January 2011 The Bay Leaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter Alameda & Contra Costa Counties www.ebcnps.org www.groups.google.com/group/ebcnps Don't forget to Vote! Ballots for Chapter Officers are due by January 8 Ballot in December 2010 issue of the Bay Leaf You can include a check for the conservation analyst fund with your ballot! MEMBERS MEETING Going Fire Safe and Native Speakers: Carol Rice and Cheryl Miller Wednesday, January 26, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Most of our native plants and ecosystems have adapted to periodic fire. Our homes and gardens— not so well adapted. If we can't live with today's fire, we need to learn a better way to live without it. Many of California's natural fire regimes occur at relatively frequent intervals with few intense damaging fires. Periodic fires act as a self-sustaining check and balance. The require- ment to suppress fire around our homes challenges us to explore alternative techniques to mimic fire's disturbance. Join fire ecologist Carol Rice and landscape architect Cheryl Miller as they share ways to support native plants and achieve a more fire-safe place to live. They will show how fire manage- ment practices can enhance native plant regimes as well as our homes and gardens in our mutual effort to survive. Carol Rice holds a BS in forestry and an MS in Fire Science and Management and has been consulting in the urban wild- land interface for over 35 years. She has written or presented over 50 technical papers and talks dealing with fire ecology, fire behavior, economics, and planning. Many of these best practices have been compiled into a new book. Managing Fire in the Urban Wildland Interface: Practical Solutions, which she co-authored with Cheryl Miller and Kenneth Blonski. Cheryl Miller is a registered landscape architect in private practice in Oakland. Since the Oakland/ Berkeley hills fire in 1991, she has been active in regionally significant projects that promote fire safety in the urban wildland interface. She has also served on the board of the California Fire Safe Council. 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 Gar- den 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 questions. 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 off ramp, 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 two-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 February 23: Alison Whipple — Exploring components of the historical landscape: From oak woodlands to freshwater tidal wetlands March 23: Ralph and Lisa Shanks — California Indian baskets: New findings in anthropology and botany NEW INVENTORY OF RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS (December 6 - Sacramento, CA) The California Native Plant Society has released an updated version of the Online Inven- tory of Rare and Endangered Plants, a primary data reference for information about the conservation status of over 2,200 of California's rare and endangered plants. The new Online Inventory is available for use at www.rareplants.cnps.org. CNPS Contact: Aaron Sims 916-324-3816. DECEMBER 2010 RESTORATION AT POINT ISABEL Six enthusiastic volunteers turned out on a gray Saturday morning, December 11, to remove hundreds of small radish plants that sprung up after the recent rains on a newly planted stretch of the Bay Trail at Pt. Isabel. We had been pulling larger radish throughout the year but this was the first time we dealt with the winter rain seed bank sprouts. The radish comes out easily and we'll be able to completely clear the entire area in another work party or two. We're optimistic that there will be many fewer sprouts next year. Volunteers planted five blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana ) in the same area as a large and beautiful S. mexicana. shrub which we found on site after removing the wall of French broom ( Genista monspessulana). We also planted out two Rhamnus californica (coffee berry shrubs) which we grew at home from seed collected from a beautiful specimen found on the Trail. The bunch grasses have come back to life, the buckeye sap- lings are in bud , and the lupine is still blooming. All of the plants are thriving and we are spotting many California na- tive plant seedlings. We're finding that Bay Trail users are now often stopping to admire the site and to offer their assistance. Kudos to the EBRPD's Kevin Takei, Bruce Adams, and their colleagues whose consistent support has helped the team improve this stretch of the trail. Jane and Tom Kelly Volunteers weeding. Photo by Jane Kelly 2 THE BAY LEAF January 2011 Point Isabel Work Crew.. Photo by Jane Kelly RESTORATION PROJECTS January restoration sessions, led by Wendy Tokuda Saturday, January 1, 9 am. Skyline Gate, Redwood Regional Park Saturday, January 8, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park Sunday, January 16, 9 am, Sibley Regional Park Directions To Huckleberry and Sibley Regional Park): From Highway 13, exit at Park Boulevard and turn uphill at the traffic light at the end of the ramp. Turn left onto FIELD TRIP Field trip Sunday, January 2, 2:00 pm, to Huddart County Park to see Fetid Adder's Tongue Location: Huddart County Park, 1100 Kings Mountain Road, Woodside (San Mateo County) California. Meet in the parking lot just past the pay station. David Margolies (510-654-0283, 510-393-1858 cell, divaricatum@gmail.net) will lead a hike on the Crystal Springs Trail where Scoliopus bigelovii (fetid adder's tongue, Liliaceae) blooms in early January. (In most locations outside botanical gardens, it blooms in late January or early February.) This is a gentle trail, losing about 200 feet over about 1/2 mile to the creek. We will walk to the creek and then return the same way. It is unlikely that there will be any other flowers out this early, but the fetid adder's tongue's presence tells Mountain Boulevard, so that you proceed north, parallel to 13. Turn right (uphill again) at the traffic light for Snake and Mountain, and follow Snake uphill all the way to its end at the intersection with Skyline. Turn left onto Skyline and follow it north. Huckleberry will be the first parking lot on your right, and the Sibley parking lot is also on the right side, about another half mile north on Skyline. Contact: Janet Gawthrop, janetgawthrop47@gmail.com us that the new flower season has started. (Other plants out of flower will also be identified.) The area is second growth redwood and mixed evergreen forest. How to get there: Go to Woodside: cross the Bay Bridge, get on 1-280 south and take it to the 84 west/ Woodside Road exit. Go west through the town of Woodside. Soon after the main part of the town, take a right onto Kings Mountain Road. The park entrance is on the right after a few miles. Go past the pay station into the main parking lot. We will meet there. Note that you must pay the parking fee even if the station is not staffed (use the envelopes provided). Note: There is poison oak in the park. Poison oak is dangerous even when it has no leaves. Stay on the trail. It will probably be muddy and may be raining. Be prepared. The walk will take place rain or shine. THE BAY LEAF January 2011 3 CONSERVATION ANALYST FUND REPORT Ring in the New Year with a Donation to our Conservation Analyst Fund In the closing days of 2010, our donors brought us 2/3 of the way to our goal of raising the $35,000 that we need to support our Conservation Analyst. A warm thanks goes out to the people listed below whose collective generosity has brought the fund up to $23,603 as of December 12 th . We still have a long way to go to fund this critical portion of our conserva- tion program, and we need your help. We hope to have 100% participation by our membership. Please make a donation and keep this program alive. This past month our Conservation Analyst has been hard at work reviewing the Cowell Ranch EIR and writing our com- ment letter, advising the East Bay Municipal Utility District on its proposed mitigation bank in Pinole Valley, attending public meetings, including the Richmond City Council meet- ing on proposed alternatives to a casino at Point Molate, among many other tasks. Please keep in mind that this work represents 80 hours of time each month devoted solely to protecting East Bay Native Flora. Check out our conserva- tion blog at www.ebcnps.wordpress.com/ for full reports on these and other issues. We are grateful to the following donors for their contributions to the Conservation Analyst Fund. Note: we are updating our membership list to be sure that it reflects those individuals in families that wish to be identified. If we have inadvertently omitted a family member or partner, please contact Member- ship Co-Chairs, Elaine Worthington-Jackson (elainejx@att. net) or Carol Castro (carollbcastro@hotmail.com) to correct the listing. Thank you! Donors to the 2010 Conservation Analyst Fund as of De- cember 12 th Anonymous, John Alcorn, Lisa Ann Anich, Elly and William Bade, Laura Baker and Lewis Lubin, Joe Balciunas, Laura Beckett, Robert Berman, David Bigham and Howard Arendt- son, Liz Bittner, Terry Blair, Susan Blanc, Peter Boff ey, Richard Bogaert, Martha Booz, Barbara Brandiff, Martha Breed, Mary Breunig, Shelagh and Robert Broderson, John Callaway, Rob- ert Case, Norden Cheatham, R. Coats, Patricia Coffey, Carol and Robert Coon, Marjory Craig, Bena Currin, Charlice and John Danielsen, Sally De Becker, Adrienne DeBisschop, Susan Deming, Arthur Dunlop, Christopher Erickson, Barbara Ert- ter. Holly Forbes and Gerald Ford, Norman Frank, Jutta and Gordon Frankie, Claire Gilbert, Marilyn and Amos Goldhaber, Paul Grunland, Judith Gurbaxani, Jessica Hamburger, Mary Ann Hannon, Marguerite Harrell, Mary Ellen Harte, Miao He, Claudia and Scott Hein, Ken Himes, Peter Hopkinson, Grace Hyde, Ashok Jethanandani and Arvind Kumar, Philip John- son, Barbara and Larry Jones, Meredith Kaplan, Susan and Edwin Katibah, Jane and Tom Kelly, Julie Kinder and Kristi Jue, Arti Kirch, Gudrun Kleist and James Morel, Jill Korte, Kathy Kramer, Watson Laetsch, Eve Lednicky, Barbara and Phil Leitner, David and Evelyne Lennette, Edmond Leong, Milo Linaman, Vera Lis, David Loeb, Cinda Mackinnon, Matt Madison, Ingrid Madsen and Victor Rauch, Joan Margaret, David Margolies, William and Karen McClung, Shirley McPheeters, Christina McWhorter, Jon Merkle, Louise Miller, Lynn Miller, Mary Millman, Gregory Moore, Laurie Morrison, Laura and William Moseley, Brian Napolitan, Lech Naumov- ich, Betty Nelson, Linda Newton, Richard O'Donnell, Anne and Charles Olsen, Sharon Ordeman, Elizabeth OShea, Lisa and Andrew Paterson, Anita Pearson, Barbara and Thomas Preston, Margaret Ricker, Gene Rochlin, Judy Schwartz, Su- san Schwartz, Brenda Senturia, Mary Shea, Shirleymae and Igor Skaredoff, Suzanne Skrivanich, Anne Smith, Jennifer Smith, Lincoln Smith, Elizabeth Sojourner, Nicki Spillane, Malcolm Sproul, Jacqueline Steiner, Ruth and Donald Stiver, Emilie Strauss, Ted Tawshunsky, Delia and John Taylor, Carol Thornton, Laurie Urneh, Elizabeth Varnhagen, Jeanne Walpole, Leslie Webster, Berthold Weis, Karen Wetherell, Jo- seph and Doris Willingham, Christina Wistrom and Jeremy Thorsness, Susan Lepore Wijeyesekera, Tamara Wood, Elaine Worthington-Jackson, Roberta Zorzynski NEW EAST BAY NATIVE PLANT 1NDENT1 FI CATION CD "East Bay Native Plants 2011" is a CD that contains photos and descriptions of over 400 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, grasses, ferns, and vines native to Contra Costa and Alameda County. This year, I have been able to make the PDF file easy to navigate as well as adding 80 new species pages and better pictures to existing pages. The CD is $25.00 or $15.00 if you return your old CD for this new updated one. You can purchase the CD at Native Here Nursery. The picture of Clarkia rubicunda on the facing page is from the CD. Janice Bray 4 THE BAY LEAF January 2011 NATIVE HERE January is a great time to plant in the Bay Area! Why not pick out local native plants while supporting the chapter? When you purchase a plant from Native Here you are able to support the chapter while providing habitat for local wildlife. We have a number of annuals. Farewell-to-spring ( Clarkia rubicunda) — shown below in a photo by Janet Bray from her new CD. chick lupine (lupinus microcarpus), blow wives ( Achy - rachaena mollis) will have germinated by early December and more species will be coming along), some in six-packs for $6 and some in 4" pots for $5. We also have lovely shrubs and trees with some growth on them in two to five gallon con- tainers ranging from $13 to $30. Winter is the time shoppers are most likely to find some plants in D-pots ($5 for grasses, $6 for most other plants) or four inch pots (most $5) as well as gallon can shrubs ($8-$10) because we tend to pot things into larger containers by mid-May to help them withstand the heat of summer. Prices at Native Here Nursery include the sales tax. That means the price you are quoted or see on the color coded tag is what you pay with no surprises added on. One reason we do this is that many of our sales are written up by volunteers. This system spares them the burden of calculating percentages and dealing with small change. Prices are in dollar amounts. Another thing about Native Here's pricing is that it has re- mained virtually unchanged since the start of 2008. With the color coded price tagging, some special plants are priced a bit above our base prices of $6 per gallon for grasses, and $8 per gallon for most regular plants. This is in spite of the increased prices we are paying for supplies such as soil, amendments and pots. When you return containers to us, it saves the chapter expense. Containers may be left in the bin at the top of the driveway, or brought in while the nursery is open on Tuesdays noon-3, Fridays 9-noon, and Saturdays 10-2. The nursery is across from the Tilden Park Golf Course on the Berkeley side, at 101 Golf Course Drive. That may be accessed from Shasta Road or from where Centennial Drive intersects Grizzly Peak Blvd. The phone number is 510 549-0211, e-mail is nativehere@ebcnps.org. If you would like to be notified of special events and new plants being offered for sale, send an e-mail requesting to be on our "nursery news" list. THE BAY LEAF January 2011 5 MEMBERSHIP REPORT Meet Alan Fishman (picture taken by Alan's Daughter Joia Fishman) I am a teacher at San Lorenzo High School. My work with a student environmental organization, the Druid Environ- mental Club, and more recently with my Environmental Leadership in Action Course, was inspired by the fact that the district office took down no fewer than twenty-five trees on the campus in a matter of just a few years, without ever replacing them with new plantings. So, a few students and I decided that we would take things in our own hands and plant native trees throughout the campus. I simply asked the head maintenance man where not to plant trees. I asked him if I should bother to get permission. He said if I were to ask for permission, it would take about five years, and the answer most assuredly would be no. So we commenced our planting. I still remember one day I was talking with the principal with a mattock in my hand, and the students were busy digging holes with shovels. We were all planting trees. He never asked any questions like, "Do we have permission from the district office?" This was the beginning of a long adventure. After a few years, we've accomplished many things: We got a grant from Alameda County Public Works Agency (ACPWA) for 18 fifteen gallon native trees to be planted in the old swimming pool area. This initiated our native plant garden (nicknamed by a colleague Fishman Forest). Since then we've developed quite a nice native plant garden. In this near one- acre plot, we have several plant communities represented, including: grasslands, woodlands, riparian, and chaparral. We have name plaques with the botanical and common name for most of the plants. We are presently in the process of in- stalling these plaques. Adjacent to the garden, we have built a nursery with a solar-powered drip system. Three years ago, with some significant assistance from Evan Goldberg, Service Learning Director at the Alameda County Office of Education and my wife, Anita Wah, I developed a service learning class called Environmental Leadership in Action (EL A). This class, aside from continuing with the development of the native plant garden, has been involved with a few environmental actions in the community. We were successful (with the notable support of Assembly Member Mary Hayashi), in getting Caltrans to plant 65 redwoods with a drip system to replace the twenty mature redwoods and over two hundred eucalyptus trees they cut down for the Hwy 238 Widening Project. We also eventually got Ora Loma Sanitary District to allow their residents to do food scrapping. Lastly, we got our school district to buy, albeit a very small amount, recycled paper. Some of our EL A students presented at Hayward City Council and California Energy Commission hearings on the development of two energy plants in Hayward. One of the valuable lessons I've learned from these actions is that sometimes if we do our homework and are prepared, we can be successful; that democracy oc- casionally works. I will never forget when one of the Caltrans representatives said at our planting ceremony, "We were just doing our job, we were widening the freeway as mandated by the voters. However, we never saw what we were doing from the students' eyes. We now do, and the project is better for it." I also learned that students' voices have more impact than adult voices. My students are involved with restoration projects at MLK Park, Aquatic Park, downtown Hayward, and the East Bay Municipal Utility District. Starting with the Druids, we've been involved with assisting and preparing for the EBCNPS Native Plant Sale for the last several years. The students love assisting with the sale, eating the good food that they offer, and of course they learn a lot from both Charli and John Danielsen. It's been a great and ongoing adventure. Alan Fishman New Members Please join us in welcoming our new members who joined in November. Michael McDermott, Emily Geagan, Susan Schumacher, Ocean Ecology Network, Inc., Susan Szabo, Jane Moore, David Sharp, Stella Kennedy, Paul Matzner, Janine Hampton, Jutta Wiemhoff, Douglas Ross, Joshua Sonnenfeld, & Diane Wolcott. As always, a huge thank you to our renewing members. Think Globally, Volunteer locally Elaine Jackson (elianejx@att.net, 925-372-0687) 6 THE BAY LEAF January 2011 Chapter Directory Officers President Delia Barnes Taylor 510-527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com Vice President and Chapter Council Del- egate BNl Hunt wjhunt@astound.net Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bayleaf Mailing Holly Forbes hfomes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 Conservation Recording Secretary Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carollbcastro@hotmail. com Corresponding Secre- tary Janet Gawthrop janetqawthrop47@ gmaiLcom Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Committees Bayleaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Webmaster Joe Willing- ham, Chair 510-788- 4177 pepe1066@comcast. net Laura Baker, Chair 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation analyst Lech Naumovich conservation@ebcnps. org Conservation Blog at www.ebcnps. wordpress.com/ Funds Development Carol Castro, Chair Grant Management Sally de Becker 510-841-6613 sallydebecker@com- cast.net Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetqawthrop47@ gmaiLcom Information Infra- structure Peter Rauch, Chair peterar@berkeley.edu Membership Elaine Jackson, Carol Castro Co-Chairs Volunteer coordinator Delia Taylor volunteer@ebcnps.org Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair rosacalifornica@earth- link.net Publicity (vacant) Rare Plants Heath Bartosh, Chair 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecol- ogy.com Bryophytes John Game 510-527-7855 jcgame@stanford.edu Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com Vegetation Erin McDermott, Chair erinmcd2004@yahoo. comcom Outreach (vacant) Education (vacant) EBCNPS Sponsored Activities Book & Poster Sales Joanne Orengo greentheglobe@juno. com Grant Awards Sandy McCoy sandymccoy@mind- spring.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 Manager — Charli Danielsen nativehere@ebcnps.org Sales — Margot Cun- ningham bunchgrassmarg@ gmaiLcom 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. 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. ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Docent Training 2011 Now Enrolling Become a UCBG Docent! We educate thousands of school children and adults each year about plants and the natural environment. The newly revised program includes 24 sessions and will run January 10 through April 18, 2011 on Mondays & Thursdays, 1-4 pm. Upon successful completion of the training program and requirements, the commitment for leading tours is an average of two tours per month for adults and school-aged children for at least one year post gradua- tion. Tours are seasonal; our heaviest months are in the fall and spring. We work with your schedule. Fee: $250 (includes one-year Individual UCBG membership), $225 members. For more information about volunteering, and to apply for Docent Training, call the Volunteer Coordinator at 510-643-7265 or email perry@berkeley.edu. Volunteer Coordinator, Garden Shop co-manager UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley CA 94720-5045 Phone: 510-643-7265, Fax: 510-642-5045 http:/ / www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu botanical discoveries, all emphasizing the northern part of California. Saturday, February 12th, 2011, 8 am - 7 pm International House, UC Berkeley Register and submit abstracts online at www.bacbs2011.org. Abstract deadline is Jan. 14, 2011. Golden Trout Wilderness Botanical Workshop: Flora and Natural History of the Southern Sierra. July 3-9, 2011 at Golden Trout Wilderness Camp. Instructors: Tim Thomas, Pam McKay and Paul Collins. Workshop Organizer: Susan D'Alcamo. Spend the week exploring high Sierra alpine habitats. Daily guided hikes and interpretive talks will be led by our experi- enced trip leaders. Lectures, slide shows and an opportunity to key plants with dissecting scopes will fill the evenings. The camp is at 10,000 ft., three miles from trailhead parking. Cost: $525.00 (includes meals from Sunday dinner through Saturday lunch). For information, brochure, and registration contact: Susan D'Alcamo: sdalcamo@calacademy.org, cell 925-899-0719. Registration deadline: March 15, 2011 13th Annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium THE BAY LEAF January 2011 7 California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Oakland, CA Permit No. 2018 Time Value January 201 1 issue CALENDAR OF EVENTS Restoration, (see page 3). Saturday, January 1, 9 am. Skyline Gate, Redwood Regional Park. Saturday, January 8, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park. Sunday, January 9, 9 am, Sibley Regional Park. Field Trip (see page 3). Sunday, January 2, 2:00 pm: Huddart County Park. Native Here Nursery (see page 5). Tuesdays noon-3, Fridays 9-noon, and Saturdays 10-2, but we will be closed Saturday, January 1. January Board Meeting: January 19, 2011, 6:30 pm, at the home of David Bigharn and Howard Arendtson, 1542 La Lorna, Berkeley. David's office is the back house, the meeting will be in the front house. Chapter Board Elections: please mail your ballot so it arrives by January 8 For late breaking news and events, join the chapter announcement mailing list by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/ebcnpsand clicking on Join this group. Email traffic is low and limited to official chapter announcements. For the latest activities of the Conservation Committee check out http://ebcnps.wordpress.com/. You can add yourself to the CNPS eNewletter mailing list for current news about CNPS. The mailings are approximately monthly. Look under Publications on the cnps.org website or go to https://cnps.org/cnps/publications/news/index.php. Membership Application and Renewal Form Name Address Zip Telephone Email I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Individual, $45 Family, Library, Group or International, $75 Plant lover, $100 Patron, $300 Benefactor, $600 Mariposa Lily, $1500 Limited Income or student, $25.00 Other Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento CA 95816