CALENDAR OF EVENTS Board of Directors’ Meeting Wednesday, February 6, 7:15 pm (snacks at 7:00 pm), home of Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna Street, Berkeley 94704 Native Here (see page 5) February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Fridays 9 am to noon, and February 2, 9, 16, 23, Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm: Native Here open for business and volunteer help needed Field Trips (see page 3) Saturday, February 16, 9:30 am, field trip to Huckleberry Regional Preserve Sunday, February 24 10:30 a.m. Field trip to Joaquin Miller Park Sunday, March 2, 2008, 9:30 am, field trip to Mount Diablo Membership Meeting (see below) Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 7:30 pm, in the Garden Room of the Orinda Library Frank Almeda — Sustainability and the Living Roof at the New Cali- fornia Academy of Sciences Wayne Roderick Lectures (Regional Parks Botanic Garden, all at 10:30 am) Saturday, February 2: Botanical adventures in Idaho and Montana - Bob Case Saturday, February 9: California Indian material culture in the context of world prehistory - Steve Edwards Saturday, February 16: Eccentrics, heroes, and cutthroats of old Berkeley - Richard Schwartz Saturday, February 22: California Indian religion in the age of eth- nographers - Steve Edwards MEMBERSHIP MEETING Sustainability and the Living Roof at the New California Academy of Sciences Speaker: Frank Almeda Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions be- low) The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is in the last stages of its spectacular metamorphosis: The new building is up; its insides are being transformed as displays are built and living plants and animals are moved in; and by the end of September, it will be open to visitors. The academy’s grand new building was designed by prize-winning architect Renzo Piano to incorporate sustainable design features that not only embody its vision to preserve and celebrate life in the natural world but also connect the building visually to its beautiful surroundings in the park. One of the most innovative of the new academy’s sustainable and beautiful elements is the building’s 2.5-acre living roof. Our speaker, Dr. Frank Almeda, will describe the new academy’s cutting-edge features involving water efficiency, energy efficiency, natural light and ventilation, recycled building materials, and, of course, the living roof. We’ll learn about the roof’s unusual struc- tural elements and planting substrate; the process of selecting the native species that clothe it; the benefits of green roofs; and, last but not least, some of the research projects academy scientists will be conducting on the roof to make it a dynamic living exhibit that will also contribute to the academy’s educational mission. Dr. Almeda has been at the academy for 29 years. He is currently the senior curator of botany and has served twice as director of research for the academy’s research division. His research inter- ests include local California floras (especially the Marin flora), the systematics and phylogeny of tropical flowering plants (especially princess flowers), and drug discovery and biodiversity conserva- tion in Madagascar. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month’s meeting will take 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 will open at 7:00 pm and the meeting will begin at 7:30 pm. Refreshments will be served af- ter the presentation. Please contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496-6016 or rosacalifornica@earthlink.net, if you have questions. continued on page 2 MEMBERSHIP MEETING continued from page 1 Directions to Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way: From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the offramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 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 new 2-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross 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. Upcoming Programs: Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 7:30 pm (in the Garden Room of the Orinda Library): To be announced Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 7:30 pm (in the Garden Room of the Orinda Library): Glenn Keator — Designing California Native Gardens Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 7:30 pm (in the Conference Center of the UC Botanical Garden): Matteo Garbelotto The Califronia native plant garden roof of the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Academy botanist Frank Almeda will discuss the roof in his talk at the February membership meeting. 2 THE BAY LEAF February 2008 REFLECTIONS ON CONSERVATION IN 2007 This past year was a great year for conservation. Many collabora- tive efforts among our committee members and members of other local groups helped make 2007 successful. EBCNPS is continuing to work in a pro-active manner with cities, counties, agencies, and even developers in order to raise awareness about rare plants and notable vegetation types. Our work is available in an annual report at www.ebcnps.org on the Conservation page. As we take on new challenges in 2008, 1 hope that we can grow our already excellent conservation committee and continue to improve our campaign to conserve native flora. Our work is not all volunteer-based, and regular staff can be helpful in maintaining our committee’s energy and fluidity. Generous do- nations from people all over the chapter area helped secure about $30,000 of funding for the conservation analyst position. Finally, I want to take this moment to thank all the people, especially Laura Baker, who have helped by volunteering thousands of hours to make the East Bay a wonderful place for native plant lovers. Lech Naumovich FIELD TRIPS Saturday, February 16, 9:30 am, field trip to Huckleberry Re- gional Preserve Janet Gawthrop returns to this early-blooming spot to view shrubs and herbaceous plants in bud and flower, after having seen them in fruit on David Margolies’ autumn hike. If you are unfamiliar with this preserve, then you may wish to go to www.Calflora. org and look up this park using their “What grows here” feature. With luck, western leatherwood will be in flower, along with late manzanitas, silktassels , and perhaps early huckleberries andforbs. Bring water if desired for this trip. Heavy rain moves this trip to Sunday, February 17 at the same start time. Directions: From either north or south of Oakland, take Highway 13 and exit at Moraga/Thornhill Avenue. Follow Moraga Avenue straight from the traffic light at the exit ramp as it parallels 13 and changes its name to Mountain Boulevard. Turn left onto Snake Road at the traffic light for Snake/Mountain Boulevard. Go uphill on Snake, but be prepared to make a hard left turn to fol- low Snake several blocks uphill at its intersection with Shepherd Canyon. (If you see a soccer field on your right, then you missed the turn— go back.) Follow Snake through residential Montclair to the intersection with Skyline Boulevard. Turn left onto Skyline and follow it several blocks to the Huckleberry parking lot. From south of Oakland, exit 13 at Park, turn left on Mountain, right on Snake, and then same directions apply. Janet will likely be pulling Vinca while waiting for folks to show up. Sunday, February 24, 10:30 am, field trip to Joaquin Miller Park; joint trip with Mycological Society of San Francisco Chris Thayer will lead a hike through the diverse habitats of this unique park to explore the rich botanical and mycological diversity they afford. This trip will encompass both early-flowering plants and mushrooms as the rains permit. We will be out for several hours, so bringing food and water is recommended. Directions: From either north or south of Oakland, take Highway 13 and exit at Joaquin Miller Road, and follow the road uphill to its end at the traffic light intersection with Skyline Boulevard. Turn left onto Skyline and follow it along the ridge to the meeting place at the Sequoia Arena Parking lot. There are signs for the parking lot before you turn left into the lot; meet Chris Thayer in this lot near the trailhead. Do not park in the lot for Chabot Observatory, which is for observatory visitors. Sunday, March 2, 2008, 9:30 am, field trip to Mount Diablo Meet at 9:30 am at the end of Rialto Drive in Clayton. Gregg Weber will lead a strenuous walk to the peak of Mt Olympia in Mount Diablo State Park to see some of the many midwinter flowers on Mount Diablo. There is a 2300 feet elevation change on the way out. It will be downhill on the return trip. Round trip is about 8 miles. Trip will take 7 hours with time for keying plants, and rests. Bring lunch and water, and be prepared for a wide range of temperature, depending on the weather. We will take Clayton Oaks trail, Bruce Lee Spring trail, lower Donner trail, Wasserman trail, Olympia trail, Zippe trail. We go through many different plant communities as we change eleva- tion. We may see quite a few winter blooming plants on this trip. There is a nice view from the peak. We will not be deterred by rain, and will proceed regardless of weather. Last year we saw Mount Diablo jewelflower, and an early blooming tarplant on the peak, among other things. Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ignacio Valley Road. Take Ignacio Valley Road into Clayton, turn right on Clayton Road. Take Clayton Road past first intersection with Marsh Creek Road, and in about a mile, it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road. Turn right on Regency Drive. Go 3 blocks, turn left on Rialto Drive. Park at the end of Rialto Drive. Janet Gawthrop THE BAY LEAF February 2008 3 MEMBERSHIP NOTES As I am writing this column, I am looking out the window this first weekend in January and marveling at the much needed rain and how exciting it will be to join our EBCNPS field trips soon to see the new native blooms. In Martinez, the beavers and their home in the Alhambra Creek are making it safely through these many weekend storms without their dam causing flooding to downtown. Though one kit was lost to illness, the rest of the family seems to be doing just fine. Life is good. Carol and I want to remind you of all the wonderful free programs that are offered to you as a member — informative field trips, free monthly lectures, as well as our wonderful publications: The Bay Leaf, The State Bulletin, and Fremontia. Encourage your friends to join and support our Chapters many programs and learn about our conservation efforts. Carry a few membership brochures with you. Carol wants to remind you that the 2008 Bringing Back The Na- tives garden tour will be happening this May 4th and the Oakland Wildflower show will be April 19th and 20th. Both events offer a wealth of information and we are always looking for volunteers and members to help to cover our outreach tables. More information to come as we get closer to those events but you don’t have to wait to volunteer: let us know now if you would be interested in helping. Have any questions about upcoming events? Interested in get- ting more involved? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. elainejx@ mindspring.com, 925-372-0687 or carollbcastro@hotmail.com, 510-352-2382. Getting More Involved and Having Lots of Fun Doing It Do you have a local event coming up in your neighborhood that would be a good location for CNPS to have a display table? Come on up to our Native Here Nursery (during business hours) and pick up supplies to pass out. The Native Plant Garden at the Clayton Library could use a little help. Contact Lisa Anich at 925-689-2642 or you may email admin@ diablocreek.info. For more information about the garden visit www. diablocreek.info/3garden.htm Updated news on the native demonstration garden on The Iron Horse Trail in Walnut Creek near the Walnut Creek Intermediate School should be coming soon. New Members Please join us in welcoming those who joined in November; Ken Bredlac, Tom Coroneos, Jamie Menasco, Anita Pereira, Karen Smith, Thomas Walters, Linda Dick and Anna Stewart Elaine Jackson Plants in the genus Garrya are dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are on different plants. Here are female flowers (left) and male (right) from G. elliptica. Photos by Jeanne Thomas 4 THE BAY LEAF February 2008 NATIVE HERE Storms have battered the nursery, blowing down some shade struc- tures and umbrellas, flinging plant cards across the nursery, and leaving a carpet of leaves and pine needles on everything. Plants are saturated with water. The cardinal and creek monkeyflowers love it. Some of Gregg’s cuttings don’t love it. Bulbs are available: Calochortus, Triteleia, Zigadenus, and Chloro- galum pomeridianum. We also have tables full of oaks in 1 gallon and 5 gallon pots: coast live, interior live, canyon live, blue, valley, and black oaks. Gregg Weber has propagated loads of cuttings, and we have for sale now willows, dogwoods, and poplars in 1, 2, or 5 gallon pots. The dogwood leaves lit up the nursery with their red and yellow colors the past few months. Volunteers are always welcome at the nursery to help with storm clean-up, seed sowing, transplanting, and watering. Contact us about mid-week and weekend watering assignments, which are available with shifts from 2-4 hours. If you’re interested in seed collection trips, contact us to get on a special list for notification of destinations and for forays to make cuttings through the late fall and winter. Gregg Weber leads these trips on Tuesday mornings. We are located in Tilden Regional Park, across the street from the entrance to the Tilden Golf Course, 101 Golf Course Dr, Berkeley, CA 94708, 510-549-0211, nativehere@ebcnps.org, www.ebcnps. org. Margot Cunningham ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Sunday, February 10, 9:00 am, weeding/volunteer survey at the Alameda airstrips/least tern rookery Join Friends of Alameda Wildlife Refuge and Golden Gate Audu- bon in their spring weed pull at the former airstrips of the naval air station. Endangered least terns have moved in to nest in the summer, and the friends have been ripping alfalfa, mustard and other invasives to leave the site clear for tern nests. In addition to weeding, plant monitoring is needed because the site has volunteer native plants to list, including possibly beach evening primrose, several unknown willows outside the nest site, and forbs springing up in the winter ponds above the tarmac. Please note that because the Navy still owns the site, volunteers need to go in with Golden Gate Audubon to get past two locked gates. Glenn Keator is a UC-trained botanist who has been giving botany classes and tours for many years. He has announced his Spring courses, and his classes maybe of interest to CNPS members. They are sponsored by various local botanical organizations. Glenn also teaches at Merritt College in Oakland. Saturday, February 23: Mosses, Lichens, and Ferns An introductory course on the seldom talked about lower plants. Learn life cycles, habitats, and growth patterns in these fascinating groups. Given at Point Reyes National Seashore and sponsored by Point Reyes Fields Seminars, 415-663-1200. Monday, March 17 to Friday, March 21: The Great Sonoran Desert A botanical tour of the southeat corner of Arizona, withy time in Tuscon and El Portal. Sponsored by the San Francisco Botanical Garden (contact Kitty Fisher, 425-661-1316 x300). Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6. Botanizing California: the Tule River Canyon Meeting at Porterville, an area of great physical beauty as well as fascinating shrubs and wildflowers such as the rose globe-tulip Directions: From 880 in Oakland, exit and take the Webster Street tunnel into Alameda. Once in Alameda, look for the College of Al- ameda grounds on the right, which are just before the intersection of Webster and Atlantic Ave. At the traffic light, turn right onto Atlantic and follow it all the way into the former air station, where it curves to the right. Turn right at the intersection of Atlantic and Orion, follow Orion 2 blocks, and then turn left at the intersection of Orion and W. Tower Street. Follow W. Tower Street nearly all the way to the end, and turn right onto Monarch and look for the parked cars next to Building 24 (street address is 2401 on building, but it’s hard to see on old hangar buildings) . Bring work gloves and any plant keys; tools are provided. (Calochortus amoenus ) and Fremontia. Sponsored by the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Contact John Rusk, john@rusk.com). Friday, April 18 through Sunday, April 20: Wildflowers of the Central Sierra A field trip to see wildflowers at their peak bloom west and north of Yosemite National Park. Included is a hike to Hite Cove, home to dozens of colorful species. Sponsored by the San Francisco Botani- cal Garden (contact Kitty Fisher, 425-661-1316 x300). Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4: the Mendocino Coast This beautiful stretch of coast is comparable to Pt. Lobos in its rug- ged beauty. There are numerous special habitats including canyons lined with ferns, wind-swept sand dunes, bogs, and pygmy forests. Sponsored by the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Contact John Rusk, john@rusk.com). Glenn also gives private courses. He is offering one to the Feather River area from April 25 to 27. Glenn can be reached at gkeator@ aol.com or 510-527-9801. THE BAY LEAF February 2008 5 Board of Directors Elected Officers President Charli Danielsen 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Vice President Delia Taylor 510-527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com Treasurer Holly Forbes hforbes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 FAX 510-642-5045 Recording Secretary Barbara Malloch Leitner 925-253-8300 bleitner@pacbell.net Corresponding Secretary Laura Baker 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Past President Elaine Jackson 925-372-0687 Elainejx@mindspring.com Education/Outreach Bay Leaf Editor and Web- master Joe Willingham 510-841-4681 pepel 066@comcast.net Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 divaricatum@comcast.net Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 hforbes@berkeley.edu Education Linda Hill 510-849-1624 Lhilllink@aol.com Field Trips Janet Gawthrop Janetg24@excite.com Regional Parks Botanic Garden Liaison Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink. net Grants Sandy McCoy sandymccoy@mindspring . com Hospitality open Membership Elaine P. Jackson 925-372-0687 Elainejx@mindspring.com Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carollbcastro@hotmail. com Plant Sale Interim Chair Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink. net Programs Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink. net Publicity/Media open Conservation Conservation Committee Chair Laura Baker 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation Analyst (Staff) Lech Naumovich 510 734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Stewardship Native Plant Restoration Team Mike Perlmutter 774-279-6416 mperlmutter@audubon. org Native Here Nursery nativehere@ebcnps.org 510-549-0211 Project Manager Charli Danielsen Sales Manager Margot Cunningham Liaison to Board Janice Bray Plant Science Bryophytes John Game51 0-527-7855 jcgame@lbl.gov Rare Plants Heath Bartosh 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Unusual Plants Dianne Lake 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com Vegetation Erin McDermott erinmcd2004@yahoo.com Members at Large Gregg Weber 510-223-3310 Roy West rwest@monocot.com 650-906-1100 Peter Rauch peterar@berkeley.edu 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 (optional) 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 February 2008 issue