CALENDAR OF EVENTS Board Meeting: before the membership meeting, 6:00 pm, Wednesday, April 22, Orinda Library Garden Room. Native Here (see page 2): Open for business and volunteer help: Fridays, 9 am-12 pm, Sat- urdays 10 am to 2 pm, and Tuesdays, 12 pm - 3pm Plant Fair 2009 Planning meeting, Saturday, April 4, 9 am Native Here Seed Collecting, Thursdays, starting April 16 (see article, page 2) Bringing Back the Natives Nursery Extravaganza, May 2, 10-5, and Garden Tour, May 3, 10-5 Membership Meeting: Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 pm, Orinda Library Garden Room (see below) Field Trips (see page 4): Saturday, April 4, 10 am, Toyon Canyon, Briones Regional Park Saturday, April 11, 9:30 am, Mt. Diablo Sunday, April 12, 10 am, Morgan Territory Saturday, April 18, 9:30 am. Falls Trail at Mt. Diablo Sunday, April 19, 10 am. Serpentine Praire Saturday April 25, 10 am. Warn Springs Vernal Pool Area Sunday, April 26, 9:30 am. East Trail, Mt. Diablo Sunday, April 26, 2:00 pm, Sunol Regional Wilderness Bringing Back The Natives Garden Tour: Sunday, May 3, 10 am to 5 pm (see page 6) MEMBERSHIP MEETING Climate Change and the Future of California’s Endemic Flora Speaker: David Ackerly, PhD Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Projecting future climate change is a crucial step toward planning for and mitigating impacts on biodiversity. In 2008, Dr. David Ack- erly, along with fellow Jepson Herbarium staff and students, pub- lished a groundbreaking study of the effects global climate change may have on California’s endemic flora over the next 100 years. Dr. Ackerly ’s research team used two climate models, one predicting a moderate CO^ emissions increase that levels off and one predict- ing greater emissions that continue to grow. They also looked at two plant scenarios, one in which the plants do not change their current range and must deal with the new environmental condi- tions and a second in which the plants can migrate to more suitable habitats. Possibly their most staggering flnding is that under the worst-case scenario, where emissions are highest and where plants do not disperse, two thirds of the species studied would experience 80 percent reductions in range size. The study also addressed some specific questions such as where future refugia might be found and the directions in which species will move, important information for those who work to preserve plant biodiversity in California. The full article is available online at http://www.plosone.org/article/ info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002502 David Ackerly is Associate Professor in the Department of Integra- tive Biology and Curator of Ecology for the UC and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley. A native of New England, Dr. Ackerly conducted his PhD and postdoctoral research at Harvard University, including field work in Brazil, Mexico, New England, and Japan. Dr. Ackerly and his research group study the ecology and evolution of plant traits that reflect the ecological diversity of terrestrial plants. Current projects in his lab examine vernal pools of the Central Valley, evergreen shrubs in California and Australia, tropical for- ests in Ecuador, woody plants in the Sierra Nevada, and potential impacts of climate change on the endemic flora of the California Floristic Province. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month’s meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7:00 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Please contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496- 6016 or rosacalifornica@earthlink.net, if you have any questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way From the west, take Highway 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART sta- tion and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Highway 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is ad- Continued on page 2 Continued from page 1 ditional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. Next Program From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 pm: Speaker and location TBA a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. NATIVE HERE NURSERY Support our Chapter’s activities by shopping at Native Here! Native Here Nursery 101 Golf Course Drive, Tilden Park (across from the Tilden Park Golf Course). 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Native Here sells local native plants year round (see calendar on page 1 for hours) Our plants are doing well with the soaking of rain they received the past couple of months. The buttercups are vibrant green and some started blooming at the end of February. Bulbs started sending up shoots in January and February. A couple of very cold mornings early in the year froze some leaves of our Livermore Mimulusgut- tatus plants, but they are recovering. Banana slugs can be seen on the ground throughout the nursery after rains. We have to make sure they don’t get into the pots, where they’ll feast on tender shoots. A sprinkling of sharp oyster shells in the pots of susceptible plants deters them. Last month we spotted a large black bumblebee buzzing around the nursery as we put a cover on the volunteer shed. Perhaps it found the flowers of manzanitas blooming nearby. Featured Plant for April 2009 Our featured plant this month is Lonicera involucrata (shown below in a photo by Janice Bray), twinberry. For the month of April only, five gallon pots will be on special, buy one, get the second one for one dollar. All of the previously featured plants: Cornus sericea, Oemleria cerasiformis (October, 2008), Quercus agrifolia (November, 2008), Physocarpus capitatus, Ceanothus gloriosus exaltatus,Arctostaphylos bakeri ‘Louis Edmonds’ (December, 2008) , Aesculus californica and Cupressus sargentii (January, 2009), Ribes divaricatum (February 2009), and Ranunculus californicus (March 2009) remain available at regular prices. We still have a dollar special on vine maples and on the rest of our All California plants. Buy one plant for the regular price and get the second (same species) plant for $1. Volunteer opportunities • The next Plant Fair 2009 Committee Meeting is on Saturday, April 4, at 9 am at the nursery. Join in on Tuesday afternoons, Friday mornings and Saturdays to grow plants for the Plant Fair which we are planning for October. Be part of the committee on an ongoing basis or just come in when you can and lend a hand. • Join us on our seed collecting trips which will be on Thursdays this year. The first trip will be on April 16. Meet at the bottom gate of the nursery at 9 am. For further information check the calendar of the chapter website www.ebcnps.org, e-mail nativehere@ebcnps. org, or call Charli at 510-525-9076 before 8:30 am weekdays. • Help get the nursery ready for the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. • Sign up to help on the two days that the nursery will be partici- pating (May 2 8i 3) by emailing nativehere@ebcnps.org, or signing up while you are at the nursery. Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (see page 6), Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 from 10 am to 5 pm beautiful gardens are on display at various locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa County. Just go to the web site to register for free and find out where these gardens are: www.BringingBackTheNatives.net. Native Here Nursery will be open for extended hours during the tour weekend: Saturday, May 2 and Sunday May 3, from 10 to 5. Charli Danielsen and Margot Cunningham 2 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 MEMBERSHIP NOTES Kristen Hopper (1.) with Alice Eaves. Photo by Megan Hess As a young person suffering from an acute case of biophilia, I felt compelled to wander. I grew up roaming a post agricultural land- scape in New England where marginally used pastureland lined with crumbling stonewalls reverted quickly to deciduous hard- wood forest. My town was steeped in early American history and in its 250 year-old library I met the writings of John Muir. Muir’s exuberant journals implanted a deep seed. The allure of the west was strong and had its way with me. I was attracted as much by wide-open spaces as I was to wide-open minds. But once I was ensconced in this place, there nagged the disconcerting sense of unfamiliarity. This sense was born of not understanding the subtler palette of seasonal change and sum- mer drought. I realized that the key to finally feeling at home was to learn the names and ways of things. That’s how I left social work to learn about plants and ecology. I got my start with learning the native flora the way many in the area do, by taking classes from well-known teachers at Mer- ritt College Horticulture Department. A class requirement that students do a native plant related volunteer project started me down this road. The requirement introduced me to the CNPS and had me going out to the GGNRA’s Marin Headlands Native Plant Nursery volunteering to dig up Volkswagen sized clumps of pampas grass and helping with propagation. Even with the extra burden of pulling French broom with my infant son on my back I was hooked. This new wide weird landscape had finally become read-able. There have been many projects since then, including working for five years for a local creek protection group called the Friends of Sausal Creek. My favorite project began roughly 8 years ago while working with a weed warrior friend along Cerrito Creek. We both agreed that one way to satisfy the need to be outdoors, mean- ingfully engaged in the natural world, would be to grow native plants. Besides satisfying such hungers, the idea was to augment the existing important source for local natives, CNPS’s very own Native Here Nursery. Our cooperative project is called Oaktown Native Plant Nursery, one of the surprising number of small native plant growers that have sprung up around the Bay Area over the last several years. It seems the EBCNPS education and outreach efforts are being heard. To get an idea of the diversity of native plant resources, check out The Friends Of The Regional Parks Botanic Gardens website http :/ / www.nativeplants . org/ resources .html. Kristen Hopper If you would like to be featured in this column please send me a write up of yourself, and your CNPS experiences. A photo would really capture your moment. We are open to all ideas. elainejx@att.net &c carollbcastro@hotmail.com Think Globally, Volunteer Locally Spring is just around the corner and we, EB-CNPS members have been invited to participate in several events. Staffing tables at these important community outreach activities is an honor we try not to pass up. Please volunteer where you can to help us share our mission. Saturday, April 11th, 11 am to 4 pm. Spring Wildflower Festi- val, Sunol Regional Wilderness, Sunol Saturday, April 18th, 10 am to 4 pm, John Muir Birthday- Earth Day Celebration, John Muir National Historic Site, Mar- tinez Saturday, June 13th, 11 am to 4 pm. Heritage Day, Borges Ranch, Walnut Creek Have any questions about upcoming events? Interested in getting more involved? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. elainejx@att. net, 925-372-0687 or carollbcastro@hotmail.com, 510-352-2382 Martinez - Native Plant Garden and Strentzel Meadow located at the John Muir Historical Site in Martinez, on going weeding, planting, and learning about our local environment. Contact Elaine Jackson at 925-372-0687 or email elainejx@att.net Mt Diablo State Park — Looking for volunteers to help park re- store Mitchell Canyon’s upper Mitchell Creek. It is mostly weed- ing blackberry and periwinkle, some planting in wet season and irrigation in dry. Work is physically demanding, on going every Wednesday 8 am-2 pm and the 3rd Saturday of each month 9 am-3 pm. Contact Dave Caniglia at cani@mindspring.com or 925- 287-9733. Pleasant Hill — Volunteers are always welcome at the Pleasant Hill Adult Education Center Garden. Contact Monika Olsen at 925-937-1530 or email phecgarden@prodigy.net or go online to http://phig.webs.com Continued on page 4 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 3 Membership Notes continued from page 3 Walnut Creek — Native demonstration garden on The Iron Horse Trail in Walnut Creek near the Walnut Creek Intermediate School. Contact Judy Adler, jadlermtnmama@sbcglobal.net (Do you have or know of a local event coming up in your neigh- borhood that would be a good location for CNPS to have a display table? You can host it. Come on up to our Native Here Nursery (during business hours) and pick up supplies to pass out. Call us with any questions.) New Members Please join us in welcoming those who joined in December, Janu- FIELD TRIPS Saturday, April 4, 10 am, Toyon Canyon, Briones Regional Park Gregg Weber (510-223-3310) leads this foray to a floristically rich area of Briones Regional Park. The canyon trail descends nearly 300 feet, with a 300 foot gain, but the rewards may include unusual plants in flower such as Viburnum ellipticum, Eschscholzia caespi- tosa, Lomatium californicum, Helianthella castanea, and Eucrypta, along with an abundance of more familiar plants such as coyote mint, Wyethia, clematis, dutchman’s pipe, and osoberry. This trip will last about half a day, but more time may be allowed for extra wildflower viewing. Directions: From west of the Bay hills, take 24 east and exit at Pleasant Hill Road. Go north on Pleasant Hill Road 0.5 mile and then turn left onto Reliez Valley Road. Go 4-5 miles on Reliez Valley Road to its end at the junction with Alhambra Valley Road. Ignore the entrance signs on Reliez Valley Road and continue straight on Alhambra Valley Road to the first left turn, which is Briones Road. Go 1.5 miles to the end of Briones Road and park on either side of the road. Meet Gregg at the end of Briones Road. For the area from Pinole to Martinez, just proceed down Alhambra Valley Road and follow the directions to the end of Briones Road. Saturday, April 11, 9:30 am, Mt. Diablo Meet at 9:30 am at the Burma Road crossing of North Gate Road in Mount Diablo State Park. We will walk Burma Road from Camel Rock to Moses Rock Spring. This route will take us along part of Long Ridge, featured in Steve Edwards 2006-2007 Wayne Roderick lecture about Mount Diablo. There are a variety of spring flowers and some uncommon plants. We will pass through woodland, grassland, and chaparral area. There is a 1000 foot elevation gain on the way out, and downhill on the way back. The round trip is about 4 miles and will take about 4 hours. Bring lunch and water. We will not be deterred by rain and will proceed regardless of weather. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 if you have questions about this or the other Mt. Diablo field trips. Directions: Take the North Gate Road entrance to Mount Diablo State Park. There is a $6 entrance fee for cars. Continue on North Gate Road for about 2-3 miles and park at the Burma Road trail crossing. 4 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 ary and February: Loren Corbridge, Hoyt Fay, Sandra Nevala, Kirs Padgett, Sarah Reed, Kelly Reuba, The Watershed Nursery, El Cer- rito Garden Club, Dara Grey, and Jude Parkinson-Morgan. Please let me know if I am missing your name. Many thanks to all of you that have renewed your membership throughout the year. May you enjoy many more years with EB- CNPS. Elaine Jackson and Carol Castro Sunday, April 12, 10 am, Morgan Territory Larry Abers will lead this moderate loop hike beginning down the canyon on the Coyote Trail. Hopefully our March rains will have encouraged a good bloom. Meet at 10 am at the staging area. The walk will last about 4 hours, so bring lunch, liquids, sturdy boots and layers for cold and/or rain. Be prepared for muddy trails. Heavy rain cancels. No reservations required. Directions: From the south — take 1-580 to North Livermore Av- enue exit in Livermore. Proceed north on North Livermore about 5 miles. Shortly after a sharp bend to the west, turn right on Morgan Territory Road. Proceed on that somewhat narrow road a little less than 6 miles to the main staging area on the east side of the road (there is a sign). Total distance from 1-580 to the staging area is 10.7 miles. From the north take Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek from 1-680; turn right on Clayton Road (clearly marked with sign and stoplight) and pass through the small town of Clayton. The road soon becomes Marsh Creek Road. After 3-4 miles take a right onto Morgan Territory Road and proceed 9.4 miles to the staging area on the east side of the road. If you have any questions call Larry at 510-799-6234. Saturday, April 18 at 9:30 am. Falls Trail at Mt. Diablo Meet at 9:30 am at the end of Regency Drive in Clayton, and check out some interesting area of Mount Diablo below North Peak and above Donner Canyon. This is a moderate round trip of 5 miles with 1200 feet of elevation change and quite a few up and down sections. This trip will take about 6 hours; bring lunch and adequate water. We will take Back Creek Trail, Tickwood Trail, Donner Road, and Cardinet Oaks Trail to Falls Trail and Middle Trail. Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ignacio Valley Road. Continue on Ignacio Valley Road into the city of Clayton, where you will turn right onto Clayton Road. Take Clayton Road past the first inter- section with Marsh Creek Road; in about a mile it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road to Regency Drive, where you will turn right and go to the end of the street to park. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 for information. Sunday, April 19, 10 am. Serpentine Prairie The vegetation committee will be sampling serpentine grassland communities at the Serpentine Prairie in the Oakland Hills. The serpentine prairie supports a diversity of native grass species and is home to the federally endangered Presidio clarkia (Clarkia franciscana), which won’t be in flower yet. Meeting place is at the Richard Trudeau Training Center parking lot located at 11500 Skyline Boulevard (opposite of Crestmont Boulevard and just south of the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Joaquin Miller Road). Please bring water and snacks and sun protection. We won’t stray very far from the parking lot so you can leave when you need to. If you would like to participate please contact Erin McDermott at 510-701-2890 or at emcdermott@nomadecology.com. Saturday April 25, 10 am, Warm Springs vernal pool area at San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge As the A’s make other plans, come and help us scope out the flow- ering left after late February rains filled the pools. With luck, we may find Downingia species along with the annual show of Contra Costa goldfields, popcorn flowers, alkali milk vetch, and prostrate navarretia. Be sure to confirm your attendance by e-mail to Ivette_ Loredo@fws.gov or call the refuge at 510-792-4275. The walking distance is about one mile, and the trip will end at roughly 1:00 pm. Directions: From 1-880 go to Cushing Parkway via the Fremont Boulevard exit and drive west on Cushing Parkway. Immediately past the Lam Research buildings on the south side (about 100 yards past the Northport Loop West), turn left onto the gravel road with the blue barricade gate. We will park along this road and walk into the vernal pool/grassland area. The nearest restroom facilities are in the McDonalds Restaurant near the Fremont Boulevard/Cush- ing Parkway intersection. Sunday, April 26, 9:30 am. East Trail at Mount Diablo Meet across from the Divide Reservoir sign on Marsh Creek Road in Clayton. This trip goes through some nice native plant habitat on the northeast side of Mount Diablo, with an interesting live oak forest. This walk has 1600 feet elevation change uphill on the way out, and downhill on the return. The round trip is about 6 miles. Figure on returning to the parking area around 3-4 pm. Bring lunch and water. We will take 3 Springs Road, Olympia Trail, East Trail and Zippe Trail. Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ignacio Valley Road. Continue on Ignacio Valley Road into the city of Clayton, and turn right from Ignacio Valley to Clayton Road. Take Clayton Road past the first intersection with Marsh Creek Road, and in about a mile it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road. Go NATIVE PLANT SALE AT EBRP Saturday, April 18, 2009, 10 am to 3 pm. The sale is organized by the Volunteers of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. The Botanic Garden is located at the intersection of Wildcat Canyon Rd. and South Park Drive near the Brazil Building in Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley (admission is free). California shrubs, trees, perennials are on offer. Find many plants that are not available in a nursery. Horticultural advice gladly given. Come and explore the Garden. about 2 miles past Regency Drive. As you go uphill, look for the Divide Reservoir sign (not the Nob Hill Reservoir sign). Park on the right side of the road across from the Divide Reservoir sign, where there is plenty of space to park. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 if you have questions about this or the other Mt. Diablo field trips. Sunday, April 26, 2 pm, Sunol Regional Wilderness Meet David Margolies at the bridge crossing Alameda Creek near the Visitor’s Center. We will hike the Canyon View Trail to Little Yosemite and back on the fire road. Elevation change maybe 600’. A moderate hike, about two hours or so. Sunol has meadows and oak woodland, with many annuals, inter- esting trees, lily relatives and other perennials. There should be a good display from the recent rains. Directions: From Berkeley/Oakland and from Contra Costa County: take 1-580 east (from west of the hills) or get on 1-680 south and drive to the junction of I-580/I-680 in Pleasanton. At the junction, go south on 1-680 and exit at Calaveras Road/Highway 84 just south of the town of Pleasanton. Turn left onto Calaveras Road and proceed to Geary Road, which leads directly into the park. There are extensive parking lots. Meet at the location given above. Rain is unlikely but the walk takes place rain or shine. There is a fee to park. Contact David at 510-654-0283 or divaricatum@ gmail.com for further information. Sunday, May 17, 9:30 am. Corral Hollow Please join us for an all-day adventure to Corral Hollow. Corral Hol- low is southeast of Livermore and southwest of Tracy, along Corral Hollow Road near Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area and is an East Bay botanical hot spot. Meeting place and hike location to be determined based on our scouting trip the week before to see what’s still in bloom. We will bring vegetation sampling equipment and may collect vegetation data if we feel inspired. Or we might just explore up canyons! To let me know if you plan to participate and to receive meeting location/carpool info please contact Erin Mc- Dermott at 510-701-2890 or at emcdermott@nomadecology.com. Janet Gawthrop BOTANIC GARDEN Buy some plants to take home. Please bring boxes to carry home your treasures and bring an umbrella if it rains. Refreshments available. Proceeds directly benefit the Garden. See www.nativeplants.org or call 510-841-8732 or 1-888-327- 2757, press option #3 ext. 4507. Contact Teresa LeYung Ryan for more information. THE BAY LEAF April 2009 5 A’S DECIDE AGAINST FREMONT STADIUM The final score was Contra Costa Goldfields 1, turf ballfields 0 as sive environmental impacts of the project. Janet was joined in As owner Lew Wolff folded his plans to build a baseball stadium the fight by Lech Naumovich, our chapter Conservation Analyst, in Fremont adjacent to the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge. Mr. and fellow volunteer, George McCrae. George, an actor by trade, Wolff cited unexpected opposition from residents and local re- debuted with a stinging letter to the City and then showed up to tailers as the reason for pulling up stakes, never mentioning the press flesh and work our message with a Fremont crowd at one of fact that planning a mega-development next door to a wildlife the public hearings/public relations events. In the end, common refuge was a boneheaded move. Although Fremont city officials sense prevailed, and a bad plan went down to defeat, were disappointed to lose what they thought would be a boon to the city coffers, local residents, sobered by the tanking economy. When we asked Janet, “Was it worth your time and all that hassle looked past all the hoopla to the bottom line. to fight for the vernal pools?” her reply was, “Absolutely! It’s im- portant to pay attention to what’s going on in your own backyard. The East Bay Chapter of CNPS was among a small handful of The stadium was going to have profound impacts to a site that those opposed to the ballpark from its inception. Volunteer Ja- East Bay chapter members have always loved.” net Gawthrop, a veteran who has led field trips over the years to see the vernal pools at nearby Warm Springs, wrote letters and Thanks to these hard-working folks for putting themselves on the attended public meetings to speak out about the threat to the line for all of us, and congratulations on a job well done. vernal pools on behalf of CNPS. Janet, who holds down a day job in a family law practice, showed up in Fremont for the pub- Laura Baker lie hearings after a long day’s work to call attention to the mas- BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES GARDEN TOUR Registration for the Fifth Annual Bringing Back the Natives of the garden you will be staffing; a guaranteed tour reservation Garden Tour, which will take place on Sunday, May 3, from 10:00 for the half day you are free; a Bringing Back the Natives Garden to 5:00 is now open at www.bringingbackthenatives.net. This Tour t-shirt, and, perhaps best of all, heartfelt thanks for helping free, award-winning tour features 50 pesticide free gardens that to educate the general public about the many pleasures and ben- conserve water, provide habitat for wildlife, and contain 50% or efits of gardening with California native plants. You can browse more native plants. the website to choose the garden you would like to be assigned to. For more information, please e-mail Kathy Kramer at Kathy@ The Native Plant Sale Extravaganza will take place through- KathyKramerConsulting.net, or call 510-236-9558 between 9 am out the weekend of May 2 and 3. Please go here for details: and 9 pm. http :// www.bringingbackthenatives .ne t/ plantsale .html. Gardens are being sought for the May, 2010 Tour. The application The Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is seeking volunteers can be found here: who will spend a morning or afternoon greeting tour participants http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/hostapp.html and answering questions. 50 gardens located throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties will be showcased on this free tour. Kathy Kramer Benefits to volunteers include: invitations to Garden Soirees, in Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Coordinator which tour gardens are open for leisurely, private viewing by hosts and volunteers; a pre-tour meeting with the owner and private tour CNPS VERNAL POOL WORKSHOPS The California Native Plant Society is proud to present two vernal Classification of Vernal Pool Plant Communities, April 16- pool workshops in the Sacramento Valley this April:. See below 17. CDFG Yolo Bypass Center, Davis and vernal pools locations, for brief descriptions. Instructors: Michael Barbour, Ayzik Solomeshch, and Jennifer See http://cnps.org/cnps/education/workshops/index.php to Buck. This is an intensive and pragmatic two-day course on plant register or to find more information. community identification, sampling design, and ecology. The class is being designed to specifically accommodate the needs of Vernal Pool Plant Taxonomy, April 13-15. the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDI Fish UC Davis and several Central Valley vernal pool locations and Wildlife Service. Experience with vernal pool plants is highly Instructors: Carol Witham, Rob Preston, Jennifer Buck, and recommended. Fee: CNPS members $320, non-members $345. Nick Jensen. Participants will acquire a higher level of knowledge and confidence in identifying vernal pool plants both in the labo- Josie Crawford, Education Program Director California Native ratory and in the field. Fee: $395 for CNPS members, $420 for Plant Society 2707 K St., Suite 1 Sacramento, CA 95816-5113. non-members. 916-447-2677. 6 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 CONSERVATION ANALYST FUND DONORS Once again, we thank all of you who donated to the 2008 Conservation Ana- lyst’s fund. Because of your generosity, we were able to raise $30,000 to support this important half-time staff position. Lech Naumovich begins his fourth year as our Conservation Analyst. Over the years he has gained a wealth of experi- ence and a reputation for skilled advocacy on the part of California native flora. We are lucky to have him. This spring we will launch our 2009 fund appeal. We hope that you will continue to support the chapter’s conservation work by helping us to fund this vital part of our program. For more information on the conservation program, please feel free to contact Lech at conservation@ebcnps.org, 510-734- 0335 or Laura Baker at Lbake66@aol.com 510-849-1409. Be sure to check out our conservation page on the chapter website www.ebcnps.org. Laura Baker Below is a list of donors to the Con- servation Analyst Fund. John Alcorn John K. Anderson Carl West Anderson Steve Asztalos William 8>c Elly Bade Martha B. Baker Laura Baker Joe Balciunas Sandy Banks Ronald Barklow 8i Viola W. Saima-Bark- low Laura Beckett Linda Beidleman Mabry Benson David Bigham 8i Howard Arendtson Peter Boffey Carla Bossard Margaret A. Bowman Michael Patti Boyland Boyland Terrel Brand Gillian Garro Robert 8>c Barbara Brandriff Elise Brewster Philip Brownsey Janet Cobb, California Oak Foundation Robert Case Carmen Castain Pedro 8z Carol Castro Patricia E. Coffey Robert Frances Connick Douglas 8z Rosemary Corbin Alex Craig Charlice John Danielsen Elizabeth Davidson Mary M. Davis Sally de Becker Adrienne Debisschop O’Neil Marcia Dillon John T. 8z Lisa Doyen Frances Du Pont Catherine C. Dunlap Jane 8a John Edginton Chris Erickson Barbara Ertter Annmarie Finneral Gerald Ford 8r Holly Forbes Sam Foushee Norman C. Frank Robin Freeman Lisa Frost Linda Gavenda Dan Gluesenkamp Christa Goldblatt Marilyn Goldhaber Sara Goolsby Paul Grunland Judith Ann Gurbaxani Mary Ann Hannon James Hanson 8t Nancy Allen Sara Hartwell Joyce Hawley Claudia and Scott Hein Elsa A. Hooper Justine Hume Diane Ichiyasu Tim Inama Clark Jen Dwight L. Johnson Suzanne Jones 8z Robert Elia Larry M. Jones Meredith Kaplan Tim S. Kask Caroline Kim Muriel Kittel Gudrun Kleist Marcia Kolb Carolyn Kolka Jill Korte Eve Lednicky Monica Kagdis Andrew Lehman Barbara M. &c Philip Leitner David Evelyne Lennette Ed Leong Milo Linaman David Loeb William J. McClung William B. McCoy 8t Natasha Beery Sylvia C. McLaughlin Shirley M. McPheeters Susan Messina Louise A. Miller Lech Naumovich Linda M. Newton Harriet Nye Charles 8i Anne Olsen Jana Olson Jessica Jean Olson Nel O’Neil Sharon L. Ordeman Esther Oswalt Oaktown Native Plant Nursery Carol Pachl Peter Rauch Marcia Rautenstrauch Susan Rosenthal Philip D. S child Shirley Igor Skaredoff Doris Sloan Lincoln Smith Karen Smith Bob Sorenson Nicki Spillane Donald J. Stang George Helene Strauss Sylvia Lyn Sykora Christopher Tarp Miriam E. Taylor Delia 8i John Taylor Rita Tidwell Liz Varnhagen Jeanne Walpole Susan Watson Phoebe Watts Susan Wickham Mark Wille Elizabeth P. Williams Jeff Wilson Elaine P. Worthington- Jackson Leslie J. Zander Celia Zavatsky THE BAY LEAF April 2009 7 PT. ISABEL RESTORATION TEAM We had a successful work party on Saturday, February 28 at Pt. Isabel — the result of a better than expected turnout plus good weeding weather. A cool baker’s dozen turned out to work for several hours at grubbing fennel roots and clipping old fennel plants that are developing new shoots. Amazingly, one of the volunteers uncovered a sticky monkey flower — the first of its kind we’ve seen out at the Point. Below is a photo (by Tom Kelly) of the handsome bunch that turned out to work. Our thanks to everyone. Jane and Tom Kelly RARE AND UNUSUAL PLANTS: NEED UPDATED INFO Every year several of us comb the hills and dales of Alameda and Contra Counties tracking our “unusual” plants. These are plant species that are locally rare, but not necessarily rare around the rest of the state. Several of these plants have even fewer popula- tions in our area than the statewide rare species that occur here. I would like to put out a plea to all of our members this year to help with this endeavor and to keep an eye out for these “unusual” plants as you hike and botanize around our two counties. Following are some of the priority plants and tasks that we need help with. 1) The following plants have not been reported for quite some time and may no longer occur here. If anyone finds a population of any of these plants in either Alameda or Contra Costa County, please record specific location data (GPS points, a map, and/or precise written directions) and the size and condition of the population, and let me know immediately (see contact information below). Be sure the identification is correct - either have it verified by an expert (e.g. contact the Jepson Herbarium at UC Berkeley, 510- 642-2465) or be able to back up your identification: 8 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 Amsinckia eastwoodiae Astragalus didymocarpus Allophyllumgilioidesssp. violaceum (other than the Los Mochos and Mt. Diahlo sites) Carex heteroneura Crassula solieri Cuscuta californica var. hreviflora and var. californica Eriophyllum wallacei Mimulus androsaceus Mimulus floribundus Mimulus tricolor Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. bloomeri Piperia (any in Pt. Molate area) 2) The plants listed in the following two tables occur at one or more sites in our two counties but more specific location data and/or identification verification is needed for only some of those populations, as follows. The first table lists kmown locations of interest. The second lists known plants but asks about varieties or subspecies. If anyone finds any of these populations, please carefully record the location details and the condition of the population and habitat and contact me at diannelake@yahoo.com so I can send you an Unusual Plant Survey Form to fill out. Also contact me if you would like more information for any of these populations, or if there is a particular species or location you would like to research, or if you would like to know if there are other plants in need of research in a specific area or at your favorite hiking spot. More information on the Unusual Plants project is also available on our Chapter website at http://www. ebcnps.org/plantscience.html. Thank you ahead of time to all who are able to help. Dianne Lake Unusual Plants Chair diannelake@yahoo . com Species Location (s) Information needed Alnus rubra Strawberry Canyon Need specific location data for both Mines RH. 1 93.S record. Ts it still there? Arc±n^taphvlos (jlandulm^a Flicker Ridge 1 941 record. Is it still there? Aspidotis densa Cedar Mountain 1978 record. Is it sill there? Are there more sites? Astragalus oxyphysus Black Diamond - 1. Hillside above administration buildings 2. Near intersection of Black Diamond & Cumberland Trails Mines Rd. Are these perhaps actually A. asymmetricus which is more common here? Bidens laevis Alvarado Bethel Island Pleasanton area Winter Island Historical records. Are they still at these sites? Calamagrostis koelerioides Flicker Ridge Pleasanton Ridge Need ID verification and specific sites Carex obnupta Orinda - Wagner Orchard Pt. Molate Redwood Regional Park Tilden Regional Park - Lake Anza Historical records and/or ID questions. Need specific locations and ID verification Collomia heterophylla Flicker Ridge Huckleberry Mt Diablo - Knobcone Pt. Trail All need specific locations Downingia cuspidata Byron Hot Springs Springtown Vasco Rd. All need specific locations and ID verifica- tion Erinpbvllum wallacei Cprral Hollow. Site 300 Is the ID cqrrect? Also need specificlocation Hoiia strobilina El Sobrante Mines Rd. Are the ID’s correct? Need specific location data for Mines Rd. site Mines Rd. Need .specific .site Juucu 's dubius Browns IslanH Alder Point Is it still there? Lilium pardalinum Cbabot, Bird Trail Needs to be monitored every year. Declin- ing? Microseris elegans Black Diamond Briones Regional Park Byron (area) Deer Valley Livermore Valley Mt. Diablo Need specific sites for all. Some are histori- cal. Are they still there? Oxalis albicans ssp. pilosa Oakland - Diamond District Leona Heights Piedmont Trestle Glen Niles Canyon Pal om ares Rd. All Historical. Are any still there? Need specific sites for all Penstemon heterophyllus var. purdyi Siesta Valley Is it still there? Need specific location and ID verification for var. Petasites frigidus var. palmatus San Leandro Creek, near Canyon Strawberrv Canvon Is it still at both places? Phyla lanceolata Browns Island Need specific location and ID verification. Easv to confuse with the weedv P nodiflora Puccinellia nutkaensis SF Bav Natural Wildlife Refuge Nee'd specific site and ID verification Trillium ovatum Cbabot Regional Park Las Trampas Regional Wilderness Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Need specific locations for all. Table 1 . We need to know if these plants still exist in the locations indicated. Table 2 is on the next page. THE BAY LEAF April 2009 9 Continued from page 9. Species Location Var/Ssp Acer negundo Dan Castro Reservoir - along Cull Creek north of reservoir Are they var. californicum orvar. interius or are both there? Cornus sericea Briones - below Spengler trail Chabot - McDonald trail Cordonices Creek - University Village in Albany Gatewav - along drainage on west side Which are ssp. occidentalis and which are ssp. sericea? Ephedra Corral Hollow? “ Vasco Caves - Brushy Peak Is it E. californica or E. viridis? Also need specific location. Does it actually occur in Corral Hollow? Where? Which species? Juncus phaeocephalus Dow Wetland Preserve, Antioch Lake Chabot - Near Alder Point Knowland Park - Above Zoo Moraga - Mulholland Ridge Shadow Cliffs - west of lake Sycamore Grove Which are ssp. paniculatus and which are ssp. phaeocephalus? Lessingia fUaginifolia Mines Rd. - Above 19.76 mile post Mission Peak - near top Niles Canyon Which are var. californica and which are var. fUaginifolia Note* Current genus name is Corethroavne Prunella vulgaris Pt. Pinole Regional Shoreline Is it the native var. lanceolata or the weedy var. vulaaris at this site? Rumex salicifolius Several sites (Contact D. Lake for locations) Which are var. crassus, denticulatus, salici- folius and transitorius? Spergularia macrotheca Dow Wetland Preserve Warm Springs Are both var. macrotheca? Or are either var. leucantha or var. lonaistvla? Vulpia octoflora Several sites /Contact D. Lake for locations) Which are var. hirtella and which are var. octoflora? Table 2. We need to know the subspecies or variety of the plant species known to be in the locations indicated. ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Sunday, April 19, 10am, Glide Tule Ranch Vernal Pool. The open house will be 9 am-3 pm, Sunday, April 19. A name that is missing from most lists of floral wonderlands is the Glide Tule Ranch, a vernal pool with endless vistas of some of the most vibrant and brighest colors imaginable, produced by 4 subspecies of lovely blue Downingia, carpets of goldfields (Lasthenia spp.), masses of woolly starfish (Hesperevax caulescens), endless seas of Oregon woolly marbles (Psilocarphus oreganus), and many other rare species of vernal pool plants. Glide Tule Ranch is located about 15 miles south of Davis in Yolo County, and is part of the Southern Yolo Wildlife Area, a large pro- tected area to the west of Sacramento. To get there, take Interstate 80 to Davis, and exit at the Mace Boulevard Exit. To reach the meet- ing site, drive south on Mace Blvd, which becomes County Road 104, to County Road 35 (one mile south of Putah Creek). Turn left (east) on Road 35 and drive to County Road 106. Turn right (south) on Road 106 and go for about 3 miles to County Road 38A, where there will be signs for driving into the Wildlife Area. Since it’s a long-distance drive that takes approximately 2 hours to reach from Central Marin County, let’s plan on having an infor- mal car-pool. To take part in that, meet at 8 am at the parking lot for the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. www.yolobasin.org/ Celia Zavatsky Spring Plant Sale UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley Saturday, April 25, 2009, 9 am-2 pm Members’ preview, Friday April 24, 5 pm-7:30 pm A large selection of California natives is included in this annual spring sale. See http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu for more in- formation. OAKLAND MUSEUM WILDFLOWER SHOW Annual California Wildflower Show, Friday, May 1, 5-9 pm, Saturday, May 2, 10-5, and Sunday, May 3, 12-5. Savor the colors and fragrance of hundreds of freshly collected native flow- ers. Co-sponsored by the Oakland Museum, the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley and the Jepson Herbarium. Oakland Museum of California 10 Oak Streets, Oakland CA 94607 www.museumca.org 1 0 THE BAY LEAF April 2009 Each year, the East Bay Chapter of CNPS grants scholarships to worthy students. The money to support these scholarships is raised by volunteers who work on the Chapter's plant sales. Recent scholarships have supported students working in horticulture, plant evolution, park management, ecosystem management, conservation biology, plant ecology, plant physiology, and plant systematics. In past years, the Chapter has awarded five scholarships of $1200 to undergraduate or graduate students in botany, horticulture and related fields interested in working with California native plants. An outstanding student has also been awarded the Myrtle Wolf Scholarship ($750). The amount of grants for 2009 will be posted at the EBCNPS website by April 1. Preference is given to students working in, or working with plants in, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The East Bay Chapter specifically encourages applications from students in the community college system and students in horticulture. Application Deadline: May 1, 2009 East Bay Chapter California Native Plant Society 2009 Scholarships Applicants should submit the following information: 1. Name 2. Present address 3. The school you are currently attending 4. Address where you can be reached at the close of school (particularly in May or June) 5. The school you will be attending in the summer or fall of 2009 6. A description of your work with California native plants to date and your plans for future work with California native plants 7. A statement explaining your commitment to native plants 8. Two letters of recommendation that substantiate your work with California native plants and 9. A current transcript from the school you last attended. Send your application by May 1, 2009 to: The California Native Plant Society, East Bay Chapter Grants Committee, do McCoy, 1311 Bay View Place, Berkeley, Ca 94708, 510-848-1991; by email: sandymccoy @mindspring.com (please put "EBCNPS Scholarship" in the subject; also please call 510-848- 1991 to let me know you send an application by email). THE BAY LEAF April 2009 1 1 Chapter Directory Officers President and Chapter Council Delegate Delia Barnes Taylor 510-527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com Vice President Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carollbcastro@hotmail.com Recording Secretary Barbara Leitner 925-253-8300 bleitner@pacbell.net Corresponding Secretary Janet Gawthrop janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Treasurer Holly Forbes hforbes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 Assistant Treasurer (not an officer) David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Committees Bayleaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web- master Joe Willingham, Chair 510-841-4681 pepel 066@comcast.net Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Mailing Holly Forbes Conservation Laura Baker, Chair 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation analyst Lech Naumovich conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair Funds Development Carol Castro, Chair Grant Management Sally de Becker 510-841-6613 sallydebecker@comcast.net Horticulture Planning Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair peterar@berkeley.edu Membership Elaine Jackson, Carol Castro Co-Chairs Volunteer coordinator Delia Taylor volunteer@ebcnps.org Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair Publicity Dinah Russell, Chair 510-528-0547 maphappy@sonic.net Rare Plants Heath Bartosh, Chair 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com Vegetation Erin McDermott, Chair erinmcd2004@yahoo.com EBCNPS Sponsored Activities Book & Poster Sales Joanne Orengo greentheglobe@juno.com Grant Awards Sandy McCoy sandymccoy@mindspring. com Native Here Nursery Manager — Charli Danielsen nativehere@ebcnps.org Sales — Margot Cunningham bunchgrassmarg@gmail.com Seed Collection — Gregg Weber 510-223-3310 Plant Fair Gudrun Kleist 510-222-2320 gkleist@sbcglobal.net and Charli Danielsen Coordinators Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry — Janet Gawthrop Point Isabel — Tom and Jane Kelly 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Strawberry Creek — Tom and Jane Kelly Officers and Committee Chairs serve on the Board. Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of volunteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board. Membership Application Name Address Zip Telephone I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Student, Limited income, $25 Individual, Library, $45 Household, Family, or Group, $75 Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Patron, $300 E-mail Benefactor, $600 Mariposa Lily, $1500 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento CA 95816 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 2009 issue