservation biology, ecological restoration, invasive species, floristics, biogeography, dendrochronology, and paleoecology.

Stalking the Wily Yetiphlox: Adventures in Rare Plant Hunting in Washington Walter Fertig Mountaineers Program Center Thursday, April 2, 2020, 7:00pm

Page 4 of 8 NPP Vol 21, No. 1 January 2020 Native Plant Press January 2020 Expanding Our Interest in Native Plants Through Photography Donovan Tracy Bellevue Botanical Garden Tuesday, April 14, 7:00pm

Native plant enthusiast and wildflower photographer Donovan Tracy will examine how photography expands our appreciation and knowledge of native plants.

The presentation will be in two parts: The first part will introduce five unique perspectives for viewing and photographing plants from broad landscapes to detailed close ups. He will illustrate the value of investigating the life cycle of plants as well as focusing on the defining features which aid in their identification. The second part will be an open discussion in response to the audience’s questions and areas of interest. Subjects will include composition, close-up and macro photography, gear and gadgets, post processing and more.

The emphasis throughout will be on how we as native plant enthusiasts, botanizers and amateur photographers can better view and photograph plants in their native habitats.

Donovan is a volunteer with the UW Herbarium, and co-author of the wildflower guide, Alpine Flowers of Mount Rainier, with David Giblin, the herbarium’s collection manager. He developed the website Flowers of Rainier (www.flowersofrainier.com) which features over 230 species and 12 wildflower hikes. Public invited, refreshments, admission is free. Produced by Cheryl Wagner

The Burke Museum Native Plant Landscape: Creating an Urban Space to Foster Meaningful Connections Shannon Nichol, Founding Principal, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Polly Olsen, Tribal Liaison, Burke Museum Bridget McNassar, Native Plant Program Manager, Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center Center for Urban Horticulture Please note location change. Thursday, May 7, 2020, 7:00pm

Shannon Nichol of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Bridget McNassar of Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, and Polly Olsen of the Burke Museum, will discuss their roles in the development of this very special landscape. From the unique design incorporating ecologically and culturally important native species, to the careful and thoughtful production of the plants, and the ways in which the landscape will encourage and inspire human connection, this project has been full of unique opportunities, rich learning, and lasting inspiration.

Snoqualmie Seeps Ray Izumi Bellevue Botanical Garden Tuesday, June 23, 2020 7:00pm Please note this is the 4th Tuesday in June.

Wild Isle in the City: Tales from ’s First 100 Years Paul Talbert Mountaineers Program Center Thursday, September 3, 2020; 7:00pm

Mushroom Diversity Steve Trudell Bellevue Botanical Garden Tuesday, October 6, 2020 7:00pm Please note this is the first Tuesday in October.

Page 5 of 8 NPP Vol 21, No. 1 January 2020 Native Plant Press January 2020 Plants Have Microbiomes Too: Plant-Microbe Communication in Cottonwood Trees Carrie Harwood Mountaineers Program Center Thursday, November 5, 2020 7:00pm

Native Plant Identification, Westside Programs By Nelson Salisbury, Chapter Botanist and Stewart Wechsler, Botanist Fellow Westside meetings only. A free plant identification workshop is offered at 6:00pm before each Westside meeting. Oriented primarily toward beginners, anyone who wants to improve keying skills or familiarity with the northwest flora is welcomeBring samples of plants for identification; we will also have materials and tools available.

Calendars still available! The 2020 WNPS full-color wall calendar is now available. The calendar includes monthly pages for January 2020 through January 2021 with plenty of room to write in reminders and appointments. Each month shows a full-page color photograph of a native Washington plant or habitat, plus a smaller close-up or detail of a different plant. Calendars are much-appreciated gifts, a great way to support the organization and spread the beauty of native plants to friends and relatives.

You can purchase a calendar from the Chapter for $10 (instead of $12 plus postage online), and a percentage of direct sales revenue comes to the chapter to help support CPS programs and initiatives. Contact Dan Paquette [email protected] to coordinate buying a calendar at this special price.

Education Opportunities: Save the Dates!

• Botany Washington, May 15 – 17, 2020; registration opens January 15th • Study Weekend, June 5 – 7, 2020; registration opens February 15th • 4th Annual Washington Botanical Symposium, March 4, 2020 • Grasses Workshop, June 17 – 19, 2020; registration opens March 1st.

Volunteer Opportunities

NEW! Seattle University Ethnobotanical Garden Work Party Wednesday, January 15, 10:00am to 1:00pm Seattle University, Vi Hilbert Ethnobotanical Garden

Seattle University is located on First Hill. The Vi Hilbert Ethnobotanical Garden, where we will be working, is located off of James Street between Broadway and 12th Ave. It's #18 on the campus garden map just south of the Lemieux Library (LEML) along James St. We will be removing invasive species such as buttercups, and pruning back shrubs to clear a walkway. Please bring a water bottle and work gloves and hand toolsif you have them. Otherwise they’ll be provided. Please dress for the weather. Seattle University is an urban campus with lots of great restaurants around. To reward ourselves for our work, we will adjourn to a nearby restaurant for lunch. If you have a favorite in the area, let me know! Please RSVP if you are planning to attend to [email protected].

For more information or to sign up please contact Ani Gothard-Williams at [email protected]

Onsite Volunteers for Study Weekend, June 5-7, 2020 The Central Puget Sound Chapter and the Central Washington Chapters are co-hosting the Study Weekend coming in June. 2020 Study Weekend will be held at the beautiful Lazy F Ranch west of Ellensburg. We are

Page 6 of 8 NPP Vol 21, No. 1 January 2020 Native Plant Press January 2020 seeking volunteers for various tasks at the event. Volunteers will enjoy a $25.00 discount on registration, and in addition to the discount, those volunteering for both days will get a free lunch on Sunday. 1) three parking directors for Friday; 2) two check-in people for an hour on Saturday morning; 3) four to six helpers at the receptions on Friday and Saturday; 4) three meal ticket collectors; 5) an AV liaison with ranch staff; and 6) A staging person for field trips. To volunteer, contact Dan Paquette at [email protected]

Native Plant Nursery Work Parties The Washington Native Plant Society seeks volunteers at the nursery, this month only on the second Friday of January from 10 am to 2 pm. The nursery is in (located northeast and behind The Brig, which is at 6344 NE 74th St, Seattle, WA 98115). s

The nursery maintains an inventory of native plants, mostly wildflowers, that are offered at plant sales and used to restore local parks. Tasks include potting, transplanting, and weeding plants and general nursery upkeep such as constructing beds, installing shade cloth, and maintaining the irrigation system. Volunteers come and go during the work party hours as best fits their schedule. For more information, contact Zak Bartholomew at [email protected]

Lead a Field Trip • Where have you seen the widest variety of plants in a small space? • What is the best hike you’ve ever taken? • Where do you take out-of-town visitors when they come to the Puget Sound area? Plan ahead to lead a trail walk as the days get longer, and the field trip committee and the WNPS office will help you put it together by soliciting participants and providing guidelines and the safety waiver form. Have an idea but not sure it’ll work? Worried about the time commitment? Would like to have a co-leader? Other questions? We can help. For questions or to volunteer to lead a trip, contact Ray Izumi: [email protected] or 425-880-4720 or Sandy Bowman at [email protected]

Chapter Education Volunteer Opportunities If you enjoy meeting people and talking about native plants with them; if you are enthusiastic about sharing our WNPS mission of advocating for native plants and educating others about them; or if you find it exciting to help neighbors find a solution to that sticky landscaping problem, then do we have opportunities for you!!

One easy way to be actively involved with our WNPS mission is to help with our education booth/table at community environmental events. Many people help with our booth at the Flower & Garden show, but we are also invited to have a presence at events like Tukwila’s Backyard Wildlife Festival; Earth Day celebrations; community colleges; farmer’s markets; plant sales, etc. etc. Your help is needed and welcome.

We supply handouts, books and other reference materials, displays, and usually a partner to work with, so you don’t have to be an all-knowing expert to help in this way. All that is needed is your friendliness and enthusiasm. If you think helping at our information table/booth is a good fit for you please contact either Franja Bryant – CPS Education Chair ([email protected]) or Elizabeth Gage – Office and Volunteer Coordinator ([email protected]) . .

Twin Ponds Work Parties Twin Ponds in Shoreline straddles Thornton Creek with designated wetlands and riparian areas and the efforts there will have an impact downstream where others are restoring Creekside. Join a restoration work party and mentor young volunteers from Shoreline High Schools and from the UW freshman restoration management class while restoring valuable habitat with reeds, sedges, cedar and spruce.

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All work parties are on Saturdays from 10:00am to 1:00pm Upcoming work party dates: • January 11 • February 8 For more information, directions or to sign up, please contact Sarah Fulton at [email protected].

Bellevue Botanical Garden Work Parties WNPS work parties supporting our important partnership with the Bellevue Botanical Garden will be on the third Wednesday of the month, from 10:00-12:00, at the Native Discovery Garden. For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Janka Hobbs at [email protected]

CPS Board Positions The CPS Board is seeking members with strengths in conservation or stewardship to serve on the CPS Board. For more information please contact Board Chair Janka Hobbs at [email protected]. .

WNPS Office 6310 NE 74th St., Suite 215E Seattle WA 98115 206-527-3210

Denise Mahnke, Business Manager [email protected] Elizabeth Gage, Office & Volunteer Coordinator [email protected]

Office hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00am -4:00pm

Central Puget Sound Chapter WNPS Officers & Committee Chairs Contact email: [email protected]

Chair Janka Hobbs Field Trip co-chairs: Plant Sale Co-Chairs Sandy Bowman VACANT Vice-Chair Ray Izumi Sharon Baker Fundraising: VACANT Westside Program Chair Secretary Sharon Baker Stewardship Chair Cheryl Wagner VACANT Eastside Program Chair Treasurer Cheryl Wagner Volunteer Coordinator Dan Paquette, interim VACANT Education Board Members at Large Franja Bryant Nursery Co-Chairs Cindy Spurgeon Zak Bartholomew Botanist Quena Batres Nelson Salisbury Grace Stiller Grants Chair (Salvage Program) Botanist Fellow Kathe Low Stewart Wechsler Ted Couillard Other CPS Contacts (Digital Media Coordinator) Conservation Chair Refreshments -Eastside VACANT Kathe Low Publicity Jan Bird

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