California Native Plant Society Sanhedrin Chapter Newsletter Spring/Summer 2011 Note from the editor: I hope you have an opportunity to join one of the interesting trips below. With a number of excellent fieldtrips already completed this year, the continued cool and wet weather offers additional opportunities to experience our wonderful native flora. Also, please take time to read Peter Warner’s excellent article below. It is a thoughtful and timely essay on the importance of increasing the membership in CNPS and becoming a more active chapter member. We all need to be more involved and engaged thereby becoming more effective advocates for healthy functioning ecosystems. Our diverse native flora, our planet, and ultimately our happiness depends on it. Kerry Heise, newsletter editor: [email protected] Calendar of Fieldtrips, Meetings, and Events April 30 & May 1 - Boonville Wildflower Show Have an unknown wildflower you can’t put a name to? Bring it to the annual Boonville Wildflower Show where local expert botanists will be on hand to identify your plant. This weekend event is located at the fairgrounds and features hundreds of local native and naturalized wildflowers on display. Saturday, May 7 – Jenner Headlands (Sonoma County) The splendid biological diversity and enthralling aesthetics of the Jenner Headlands beckon to all. This terrestrial jewel, acquired by the Sonoma Land Trust in 2009, offers sweeping -- or fog-enshrouded – coastal vistas, deep forested canyons, and grasslands bedazzling in spring’s tapestry of flowers. This field trip to the property will focus on plants and plant ecology, specifically arranged with CNPS members in mind. Reservations are required to participate on this trip. The hike will be moderately to quite strenuous, covering several miles with substantial elevation changes, and will provide a broader look at the topographical and vegetational diversity of the property. Cameras, field guides, and hand lenses are among recommended companions for your tour of the Jenner Headlands. We will start at the Russian Gulch State Parks parking area on Highway 1 about 3 miles north of the village of Jenner and go to 4 p.m. or perhaps later. Contacts: To reserve your attendance on one of these walks, please email Kristin Martinez at [email protected]. Otherwise call Peter Warner at 829-1183 for your reservation or further information. Note: Two different trips offered on Sunday, May 22: Sunday, May 22 - Lost Valley, Cow Mountain Lost Valley is located just to the east of Ukiah in the Cow Mountain area at an elevation of 3,000 ft. It is an expansive open area of abundant native forbs & grasses surrounded by a dense mixed chaparral of scrub oak, ceanothus, manzanita, and chamise. Patches of knobcone pine, a small seasonal stream, and an interesting vernal pool wetland provide an interesting mosaic to this diverse site. The valley has been afforded some protection by BLM and is a wonderful place to know because of its great variety of flora and relative ease of access (one can drive to within a few hundred yards.) Located only 2.5 miles southwest of Carl Purdy's gardens it is likely that the legendary plantsman frequented the area. Join botanist Kerry Heise to explore this area and discover its botanical bounty. Meeting Time and Place: 9:00 am in parking area just south of Star's restaurant off of Orchard Ave. in Ukiah. Bring lunch and plenty of water. No registration is required. For more information call Kerry Heise at: 462-4533. Sunday, May 22 - Rare Plant Treasure Hunt at Salt Creek Saddle - Mendocino National Forest Calling all native plant enthusiasts, botanists – experienced or not – and willing volunteers! Please join CNPS for a rare plant treasure hunt at Salt Creek Saddle, on the eastern edge of the Mendocino National Forest. This will be an event focused on locating and documenting rare plant populations in and near Salt Creek Saddle, a hotspot of rare plant diversity that hasn’t been documented by botanists in over 10 years. There are 9 different rare plant species at this site, including Jepson’s milkvetch and dimorphic snapdragon (Antirrhinum subcordatum), among others. Meet at the Chico Park and Ride at Hwy 32 and Fir St at 8am. For those coming from other locations we’ll regroup at 9:30am at the Salt Creek Conservation Camp, 10655 Round Valley Rd, 96074, and from there we’ll drive to the site. Plan to be out all day, so bring plenty of food and water. The local botanist calls this hike "not a gentle stroll through a lovely meadow, but also not arduous.‖ Contact Ron Coley ([email protected] or (530)533-1238) if you have any questions and to RSVP for this trip. Danny Slakey ([email protected]) will also be able to answer questions about the trip. June 11 and 12 - CNPS Rare Plant Treasure Hunt at Walker Ridge Calling all native plant enthusiasts, botanists – experienced or not – and willing volunteers! This will be an event focused on locating and documenting rare plant populations on and near Walker Ridge, a site currently proposed for an extensive wind power-generation facility. In all, about 30 plants on the California State Rare Plant List grow in the Walker Ridge vicinity, and the diversity of soil substrates and vegetation types provide critically important wildlife and plant habitat. CNPS and other organizations have petitioned the U. S. Bureau of Land Management to extend protection of this area as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This will be a fun, educational, exciting, and productive 2-day adventure, and your participation is welcome for any portion of the weekend. We’ll assemble on Saturday, June 11, at 10 a.m., at the Judge Davis Trailhead on Hwy. 20, located just west of the Lake-Colusa line, about 14 miles east of the Hwy. 20 & 53 junction, and about 4 miles west of the Hwy. 20 and 16 junction. For those staying for the full weekend days, we’ll camp in the Walker Ridge area – if camping, please be prepared for minimal facilities at our campsite (bring water, chairs, firewood, tents, etc.). Further information about this trip will be forthcoming. Please contact Danny Slakey at [email protected] for more information. Peter Warner at [email protected] may also be able to address your questions and assist in your preparations. Sunday, June 19 - Mt. Konocti County Park floral Survey and Outing Karen Sullivan and Ed Dearing will lead the group on a floral survey of Mt. Konocti, the prominent dormant volcano that rises nearly 3000 thousand feet over the Clear Lake basin. The survey will be within the boundaries of the county park and adjacent BLM lands which start at about the 2500 ft. level on Konocti Rd. An observed vascular native flora made by Karen and Ed last year will be used as a checklist and participants will be encouraged to add to (or subtract from) the list as to create a more complete document. Plants found last year include three CNPS List 1B rarities, the beautiful Sonoma Beardtongue Penstemon newberryii var. sonomensis being one of them. Sonoma Beardtongue is only found on Hood Mt. in Sonoma County (the type locality), Mt. St. Helena, Cobb Mt. and on Mt. Konocti. The date of the activity corresponds with the plant last year. A List 4 beauty, the Redwood Lily, Lilium rubescens is also found on the slopes. An attempt will be made to procure the key to the lookout as a special treat when we reach the summit of the mountain, Wright Peak at about 4200 ft. elevation. Views include Mt. Diablo, Mt. Lassen, the Sutter Buttes, the Sierra crest and beyond. We will meet at the end of the pavement on Konocti Rd. Kelseyville, Ca. at 9:30AM. Directions-from the north highway 29 left on Live Oak, right on Main, and first left on Konocti. We will organize into carpools as to lessen our footprint. (Vehicles with good clearance being recommended) Bring water, lunches, snacks, field guides, binoculars, and warm clothing just in case. The wind is often strong and cold near the summit. This trip is limited to the first 16 people to sign up. Please contact Kerry Heise at 707-462-4533 ([email protected]) to reserve a spot. valley oak (Quercus lobata) Field Trip Protocols 1. Call or email the trip leader or designated contact person to reserve your space on the trip, unless specifically noted not to do so in the announcement. 2. Call or email the trip leader or contact person if, and as soon as, you decide not to attend, if you’ve already made a reservation. 3. Share transportation means and expenses whenever possible. 4. Be punctual to keep others from waiting for you. 5. Bring what you personally need for any particular trip, especially appropriate clothing, water, and food. 6. If the announcement is unclear, become familiar with the nature of the walk: distance, terrain, elevation changes, stream crossings, hazards, etc. 7. Clean boots and clothing of mud and plant debris before leaving home to reduce the potential for weed dispersal. 8. Stay with the group unless you make arrangements with the trip leader to leave early or wander on your own. Take Action: Save Walker Ridge Support Walker Ridge Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Taken from Tuleyome, The Wilderness Society and California Native Plant Society information) The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has nominated the entire Walker Ridge public lands as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC.) An ACEC designation recognizes the special ecological, educational, recreational, and scenic values of the region. Help support the CNPS in this effort! California’s Walker Ridge is cherished for its natural beauty, vital wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.