CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 35 / NO 2 APRIL–JUNE 2 005 • WWW.CNPS.ORG Bulletin Contribute to a New Vision for the Conservation Program BY ILEENE ANDERSON he Conservation Program is halfway through the conservation visioning Tmeetings being convened throughout California. Program volunteers and staff meet to listen to the views of CNPS members and other interested folks regarding the most press- ing conservation needs and strategic directions for the conservation program and how CNPS should proceed to address these needs. Part of the impetus for these meetings is a potential restructuring of the program at the State level, in light of the former Senior Land Management Analyst, Emily Roberson’s having moved on to the Center for Biological Diversity and the CONSERVATION VISIONING Lilac sunbonnets bloomed in profusion this year. Photo: I. Anderson. MEETINGS Open to the membership and impending retirement of the current Conser- notes from previous meetings, at http://www. other interested folks vation Director, David Chipping, at the end of cnps.org/programs/conservation/meetings. the year. The program has held two meetings htm. � July 7 so far, one in Southern California in January, —Ileene Anderson is Senior Analyst and 10:30 am–4:00 pm and a second in the Sacramento area in March. Southern California Botanist for CNPS Santa Clara Valley CNPS Two more are slated in July (see box at left). To Office, Raptor Room date these meetings have been inspiring, with a 3921 E. Bayshore Boulevard breadth of viewpoints, ideas, and great sugges- Palo Alto, CA 94303 tions. The meetings provide an exciting oppor- July 23 tunity to meet with other plant conservation 10:30 am –4:00 pm activists. Following the state-wide meetings, Hopland Research and Extension Center a final version of the conservation vision will 4070 University Road be composed to guide the CNPS Conservation Hopland, CA 95443 Program. This plan will be presented at the September 2005 Conservation Conference and For more information, see Chapter Council meeting, which is also open http://www.cnps.org/programs/ to the membership (see page 8). conservation/meetings.htm The conservation visioning meetings are —Jennifer Kalt, open to all interested folks. If you plan to State Forest Issues Coordinator attend, RSVP so that we can provide adequate [email protected] space and refreshments. Check out the general agenda for the meetings, as well as meeting P A G E 1 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 35 / NO 2 APRIL–JUNE 2 005 • WWW.CNPS.ORG A Note from the Executive Director You Volunteered 80,000 Hours A DEMOCRATIC (SMALL-D) ORGANIZATION And…We’re in Color! tinct personality, with unique projects and By design, CNPS is a democratic, from the programs, as can be seen from a reading of bottom up, organization. The power lies in the ou are holding in your hands the very the 2004 Chapter Annual Activity Report and chapters and is exercised through the Chapter first CNPS Bulletin ever printed in recent issues of Fremontia. Many chapters Council, which provides direction and connects Y full color. It’s brought to you cour- maintain websites that are linked with the the chapters to the state organization. tesy of a generous member, who prefers to CNPS web site (http://www.cnps.org/chapters/ The Chapter Council has several core func- remain anonymous. Upon hearing my plan chapter_map.htm). Chapters organize annual tions: to maintain strong relations between to showcase the fantastic photos submitted garden tours, maintain native plant nurser- the chapters and the state Board of Direc- from chapter-sponsored desert field trips this ies, sponsor overnight botanical expeditions, tors; to fulfill basic governance responsibili- spring, he offered to donate the amount over publish books, monitor rare plants, and fund ties related to electing and evaluating the usual printing costs, and turned the dream of scholarship programs. A few chapters employ Board and changing the bylaws; and to set many members into a reality. At this point, it staff to coordinate volunteers on land stew- the strategic vision, mission, and goals of the is a one-time-only experiment. Let me know ardship projects, native plant nurseries, and organization and to set policy to put those what you think. conservation programs. Read chapter profiles into effect. The Board hires the Executive in each issue of this year’s Fremontia. Director to manage day-to-day operation, LIFEBLOOD OF CNPS The chapters remain a solid base of CNPS staff and programs. Almost all of our 9,800 members are affili- volunteers. During 2004, 29 chapters reported Please make a point of sharing your ideas ated with one of our chapters, which are the 80,000 volunteer hours! That’s the equivalent of with your Council Delegate, especially if you lifeblood of CNPS. Each of the 32 chapters has 40 full-time workers. Even the smallest chapters are not able to attend Chapter Council meetings the same foundation: a core group of commit- with fewer than 40 members reported hundreds this year. CNPS leadership begins with members ted volunteers, a series of monthly meetings of volunteer hours. And, it appears that volunteer and chapters. I speak for all staff in welcoming with a speaker, weekend field trips, an annual hours are probably under- rather than over- your ideas and recommendations. � plant sale, and a newsletter. estimated. This number has been consistent for —Pamela C. Muick, Ph.D, Execu- But each chapter has also developed a dis- at least the past couple of years. tive Director, [email protected] CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY 2707 K Street, Suite 1 Chapter Council Reviews Strategic Plan Sacramento, CA 95816-5113 Priorities for action Phone 916-447-2677 Fax 916-447-2727 � BY SUE BRITTING E-mail [email protected] � Visit www.CNPS.org s happens about every four years, review of the CNPS Strategic Plan is now under way. At Send articles to [email protected] the March Chapter Council meeting, we focused our discussions on the mission and vision Pamela C. Muick, Executive Director A statements of the strategic plan, including views of members, whose suggestions and com- BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2005 ments can be viewed at the CNPS website. Carol Witham, President Overall, people were mostly satisfied with the thrust of the existing mission and vision statements. Sandy McCoy, Vice President Desired changes reflected a desire to tune-up and refine the wording rather than change any funda- Steve Hartman, Treasurer mental direction. The council established two committees to consider the suggestions and to propose David Diaz, Vern Goehring, Diana language changes for consideration by the Chapter Council at the June meeting, as follows: Hickson, Lynn Houser, Lynne Kada, Mission Committee, to consist of David Magney (Channel Islands Chapter) and Julie Evens (CNPS David Magney, J. Spence McIntyre vegetation staff).Vision Committee, composed of David Chipping (San Luis Obispo Chapter), Betsey CHAPTER COUNCIL Landis (LA/Santa Monica Chapter), Dave Sundstrom (Orange County Chapter),and Brad Jenkins Lynne Kada, Chair, Lynn Houser, Vice Chair (Orange County Chapter). Sarah Jayne, Secretary At the meeting, the council members also discussed the goals of the strategic plan. Certainly, we BULLETIN could agree that we had accomplished many good things in the past four years, but it was less clear (NOW RECRUITING), Editor how those accomplishments were linked to the goals we had formulated for this strategic plan in Mary Johnson, Editorial Consultant continued on page 6 Lisa Roth, Design and Production P A G E 2 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY • VOL 35 / NO 2 APRIL–JUNE 2 005 • WWW.CNPS.ORG Desert Field Trip Takes CNPSers to Granite Mountains Wildflowers and a ‘reptile trifecta’ BY STEVE HARTMAN ver the past decade, the annual CNPS desert field trip has taken us to many Oplaces, but this was the first time we could plan on having a roof over our heads. So despite the forecasts of a week of rain, we weren’t alarmed at the cold and windy condi- tions that greeted us when we arrived at Norris Camp (named after Kenneth S. Norris, distin- guished zoologist and founding father of the UC Natural Reserve System). This rustic facility is funky but very practical, with lights and a refrigerator powered by solar panels, various bunk rooms, propane stoves, and food storage lockers in a kitchen fully stocked with pots and pans and utensils. CNPS desert enthusiasts enjoy a spectacular spring. Photo: Rolf Muertter Bright and early the first morning, Jim André, director of the nearly 9,000-acre Jack fecta: We saw a Mojave green rattlesnake, a hills just north of a mine. This area featured and Marilyn Sweeney Granite Mountains Des- horned lizard, and a desert tortoise. multiple species in certain genera, including ert Research Center, arrived and led us on an After lunch in the shade of athel trees (Tama- Pectocarya heterocarpa, P. platycarpa, and all-day driving trip with four stops. We parked rix aphylla) in Cadiz, we drove east to desert on the east side of Kelbaker Road just south of pavement just south of the Chambless rock continued on page 4 Interstate 40 and walked to a wash with smoke collecting area at the base of the Trilobite Wil- tree (Psorothamnus spinosus), catclaw acacia derness of the Marble Mountains. Among the Contribute to Conservation (Acacia greggii), blad- the species we saw were 2005 has been a glorious year for plant derpod (Isomeris arbo- Phacelia neglecta (prior enthusiasts throughout the state. The spec- rea), and with many to this year only four tacular blooms in the deserts, vernal pools, annuals. As we walked locations were known foothills, and mountain meadows helped to up rocky washlets lead- in the East Mojave, now remind us all why CNPS is passionately dedi- ing to a sheer cliff, we more than 100 locations cated to the preservation and appreciation of encountered different there have been recog- California’s native flora.