The December 2001 BayLeaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter • Alameda & Contra Costa Counties V J Calendar of Events Saturday, December 1 December 4,1 1 ,18 State Board Meeting, Faculty Club, UC-Berkeley (open January 8, 15, 22, 29, Tuesdays to all members), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. No Host Bar, 5-6 p.m. Plant Sale, 9 a.m.-l p.m., p. 3 Annual Banquet & Evening Program: Dr. Matteo Garbeletto, "The Discovery of Sudden Oak Death Pathogen, a Potential Threat to California Forest Ecosys- tems: A Detective Story", 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Native Here Nursery open for business, p. 3 December 23, Sunday Wildflower and bunchgrass sowing at Project site, 1 p.m., p. 3 December 1 , Saturday January 5, Saturday January 1 , Tuesday Native Plant Restoration Team, p. 3 Field trip led by Dan Norris to Rock City on Mt. Diablo, P-6 Ballot for Year 2002 Elected Officers The nominating committee presents the following slate of officers for the CNPS East Bay Chapter for the year 2002: 2002 □ President: Tony Morosco □ Vice President: Elaine Jackson BALLOT □ Treasurer: Holly Forbes □ Recording Secretary: Michele Lee n Corresponding Secretary: Joanne Kerbavaz Although voting in an uncontested election may not seem necessary, an election is required by our bylaws. Please vote as an expression of confidence in those who are willing to serve as volunteer officers in our organization. Please send your ballot to CNPS, P. O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station, Berkeley, CA 94705 or bring it to the January Board meeting. President’s Message As my two-year tenure as chapter president nears its end, I recall that my first action as president-to-be was signing the Memorandum of Understanding that made the East Bay Chapter of CNPS an official partner in the recently created Alameda-Contra Costa Weed Manage- ment Area. As described by the California Department of Food & Agriculture, "Weed Management Areas (WMAs) are local organizations that bring together landowners and managers (private, city, county. State, and Federal) in a county, multi-county, or other geo- graphical area to coordinate efforts and expertise against common invasive weed species. . . . WMAs are unique because they attempt to address agricultural (regulatory) weeds and "wildland" weeds under one local umbrella organization. " Although at first glance it might seem paradoxical for an organization whose avowed interest is native plants to participate in a cooperative program whose primary focus is non-native plants, most of us are more than familiar with the threat that invasive non-natives repre- sent to the native diversity that we treasure. Independent of any formal participation in a WMA, many of us have already been out there, sleeves rolled up (or down, depending on the proximity of poison-oak!), bashing broom, wreaking mayhem on mayten, and ripping out ripgut grass. Our chapter's Native Plant Restoration Team, under the able direction of Noah Booker, provides a monthly opportunity for weed-warriors to work together, and a newly created stewardship program at the state level should increase the opportunity for and effectiveness of similar hands-on efforts throughout the state f http: / / www.cnps.org/ conservation/ exotics. htm l. As noted by Alameda-Contra Costa WMA representative (and superb plant photographer) Bob Case, "Chapters can participate in many ways including noxious weed reporting and mapping, educational efforts or alternative weed control projects. How you participate is up to you and the local chapter." The potential role played by the many eyes of CNPS volunteers in spotting and reporting new populations of invasive weeds should not be underestimated. I've certainly done my share of notify- ing Bob about stray patches of Lepidium latifolium, Centaurea solstitialis, and other species on the WMA's target list (at http:/ /pi.cdfa.ca.gov/weedinfo/ sortbvra ting2.htm) . CNPS members are also on the front lines of discovering and reporting new weeds that are continually flooding into California. Although the majority of newly established non-native species do not achieve pest status, a certain percentage have the poten- tial to become future equivalents of yellow star thistle and French broom. If these can be recognized and eradicated before they spread, a great deal of money and effort can be saved. Another important role for CNPS within the WMA is to counterbalance the orientation that otherwise exists towards agricultural pests, with threats to native habitats often given little attention. While this imbalance is more than CNPS alone can offset, we have at least managed not only to increase awareness of the importance of weed control in wildland situation, but also to remove several native species from the list of targeted species. As further incentive to participate in the WMA, about $50,000 per county has been allocated by SB 1740 for WMAs to spend on noxious weed management and related activities over the next two years. Although the East Bay Chapter did not apply for funds from this source (volunteers being our limiting factor more than money), we were happy to draft a support letter for a proposal submitted by some CNPS members acting in their professional capacity. This proposal, to hand- remove broom and other fire-prone exotics along sec- tions of the East Bay Hills urban-wildland interface, is an alternative to less selective goat-grazing. The proposal has happily been funded, so we can now see how suc- cessful this approach will be in creating a self-sustaining, fire-resistant, native vegetation type that requires signifi- cantly less maintenance over the long run. For more information on the Alameda-Contra Costa Weed Management Area, see http:/ /pi.cdfa.ca.gov/ wma/ AlamedaCC / AlamedaCC.html . Barbara Ertter Membership meetings December, 2001 No meeting (happy holidays!) January 23, 2002 Carol Witham — Vernal pools and conservation aspects of the U.C. Merced issue February 27, 2002 Rosemary Donlon — The best desert wildflower year of the century Sue Rosenthal ♦ ♦ ♦ We have tried on a large scale the experiment of preferring ourselves to the exclusion of other creatures... And now, conscious of those results, we are tempted to correct them by denigrating ourselves . . . Finally, we must see that we cannot be made kind toward our fellow creatures except by the same qualities that make us kind toward our fellow humans. Wendell Berry 2 Plant Sale Propagation and Potting: Tuesdays December 4, 11, 18 January 8, 15, 22, 29 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Merritt College Landscape Horticulture Area We will be there, rain or shine, on Tuesdays for our weekly work sessions. The above seven are the only remaining dates we will be selling plants still left from the October sale. Also, there are some plants added to the mix that weren't quite ready earlier. An excellent selection of manzanitas, ceanothus and other shrubs, plus a few perennials await buyers during this prime planting time. While shoppers are browsing, the volunteers will be doing the ongoing potting-up to larger containers, beginning the new cycle of making cuttings of plant material for next year's sale. Become one of us by showing up anytime during this year - no experience is necessary - and get acquainted with the plants at all stages of their growth. Lunch break is 12 noon; bring a sandwich if you can stay. Dress warmly, and bring two quarters for the parking fee machine. Plant Sale Committee Native Here Nursery during nursery hours, and that Tuesday morning seed collection will start in May. Mitchell Canyon Entrance, Mt Diablo State Park Charli Danielsen will be one of 30 recipients of a Moun- tain Star Award at Save Mount Diablo's 30 th Anniversary celebration on Monday, December 10, 2001. The event will be held at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Charli is being recognized for pioneering Save Mount Diablo's first stewardship efforts at Chaparral Spring and for leading the ongoing project to restore native bunchgrasses at the State Park entrance. Join Charli on Sunday, December 23 at 1 p.m. at the project site to sow seeds of bunchgrasses and wildflow- ers collected this spring and summer. This project is at a stage where it requires only a few days of attention each year, harvesting seed in the spring, mowing to keep the weeds under control, and sowing seed in the winter. This low-key effort will need to continue for several years before the entire ten acres returns to perennial grassland Charli Danielsen Native Plant Restoration Team Join us on Saturday, December 1 for a work party on EBRPD land in El Cerrito, with dramatic views of Wildcat Canyon. We will work on the invasive Chilean mayten, French broom, etc. Meet on site Saturday, December 1 at 10 a.m. Directions: please meet on site, not at Native Here. Take Moeser up from the El Cerrito flats, cross Arlington, the name changes to Terrace. Curve left, then right. Meet at the dead end of Terrace (cross street Leneve Place and/ or Kensington Road). Thanks to Ed Leong, Fuel Break Supervisor of the EBRPD, for having us. Gift Certificates are available at the nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive, during the hours it is open for business: Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thanks to John Danielsen for all the work on building platforms to protect and display all the plants. There is lots of room for all the tiny seedlings that will grow into "selling size" plants through the winter and spring. Seed collection has come to an end for the winter . . . except that Toyon berries will ripen around Christmas. If you have a wild toyon on your property, we would love to receive berries with the relevant collection information. As members plan their activities for the new year, keep in mind that volunteers are always welcome to help Saturday, January 5: Meet before the work party to hear Bob Case speak on invasive plants in the East Bay at the Wayne Roderick Lecture Series at the Tilden (EBRPD) Bot. Garden. The lecture starts at 10:30 a.m. We will rally afterwards and drive to Canyon School for our annual work party there. There are loads of bonus native plants, including indigenous redwood groves. Come on down! If you are not coming to the lecture, meet at Canyon School at 1 p.m. or a little after. To Canyon School: From Skyline Boulevard in Oakland, take Pinehurst Road all the way down into Canyon; pass the Post Office, and the school is immediately on your left. Bring water, a raincoat just in case, gloves and a favorite gardening tool (we have gloves and tools to lend, as well). Heavy rain cancels; call 840-9367 on Saturday morning for a recorded message if it is raining and you are wondering. Noah Booker 3 Vegetation Management Almanac for the East Bay Hills Authors: Danielsen, C. W.; McClure, R.; Leong, E.; Kelley, M.; and Rice, C. Publisher: Hills Emergency Forum, a consortium of eight local governments. Distribution through: East Bay Regional Parks, Environmental Education Center, Tilden Park. (510) 528-6619 Length: 142 pages, 62 full color illustrations. The Almanac is designed to promote native plant and wildlife habitat when conducting vegetation management for fire hazard reduction in the urban- wildlife intermix zone. The project brought together authors with different backgrounds to look at techniques and timing for solving vegetation management problems, as well as identifying species to protect, to retain, or to control or diminish. The ultimate goal of the authors is to nurture vegetation management that moves toward convert- ing areas to stable plant communities with favorable fire behavior characteristics. Generally, they favor removing non-native plants, especially those that are weedy or fire-prone, and allowing native plants to move in and take their place. Six simplified plant // communities ,/ are analyzed - grassland, north coastal scrub, oak/bay wood- land, Eucalyptus plantations. Pine plantations, and disturbed places. Charts are used to help illustrate when the pest plants can be most effectively attacked, and how to best avoid harming animals using the community. Those who have used drafts of the almanac in planning vegetation management have had high praise for its professionalism and utility, especially in identifying plants. Color illustrations include 40 species of plants to manage, 12 desirable species easily confused with pest plants and 7 case studies. ♦ ♦ ♦ Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals... This thumbnail sketch of land as an energy circuit conveys three basic ideas: (1) That land is not merely soil, (2) That the native plants and animals kept the energy circuit open; others may or may not, (3) That man-made changes are of a different order than evolutionary changes, and have effects more comprehensive than is intended or foreseen... A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual respon- sibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity . . . 4 Aldo Leopold Board of Directors Elected Officers President: Barbara Ertter, 1859 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, h/526- 4592, w/643-0600 Vice President, Administration: Tony Morosco, 2329 7 th St., Berkeley 94710, 549-2238, w/642- 8468 Treasurer: Holly Forbes, 7128 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530, 234-2913, w/ 643-8040 Secretaries: Recording: Michele Lee, 2923 Sheldon Dr., Richmond 94803, 243-1265 Corresponding: Joanne Kerbavaz, Calif. State Parks, 250 Executive Park Blvd., Suite 4900, San Francisco 94134, w/4 15-330-6323 Advisors Members at large: John Game, 1155 Spruce St., Berkeley 94707, 527-7855 Jim Sharp, 2663 LeConte Ave., Berkeley 94709, 644-9344 Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704, 841-4681 Bay Leaf Editors Brett Boltz, 2210 Spaulding Ave., Berkeley 94703, h/549-3327, w/643-0448, bboltz@uclink2.berkeley.edu Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704, 841-4681, pepe@dnai.com Recorded Chapter Information: 464-4977 CNPS Home Page: http://www.cnps.org East Bay Chapter CNPS Home Page: http://www.ebcnps.org Chapter CNPS-EB-Alerts E-mail List: Find out more; email to listserv@usobi.org with: INFO CNPS-EB Alerts All area codes are 510 unless noted Committee Coordinators Bay Leaf Mailing: Holly Forbes, 7128 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530, 234-2913, w/643- 8040 Bryophytes: Dan Norris, 802 Lexington Ave., El Cerrito 94530, 435-2004 email norris_daniel@hotmail.com Conservation: Steve Asztalos, 839 York St., Oakland, asztalos1@llnl.gov Plant Communities: Susan Bainbridge, 2408 Parker St., Berkeley 94704, 548-2918 Rare Plants: Brad Olson, 4442 Arcadia Ave., Oakland 94602, 482-0794 Unusual Plants: Dianne Lake, 1050 Bayview Farm Rd. #121, Pinole 94564, 741-8066 Donations: Vacant Education: Elly Bade, 2699 Shasta Rd., Berkeley 94708, 644-1656 Field Trips: Janet Gawthrop, 360 Monte Vista Ave. #214, Oakland 94610, 654- 3066 Hospitality: Irene Wilkinson, 440 Camino Sobrante, Orinda 94563, 925-254-3675 Legislation: Roy Buck, 848-4169, email roybuck@msn.com Membership: Delia Taylor, 1851 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, 527-3912 Native Here Nursery: Charli Danielsen, 101 Golf Course Dr., Berkeley 94708, 549-0211, email cwd@wli.net Native Plant Restoration Team: Noah Booker, 6366 Valley View Rd., Oakland 94611, h/339-1588, w/ 840-9367, email casartunda@aol.com Posters: Heather Koshinsky, 2033 Carquinez Ave., El Cerrito 94530, w/522- 8180 Plant Sale: Shirley McPheeters, 104 Ivy Dr., Orinda 94563, 925-376-4095 Phoebe Watts, 1419 Grant St., Berkeley 94703, 525-6614 Plant Sale Publicity: Elaine Jackson, 3311 Estudillo St., Martinez 94553, 925-372-0687 Programs: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016, email rosacalifornica@earthlink.net EBRP Botanic Garden Liaison: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016 Membership Application Name Address Zip Telephone I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Student, Retired, Limited income, $20 Individual, Library, $35 Household, Family, or Group, $45 Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Benefactor, $500 Life, $1000 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 1722 J St., Suite 17, Sacramento CA 95814 5 Field Trips Tuesday, January 1 at 10 a.m.: Rock City at Mt. Diablo, Dan Norris will lead a half-day bryophyte field trip (mosses, liverworts, maybe hornworts) to start the new year. Mosses and liverworts flourish with some rain and cooler temperatures, and they are most visible when flowering plants are dormant. The trip will not involve strenuous hiking, but participants will find the best viewing on their hands and knees. Bring lunch and water and if possible a hand lens. Camera lenses for magnified photos of small objects also provide good viewing of bryophytes. The trip will start from the small parking lot in the picnic table area of Rock City. Directions: Take 1-680 to El Cerro Boulevard in Danville. Proceed east on El Cerro one mile to join Diablo Road. Proceed east on Diablo Road two miles to Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard. Turn left (north) on Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard (which becomes South Gate Road) for ap- proximately three miles to Rock City. If the park entry booth is open, there is a $2 entry fee, so you may want to carpool. If you have questions, call Janet Gawthrop, 654- 3066. Janet Gawthrop Activities of Others Aquatic Institute workshop. Saturdays, February 2 and 9, 2002 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the U.C. Berkeley Richmond Field Station and Willard Middle School in Berkeley. This two-day workshop will be held at the U.C. Berkeley Richmond Field Station and Willard Middle School in Berkeley. It is designed for Grade 6-12 educators. Partici- pants will learn environmental activities that improve the health of our watersheds, such as monitoring creeks. propagating native plants and surveying homes and schools for household hazardous products. Also in- cluded is a curriculum guide with extensive resource materials. A $150 stipend will be offered for participating in both days of the workshop and completing an out- reach project. Participants will also have access to Watching Our Watersheds grant funds. Academic credit is available through California State University, Hayward. A $25 pre-registration fee is required to attend the workshop. This program is funded by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. For more information about the workshop, or to register, please check our website at www.aoinstitute.org or contact Fisa Facabanne at the Aquatic Outreach Institute at (510) 231-5783. The Oakland Museum of California will offer a training course for people who want to lead tours in its Natural Sciences Gallery. The comprehensive course includes lectures, films, and field trips; gallery walks with mu- seum curators; and training in gallery tour techniques. The course runs from January 15, 2002 through May 2002, then recommences in September, with graduation in February 2003. Classes will be held Tuesday after- noons from 12:30 to 3:30 pm. No previous science education is necessary to qualify as a trainee. Docents are tour guides who interpret the Oakland Museum's California exhibits to visitors. Participants are asked to make a two-year commitment to volunteer as docents after completing the course. For information, call the Docent Center, 510-238-3514 or visit the Museum web site at www.museumca.org . California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Oakland, GA Permit No. SO 18 Time Value December 2001 issue