February 2021 Spring Newsletter to Promote the Appreciation and Conservation of Washington’S Native Plants and Their Habitats Through Study, Education and Advocacy

Olympic Peninsula Chapter Washington Native Plant Society February 2021 Spring Newsletter To promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington’s native plants and their habitats through study, education and advocacy

Our chapter has a rich history of botanists. In 1983 we began as a chapter,. Seven years earlier the Washington Native Plant society got its start. from a group led by Art Kruckeberg at the Pacif- ic Science Center.”dedicated to the study of native plants their habitat and conservation.” (1976). Nelsa Buckingham, Jerry Gorsline, and Liam Antrim (standing) “Scotty” (Gerard) Cimino was the first Olympic Penin- on the south end of Graveyard Spit - a kayaking/canoeing field sula chapter chair. Scotty was a banker by trade work- trip ~1980’s (Diane Doss) ing on Bainbridge island, a naturalist by passion, devot- ing much time to hiking, climbing and photographing wildflowers. He died at age 49 in the mountains in 1992 while hiking in the Cascades (Sedro Wooley area).

There are still founding members among us, and I have solicited photographs and stories from some, which are sprin- kled throughout this edition of the newsletter. These are stories gathered from memories, and some great pictures from before the easy digital age, hoping it will inspire . Sharon Schlentner

In the meantime the pandemic lives on, hampering our field trips, but not the passion for plants. Here are some current events. Check www.wnps.org to register free (before the event !) for the links to all of the upcoming chapter programs through the state office webinars.. There are numerous programs coming up. Here’s just a brief sample of just what’s happening in the next few weeks: Monday Feb 8 6:30 pm After the Blast the ecological recovery of Mt St. Helens. South Sound Wednesday Feb 17 Shifting Plant Communities in the North Cascades. Koma Kulshan chapter Thursday March 4 7 pm Plants on Islands: San Juan Islands flora. Peter Dunwiddie In addition, botanical events of interest occur in other places: March 4 9 am the annual UW Botanical symposium will be held digitally. Registration for this event will be posted on the Center for Urban Horticulture website: Washington Botanical Symposium | University of Washington Botanic Gardens (uw.edu) Friday February 26 7pm Fort Townsend State Park.Fred Weinmann through the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fel- lowship, on their website-- https://www.quuf.org/adult-programs/alps/. In this chapter: Tuesday, April 20th 7-8 p.m. “The Wonderful World of Galls” Christine Heycke will be a program from our chapter in time for the April Washington Native Plant Appreciation Month. Socially distanced work parties: check the details further in this newsletter; Kah Tai Prairie Preserve Work Party; Welcome to Spring, Fence Repair, and General Work Party. Friday March 12, 2021 Kul Kah Han’s Native Plant Garden Work Party, Friday April 23, 2021, HJ Carroll Park, Chimacum Point Wilson work party. February. Contact Sharon Schlentner for date And there are volunteer opportunities at the Herbarium and elsewhere! Read on!!

KAH TAI PRAIRIE. In 1984 Gerry Bergstrom recognized this special prairie remnant in the Port Townsend Golf course and brought this to the attention of the chapter. By 1987 the chapter had an agreement (signed by then chapter chair Jerry Gorsline and secretary Autumn Scott, and still ongoing) with the city to maintain this prairie. Regular work parties occur annually. This picture taken ~1990 shows some of the earlier workers on the prairie. Phenology studies and ex- periments in weed control were conducted in the early 90’s: Dixie Lewellin and Forest Shomer began their consistent work on the prairie at this time; check out Dixie’s work party below.

Kah Tai Prairie circ 1991 at left with Nelsa Buckingham , Jerry Gorsline, Beth MacBarron, Ed Tisch, Autumn Scott, Chuck Easton & Mike Gratz Submitted by Fred Sharpe

Kah Tai Prairie Preserve Work Party; Welcome to Spring, Fence Repair, and General Work Party. Friday March 12, 2021 10:00-12:00. Meet at the parking lot within the Port Townsend Golf Course by the Kah Tai Prairie Preserve sign. Wear mask and be prepared to work at a distance in small groups. We can weed and do cleanup in separate areas on this 1.4 acre site. This year we will welcome spring at our prairie after a long difficult year. As a team this year’s goal include fence repair, rose removal, and removal of target grass and invasive herbaceous species. At this time of year we see emerging camas and possibly, spring gold Lomatium utriculatum, grass –widows Olsynium douglasii, and old man’s whiskers Geum triflorum. Wear MASKS, and bring gloves and small weeding tools . If you want a Kah Tai Preserve plant list sent to you electronically submit a request to [email protected] . If you plan to volunteer Please RSVP to Dixie Llewellin [email protected]. or 360 385- 6432 if you plan on attending since volunteer numbers are limited and for any changes due to weather .

Nelsa Buckingham, one of the founding members of WNPS, started teaching botany classes around 1967 in Port Angeles and continued to be actively teaching collecting and writing until she left the state in 1995. She was dedicated to having her students really learn to use the dichotomous keys in Hitchcock. She published “Vascular Plants of the Olympic Peninsu- la” with Ed Tisch in 1979 and had her own draft pictorial keys to plant families. By 1995 she had worked up her revi- sions into “Flora of The Olympic Peninsula, Washington” by Nelsa M. Buckingham, Edward G. Schreiner, Thomas N. Kaye, Janis E Burger, and Edward L. Tisch 1995 (Northwest Interpretive Center Seattle WA) with her theories of the rise of the origins of the Olympic flora. Longtime members Autumn Scott and Chuck Easton, Diane Doss, Janis Burger, Wendy McClure, Dixie Llewellin all bonded into botany through their association with Nelsa.

Nelsa patiently taught a series of classes for our chapter on plant I.D., taxonomy, use of Hitchcock, and some of the plant families. She was an exceptional instructor, and many of us struggled through, spending all day on Saturdays with microscopes, and our Hitchcocks- a great bonding experience. I think these may have been held at the Marine Lab in P.A. ( from Autumn Scott)

Diane Doss soon after meeting with Nelsa, began teaching botany classes in Olympia, Here are some of her first students.

Bob Stelequest may have been the second chair followed by Jerry Gorsline. Chapter positions were sometimes overlap- ping, or loosely defined, or long term. Abundant field trips throughout the Olympics in the next several years resulted in plant lists beginning with WNPS field trips, lead by Nelsa, and then by many of her followers.

Dixie and Nina in one of my botany 210 classes Diane Doss

2 Kul Kah Han garden started in 1998 when Bill Irwin, a local contractor built and donated a kitchen shelter to Wild Olympic Salmon and local landscape designer Linda Landkammer planned gardens around the shelter at his request. (70 species were in cultivation in 2007; today there are 300.) Linda Landkammer has been continually devoted to this special space since then. Many can and do continue to volunteer here; she seeks help in management roles and re- quests specific help below.

KUL KAH HAN NATIVE PLANT GARDEN HJ Carroll Park Plant Sales will be announced in spring: If you’d like to work in the nursery at Finnriver, contact Becky at [email protected].

Positions Open: Outreach Coordinator: We are looking for someone who enjoys communicating with people and would help spread our mission to others who value native plants. (see mission statement nativeplantgarden.org) Four hours per month. Mid March through October.

Groundskeeper: Opportunity to help maintain this one acre educational garden once a week for 2.5 hrs March through November. Examples of jobs: rake paths - control irrigation in summer - some weeding - spread wood chips - no power tools

A modest stipend is available for both of these positions. To learn more, drop an email to Linda at [email protected] by February 10th

Kul Kah Han’s Native Plant Garden Work Party, April 23, 2021, HJ Carroll Park, Chimacum. Meet on site at 10:30, work party is from 10:30 to12:30 Over the last 22 years Linda Landkammer has created a native plant garden with special attention to habitat diversity. This work party, during Native Plant Appreciation Month, will focus on the wetland and wet meadow area. The KKH garden provides the opportunity see what may work in your garden and assists in identification of species encounter on a hike. Many of the spring plants should be in full bloom. Bring gloves, masks, and small weeding tools. For a preview to the garden go to the following web page: https://nativeplantgarden.org/. If you can’t make the weeding party swing by the garden sometime and enjoy the won- ders of this garden in the area that was once a gravel pit.

Please RSVP to Dixie Llewellin if you plan on attending since volunteers numbers may be limited. Wear a mask and plan on social distancing as we work. [email protected]. or 360 385-6432.

Other work parties and volunteer ops; POINT WILSON Fort Worden State Park.Feb 20 Work parties have resumed at Fort Worden through the Friends of Fort Worden WNPS, the Friends and the Port Townsend Marine Science center have been working on Point Wilson Conservation since 2006. At the time of this writing we hope to get a work party on February 20, in coordination with the Friends group. Contact Sharon Schlentner [email protected] for information. Forest Shomer is shown at right on one of the ammophila patches we have been working on recently. He has been pull- ing Scotch broom at Point Wilson since 1993.

Sunday February 7 and Sunday March 7 2021. 9:00am - noon Kah Tai Lagoon Workparties Admiralty Audubon will be sponsoring work parties at Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park, weather and Covid permitting. We hope to pull inva- sives, i.e. Scot’s Broom, spurge laurel, holly and ivy. No garbage pickup or refreshments because of COVID-19. Please wear a mask, stay at least six feet apart and bring your own pruners. (helpful hint: if you want to pull little hollies in the woodland, a pair of pliers or needlenose make it easier.) Park at the Chase Bank parking lot. Look for the white pickup truck parked on the Benedict Street trail across Hwy 20 from Safeway gas station. For more information, contact Rosemary Sikes at [email protected] or 360-385-0307.

3 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR IMAGE GALLERY PROJECTS. John Haskins

We are seeking volunteers to help us with two projects to enhance the scientific value of the 68,000+ vascular plant photos in the Herbarium’s Plants and Fungi Image Gallery (https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/ imagecollection.php). We ask that potential volunteers be willing to commit a minimum of 1 hour per week for a minimum of 3 months. Anyone interested in volunteering for either or both of these projects should contact David Giblin ([email protected]).

1) Scoring phenology (life cycle stage) of images – Photos in the Gallery contain valuable information about when species are flowering, fruiting, producing cones or spores, or are not vegetative (not reproductive). Scoring the phenology of each image makes the data of potential use to scientists studying climate change impacts on the timing of plant reproduction. Volun- teers are needed to go through images one-by one using an user-friendly online interface (see image right) that provides a list of potential phenologi- cal phases to assign to each image. Once three separate volunteers score the same value (e.g.“Fruits”), that value is recorded for the image in the data- base and the record isconsidered complete. Participation in this project is a great way to see a lot ofimages and really learn the characteristic morpholo- gy of different plant familiesand genera. Dr. Melissa Islam coordinates this project and will provide training.

2) Georeferencing (assigning latitude and longitude values) images – In the previous newsletter we mentioned that undergraduate assistant Joey Ellis had created the ability to display the location of images if they had latitude and longitude (geocoordinate) values associated with them. Most images in the Gallery lack these values because they were taken before GPS units became a standard part of digital cameras or smartphones. Through the use of software, Google Maps, and digital topographical maps we can assign geocoordinate values to images based on the text description of where they were taken (e.g., Sunrise Point, Mount Rainier National Park). This project complements the phenology scoring project because knowing where an image was taken can provide critical distribution, locality, and elevation information when evaluating when a species blooms. Similar to the phenology project, we use an online interface to georefer- ence images (see image below). Herbarium Volunteer John Haskins coordinates this project and will provide training.

A PLANTQUEST PROJECT: John Haskins The University of Washington Herbarium, Burke Museum is piloting its PlantQuest project this spring with a focus on the Olympic Peninsula. The goal of PlantQuest is to fill in plant species distribution gaps through the submission of quality photos (in focus, well-lit) to the Plants of Washington Image Gallery. Olympic Peninsula Chapter member John Haskins did the data mining and programming to generate comprehensive "species gaps" lists for all 39 Washington counties. John worked with the Herbarium's Melissa Islam and David Giblin to refine a list of 26 easy to identify species for the Olympic Pen- insula (Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties) that are the focus for 2021. If interested in participating, please contact John Haskins ([email protected]) for a pdf of the list and additional instructions for submitting photos.

Castilleja miniata 2009 may have been extirpated by subsequent floodings Fort Flagler Varn Brooks

4 Fort Townsend State Park-Botany Walk Fred and Ann Weinmann Fort Townsend State Park (FTSP) has been designated as a “Natural Forest Area” by Washington State Parks. This designation is based on the occurrence of the globally rare forest typified by an overstory of mature Douglas fir and western red- cedar and an understory dominated by evergreen huckleberry and Pacific rhododendron. At this time there are less than ten such forest types know to exist, all in Jefferson County. FTSP is the best and most accessible of these forests. Several other examples are, or have been, the subject of conservation efforts by Peter Bahls and the Watershed Institute. Due to P. Bahl’s advocacy, in concert with other or- ganizations, proposed logging has been averted. Effort to save these areas has received front page coverage by our local press (PDN 14 December 2020 and The Leader 9 December 2020). Fortunately, FTSP is protected. The FTSP Natural Forest designation is based Rhododendron macrophyllum Ann Weinmann largely on a study conducted by the Washing- ton State Natural Heritage program. This report states: “We encourage the use of interpretive signs within Natural Forest Areas…..” . Consistent with this we have received permission from WA State Parks to install a Botany Walk with interpretive signs in the park. We have also been fortunate to secure a grant from the WNPS state office to commission local artist, Larry Eifert to create a sign which introduces the walk and hi-lights some of its main features. We plan to install 15-20 signs along the trail. The Friends of Fort Townsend State Park has agreed to fund the printing of the signs as well as hardware for their installation. Ann and I are preparing the plant profiles and photos. If everything falls into place we plan to install the signs this coming spring. The walk will begin in the forested campground (Fred and Ann) Vaccinium ovatum Ann Weinmann

Fred and Ann will be giving a Zoom presentation about Fort Townsend State Park on February 26 at 7 pm. This will be through the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and information is on their website-- https://www.quuf.org/adult-programs/alps/

Tidal Inundation of the Fort Flagler Coastal Prairie Varn Brooks & Karen Lull (January 16) The remnant coastal prairie at Fort Flagler has been flooded with saltwater several times. The north facing shoreline west of the lighthouse is protected with a basalt armored dyke. That dyke was breached in a storm in December of 2012. In subsequent storms over the years since it has been repeatedly damaged. Damage to the dyke has resulted in increased frequency of flooding of the prairie as the repaired dyke has been easily overtopped.

Several of the prairie associated species have been affected. Castilleja miniata was most common in low areas. It survived for a few years after the 2012 inundation, but we have not seen it in the prairie area for several years (it may still occur elsewhere in the park).

We have noticed reductions in Delphinium menziesii, Brodiaea coronaria, Lupinus bicolor, and Fritil- laria lanceolata. These species seem to get set back with each flooding by sea water and then slowly recover in succeeding years. Delphinium and Brodiaea in particular have been difficult to find since the previous flooding.

The most recent breach occurred Jan 13th 2021. Strong winds on top of a king tide resulted in the most extensive flooding yet of the prairie. An old breach was opened and widened, and the gravel filled bags used in repairs have been scattered. We’re hopeful that most of the prairie will survive this recent onslaught, but concerned it will be further reduced. We’re especially concerned about the population of unusual yellow fritillaria. It has slowly recovered since the 2012 flooding, but this event appears to be worse than all the prior floods. All yellow Fritillaria lanceolata much reduced by 2012 flooding

5 April is Native Plant Appreciation Awareness Month (NPAM)

Kathy Darrow is leading our chapters response to the call. To hep or plan Contact Kathy kathe- [email protected]. Currently We are scheduled to have a WNPS booth at the Port Towneend Farmer's Market on Saturday April 3rd. Our chapter is providing a program featuring Christine Heycke’s work

Tuesday, April 20th from 7-8 p.m. “The Wonderful World of Galls” Christine Heycke. www.wnps.org to sign up You may have seen strange lumps or bumps on leaves or branch- es and wondered what they were. Or maybe you knew they were galls but didn’t know how they were formed. Plants produce galls in response to various organisms, including viruses, bacte- ria, fungi, plants, or animals, but the growth of the gall is regulat- ed by the gall former, not the plant. Sometimes the galls are little Mossy Rose Gall Cynipid wasp Diplolepsis sp.on Rosa red or white fuzzy bumps, and sometimes they are ornate, color- sp. (Varn Brooks) ful and bizarre and look nothing like the plant that produced them. This talk will focus on galls of flowering plants induced by insects and will include lots of colorful images. Christine is a member of the Olympic Peninsula Chapter and has been a Master Gardener since 2018, and is a member of the British Plant Gall Society.

News from the WNPS State Board Meeting, 1/30/2021 Fayla Schwartz, Olympic Peninsula Chapter Chair

Despite the restrictions imposed upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic, WNPS had a year full of activity (online webinars, workshops and classes) and an increase in membership! Our paid staff in the Seattle office (Denise Mahnke and Eliza- beth Gage) have been very busy, and it seems we could use another part time staff person to help with website management and volunteer coordination. Here are some of the other projects going on at the state level. If you are interested in any of these, please contact the state office: [email protected] for information on how to get involved. WNPS has established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, chaired by organization secretary Josh Mor- ris, that is currently meeting monthly on Zoom. The Education and Stewardship Committees have been working with a former middle school teacher to put together a statewide middle school outdoor ecological curriculum called Youth Ecology Education through Restoration. WNPS directors just voted to fund 2 coordinators through September and the two committees will be applying for grants for additional funding. In accordance with our new Strategic Plan, a statewide Chapter Council has been established and will begin meeting (on Zoom) Feb. 27. Fayla plans to attend and would welcome anyone else from our chapter who would like to participate. The Conservation committee has been quite active. Advocacy letters have been sent to the state legislature and federal agencies about state lands acquisition in the Dabob Bay area, listing Whitebark Pine as threatened, and in opposition to building a new road through the Pumice Plain at Mt St Helens National Monument. Coming up in 2021: discussions about the ethics of wilderness management. Finally, April is Native Plant Awareness Month (NPAM) in Washington. The kickoff talk for NPAM is “A Guide to Restoring the Little Things that Run the World” with Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware entomologist. Dr. Tallamy will give his presentation Sat. April 10 at 10 AM. Register ahead of the event at https://www.wnps.org/calendar/966. Keep your eyes on the calendar of events at www.wnps.org for more NPAM events in April.

6 2020 Grants, Member & Partner recognition Many thanks to those who have kept this chapter going. In the December annual meeting these folks were recognized for their work

Board Members appreciation Luzi Pfenniger: Thanks to your numerous hostings of board meetings and pre program dinners at your gracious home in addition to your boundless energy and field trip accompaniment. Dixie Llewellin: Your botanical knowledge and energy put into this chapter for 30 Sharon Schlentner Diane Doss years continues to be channeled in good ways and a respite from the board is well Wendy McClure Dixie Llewellin deserved. Tunnel Creek 2006 Luzi Pfenninger Honorable Mention Awards: Student Grant Program: Alexa Macauley, awarded $ to attend Fayla Schwartz’ on-line botany class Outstanding Steward: Stephanie Drexel, CSN: Froggy Bottom plant donations and volunteer Outstanding Conservation Advocates: Janet Welch and Willi Smothers: Garry oak restoration Outstanding Partner: Linda Landkammer, Becky Stintson & Crew: For establishing and improving KKH nursery; received $150 WNPS OP Grant Outstanding Partners: WSU Master Gardeners of Jefferson County, Bridget Gregg: advertising WSU MG, Christine Heycke: Burke Herbarium county records project with John Haskins Outstanding Tech Dude, John Haskins: Burke herbarium projects (2) and WNPS plant lists

Special Awards Amazing Conservation Advocate of the Year: Steve Grace, Quimper Lost Wilderness preserve Amazing Partners of the Year: Far Reaches, Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken for continued support of the Chapter as speakers and providing raffle prizes; slide show on trip to Argentina Amazing Steward of the Year: Forest Shomer for independent work weeding at Kah Tai and Ft. Worden Mentzelia Award nominee: Forest Shomer Kruckeberg Fellow nominee: Wendy McClure Kruckeberg Fellow nominee: Dixie Llewellin

Our next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 8th 3-4:30 Contact Fayla Schwartz for specifics. Chair: Fayla Schwartz [email protected] 206-883-2176 Vice chair: John Haskins [email protected] Secretary: web liaison Eve Dixon [email protected] 360-775-0470 Treasurer: Dan Post [email protected] 360-390-8635

Board members at large Kathy Darrow [email protected] 623-533-0171 Wendy McClure [email protected] 360-779-3820 Conservation chair Varn Brooks [email protected] Joanne Schuett-Hames [email protected] Ann Weinmann [email protected] 360 379-0986 Sharon Schlentner [email protected] 360 379-9810 Newsletter and updates *The next newsletter Keep me posted on updates at any time for each month. Submit event, time, place, photos and contact information for the coordinator/leader of the event to [email protected] inTimes new Roman 11 Summer newsletter deadline April 20 for events May-September.

Name:______Address:______City:______State______Zip______Phone:______Email:______Membership Category Individual $40.00 WNPS Special friend $100-499 Budget /Student $20.00 WNPS Best friend $500 Family $55.00 Sustaining Member $1000 Club/Institution $75.00 WNPS Patron $5000 WNPS Friend $50-99 One chapter is included; please add $10 for each additional chapter

Please remit by check payable to WNPS and mail to: Washington Native Plant Society 6310 NE 74th St., Suite 215E, Seattle, WA 98115 Phone: 206-527-3210 or 1-888-288-8022; email: [email protected] https://www.wnps.org/store-membership/membership

Olympic Peninsula Chapter, WNPS c/o Sharon Schlentner 581 Saddle Drive Port Townsend, WA 98368