Mimulus Memo California Native Plant Society — Kern County Chapter May - June 2008 Hello Fellow Members I am writing on behalf of the Kern Chapter ofCNPS. The cost of paper, printing, and stamps to mail the Mimulus Memo is continuing to rise; therefore, we are asking your help in keeping the cost to a minimum. I know you have heard these words by other organizations, but the Kern Chapter of CNPS is not able to escape the same doom. Are you willing to have the Mimulus Memo put in your “email” box instead of your “snail mail” box? This trial offer will not expire; just reply soon, so you don’t miss the next issue due the first part of July. Just think, you will see the newsletter before it hits the post office, you will help save a few valuable trees, you won’t have it stolen from your mailbox, you won’t miss activities because it arrived after the dates listed, and you will help save money for much needed education, conservation, and public events. How it will work The Mimulus Memo Newsletter Editor, Stephen Cooley, will send you an email stating that the new Mimulus Memo is on the Internet site www.kerncnps.org . Then you click the link and there you are - new articles, announcements, field trips, etc., and IN COLOR! This would mean you could read the Mimulus Memo before anyone else. Simply copy and paste this line in an email to tloveanimals@bak.rr.com (Yvonne Turkal) “YES, PLEASE SEND THE MIMULUS MEMO VIA AN EMAIL LINK TO (Include your name and email address you want it sent to) This is a trial offer that you can change at a later date if you should desire. WELCOME NEW MEMBER Margaret Duriga AND WELCOME BACK TO ALL OF OUR RENEWING MEMBERS! KERN CNPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers President Lucy Clark Vice President Debby Kroeger Treasurer Harris Morris Secretary Laura Stockton Committee Chairs Field trip Chairs Yvonne Turkal Don Turkal Newsletter Chairs Stephen Cooley Linda Cooley Membership Chairs Linda Cooley Clyde Golden Plant Sale Chairs Debby Kroeger Bonnie East Program Chairs OPEN Hospitality Sasha Honig Publicity Debby Kroeger Web Master Stephen Cooley Plant Identification Denis Kearns Conservation OPEN Rare Plants OPEN Plant Communities Mary Warters Yvonne Turkal 1 THANK YOU! Ellen Cypher- responding to CNPS Rare Plant Questionnaire for our chapter Aaron Wentzel and Lucy Clark- Apes at Sand Ridge Removing Sahara Mustard Karen Meeks, Audrey Cochran, Sasha Honig, and Linda Cooley - Meeting refreshments Denis Kearns-GREAT plant ID sessions Ruth and David Schales, Bonnie East - Native Garden Tour Lorraine Unger, Debby Kroeger, Bonnie East, Sasha Honig, Nancy Nies, Lucy Clark - BC Gardenfest Laura Stockton-Educational Posters Marya Miller - Kern River Preserve Spring Nature Festival David Schwartz - his program and fun and instructive field trip to see xeric ferns Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis, Bignoniaceae by Don Turkal California Native Plants for the Garden states, “Desert willow is simply the best summer-blooming large shrub or small tree that California has to offer. 11 Anyone who is familiar with this plant would be hard pressed to dispute this statement. It has narrow willow-like leaves that range in color from gray-green to rich dark-green. Inflorescences are terminal clusters of showy flowers that may be white, pink, lavender, or burgundy with the general structure of those in the Scrophulariaceae family. I can remember the first time I saw this beautiful specimen at the California Living Museum in full bloom. My first thought was, WOW! What kind of willow is this with such striking snapdragon-like flowers? Could it be a willow/figwort hybrid? haha Desert willow is pest and disease free, ranges in height from 12 to 20 feet, is drought tolerant, and loves sun and heat. It is one of the most adaptable and easily grown of California’s native plants. Gee, I think I just talked myself into adding one to my backyard. 2 CHAPTER MEETINGS AND PROGRAM Tuesday, May 20 Plants of the Anza Borrego Speaker: Fletcher Linton Place: Lake Room, Beale memorial Library, 701 Truxton Avenue, Bakersfield Refreshments will be served. 6:00pm Plant Identification Workshop We will have plants to key, or bring a plant you have wondered about. Bring your Twisselmann-Moe or Jepson Manual, and a loop, if you have one. We will bring extra books, if you need one. This is your opportunity to learn how to use a floral key to identify plants! This section of our meeting is led by Denis Kearns, by all reports a great teacher. 7:00pm Plants of the Anza Borrego Fletcher Linton, Botanist on the Sequoia National Forest, will present our program on Sonoran Desert plants, specifically of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County. Wet years yield flowers in profusion, so expect to be wowed by his photos from the last great wet year, 2005! Perhaps you will see a plant you would like in your garden. Those of you who attended Fletcher’s last program for us on the rare plants of the southern Sierra, will remember his excellent photographic skills. KERN CNPS BOARD MEETING Wednesday, June 25 5:30 pm The Garden Spot All members are invited to attend our bi-monthly planning meeting which will be held at The Garden Spot. (Surely we can eat and talk at the same time!) Among other topics, we will be planning fall meetings and the Plant Sale, so if you have ideas for either, pleas attend! Our September meeting is usually devoted to gardening, and our Annual Pot Luck will feature a speaker also. Please come, visit, and offer your suggestions! • • Mark your calendars and bring your cameras Enter the 2008 Wildflower season picture contest. Take lots of flower pictures while enjoying trip and send your favorite flower pictures along with their names (not yours) to the mimulusmemo@bak.rr.com . Everyone will enjoy seeing what’s in bloom in 2008, plus you might win a prize. We will have someone without CNPS connections judge the pictures from the website. The rules are simple, there are none. At the end of our Wildflower Walk season we will announce the winner on line; and the mystery photographer will have to come forward so we can post your name by your prize photo as the 2008 Flower Power Winner. Join the fun in experiencing, and learning the plant life we find with each trip. Your Check off List of items to always bring Wear comfortable shoes and layer clothing for weather changes. Please leave pets at home. Camera Lunch and /or snack Field glasses Pencil/pen/paper for making lists Hand lens Sunscreen Hat Water Insect repellent CNPS insurance rules prevent us from assigning car pools, but we do encourage ride sharing from meeting locations. Parking space is usually limited, and we want to save the air. 3 KERN CNPS EVENTS May 17 CALM 25 th BIRTHDAY PARTY Kern Native Plant Society has contributed significantly to CALM through the years so we are in charge of a booth telling visitors about CNPS and CALM's gardens. So if you want two hours of rest and relaxation for yourself in this beautiful CALMing atmosphere, please call Debby at 323-4259. The hours of tranquility are 9-1 1 ; 10-12; 12-2; and/or 2-4. 20 PROGRAM: Fletcher Linton - Plants of the Anza-Borrego Desert Go to this web page to see some pictures from the park: http://www.parks.ca.gov/mediagallery/7page id=638 June 14 FIELD TRIP: Mourning Cloak Botanical Gardens www.mourningcloakgardens.com The gardens have been closed for repair, but are once again open for our enjoyment. Bring your lunch, and we can have a wonderful day in the Tehachapi Botanical Garden enjoying nature and what they have accomplished since it’s closing a few years ago. Please call 393-4778 by June 4 if you can join us for this relaxing day, and we will give more details as to where we are going to meet for ride sharing. 25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Organizational meeting 26-29 NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION “Butterflies to Attain New Heights” You must register prior to visiting at www.naba.org (We can bird early morning and at night) Summer Break July and August OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST WINDWOLVES — Future volunteer events are on the following dates: May 17 th We look forward to seeing you here! David Clendenen, Wind Wolves Preserve Manager (661) 858-1115 = Office (661 ) 747-0374 = Cell (661 ) 858-4505 = Fax KAWEAH OAKS PRESERVE (www.sequoiariverlands.org) Jun. 28 7:00-9:00 pm Demonstration and Guided Walk: Owls at Kaweah Oaks Preserve with Burleigh Lockwood 4 Celebrating 25 years with CALM CALM will be celebrating its 25th birthday on Saturday, May 17th. Kern CNPS has contributed significantly to their gardens through the years. We will have a booth set up to talk to the hundreds of expected visitors about CNPS and CALM's gardens. Please email Debby t dekroeger@kern.org t to sign up to help: 9:00 - 1 1 :00; 10:00 - 12:00; 12:00 - 2:00; and/ or 2:00 - 4:00. Thank you, Debby Kroeger • • ATTENTION: Your Kern Native Plant Society President receives names, addresses, phone numbers, and email information from the main CNPS office in Sacramento. In an effort to keep our LOCAL MEMBERSHIP information correct, please take 5 minutes to update with CNPS. 1 - email Membership & Sales Coordinator Stacey Flowerdew at sflowerdew@cnps.org . (ask her to update your information for Kern Native Plant Society and then give her your name, address, phone, and email address) 2 - Call Stacey Flowerdew at 916-447-2677 to leave her a message to return your call. (Please follow up on this call to make the changes happen) UP THE RIVER If you are interested in an excellent source of information regarding the growing of California natives, just go up the river to the Kern River Valley and the Kern River Courier. Here you will find Marya Miller and her column “Going Native.” A recent article, “Clematis Is Not A Disease” can be seen at the rather frightening- looking URL below (There are also links to her other articles on this page): http://kernrivercourier.corn/joornla/index.php?option=corn_content&task=view&id=298<ernid=102&ed=23 Richard Cayia Rowe, this editor’s source for good Kern River Valley info (see www.KRVR.ora L adds these links: Western White Clematis ( Clematis ligusticifolia ) http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi7where-calrecnuiTR2255 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CLLI2 http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php7id plant=CLLI2 http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/21 1 .htm Pipestem Clematis ( Clematis lasiantha) http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/210.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipestem_Clematis http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CLLA3 http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi7where-calrecnurrR2254 5 Kern County Science Fair by Debby Kroeger Winners of school science fairs are invited to participate in a county wide science fair. One of the categories is "plant science". For the past few years we have given awards to the first place winners in the middle school and high school divisions. It was my pleasure to represent you and give the awards. Roy Goldstein, a 6th grader at McAuliffe School was the middle school winner. His project was titled "Does Size and Mass Matter?" He states that a medium sized lima bean will grow 3 times as big as any other sized lima bean. If beans are a big part of someone's diet they are 38% less likely to have a heart attack or heart problems. Jonathan Enns, a 9th grader at Stockdale Christian School, was the high school winner. His project was titled "Marvelous Mycorrhizal Fungi". Mycorrizal fungi added to the soil at the time of planting wheat seed will cause a young seedling wheat plant to grow more root mass and result in a healthier plant, able to extract more water, fertilizer and nutrients from the soil, conserve water and oil, from which most fertilizer is derived. Jon will be representing Kern County at the California State Science Fair. The Tejon lies in a corner of the world far away from civilization and defies the approach of settlements on any side. — Daily Alta California, June 25, 1854 • • CNPS - Kern County Chapter % Stephen Cooley, Editor mimulusmemo@bak.rr.com INTERNET EDITION The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to conserve them and their natural habitats through science, education, advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship. 6