The Bay Leaf Mss m wr^ » T»' y "i: J# b&: I I ^California Native Plant Society » East Bay Chapter ■ Alameda & Contra Costa Counties^ Calendar of Events April 4, 1 1 , 1 8 and 25, TUESDAYS: ■ Propagation and planting sessions for the October sale of native plants (see p. 3). April 5, WEDNESDAY: ■ Board of Directors' meeting at the home of Charli Danielsen, 10 Kerr Ave., Kensington. 7:30 p.m. All members welcome. April 7, 14, 21 and 28, FRDAYS: ■ Native Here Nursery open, 9 a.m.-noon (see p. 3). April 8 and 22, SATURDAYS: ■ Native Here Nursery open, 10 a.m.-l p.m. (see p. 3). April 9, SUNDAY: ■ Deadline for May Bay Leaf. Give items to Phoebe Watts or Brett Boltz. April 9, SUNDAY: ■ Field trip to Sibley Regional Park (see p. 4). April 15, SATURDAY: ■ Native Plant Restoration Team meets at 9 a.m. for restoration work San Pablo Creek (see p. 3). April 16, SUNDAY: ■ Field trip to Black Diamond Mine Regional Park (see p. 4). April 22, SATURDAY: ■ Restoration of a native bunchgrass and wildflower grassland at Mitchell Canyon, 9 a.m. (see p. 3). April 23, SUNDAY: ■ Field trip to Mitchell Canyon, Mt. Diablo State Park (see p. 4). April 26, WEDNESDAY: ■ Membership meeting, 7:30 p.m. (see below). ■ Growing Natives Group will not meet until June. Membership Meeting Wednesday, April 26 ♦ 7:30 p.m. The Cedars, Sonoma County’s Spectacular Serpentine Canyonlands. Speaker: Roger Raiche The Cedars is the Bay Area's most stunning serpentine canyon system. Hidden miles behind locked gates, it is virtually unknown except to a few, yet represents nearly six square miles of ultramafic rock (serpentine) eroded into deep, rugged canyons. It is also the home to a number of rare and endemic plants, as well as a magnifi- cent examples of Sargent cypress woodland, serpentine chaparral and talus and barrens flora. Roger has been botanizing this remarkable hidden wilderness since 1981, and will share his images of its unique geology, flora and history. Interested in horticul- ture since childhood, Roger has worked at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley since 1980. He has been in charge of the California and the Eastern North American Collections there, and added several thousand plants to those collections over the years. He is also known for his field botany, having discovered at least three new plants in California during the 80s. In 1997, he began working part time at the Botanical Garden to start a new land- scaping business. Planet Horticulture (planethorticulture.com), with his partner David McCrory. He and David purchased 520 acres in the heart of The Cedars last spring which they hope to preserve and make available for scientific study. The meeting will take place in the Conference Center of the University of California Botanical Garden on Centen- nial Drive east of the Memorial Stadium above the main campus on the University of California in Berkeley. The Garden gate will open at 7 p.m.; the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the meet- ing and CNPS books and other publications will be on display and available for purchase. For more informa- tion, please call Jodi McGraw at 529-5090. Native Plant Restoration Activities Excellent News! Just in time for the peak field season, one of our many talented members has stepped forth and offered to serve as Field Trip Coordinator, at least temporarily. As you can see from the listing elsewhere in this Bay Leaf, Janet Gawthrop has done a great job of lining up a series of field trips that will give existing and prospective new members a chance to sample the rich natural diversity that the East Bay has to offer (she's even twisted my arm to lead another Albany Hill hike in May!) Good job, Janet, and welcome aboard! Now, if it would only stop raining long enough for the muddy paths to become passable . . . On the state level, the big news is that we are currently going through a Strategic Planning process, aided by a professional facilitator, Marc Smiley. According to Marc, the purpose of strategic planning is to periodically ask ourselves "Are we doing the right thing?" and "Are we doing the thing right?" He further recommended that 5- year strategic plans be done every three years, in order to maintain the balance between the need to have a plan in place and the realities of unforeseen future develop- ments (the organizational equivalent of "adaptive man- agement," I guess!). As your Chapter president, I participated in an early stage of this process at an intense all-day meeting on March 4, at which time the CNPS Board of Directors attempted to raise and identify the various potential issues that needed to be addressed, or at least taken into consideration. These will be used as the basis for further planning stages at two forthcoming meetings by the Executive Committee (March 31-April 2 and May 13), with implementation plans being discussed at the June 10 quarterly Board meeting in Chico. To give you a sense of what it's all about, here's a sampling of the issues that were raised: • The importance of a firm science-based approach as the basis for our credibility and resultant strength • The need to address both "hearts and minds" • Outreach to the multicultural component of our society • Horticulture: strategy or goal? • How should our efforts be balanced between rare species, locally interesting species, and vegetation types? • Would it increase or dilute the effectiveness of our conservation efforts if we formally expanded our focus to include not just plants, but all living compo- nents of the ecosystem? • The importance of partnerships, including less obvious ones (e.g., cattlemen's associations) • Will an expanded membership help us meet our goals, or are we already an optimum size? • What is/should be the relationship between chapters and state office in regards to accomplishing our goals? • Are plants or people our primary constituency? Obviously a lot of ground was covered, well beyond the selection of topics I've just listed. If there are issues you feel strongly about, feel free to send your thoughts to me (ertter@uclink4.berkeley.edu) or members of the Execu- tive Council (contact information on the CNPS website, www.cnps.org, under "About CNPS"). I'm optimistic that significant good can result from this exercise, and want to make sure that all members have a chance to contrib- ute to the effort. . . . Barbara Ertter Native Plant Sale California Native PLANT SALE Saturday, April 15, 2000 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regional Parks Botanic Garden Tiiden Regional Park, Berkeley The iiotmic Garden volunteers invite you to e* [lit ire the garden anti buy w mne plants for yrstjr garden. Homemade cookies and cold drinks wifi be for side. AH proceeds bene lit Ihe Bulimic Garden . P lease hri n g boxes fo t ea try in 2 y on r p tjints home, and iiii umbrella if ii rains. The Regina al Parks Botanic Garden is located in Ttiden Regional Park, Berkeley. aL Lhe inters ec-Litm of Wi Idcrit-CstnyCrit Ttoad and South Park Drive, near Lhe Brazil Bail din ir. 2 Native Plant Restoration Activities Native Here Nursery Volunteers are needed whenever the nursery is open. Seeds collected in 1999 are beginning to germinate and need help getting into pots so the plants have room to grow. The nursery is open every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. This month, it will be open on Saturday, April 8 and Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. No need to call ahead (it's rare for someone to be near the phone), just show up willing to be put to work! Custom- ers are also welcome, although stock of plantable sized material is low (thanks to record sales in 1999). There are always plenty of grasses, and you are welcome to place orders for plants you see in our growing area. Seed collection walks will begin by the end of April. Call the nursery (549-0211) if you are interested in collecting with me on Tuesdays. The recording will state if walks are planned. The nursery is in Tilden Park, halfway along Golf Course Drive, the street that runs from the Tilden Park Entrance across from the top of Centennial Drive in Berkeley to Shasta Road at the edge of the Golf Course. The sign and mailbox with 101 is visible from the road if you look carefully. Restoration of a Bunchgrass and Wildflower Grassland Wildflowers will be in bloom on Mount Diablo. Will they have followed the fire at the Mitchell Canyon entrance to the park? Join in the Earth Day celebrations at Mount Diablo State Park on Saturday, April 22. Observe the effects that last year's bum had on the vegetation in the project area, and be prepared to pull a few weeds. Charli Danielsen, project manager, will be on hand through the morning from 9 o'clock on to talk about the project and guide volunteers. Wear your favorite work gloves (we'll have some on hand if you can't find yours), long pants, and work boots (ankle protection is necessary, we've created some awesome rattler habitat). Tools will be provided. From Ignacio Valley Road going east, take Pine Hollow Road right to Mitchell Canyon Road. Turn right and enter the park. Parking is usually $2. Turn immediately left at the kiosk into the "overflow parking lot" adjacent to the project area. . . . Charli Danielsen Native Plant Restoration Team On March 4, the Team pulled thousands of oblong spurge plants along the Selby Trail, in Tilden Park, opening up a beautiful scene of native soap plant, woodland strawberry, aster and yampah. We also en- joyed blooming buttercups and a lovely specimen of canyon gooseberry. Celebrate Tax Day, and Earth Day a bit early, by getting out into the spring sunshine and clearing Algerian ivy from San Pablo Creek, in El Sobrante. It should be quite a gathering of the community, and we will join with these restoration-minded people to free up blue elder- berries, willows and California box elders at the site of the El Sobrante library. It's their second annual Earth Day /creek clean up. At 1 p.m. there will be live music and a barbecue! They know how to do it right in El Sobrante. Rather than meeting on our usual first Saturday of the month, instead meet Saturday, April 15 at 9 a.m. at Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Dr., across from the Tilden Golf Course main entrance. Or go straight to the site: Off San Pablo Dam Rd., turn north on Appian Way, and take your first left, into the parking lot of the El Sobrante Ubrary. Plan to arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. Wear pants and a long sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, a rain coat just in case. We have gloves and tools to lend. Heavy rain cancels, call (510) 840-9367 for a last-minute update if it looks threatening. May 6 will find us at the Buchanan Salt Marsh! . . . Noah Booker Plant Sale Activities Propagation and Potting this month: Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Merritt College Landscape Horticulture Area Come up to the growing grounds at Merritt and join us in our work sessions on Tuesday mornings. Bring a lunch if you can stay. Don't forget to feed the parking permit machine two quarters when you arrive on campus. If you would like more information on how to find us and our current activities, call (925)376-4095. Our annual plant sale will be on October 7 and 8, 2000. See you at the Spring native plant sale at the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park on Satur- day, April 15. . . . Shirley McPheeters 3 Feld Trips Sibley Regional Park, Oakland, on Sunday, April 9 at 9 a.m. All levels welcome, and there is water at the park entrance. From the north, take Grizzly Peak to Skyline and continue on Skyline to the turnoff sign for Sibley Regional Park. From the south, follow Skyline until you reach the sign for the entrance on the right side of the road, and the parking area is right after the entrance. Alternate directions: From Berkeley, drive on Hwy. 13 south and exit at Moraga/ Thornhill. After you exit, turn left at the traffic light onto Thornhill. Go straight through the second traffic light and continue winding uphill until Thornhill merges with Snake Road. Follow Snake Road to Skyline, turn left, and follow the signs on Skyline to Sibley. You may also drive from the south on Hwy. 13. At the first traffic light you will turn right instead of left, but all other directions are the same. For details, contact Janet at 654-2065 or email at janetg@excite.com. Black Diamond Mine Regional Park, Antioch, on Sunday, April 16, at 10 a.m. Joe Willingham will lead a half day hike, with an additional section for the more energetic. Take Hwy. 4 east from most of the Bay Area, and look for the Somersville Road exit in the vicinity of Antioch. Go south on Somersville Road from the exit, and stay in the left lane past Buchanan Road. At 1.5 miles on the odometer, follow Somersville Road straight while the main road bends sharp left and away. Start looking for the sign for Black Diamond Mine Regional Park, and the entrance kiosk and park headquarters will be at 2.6 miles. At 0.9 miles past the park entrance, turn into the large parking lot on the right, where the group will meet. Bring water and lunch. Wildflower field trip for Earth Day/ Easter at Mitchell Canyon in Mount Diablo State Park: April 23, at 1 p.m. Charli Danielsen will be the field trip leader, and the half-day hike will follow a switchback trail with some change in elevation along Mitchell Canyon. Bring $2 for park admission. From Berkeley and nearby, take Hwy. 24 east until you reach the junction of Hwy. 24 and 1-680. Exit at Ygnacio Valley Road instead of going on 680. Follow Ygnacio Valley Road east until you reach until you reach Pine Hollow Road, where you will see a PG&E substation. Turn right onto Pine Hollow Road and stay on it until you reach Mitchell Canyon Road. Turn right onto Mitchell Canyon Road, and follow it into the park to the staging area and look for parking. Bring water/fluids, especially for warm weather. Heavy rain cancels. California Wildflower Show Oakland Museum Volunteers are needed to serve as CNPS representa- tives at the Oakland Museum's annual wildflower show, cosponsored by CNPS, on May 13-14. Enthusiasm and a love of California's native plants are the primary qualifi- cations, in exchange for which volunteers receive free admission to the show. For each of the 2-hour stints on Saturday (10 — 5) and Sunday (12 — 5), three volunteers are needed: one at the CNPS information table, and two others with the responsibility of wandering the floor making themselves available for general questions on California wildflowers. Professional-level expertise is not required, just a familiarity with the plants of California beyond that of the rank beginner; more important is a willingness to share your love of California's floristic treasures with anyone whose interest has been triggered by the display. A Jepson Manual will be available for consultation, and the CNPS table will have additional CNPS information. If interested, please contact member- ship chair Delia Taylor, (510) 527-3912. thank you! The theme for this year's wildflower show will be northern California, focusing on whatever areas have the best to offer following this winter's unpredictable rains. As in previous years, collecting activities will follow standard CNPS guidelines that were established to minimize potential negative impacts to wild populations. After the collecting teams (coordinated by Susan D'Alcamo) deliver their treasures to the Oakland Mu- seum, the Friday before the wildflower show becomes a madhouse of activity, with museum volunteers artistically arranging bouquets that are then identified by a dedi- cated group of exceptionally knowledgeable CNPS members and Jepson Herbarium staff. The Oakland Wildflower Show has proven to be a highly popular event, effectively bringing an outstanding selection of California's native floristic treasures to a segment of the population that might otherwise have little opportunity to find out what they're missing. If you've never at- tended, be sure to come this year to find out what you've been missing! 4 2000 Board of Directors Elected Officers President: Barbara Ertter 1 859 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707 h / 5264592 w/ 643-0600 Vice-president: Administration: Tony Morosco 2329 7th St., Berkeley 94710 h/ 549-2238 w/ 642-8468 Treasurer: Holly Forbes 71 28 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530 234-2913 w/ 643-8040 Secretaries: Recording: Michele Lee 2923 Sheldon Dr., Rchmond 94803 243-1265 Corresponding: Jbanne Kerbavaz Calif, State Parks, 2 50 Executive Park Blvd., Suite 49 00, San Francisco 94134 w/ (415) 330-6323 Advisors Members-at-large: Jbhn Game 1 1 55 Spruce St., Berkeley 94707 527-7855 Jm Sharp 2663 LeConte Ave., Berkeley 94709 644-9344 Jbe W illingham 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704 8414681 Bay Leaf Editors Phoebe Watts 1419 Grant St., Berkeley 94703 525-6614 Brett Boltz 221 0 Spaulding Ave., Berkeley 94703 h/ 549-3327 w/ 643-0448 Recorded Chapter Information: 464-4977 CN PS Home Page: http:/ / www.cnps.org East Bay Chapter CN PS Home Page: http:/ / www.ebcnps.org All area codes are 510 unless noted Printed on Recycled Paper Committee Coordinators Bay Leaf Mailing: Holly Forbes 71 28 Blake St., B Cerrito 94530 234-2913 Conservation: Tim Heelan 6009F Jbaquin Murieta Ave., N ewark 94560 226-8294 Plant Communities: Susan Bainbridge 2408 Parker St., Berkeley 94704 548-2918 Rare Plants: Brad Olson 4442 Arcadia Ave., Oakland 94602 482-0794 Unusual Hants: Dianne Lake 1 050 Bayview Farm Fd., #121, Rnole 94564 741-8066 Donations: David Bigham 1452 La Loma Ave., Berkeley 94708 8434247 Myrtle Wolf 181 Stonewall Fd., Berkeley 94705 843-8759 Education: Bly Bade 2699 Shasta Fd., Berkeley 94708 644-1656 Kathleen Dickey 2374 Eunice St., Berkeley 94708 525-6489 Field trips: ^net Gawthrop 3640 Grand Ave. #212., Oakland 9461 0 654-2065 Growing natives group: Glenn Keator 1 455 Catherine Dr., Berkeley 94702 527-9802 Hospitality: Irene W ilkinson 440 Camino Sobrante, Orinda 94563 (925)254-3675 Legislation: Fby Buck 8484169 email: roybuck@msn.com Membership: Delia Taylor 1 851 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707 527-3912 Native Here Nursery: Charli DanielsenlOl Golf Course Dr., Berkeley 94708 549-0211 email: cwd@wli.net Native Plant Restoration Team: Noah Booker 6366 Valley View Fd., Oakland 9461 1 h/ 339-1588 w/ 840-9367 email: casartunda@aol.com Posters: Heather Koshinsky 2033 Carquinez Ave., B Cerrito 94530 w/ 559-5977 Plant Sale: Shirley McPheeters 1 04 Ivy Dr., Orinda 94563 (925) 3764095 Phoebe Watts 141 9 Grant St., Berkeley 94703 525-6614 Publicity: Baine ^kckson 331 1 Estudillo St, Martinez 94553 (925) 372-0687 Programs: Jbdi McGraw 8259 Terrace Dr., B Cerrito 94730 528-5090 email: jmmcgraw@socrates.berkeley.edu EBRP Botanic Garden Liaison: Jbnny Reming 2750 Shasta Fd., Berkeley 94708 848-3455 New Membership Application The California N ative Rant Society is open to all. The mission of the California N ative Rant Society is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to preserve them in their natural habitat through scientific activities, education, and conservation. Membership includes a subscription to the quarterly journal Fremontia. N ame Address Zip Telephone I w ish to affiliate w ith: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) O ther Mail application and check to: Membership Chairman, California Native Rant Society, 1722 JSt., Suite 17, Sacramento, CA 95814. Membership category: Student, Ftetired, Limited income, $20 Individual, Library, $35 Household, Family, or Group, $45 Supporting, $75 Rant lover, $100 Patron, $250 Benefactor, $500 Life, $1000 5 Activities of Others Cerrito Creek Restoration. Help Friends of Five Creeks and Sustainable El Cerrito remove ivy and blackberries from Cerrito Creek at the Ohlone Greenway, for El Cerrito Earth Day. The area will be replanted with native plants in fall. Meet at 10 a.m. at the southeast comer of El Cerrito Plaza (drive into the Plaza or walk south along the Greenway /BART route from El cerrito BART station, or north from Brighton). Wear long sleeves; bring heavy gloves and loppers if you have them. For information, call 848-9358 or email f5creeks@aol.com. Friends of Sausal Creek Monthly Meeting. Wednes- day, April 19, 7-9 p.m. Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. The City of Oakland will present final plans for restoration of a 590-foot stretch of Sausal Creek between El Centro Avenue and the Leimert Bridge. Join us as we envision the future together! Friends of Sausal Creek Monthly Restoration Workday. Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.-noon. Dimond Park Recreation Center, Oak- land. Celebrate Earth Day 2000 in the Sausal Creek Watershed. Tasks range from litter pickup to stream bank stabilization, and more. All are welcome. Anyone under 15 should be accompanied by an adult. Contact Anne Hayes, Aquatic Outreach Institute, 231-9566. Celebrate Earth Day with LifeGarden by attending " A Sense of Place: East Bay Gardeners Building a Relation- ship with Nature." This intimate tour of ecologically inspired private gardens will take place on Sunday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A box lunch will be provided. Participants will receive articles about the gardens and a copy of HfeGarden's informative pollinator and garden ecology brochure. For a registration form or more information contact Judy Adler at (925) 937-3044 or by email at judy@lifegarden.org. Fees: $40 Strybing Arbore- tum Society members, $50 nonmembers. Tour limited to 15. HfeGarden is a nonprofit community organization teaching ecology through gardening. Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park. May 13, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sixty years ago Jim Roof started this garden. Now more glorious than ever, it deserves a celebration. The California Native Plant Society and Friends of the Re- gional Parks Botanic Garden are joining to hold a party. There will be lectures in the Visitor Center, tours led by Garden docents, showy spring wildflowers, refreshments and even a blue grass band playing (quietly, but audibly, in the background). VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to join the fun, greet people, work at the refreshment tables and generally assist. If you can help out, please call Jenny Fleming, 848-3455. Jepson Herbarium 50th Anniversary Celebration and Scientific Symposium. June 16-18, Valley Hfe Sciences Building, UC Berkeley. On Friday, June 16, there will be an Open House and Informal Reception at the Herbaria, 4-8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, a Scientific Symposium: Discovery, Communication and Conserva- tion of Plant Biodiversity in California, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 2nd floor Valley Hfe Sciences Building. Speakers and panel workshops will be followed by a tour of the University and Jepson Herbaria at 4:30 p.m. and a banquet at the Radisson Hotel, Berkeley Marina, at 6:15. On Sunday, June 18 there will be botanical field trips. Participants are welcome to register for any or all of the weekend events. Registration deadline is May 19. For more information or to obtain the complete announce- ment and registration form, contact Betsy Ringrose or Staci Markos at 643-7008. Email: ringrose@uclink4.berkeley.edu or smarkos@socrates.berkeley.edu. Visit the web site: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/hemicen.html. California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley, CA 94705 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Oakland, CA Permit No. 2018 Time Value April 2000 Issue