PROGRAMS Everyone is welcome to attend membership meetings in the Recreation Room of the San Francisco YERBA County Fair Building (SFCFB) at 9 th Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park. The #71 and #44 buses stop at the building. The N-Judah, #6, #43, and #66 lines stop within 2 blocks. Before our BUENA programs, we take our speakers to dinner at Chang’s Kitchen, 1030 Irving Street, between 11 th and 12 th Avenues. Join us for good Chinese food and interesting conversation. Meet at the restaurant at 5:30 pm. RSVP appreciated but not required - call Jake Sigg at 415-731-3028 if you wish to notify. September 5, THURSDAY, 7:30 pm The Ecology and Plants of the Farallon Islands Speaker: Peter Pyle The Farallon Islands, part of the City and County of San Francisco, is a National Wildlife Refuge located NEW S 27 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge. Cold ocean currents and other environmental factors there lead to high ocean productivity and a thriving marine wildlife ecology. Biologists working for PRBO/Point THE YERBA BUENA Blue Conservation Science and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have resided on Southeast Farallon Island since April 1968, studying all aspects of the island's environment and ecology. Peter Pyle spent CHAPTER OF THE over 2,100 nights at the island's biological station in 1980-2003, primarily focused on birds, marine CALIFORNIA mammals, and white sharks, but also dabbling in everything else including bats, dragonflies, salamanders, NATIVE PLANT butterflies, crickets, mushrooms, and, yes, even the island's unique fog-whipped flora. Peter's talk will SOCIETY FOR briefly cover the ecology and conservation of the islands' marine vertebrates. He will then present a history of botanical investigation on Southeast Farallon Island, his first successful attempt to key out a SAN FRANCISCO plant, and information on the ca. 45 each of indigenous and non-native species that have been recorded AND NORTHERN there. He will consider everything from the dominant and endemic "Farallon weed" ( Lasthenia maritima ), SAN MATEO COUNTY to plants that have been recorded only once, to efforts at invasive species removal. He will also bring up for discussion the possible effects that the proposed eradication of invasive house mice may have on Vol. 33 No.3 September 2019 the island's flora. Peter Pyle has worked as an ornithologist and marine biologist throughout the Pacific. He is now an CONTENTS identification specialist and consultant for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary's Beach Programs – page 1 Watch program and a staff biologist for the Institute for Bird Populations in Point Reyes Station. He is Field Trips – page 2 a Research Associate both at the California Academy of Sciences and the B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Activities – page 2 To date he has authored or co-authored over 180 papers in scientific journals and four books, and has Ode to Coyote Bush – page 3 described a new species of shearwater ( Puffinus bryani ), naming it after his grandfather, Edwin Bryan. Volunteer Spotlight – page 3 Mountain Journal – page 4 October 3, THURSDAY, 7:30 pm NO PROGRAM in December Focus on Rarities – pages 5,6 Mapping California’s Important Plant Areas Habitat Restoration – page 6 Speaker: Sam Young Chapter News – page 7 California is a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. With roughly 6,500 native plant taxa, the Golden State boasts similar botanical diversity to Japan and New Zealand. Its mild climates and rugged landscapes have also made California a highly desirable place to live, with a population close to 40 million people and growing. Demands for housing, habitat loss, and a changing climate are placing increasing pressure on California’s unique flora. Regional planning efforts are being developed to meet the demands of an increasing population. It is essential that botanical data and conservation values be well represented in these efforts. The CNPS Important Plant Area (IPA) Program seeks to identify the most important areas for preserving California’s botanical biodiversity heritage. Identification and protection of IPAs have been called out as essential components for biodiversity conservation both at home through the California Biodiversity Initiative and on the world stage through the Global Plant Conservation Strategy. Join Sam Young, CNPS IPA Manager, for a discussion on California’s plant biodiversity, IPA methods, and strategies for realizing IPA conservation goals. November 7, THURSDAY, 7:30 pm Management of the Rare Plants and Butterflies of San Bruno Mountain Speaker: Hannah Ormshaw San Bruno Mountain State and County Park is a habitat island amidst a sea of urbanization, and is home to a variety of rare, threatened, and endangered plant and wildlife species - some of which occur only in this park. This talk will outline recent efforts to map and catalogue rare plant populations, describe the critical habitat requirements for the four protected butterfly species found in the park, and discuss the ongoing efforts for habitat management for the benefit of these protected species. Hannah Ormshaw is a Natural Resource Specialist for the San Mateo County Parks Department, and is the primary staff person involved in the implementation and oversight of the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan. She is regularly out on the mountain monitoring butterflies, Marah oreganus doing vegetation surveys and mapping, and coordinating habitat management activities. She is coast manroot also the senior biologist for all natural resource management activities in all county parks. FIELD TRIPS Members and non-members are encouraged to attend these FREE walks. Signups generally not required—just meet at the specified place and time. If rain or high wind is forecast, we recommend checking with the contact (listed at the end of the trip description) a couple of hours before the trip. Aristolochia californica dutchman’s pipe October 19, SATURDAY 10am - 1pm by Margaret Kemp San Bruno Mountain: Dairy Ravine-Cable Ravine Leader: Doug Allshouse These two north-facing ravines form most of the area above the parking lot opposite the park entrance. Their names allude to dairy ranching and to cables that descend from the communication towers on the summit. The two ravines share similar plant communities that are dotted with eucalyptus plantings threatening endangered butterfly habitat. To explore both ravines we’ll walk the Eucalyptus Loop to the Dairy Ravine and Summit Trails ascending to the mountain’s summit. Then it’s on to Kamchatka Point to see four species in Ericaceae, the Heather family, featuring three species that are endemic to San Bruno Mountain. The first two are San Bruno Mountain manzanita ( Arctostaphylos imbricata ) and a pretty form of bearberry manzanita ( A. uva-ursi forma suborbiculata ). We’ll see California huckleberry ( Vaccinium ovatum ), and a pending third endemic surprise. The $6 entry fee is payable by cash or credit/debit card at the pay station. Meet at the parking lot on the other side of Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. Turn right at the stop sign just past the kiosk and follow the road under the parkway. Due to the marine influence the mountain offers box-of-chocolates weather so bring layers. Heavy rain cancels. Contact Doug at [email protected], call or text 415-269-9967 if you have questions. ACTIVITIES SEMI-ANNUAL FOUNTAIN THISTLE WORK PARTY October 26, SATURDAY, 10am - 12:30pm Intersection of I-280 and Hwy. 92, San Mateo Our work at this site is a restoration success story. Once almost completely displaced by jubata grass (Andean pampas grass), the federally endangered fountain thistle ( Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale ) has largely recovered as a result of the work done by CNPS volunteers. Fountain thistle grows in an unusual specialized habitat, serpentine seeps, and is found FALL PLANT ID WORKSHOPS only here and in few other nearby locations on the Peninsula. However, September 12, October 10, November 14, and December 12 it is still under threat from other non-native plants, such as yellow THURSDAYS, 6– 7:30 pm star-thistle, sow thistle, and wallaby grass ( Rhytidosperma caespitosum ) San Francisco State University and by woody plants trying to convert the area to shrubland or 1600 Holloway Avenue woodland. Hensill Hall, Botany Lab, Room 440 Initiated by the Yerba Buena Chapter in 2008, the restoration became Our seventh year of plant ID workshops will continue this fall and a joint project with the Santa Clara Valley Chapter. Jake Sigg is now will bring us four exciting workshops. If you are searching for a relinquishing the leading role to Don Thomas from SCV. fascinating way to spend an hour and a half once a month studying We’ll meet at the end of Lessingia Court in San Mateo. Take I-280 botany, this is the place. We learn about plants, observe their South to CA 92E (exit 33) toward SanMateo/Hayward. From 92 E distinguishing characteristics, and dissect them. Botany graduate take exit 9A for Ralston Ave toward Belmont. Keep right at fork, students give us a brief but informative PowerPoint lecture on the follow signs for Polhemus Rd and merge onto Ralston Ave. Continue plant family under discussion and help us to key out the plants that onto Polhemus Rd. Turn left onto Paul Scannell Dr., then left onto have been selected for the evening’s workshop. The September meeting Lessingia Ct. will begin with a briefnd review of essential botanical terms. Please bring Jepson Manual , 2 edition, if you have one. Questions? Email For more information, contact [email protected]. Optional Mila Stroganoff at [email protected]. camaraderie over Greek pizza afterwards. 2 Ode to the Coyote Bush coyote bush nor the birds By Jake Sigg & insects are threatened or endangered, there are In years of leading field trips, I pointed out many rare or unusual considered to be no plants to participants, but not once did I deign to mention coyote significant environmental bush—too common; what can you say about it? It’s just there.