Spring 2012 Fieldtrips and Events
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California Native Plant Society Sanhedrin Chapter Newsletter Spring 2012 Fieldtrips and Events Broom Pull, Sunday, March 11 Setting out from the splendor of a redwood forest floor Meet in the parking lot of Low Gap Park in Ukiah at 10am. dappled with calypso orchids, anemones, and trilliums, we’ll We will be removing broom upstream from the bridge. Chuck walk along Pruitt Creek into the elevated hinterlands of oaks, Williams: 462-8984 chaparral, perennial grasses, and rocks. Plan on a long, moderately strenuous walk of 4 to 6 miles. We’ll meet at the Low Gap Plant Walk, Saturday, March 31 Pruitt Creek gate (about 1 mile east of the Reserve’s main Join Mark Albert on this traditional early season field trip to parking lot) at 9:30 a.m. Please contact Peter at 978- 3155 or Ukiah’s Low Gap Park. Meet at the parking area just past the [email protected] for information. Playhouse, opposite Ukiah High School on Low Gap Road at 9:00am. Our annual early spring botanizing in a familiar place Tomki Creek Headwaters. always leads to questioning what we thought we knew about Saturday, April 21, 9am – 3pm the common local wildflowers. Bring a light lunch and a hand This area is accessed via Shimmins Ridge Road north of lens. This will be our 30th year at Low Gap! Willits and encompasses the upper valleys and ridges in the vicinity of the Tomki Creek headwaters. This is a rich area for Chalk Hill, Cow Mountain, Saturday, April 7 plants, especially grasses because of the variety of moist, dry, Chalk Hill is a huge rock hillside with a mineral spring and serpentine grassland habitat. There are also undisturbed pouring over it, leaving a tufa deposit with a texture that looks oak woodlands, conifer forests, chaparral, and riparian areas to like a tapestry of fishnet. An unusual variety of Fremontia explore. Meet at the Safeway parking lot in Willits at 9:00am. with small apricot colored flowers and tiny leaves surrounds Bring a lunch, good walking shoes, hat, and water. For more the mineral deposit. We're hoping they will start blooming by information contact: Kerry Heise (462-4533), April, but if not, there will be other interesting things to see. [email protected] We will carpool up to the Oakwood Springs trailhead which has tables and a restroom. Any vehicle that can make it to the Oat Hill Mine Trail (east of Calistoga, Napa County) S. Cow Mtn. gate should be able to make it to the Oakwood Sunday, April 22; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Springs parking area. From Oakwood, it's a steep one mile This exciting area of geological and botanical diversity hike over the ridge and down to Chalk Hill. This is a strenuous supports a number of rare plants and will provide an exciting hike without much shade, but fun nonetheless. The top of the day of discovery. We’ll meet at the Aetna Springs Road ridge is the top of the world and you can see to Clear Lake and access, off Pope Valley Road in northern Napa County. Ride- Mt. Konocti as well as a wonderful view of the rest of Cow sharing encouraged; estimated travel time from Santa Rosa: Mountain. Meet at CVS parking lot, 155 Orchard Plaza in 1.5 hours. Contact Peter Warner at 978-3155 or Ukiah, at 9 am April 7th (the day before Easter) Bring water [email protected] for more information. and lunch and wear boots that will give you good footing. Call Chuck Williams at 462-8984 for more information. Anderson Valley Wildflower Show Saturday/Sunday, April 28-29 Highland Springs Park, Lake County The location is June Hall on the Boonville fairgrounds from Sunday, April 8 10:00am to 4pm. There is a plant sale and raffle to earn We will hike trails in the interior of the park and hopefully see money for local high school scholarships. A tea room some different flora than usually seen on the Toll Road. We provides food and there is a selection of books on will meet up at the trailhead around 9:30am. Directions from consignment from Gallery Book Store. We hope many people Ukiah: take Hwy 20 to the Upper Lake Intersection of Hwy 29 will come to view the collection of wildflowers and plants. and turn right towards Lakeport. There is one traffic light in Lakeport; about 8 miles. Go another mile to the next traffic Walker Ridge field trip, Saturday/Sunday, May 5-6 light at Highland Springs Road and turn right. Go past the Come explore the splendid plant and wildlife habitat diversity airport and then another mile or so. The road will make a hard of Walker Ridge while it’s still somewhat intact, if right hand turn and go by a big horse arena. The road will beleaguered. That could all change soon if the wind power then fork, with the "Toll Road" heading off to the right generation project is approved by BLM. We’ll spend some towards Hopland and Sheldon Creek. At this fork, stay time on the Ridge, but might explore a bit in the nearby Cache STRAIGHT (left fork), and go up the hill to the left of the Creek Wilderness; some may want to check out Bear Valley, dam. Follow the road to the end at the picnic area at the as well. Meet on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Judge Davis reservoir. Meet at the CVS parking lot in the Orchard Plaza in trailhead, about 17 miles east of Clearlake Oaks on Hwy. 20, a Ukiah at 8:30am to carpool. For questions call Karen Sullivan few miles west of the Hwy. 16 junction. For those staying at 707-349-1559. overnight, camping spots are available, but some are completely without facilities, so be prepared for rustic Montgomery Woods (northwest of Ukiah) camping (unless you want to drive out of the area for lodging). Saturday, April 14; 9:30 a.m. to about 4 p.m. Anyone planning to attend Sunday only, please contact me This trip will afford a look at the diverse habitats of the upland close to the date (about May 1), and perhaps Ill have a better parts of the Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. idea where the overnight group will be Sunday morning. Further information, and to let me know you’ll be joining us: spring, 2 field trips to the property will focus on plants and Peter (707) 978-3155; [email protected]. plant ecology, specifically arranged with CNPS members in mind. Reservations are required to participate in these trips. Mayacamas Sanctuary (east of Geyserville, Sonoma Please contact Kristin at 707-328- 8539 or kristinm.m@twc- County) - Saturday, May 12, 9:30am - 3 p.m. ca.org. Sponsored by the Madrone Audubon Society. Please visit Madrone’s website for further information. Rickabaugh Glade, Saturday, May 19 A walk to appreciate the ecology of plants, trees, shrubs, A small area, relatively close to Ukiah with some of the most wildflowers, and grasses in this beautiful montane setting, led interesting floristic bio-diversity in the county; this is by Peter Warner. The pace will be slow to moderate; please Rickabaugh Glade, elevation 975 m, located south of Red Mt. bring field guides, hand lenses, cameras. Children OK with in the Mayacmas Mountains. The Glade is comprised of a supervision. A plant list will be provided upon prior request large meadow, a large vernal pond (which, of course, may not (sent digitally): contact Peter Warner at (707) 978-3155 or be too full this year) and an extended marshy drainage. An [email protected]. Meet at the lower end of Pine Flat extensive plant list begun by Roger Raiche in the 1970s has Road (park along the road before the Sausal Creek Bridge), off been revised & updated over the years. Currently there are Red Winery Road, off Hwy. 128 at the sharp curve 1/4 mile approx. 60 genera and 215 species listed for the 120 acre site. east of the Jimtown Store. For more information contact Side trails from the Glade lead to other botanically rich spots. Suzanne at 829-7234. Reservations are not required. We will leave at 8:45 am from the Orchard Ave. side of the CVS Drugstore parking lot in Ukiah. Please arrive early so Jenner Headlands (Sonoma Co. Coast) our departure will be prompt. (People traveling from the south Thursday, May 17 and Sunday, June 24 may want to meet us at approx. 8:50 am at the new ARCO The splendid biological diversity and enthralling aesthetics of station on Talmage Rd., just to the east of the Hwy. 101 the Jenner Headlands beckon to all. This terrestrial jewel, Talmage Rd. Exit. It is about a 40 minute drive up the acquired by the Sonoma Land Trust in 2009, offers sweeping - mountain and a fairly easy 20 minute walk to the Glade. - or fog-enshrouded – coastal vistas, deep forested canyons, Please bring water, lunch, sturdy shoes and good cheer. and grasslands bedazzling in spring’s tapestry of flowers. This Contact Vishnu at 467-1341 for more information. Pepperwood Courses Please visit the Pepperwood Preserve website at http://app.pepperwoodpreserve.org/pls/htmldb/f?p=514:1:0::::: for further information about the Preserve or for course registration. The following is not a full listing of the course selection. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Pepperwood green and growing. Seasoned with a dash of plant jargon, Sunday, March 25 you’ll learn how to turn a dichotomous key and your powers Have you ever tasted a roasted bay nut, nettle pesto or sautéed of scholarly observation into a virtually limitless frontier of milk thistle greens? Come explore the world of edible and botanical exploration.