September 2011 r *\ The Bay Leaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter Alameda & Contra Costa Counties www.ebcnps.org www.groups.google.com/group/ebcnps V MEMBERSHIP MEETING Re-imagining the Califor- nia Lawn Speaker: Bart O'Brien Wednesday, September 28, 7:30 pm Location: Auditorium, Orin- da Public Library (directions below) Lawns, those unimaginative green carpets of yesteryear, consume so many resources (time, money, water, fertil- izers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides) that many people are looking for smart- er alternatives. Bart O'Brien, co-author of the recently published Reimagining the California Lawn (Cachuma Press, 2011), will present several exciting design strategies that homeowners and gardeners may consider instead of lawns, along with some of the best California native plants to enliven those designs. Turn your flat, green, ecological desert into a three-dimensional paradise that will engage your senses! Copies of the book will be available for purchase after the presentation. Bart C. O'Brien is Director of Special Projects at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA. He is a noted authority on the flora of California and northern Baja Cali- fornia, Mexico, and is an accomplished collector, grower, photographer, lecturer, and author. He is co-author of two additional recent books on gardening with native plants: the award-winning California Native Plants for the Garden (2005), and the bilingual Care and Maintenance of Southern California Native Plant Gardens (2006). East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Auditorium of the Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Auditorium is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Auditorium opens at 7:00 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. 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 October 26: TBA November 16: Bob and Martha Sikora — The Pacific Crest Trail January 25: Bruce Baldwin— What Does the New Jepson Manual Mean for California Floristics Rf IMS CM II OF'NI V l, AWN' SCOTT FLEMING (1923-201 1), Scott, with his wife Jenny, was among the founding members of CNPS in 1965, and became a fellow of the California Native Plant Society in 1985 (Article and picture in April, 1985 issue of Fremontia). Scott was active in statewide CNPS as treasurer and long-time legal advisor where he brought creative think- ing to solve the Society's early financial growing pains, as well as entry into the sales of plant posters. He was a strong advocate for the conservation of California's native plants and wild rivers. A lawyer by training, Scott used his skills putting together, with others, the Kaiser-Permanente Health Program, and helped to found the Planning and Conservation League, with which he worked tirelessly promoting conserva- tion activities. Scott was an avid white-water kayaker who also enjoyed hiking and camping. Scott and Jenny, who died some years ago, are survived by daughters India and Hilari as well as three grand daughters. Charli Danielsen Reflection by John Danielsen: I first met Scott on one of our chapter's weekend hikes to discover the wonders of the Bay Area's native flora. We also discovered that we worked for the same company in Oakland, Kaiser, and that our spouses were good friends. Scott and Jenny were a wonderful and inspiring team who warmly welcomed my wife Charli and me into their home and family. They continued over many decades to provide this hospitality to other CNPSers from all over the state in need of a good sleep-over while attending the many chapter and state CNPS board meetings, conservation strategy and planning sessions in Berkeley or those hosted at their home. Scott loved to travel on field trips to the far corners of the state, and we shared this passion with Scott and Jenny. Scott also enjoyed sharing meals and conversation with friends, FIELD TRIPS Surveys for Lange's metalmark butterflies at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge: If you like butterflies and heat, the US Fish & Wildlife Service will appreciate your help counting Lange's metalmark butterflies at any or all of its surveys at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Training will be pro- vided as to spotting Lange's metalmarks and other common species at the dunes, but you should be sure to bring a lot of water and a hat. If you have gaiters, you might want to bring them to keep out thistles and ripgut brome seeds, but there will likely be some long gaiters to loan. Most surveys will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays during August and September. If you are interested, please e-mail Susan Euing at susan_euing@yahoo.com. Sunday, September 11, Claremont Canyon butterfly trip, 11:00 am-l:00 pm. Co-sponsored with Yerba Buena CNPS: The wet, windy May weather cancelled both official field trip dates, but we're back! On the hike, we will likely see three Vanessa species (American, west coast and painted ladies). EARLY CNPS SUPPORTER and he was an expert chef with his famous in-house smoke oven. When Scott decided to step down as state CNPS trea- surer, Scott asked me to take on the treasurer position. Scott was always ready to provide good and insightful help as CNPS nearly doubled in size over the next few years. Scott was equipped with that unique quality to be able to listen carefully to what the problem of the moment appeared to be, then rephrase in a way that helped others understand it and then suggest creative solutions. I often think of a raft trip we took down the Colorado River in the early 1990s. Scott and I hosted about 25 people to take a two week rubber raft trip through most of the white water available to boaters. We were in small rafts holding about 5 persons, each. At one point on the river we were faced with monstrous waves going over Lava Falls, observing these from the banks of the river, one person commented "holy smokes, I am not going over those," in reply, Scott said, "watch me, I am going over them in a kayak!" Well, we all watched Scott go and make it, so the rest of us followed, with much adven- ture. Scott was capable, fearless, and expert on these trips, wonderful qualities in a friend and colleague. Scott and Jenny loved to garden, well truth be told, perhaps Scott spent some of the garden time doing kayak roll-overs in the pool. While Scott was the prime builder of the garden infrastructure, Jenny took the lead in acquiring the plants; through this teamwork they created a home garden which is one of the signature native plant gardens in the Bay Area. The effort to create their garden, plant by plant and rock by rock, over many years also reflected the dedicated plant conservation ethic they both shared and engendered within CNPS. And as we remember our dear friends, one legacy of their love and sharing lives on in the beautiful garden they generously shared with all. plenty of skippers, and possibly some migrating Monarchs. Lepidopterist Liam O'Brien will walk you through Butterflies 101 and give tips on identifying butterfly species, plus an un- derstanding of the close relationship each species has with its host plant(s). If you want a preview of Claremont Canyon's flora and fauna, go to www.nhwildlife.net, compiled by local naturalist Kay Loughman. We might encounter steep or rough terrain, so sturdy shoes and a walking stick are recommended. Because parking is scarce, we will meet at Rockridge BART in the parking lot, near the escalators, to form carpools. From Highway 24 eastbound, exit at Claremont Avenue, turn left at the end of the ramp onto Claremont. Proceed east on Clare- mont several blocks, and then turn right (south) onto College Avenue. The BART station is at the Highway 24 overpass above College Ave. Butterflies are out only when it's sunny, so overcast skies and/ or stiff breezes will cancel. If you have questions, please contact Liam O'Brien at liammail56@yahoo. com or 415-863-1212. 2 THE BAY LEAF September 2011 RESTORATION PROJECTS First Saturday of each month at Pt. Isabel on the Bay Trail. Our hours are 10 am to 2 pm. In October 2011 we will be at Pt. Isbabel on the second Saturday of the month rather than the first, since the first Saturday is day one of two of the annual CNPS Plant Fair. We remove invasive plants and re-vegetate with native plants grown from plants found at the site. We are located at the end of Rydin Road just off the 1-580 next to Hoffman Marsh. Thirteen volunteers came out to Pt. Isabel to weed on August 6, yet another foggy summer day in the East Bay. We are monitoring the weed succession along with the recolonization underway by native plants. For example, we 7 ve successfully removed the radish from the planted site and the bindweed has increased in number and size. At the same time, patches of picklewood (Salicomia virginica) and saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) are now popping up in the cleared areas where none had been seen before. A new volunteer, Pam, tackled the bindweed, carefully pulling it away from the native plants and digging it out by its deep roots. Pam, who has a Masters Degree in entomology, was pleased to see the bumblebee population working alongside her in the California poppies (Eschscholzia calif omica). Another new volunteer, Brett, and returning volunteers from Black & Veatch Engineering, as well as our dedicated core team removed a huge infestation of invasive pea that was suf- focating a beautiful stand of coffee berry (Rhamnus califomica) and several coyote bush ( Baccharis pilularis Baccharis pilularis). They stacked the debris in 5 huge piles along the trail and we will need a 20ft dumpster in order to dispose of it. Brett also removed a massive montbretia and the team pulled out rad- ish and mustard as they worked on the invasive pea. Bruce Adams from the EBRPD brought us all the tools and took Photos of Pt. Isabel volunteers by Jane Kelly. away the garbage we found in the weeds. This is the first work party we've conducted with the support of newly appointed EBRPD Supervisor, Scott Possin, and we much appreciate his and his staff's can-do attitude and assistance. Jane and Tom Kelly kyotousa@sbcglobal.net, 510-684-6484. Saturday, September 3 at 9 am. Redwood Regional Park (Skyline Gate) Saturday, September 10 at 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park Sunday, September 18 at 9:00 am, Sibley Regional Park See the July- August issue of the Bay Leaf for directions. Janet Gawthrop janetgawthrop47@gmail.com September Stewardship in Garber Park The Garber Park Stewards are a local volunteer group dedi- cated to the preservation and restoration of the park's natural woodland and wetland resources. We conduct ongoing Stew- ardship sessions: the 1st Tuesday of the month and the 3rd Saturday of the month. Meet at the Evergreen Lane Entrance. Directions: The nearest address is 136 Evergreen Lane, Berkeley. From Alvarado Road take Slater Lane, then right on Evergreen Lane. The entrance is at the end of the street. For more specific directions, more information, or questions contact Shelagh at garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit our blog: www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com The trails in Garber can be steep and the vegetation dense, so wear long sleeves and pants and sturdy boots or shoes with treads. THE BAY LEAF September 2011 3 MEMBERSHIP REPORT I discovered that you could get to Tilden, Redwood, and Joaquin Miller parks by bus, so I started going to these 3 parks over and over again, seeing the same plants in all their differ- ent stages. I soon learned most of the common ones, and thus was born my love for our local plants and the beginning of my journey to becoming an expert on East Bay vegetation. I am largely self-taught and have a pretty eclectic background. I took a few courses, continued to go on field trips, and mer- cilessly pestered several local botanists over the years. But mostly I keyed out things for myself. I had Munz's California Flora checked out of the Albany Library for almost 2 years, returning it occasionally and then checking it out again a week or two later. I botanized in the East Bay hills while my children were young, but eventually ventured to other parts of the East Bay once we got a second car. Once a year I went backpacking to the Trinity Mountains or the Sierras, but I always loved coming home to the vegetation of the East Bay. Meet Dianne Lake, EBC Unusual Plants Chair and local art- ist. (The photo of Diane is by her husband, William Michael Lake.) I am a botanical consultant specializing in East Bay vegeta- tion. I joined CNPS in the late 1970 , s, became co-chair of the Rare Plant Committee in 1988, and Unusual Plants Chair in 1989. 1 have been co-ordinating the tracking of our unusual plants for the past 22 years. ("Unusual plants" are those that are rare locally but not rare statewide.) I became interested in plants at a very young age. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but spent summers at my grand- mother's cottage in rural Illinois, surrounded by fields of daisies. Back in the suburbs the rest of the year, there were many family excursions to nearby Morton Arboretum. Many of my happiest childhood memories revolve around these two plant-oriented places. As I grew up and got involved in other things, my love of nature got pushed to the back burner. But every now and then I found the time to go for a walk in the woods, and whenever I did, it always brought me a wonderful combination of awe, excitement, happiness, and calm. When my husband and I moved to California in 1976 and started raising a family, I found out about CNPS and the regional park district and went on field trips and wildflower walks when I could. But life was busy and I could only snatch a bit of time here and there. Then one day it suddenly hit me that, for me, hiking was not a luxury, but a basic necessity for my sanity and emotional well-being. Over the years I continued exploring all corners of the East Bay. In the mid-1980's I started participating in the East Bay CNPS rare plant surveys, which took place every Sunday year-round. I quickly became a regular and eventually became co-chair of the Rare Plant Committee with Brad Olson. On our surveys we noticed that certain native plants occurred everywhere, but others not so much. In fact some plants seemed even rarer than the rare plants we were surveying. I volunteered to review the plant lists from our past surveys and make a list of the more unusual plants. This led to check- ing other plant lists, talking to local botanists, and eventually checking herbarium records. What we thought would be a list of perhaps 50 or so "unusual" plants wound up being 865 species long! We started a database and in 1991 I put out the first report of Unusual and Significant Plants of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Research and monitoring has continued over the years, thanks to a large cadre of CNPS volunteers, and the 8 th edition of this report just came out last year. As I've gotten older and my body has started giving out, I don't hike as much as I used to. But, luckily, several years ago I found the magic of photography - not just of plants but of everything -so now I've developed a new passion. My husband and I started a photography business and we have been selling our work at art fairs around the East Bay. We make notecards from our photographs as well, and I have also started printing my photographs on silk to make small purses. I also discovered jewelry-making a few years ago and have added that to the mix. 4 THE BAY LEAF September 2011 I think that my love of plants and nature has carried over into this new career path. I am very influenced by the diversity of nature with all of its different colors, textures, and shapes combining to make one beautiful image that evokes a feeling of great beauty and peace. I think I subconsciously try to evoke that in my artwork and I hope that it shows. I will be one of the art vendors at the Plant Fair coming up next month at Native Here (Oct. 1 and 2), and I hope that you will stop by to see my work and say hello. Dianne Lake Pinole, California Please join us in welcoming our new members for June; Liede- Marie Haitsma and Kathleen Gilcrest. As always, a huge thank you to our renewing members Volunteers needed to help at our Plant Fair 2011 October 1 st and 2 nd , email or call me elainejx@att.net, 925-372-0687 PLANT FAIR, OCTOBER 1 AND The Plant Fair will be on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2. See the enclosed poster and back of poster for in- formation. Here we list some volunteer opportunities before and during the fair. Native Here Plant Inventory for Plant Fair In order to post a fairly accurate plant inventory in mid September so folks can get an idea of what will be available before and during the Plant Fair, Native Here will need help compiling the inventory. Come to the nursery on Saturday, September 3 any time from 9 am on. Inventory will be done by geographic section, then I will compile that into the master alphabetical inventory to post on the web site. The more help, the faster the job will be completed. It's also a great way to preview what's on hand for your shopping convenience, and especially helpful to those who are volunteering to help sell plants at the Fair. Charli Danielsen Refreshments for Volunteers To show our appreciation for the Plant Fair's many in- dispensible volunteers. Native Here offers lunch and refreshments— some healthy and some indulgent. Last year was my first opportunity to help the Fair in this way, and the gratitude of the volunteers is its own reward. It is a two way street called Appreciation! Come share the fun with me. Can you help procure items, and/or help with set up, service and break down? If so, please contact Nita Stull at 510-262-0279 or nita_stull@sbcglobal.net. Nita Stull Announcement The Membership Chair position will soon be vacant. If you are looking for a fun, fulfilling, self-directed volunteer op- portunity, this position is for you. Email or call me for more information elainejx@att.net, 925-372-0687 Reminders • Still looking for join dates prior to 1986 • Outreach Coordinator position still vacant • Restoration Chair, vacant • Be sure and visit our updated membership page at http:/ / ebcnps.org/ index.php/ membership/ Elaine Jackson 2 Volunteers needed to prepare signs for the Plant Fair If you'd like to help make signs for internal use at the Fair, come in any Tuesday afternoon between noon and 3 pm. We also need people to help put signs up the week or two before the Fair, as well as the Friday before the Fair and to take them down following the Fair. Signs will be posted at entrances and approaches to Tilden Park, so having helpers coming from all directions will make the job easier. Steve Toby Information about the chapter and related organizations. This year for the first time, all the Chapter's standing com- mittees have been asked to contribute one-panel posters describing their activities. We do a lot and most people who read them will probably learn about something new. Other conservation organizations have also been invited to bring a poster and at least eight are expected. Look for the posters all around the nursery during the Plant Fair. Lesley Hunt Cashiering and Tallying at the Native Plant Fair: Volunteers interested in helping with writing up sales for the plant fair can come by on Tuesdays between noon and 3 pm or Saturdays between 10 am and 2 pm and I'll show you how to do it. We'll be accepting credit and debit cards this year so some procedures will be different. While you're at the nursery you can check out our plants and maybe spot some tadpoles or froglets in some of our plant tubs. Margot Cunningham THE BAY LEAF September 2011 5 CONTRA COSTA RESTORATION PROJECTS Contra Costa Restoration Opportunities In an effort to offer our Contra Costa members more opportunities to participate in the work of CNPS, three EB- CNPS board members who lead or assist with restoration efforts in Contra Costa County are inviting CNPS members to volunteer with their projects. Come join us to learn about our native plants, hear about local environmental issues, meet new friends, and have a good time doing it. John Muir National Historical Site (Martinez): There are several projects associated with the John Muir National Historical Site here in Martinez. One site, now called Strentzel Meadow, is located on the back side of Mount Wanda off Alhambra Valley Rd. It was part of the Strain Ranch and had been used as a horse pasture for years. When the National Park Service purchased the ranch, which was at one time part of the Muir family's land, there was a problem with flooding and run off into the local neighborhood and creek. The NPS agreed to work with Contra Costa County, Friends of Alhambra Creek, and others to redirect the water flow off the mountain into a meandering stream bed through the pasture into an underground drain pipe to Alhambra Creek. The task that Friends of Alhambra Creek and others took on was to catch as much silt and debris as possible in the meadow stream before the water ran into the pipe to the creek, thus creating a perfect opportunity to reclaim Strentzel Meadow by planting local native forbs, trees, grasses, rushes, etc. We started working the site around 2003 and have experienced many, many, changes since. We have a lot of fun weeding, clearing cages around our tree plantings, trimming baccharis, and experimenting with different grass plantings. When we are tired of doing those things we saunter up the backside of Mount Wanda and catch the Carquinez Strait breezes. The Meadow is a beautiful, peaceful place. Come join me on most 1 st and 3 rd Saturdays of the month, 9am till noon. Best to contact me first, or get on my email list for workday announcements, elainejx@att.net, 925-372-0687 Elaine Jackson Save Mount Diablo's DiRT (Diablo Restoration Team): DiRT helps to restore properties around Mt. Diablo before they're turned over to park systems for public access. Volunteers weed, water, plant, clean and build. Whether you are interested in serving your community, getting a workout or just being in the great outdoors, DiRT has what you are looking for. Save Mount Diablo has a number of stewardship and restoration opportunities available in the Mount Diablo region. For example, DiRT has planted and is maintaining 150 oak and buckeye sites at SMD's 320-acre Irish Canyon property near Clayton, and is restoring native grassland at 208-acre Mangini Ranch near Concord. A more intensive project is at one of SMD's Marsh Creek properties east of the mountain, designed by CNPS' Heath Bartosh. In 2009, DiRT volunteers planted fourteen different species totaling over 500 native plants at the Marsh Creek IV property. Marsh Creek IV is a 3-acre parcel along Marsh Creek Road that Save Mount Diablo acquired in 2008. With Marsh Creek flowing across the property, maintaining a healthy riparian habitat with high resource values is an important step in restoring the property by widening out and enhancing the riparian woodland. Your help is needed weeding and watering to make sure the project is a success. You'll be carrying 1 gal. jugs (8 lbs) to each of the planting sites walking on uneven ground so wear long pants and sturdy shoes. Bring water, sun protection and a hand trowel if you have one, we'll provide gloves. Come see how you can help the transformation of a non-native weed-infested stream bank back to its natural state. Marsh Creek IV is located at 3240 Aspara Dr., Clayton CA 94517. We'11 meet 9am-noon on Saturday August 27th, Sunday September 18th, and Saturday October 29th. Contact Heath Bartosh at hbartosh@nomadecology.com for more information or future dates. Heath Bartosh Walnut Creek Open Space: The Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation has done habitat restoration in the City of Walnut Creek's Open Space since 1991, when we started planting acorns to replace our missing oaks. Recently we have moved to doing projects that try to restore all components of an ecosystem. The Bayberry project began in earnest in 2008 when we deepened an old ranch pond to encourage red-legged frogs to colonize it. We found some remnant populations of native plants and are knitting them together to create both riparian and upland habitat. We've been rewarded with not only greater numbers and variety of native plants, but a growing list of wildlife that uses them. There's a lot of satisfaction in finding that a hard-to-grow plant is prospering, or seeing that the pond can support a mallard family in just three years. Our work is centered around our restoration site at Bayberry Pond on Time Ridge North and our native plant nursery, although we work at other sites in the Open Space as well. Our activities include propagating from our own seeds and other nursery tasks, planting on site, weeding, and site preparation. We meet on Tuesdays 9: 00-noon; there is no obligation to attend every week. Other groups work at different sites and times. If you are interested in joining us, contact Fesley Hunt at lesleyh@wcosf.org or 925-937-6791. Lesley Hunt 6 THE BAY LEAF September 2011 Chapter Directory Officers President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns. com, 1 544 La Loma, Berkeley, CA 94708, 510-843-4247 Vice President and Chap- ter Council Delegate Bill Hunt wjhunt@astound.net Recording Secretary Tina Wistrom cmwistrom@yahoo.com, 510- 207-0370 Corresponding Secretary Christine Pyers idoradesign@gmail.com Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Committees Bayleaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web- master Chair Joe Willingham 510-788-4177 pepel 066@comcast.net Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bayleaf Mailing Holly Forbes hforbes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 Conservation Laura Baker, Chair 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation Analyst Mack Casterman conservation@ebcnps. org 510-734-0335 Funds Development Carol Castro, Chair carolbcastro@hotmail. com Grant Management Sally de Becker 510-841-6613 sallydebecker@comcast. net Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Hospitality Howard Julien Arendt- son, Chair 510-548-7400 howard@hjuliendesigns. com Information Infrastruc- ture Peter Rauch, Chair peterar@berkeley.edu Membership Co-Chairs Elaine Jackson elainejx@att.net Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carolbcastro@hotmail. com 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, Chair 510-527-7855 jcgame@stanford.edu Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com EBCNPS Sponsored Activities Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 Manager — Charli Dan- ielsen nativehere@ebcnps.org Sales — Margot Cunning- ham bunchgrassmarg@gmail. com Plant Fair Charli Danielsen, Chair 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Lesley Hunt, Native Here/ Plant Fair-East Bay Chapter Board liaison 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net 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 Commit- tee Chairs serve on the Board. Strenzel Meadow crew Photo by Elaine Jackson Weeding a one-year-old native grass patch Photo by Leslie Hunt Weeding around the roses at Bayberry Pond Photo by Leslie Hunt Planting a blue elderberry at Marsh Creek Photo by Heath Bartosh THE BAY LEAF September 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 September 201 1 issue CALENDAR OF EVENTS Membership Meeting Wednesday, September 28, 7:30 pm. Auditorium, Orinda Public Library Re-imagining the California Lawn, Speaker: Bart O'Brien Plant Fair, see inserted poster front and back and the article on page 3 for information about the Plant Fair October 1 and 2 Field Trips, see page 2 Surveys for Lange's metalmark butterflies at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, see page 2 for dates and times. Sunday, September 11, 11:00 am-l:00 pm, Claremont Canyon butterfly trip. Restoration, see page 3 First Saturday of each month, 10 am to 2 pm, Pt. Isabel on the Bay Trail. Saturday, September 3 at 9 am. Redwood Regional Park (Skyline Gate) Saturday, September 10 at 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park Sunday, September 18 at 9:00 am, Sibley Regional Park Contra Costa Restoration Projects, see page 6 for projects, dates and times 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 California Native Plant .Society East Bay Chapter I I NATIVE PLANT FAIR Saturday October 1,10 am-3 pm Sunday October 2, noon-3 pm/J Native Here Nursery 101 Golf CoursF Drive, Tilden Park, Berkeley (Across the street from the Tilden Golf Course Entrance) Special Plants Available at Plant Fair While the nursery is open for sales year-round, there are some plants we hold and don't offer for sale until the Plant Fair. This year we will have Iris, some identified as to flower color/ form, several species of local ferns, and some huckleberry (V actinium ovatum) plants. Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum), California wild grape ( Vitus califomica), Dutchman's pipevine (Aristolochia califomica) often hard to find, are numerous enough that some are for sale now, and there will be plenty for the Plant Fair. Plants often asked for that are also abundant this year include checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora), woodland strawberry ( Fragaria vesca) and Yerba Buena ( Clinopodium douglasii [ Satureja douglasii]). Learn the Current Names of Local Natives The CD East Bay Native Plants will be available in updated form. This year it will be especially valuable as plants may be found by the names used in the 2011 edition of the Jepson Manual and the names we became familiar with in the 1993 edition. This year's CD will be easier to use and will con- tain even more of our local plants that last year's. Pricing, Methods of Payment, and Discount Policy Plant prices are indicated by colored tags, and large charts indicating the prices are posted throughout the nursery. Red tags indicate $5, orange tags $6, blue tags $8, lavender tags $10, yellow tags $13, green tags $30. Visa, Master Card and Discover cards may be used to pay if the total exceeds $20. Debit cards are also honored. How- ever, there is only one machine to process cards, so if you'd like to check out quickly, bring your checkbook or cash to the Plant Fair. It will be easier to pay separately at the various vendor stalls as each vendor keeps track of sales at their booth. Although Native Here offers volume discounts and profes- sional discounts throughout the year, no percentage dis- counts will be available during the Fair. Professionals and those planning large projects are encouraged to come in during regular nursery hours during September, and again after the Plant Fair. (Do your shopping in September, then volunteer to help sell plants at the Fair). Because we'd like to encourage the use of redberry in inland gardens, the first landscaper or home gardener to purchase ten or more of our Rhamnus ilicifolia from Liver- more will get them for half price in September! This offer ends the morning before the Plant Fair. Boxes for transporting your plants home from the Fair You may want to have boxes or protective tarps in your car to bring your plants home, but don't bring them in to the nursery on Fair Day unless you plan to hand carry your plants down the hill. We have special flats for transporting plants in the "mule", and our holding area will help amass your order while you shop, enjoy the speakers, peruse the displays, and participate in the contests. Container Plant Contest at the Plant Fair Many California natives grow beautifully in a pot. Bring your favorite(s) to show at the fair! The pots should not be too heavy. Contestants must transport them to the display area. Entries may be brought to the nursery on the first day of the fair or during regular hours the week before: Saturday, September 24; Tuesday, September 27, or Friday, September 30. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at 2 pm Sunday, October 2. Hat Show/Contest Imagine a hat decorated with yarrow, farewell to spring, and jaunty grasses. I have these flowers and more drying for us to create some fun hats at the fair. Dry your own, use fresh material, anything goes as long as it is a California na- tive. Bark, twigs, berries, fall foliage, and even lichens can be used. On the day of the fair, you can bring or wear a hat decorat- ed at home. OR bring an undecorated hat and we will have materials to use at the fair. I plan to visit some second hand shops to pick up some inexpensive hats to have on hand. You are welcome to bring hats and plant materials to share. Bring your creation to the display area to enter it in the con- test. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at 2 pm Sunday, October 2. For more information contact Delia Taylor 510 527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com. Vendors Talented vendors who create nature-related items will enrich the Plant Fair. Heidi Rand will display unique artwork and mixed media crafts. Catlin Blair Harvey will offer jewelry and sculptures inspired by the wild rivers and beaches of Northern California. Local artist/ photographer Dianne Lake will bring photos of the Bay Area that capture its special beauty and light. Seedy Friends will offer seeds from an unmatched diversity of California native plants. Janice Bray will sell the 4th edition of the CD East Bay Na- tive Plants 2011-2012. Cinda Mackinnon will bring calen- dars, cards, photographs, and coasters that display native wildflowers. Free Talks in the Outdoor Classroom Saturday, October 1, 1 pm: "Restoring a Native Garden Based on California Historical Ecology", Laura Cunning- ham, artist, natural science illustrator, naturalist, author of A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California, www.a- state-of-change .com. Sunday, October 2, 1 pm: "The Biggest Trees in the World: The Phenomenal and Forgotten Stories of the Vanished Oakland, California, Redwoods", Richard Schwartz, local historian, storyteller, author Berkeley 1900: Daily Life at the Turn of the Century; Eccentrics, Heroes, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley; and Earthquake Exodus, 1906: Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees, www.richardschwartz.info.