. . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 24 Number 3 Annual Meeting Edition May— ^une 2000 2000 ANNUAL CoNPS MEETING Plant Evolution and Natural History of the Colorado Plateau September 23-24, 2000 Liff Auditorium, Mesa State College, Grand Junction Some refer to it reverentially as “Abbey's Country.” To others, it is This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. James Reveal, Professor an extreme sports thfeme park, a land of the sacred, of ancient mys- Emeritus at the University of Maryland and an expert in the system- tery, and an open air art museum. It is simply a sign on the inter- atics of Eriogonum (Polygonaceae). Now retired and living in ♦ate warning “Next Services - 100 Miles.” Unforgiving of human Montrose, Dr. Reveal is perhaps best known as one of the authors of ^^.ror, if is increasingly vulnerable to human activity. It is a land Intennountain Flora. His major research interests have included sculpted by the forces of water and where water, or the lack there- floristic studies in western North America, including endangered and of, dictates the distribution of life. Full of geologic wonders and threatened species, and monographic studies on the Polygonaceae botanical marvels, the Colorado Plateau encompasses almost subfamily Eriogonoideae. Dr. Reveal's presentation is entitled 200,000 square miles of the southwestern United States, Starting in “Rapid Speciation on the Colorado Plateau with an emphasis on a small comer of Colorado, this jumble of canyonland, mesa and He will then join us in the field on Sunday, mountain stretches into New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. The vari- ^e will round out the program Saturday afternoon with other pre- ety in elevation, climate, and topography has led to the develop- sentations on Colorado Plateau ecology. Dr. Susan Meyer, author ment of an incredibly diverse flora, including many rare and gtory of Blackbrush, will enlighten us about this unique and endemic species: widespread member of the rose family. Dr. Jayne Belnap, a desert If learning more about this awe inspiring region interests you, be ecologist, will talk to us about cryptobiotic crusts. Joel Tuhy, from sure to join us at this year's annual meeting of the Colorado Native The Nature Conservancy in Salt Lake, will finish the afternoon Plant Society, September 23-24 2000 at Mesa State College in with slides of Plateau region rarities. After the formal program, we Grand Junction. Hosted by the Plateau Chapter, the topic of this will tabulate th^ vote for the CoNPs Board of directors and year's meeting will be “Plant Evolution and Natural History of the announce plans for Sunday's field trips. As is the tradition, book Colorado Plateau.” An agenda, registration form, directions to sales will go on all day Saturday, \yith a nice member discount. Mesa State College, and additional information are included in this mark your calendars and be there. This year’s Annual Meeting issue of Aguilegia. promises to be terrific 1 We will open our program with a presentation by Dr. Bruce Bauerle on the importance of biodiversity. A professor at Mesa State College, Dr. Bauerle has taught a variety of biology courses. He works as an ecotour guide and lecturer when not in the class- room. Lorraine Yeats will follow with a slide overview of the Plateau region, highlighting plants and geology. Ms. Yeats has ♦udied and photographed in the area for 25 years. We will then ^^jar from Dr. Don Sullivan, who is studying sediment cores taken from the lakes on Grand Mesa. We will enjoy a buffet lunch and then be treated to a multi-media presentation by Steve Wenger, another longtime resident and admirer of the region. Contents About the Society .7 Announcements . , . . .1,4, 5-6 Annual Meeting . .1-2, see insert Articles . . : ..1,6 Calendar . . . . . .8 Chapter News and Announcements .... .5-6 Society News and Announcements .... .3-4 I Page 2 Aquilegia COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING Plant Evolution and Natural History of the Colorado Plateau September 23-24, 2000 Lift Auditorium, Mesa State College Grand Junction, Colorado Saturday, September 23, 2000 8:00 - 9:00 am Registration, refreshments, book sales, and voting (Directors) 9:00 - 9:30 am Welcome to Mesa State - The Importance of Biodiversity Dr. Bruce Bauerle, Mesa State College The Colorado Plateau: A Breath of Fresh Air Loraine Yeatts, CoNPS Break: exhibits, book sales, etc. 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM Rapid Speciation on the Colorado Plateau with an Emphasis on Eriogonum Dr. James Reveal, University of Maryland Lunch Buffet - Student Center Cafeteria Past Lives on the Colorado Plateau Slide presentation by Stephen Wenger, CoNPS Grand Mesa Lakes Core Project Dr, Don Sullivan, University of Denver > Afternoon Break: coffee and refreshments, f)Ook sales The Story of Blackbrush Dr. Susan Meyer, USDA Forest Service Shrub Science Laboratory The Relationship of Cryptobiotic Crust to Native Plants on the Colorado Plateau Dr. Jane Belnap, USGS Vol. 24 No. 3 9:30- 10:30 AM 10:30- 11:00 AM 12:00- 1:00 PM 1:00- 1:30 PM 1:30-2:15 PM 2:15 -2:30 PM 2:30-3:15 PM 3:15-4:00 pm 4:00 - 4:30 PM 4:30 - 5:00 pm Rare Plants of the Colorado Plateau Joel Tuhy, The Nature Conservancy (Salt Lake) Concluding Remarks; election results, awards, etc.; and Society business Sunday, September 24, 2000 9:00 - 10:00 AM Coffee and pick up lunches 10:00 - 2:30 AM Field Trips (To be announced) Aquilegia chiysantha Artist; Jan Wingate DIRECTIONS: Liff Auditorium is located at the South end of Campbell Student Center at Mesa State College, 12th Street and Elm Ave. Visitor pafking is located at the comer adjacent to the Student Center. It is a paid lot, but free after 3:00 pm Friday and all weekend. There is additional parking across 12th St. and along College Place, one block to the west. Arriving on 1-70 from the East or West, take the Horizon Drive exit; turn Southwest on Horizon Dr. and continue to the round- about at 12th St. Turn South past Horizon Towers. Continue south about 1.2 miles to the third light, which is Elm Ave.; turn right, then immediately left into visitor parking. Arriving on Highway 50 from the South, you enter town on 5th St. Turn right on Pitkin Ave. after crossing the viaduct. Continue seven blocks to 12th Street and turn left. Continue North past North Ave. Elm Ave is the next stop light; turn left twice into the vis- itor parking lot. MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Rooms are available at the Holiday Inn at 1-70 and Horizon Drive. Mention the Colorado Native Plant Society Annual Meeting and get up to four-person occupancy for $65.34. For reservations, please call 1-888-489-9796 at least 15 days prior to the Meeting. Many other motels are located along Horizon Drive. I ' ' r ■■ 'I CAMPING: Public and private campgrounds are available in the area. For more information, please contact the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce at (970) 242-3214. J- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION may be obtained by contacting Annual Meeting organizing committee members Jeanne Wenger at (970) 256-9227 or Bluecrow2u@aol.com and Robert Clarke 970-242-6067 or rclarke@mesastate.edu. Vol. 24 No. 3 Aquilegia Page 3 SOCIETY NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Minutes of the CoNPS Board Meetings Alice Guthrie, CoNPS Secretary January 8, 2000. Treasurer’s report. Denise Culver distributed the 1999 budget and expenses <^or review by the Board. A total of $28,243 in income was generated from the following sources: membership ($6992), Marr donations ($2023), book sales ($11,090), workshops ($3792), annual meeting ($1831), and mis- cellaneous ($2515). There is approximately $20,000 for operating expenses in 2000, plus an estimated $8,000 in income/revenue. Funds for 2000 include the following: Rare Plant Book fund ($10,000), John Marr Fund ($30,000), money market fund ($5,000), and checking account ($ 15,000). Chapter budgets for 2000, based on 25% of the membership dues, total $3107 distrib- uted as follows: Boulder ($1096), Metro-Denver ($1168), Plateau ($311), Fort Collins ($370), and Southwest ($162). Additionally, Denise Culver will be obtaining a CoNPS Visa card. Committee reports; Tina Jones reported that the Education Committee represented the Society at the 1999 Prairie Day at Rocky Mountain Arsenal in July. Year 2000 activities will include designing a CoNPS decal. Eagle Days at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and the Ih-oGreen show. Eric Lane will chair the Marr Fund RFP review committee. Chapter reports: As the Yamparika Chapter doesn’t meet the v^-^y-laws, the Board voted to disband the Chapter. New business; Mary Klein (Director, Colorado Natural Heritage Program) and Katie Pague (Partnership Coordinator) delivered a presentation on CNHP and their 20/20 Vision campaign to raise money for the protection Of globally rare species in Colorado. CNHP wants to bring attention to areas of biological significance and develop protection strategies by focusing on rare and native flora and plant communities. CoNPS was asked to join this effort as a partner and to contribute $2000, the use of which the Board could specify, CNHP would like to involve CoNPS members as volunteers to inventory, monitor, and conduct stewardship activi- ties at sites. The Board postponed discussion of this and other year 2000 budget items until February. In additional new business, Jill Handwerk was authorized to purchase a one year liability insur- ance policy for CoNPS that would cover bodily injury, property damage, and volunteers. Jill will verify that field trips are covered. February 12, 2000. Ojid Business: Within the context of the 2000 Budget, the Board reviewed the Profit and Loss statement for 1999, during which expenditures and income totaled $20,000 and $28,000, respectively. Approximately $16,000 is available for operating expenses in 2000, of which $14,000 is already budgeted. The Board decided to keep $10,000 as working assets and spend an additional $2000 over budgeted expenses. The Marr Fund earned $1647.43 in interest in 1999. Adjusted for inflation, $1500 is available for research projects in 2000. With regard to the "-^Colorado Natural Heritage Program 20/20 Vision Funding Request, it was determined that contributing to this campaign would support inventories and monitoring of rare plants, thereby furthering the goals of CoNPS. CNHP would involve CoNPS members on field trips to three sites to explain site visits and data collection; CNHP anticipates assigning a volunteer steward to each site. The Board voted to contribute $1000 to CNHP 20/20 Vision now, and revisit their initial request at the end of the calendar year, after the annual meeting and discussion of other funding requests. It was requested that contributions from CoNPS be targeted to those sites with rare plants; it was further noted that Chapters could contribute funds from their chapter subventions, as well. New Business: Acknowledging the recommendations of the Marr Fund grant proposal review committee, the Board voted to allocate $1500 to support three proposals: T. Grant, for a study of fruit set and seed predation in Lupinus crassus ($900); K. Fayette for research addressing pollination biology in Eutrema penlandii ($300); and E. Holt for a floristic survey of the Sawatch and Gore Ranges ($300). Commending Eric Lane, who chaired the com- mittee, the Board noted that the review process worked very well and that the quality of the proposals was very high. In additional new business, Lynn Reidel asked CoNPS to write a letter to Governor Owens requesting that the expertise of the Colorado Natural Areas Program be utilized by the newly formed Endangered Species Management Team. Jeh^ Dawson will work with Lynn in this regard. Committee Reports: Kathy Damas was appointed co-chair of the Horticulture and Restoration Committee.With regard to out- reach activities, Jill Handwerk reported on the ProGreen Show held in Denver in January. Five new members were recruited, $400 in books were sold, and over 300 plant lists were distributed. The Board approved giving a yearly membership to the volunteers who worked the show. Tina Jones (Education Committee)' reported on Eagle Days at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Although there were 2100 attendees, the CoNPS booth was not well posi- tioned. Denise Larson and Jeff Dawson,/who staffed the booth, reported that it was a positive experience, but suggested that other events may provide more benefit to CoNPS. The Board asked the Education Committee to provide a list of recommended shows and how they might match the goals outlined in the strategic plan. Chapter reports: Gay Austin (Plateau Chapter) is organizing several West Slope workshops for spring and summer. April 1, 2000, Old Business: The Board reviewed the Profit and Loss Statement, and discussed annual meeting expenses. The Board also discussed the Treasurer’s duties and Denise Culver’s proffered resignation, contingent upon finding a replacement. Leo Bruederle suggested forming a finance committee, with the Treasurer acting as chair. Andy suggested that Denise review a draft finance committee organized as follows: treasurer/accoun- tant, who handles the traditional money functions; mail sorter, who checks post office box regularly and re-distributes the mail; and budget analyst/financial planning, who prepares the budget and reports, and works on investments. The Board expressed its appreciation to Denise Culver for her hard work and many hours ‘"Minutes” continues on page 4 Page 4 Aquilegia Vol. 24 No. 3 SOCIETY NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS -'Minutes” continued from page 3 spent providing detailed financial information to the Board. Committee reports: Eleanor Von Bargen (Rare Plant Monograph) presented background information on the Monograph Fund. CoNPS published the first edition of Rare Plants of Colorado in 1989; out-of-pocket costs were $25,000. Five thousand copies were sold in five years. In 1993, CoNPS pub- lished a second edition in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Nature Association (RMNA) and Falcon Press, with CoNPS pay- ing for design and writing, RMNA administering and coordinating the effort, and Falcon Press doing the printing. In 1997, 5200 copies of this edition were published at a cost to CoNPS of less than $8000. Profit to date is $3000. CoNPS receives half of retail from RMNA and buys books from Falcon Press at a 55% discount from retail price. The profits from the book have been kept sepa- rate from other operating funds. Andy Kratz recQmmended contin- uing to keep the accounting separate until it’s sold out, determin- ing if Falcon Press wants to reprint it or not, and then deciding what to do with the funds. Bill Jennings said there are currently no plans for a third edition, since there are other rare plant books, as well as information on the WWW. The Board requested that Eleanor give an annual update on book sales each spring. Leo Bruederle (Communications Committee) reported that the January-February Aquilegia was a double issue, exceeding budget. Lisa Tasker (Horticulture and Restoration) e-mailed plant lists revised by the Committee to the Board, requesting feedback. Bill Jennings (Workshop Committee) reported that 19 workshops were held on the East Slope, with four more scheduled; as well as several on the West Slope. Bill and Gay Austin (Plateau Chapter) will coordinate efforts to identify individuals who can conduct workshops on both the East and West Slope next year. Chapter reports: Annette Miller (Fort Collins Chapter) report- ed that some field trips and conservation activities have been scheduled, including monitoring known and new sites of plant species of special concern. Caryl Shields (Boulder Chapter) sim- ilarly has a list of species of special concern and is scheduling field trips for conservation purposes. A trip is scheduled for June 4, 2000 to scout for and pull yellow star thistle. The Plateau Chapter has several field trips and weed pulls scheduled. They are conducting inventories on parcels in the Gateway area, and are working with The Nature Conservancy on the San Miguel River. AQUILEGIA Deadline Approaches Please submit contributions for Vol, 2A No. 4 of Aquilegia on or before July 1 , 2000 for a August 1 , 2000 mailing. Include author's name and address. Previously published articles submitted for reprinting require permission from the editor of original publi- cation. Articles submitted via e- mail or on disks — MAC prefer- ably, or IBM — are much appre- ciated. Please indicate word pro- cessing software and version. Field Trip Policy The Society wishes to remind field trip participants of the guide- lines for participation in Society trips. By joining a CoNPS field trip, you indicate acceptance of these policies. 1. Plant collecting is forbidden on CoNPS field trips, with two exceptions. Collecting is permissible for scientific study (with the appropriate collecting permit, if required, for the area in question). “Scientific study” means, for the purposes of this policy, study by a trained botanical scientist with an expectation that the study results will lead to published information: collected specimens will be deposited in a recog- nized, publicly-accessible herbarium. A trip leader or other person whose responsibility is to instruct trip participants may col- lect plants for immediate demon- stration, explanation, or keying for full identification. Such col- lecting should be done incon- spicuously (so that persons not with the trip group are neither offended nor motivated to do likewise), and with regard for any possible effect on the plant population. Rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive species should never be collected for instructional purposes. 2. Car-pooling and ride-sharing are encouraged on CoNPS trips. All drivers who provide rides to others will graciously accept payment. Passengers should pay the driver at the conclu- sion of the trip (without being asked) as follows: • 1 passenger, 5 cents per mile • 2 passengers, 4 cents per mile • 3 passengers, 3 cents per mile, etc. 3. Pets are not permitted on field trips. Pets trample plants, dis- turb wildlife, and annoy other trip participants. 4. Field trips are designed primarily for adults, unless the trip description specifically states otherwise. Parents should consid- er the appropriateness of a given trip for a child. If a child is brought, the parent assumes full responsibility for keeping the child under strict control to prevent his/her damaging or disturb- ing the flora or fauna, or becoming a burden to the group: No child unaccompanied by a parent is permitted. i 5. CoNPS’ expressed purpose is to promote appreciation and preservation of our flora. Take care not to damage the very fea- tures you have come to see and enjoy. Use photographs, sketches, or other methods of recording the plants that you see— do not pick plants or plant parts. 6. Field trip participants MUST sign a waiver of liability. Vol. 24 No. 3 Aquilegia Page 5 CHAPTER NEWS Boulder Chapter Monthly meetings are held October through April at the Foothills Nature Center, located in Boulder at 4201 North Broadway, opposite its intersection with Sumac Ave. As a result of a member survey, we have a NEW MEETING DAY AND TIME. The Chapter will meet on the SECOND WEDNESDAY of each month, at 7:00 pm for business, a speaker, and socializing with refreshments. For more information, please contact Chapter President Catyl Shields at (303)665-6312. CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS Rare Plant Documentation. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) asks that Chapter members re- visit documented sites of rare plants and report on their present condition. Element Occurrence Records for rare plants in Boulder County that have not been docu- mented for over ten years have been pro- ied to the Chapter. Examples include ^^^quilegia saximontana (Helleboraceae) at Chasm Lake. Records contain directions to sites, as well as references and lists of rel- evant herbarium accessions. Rich Scully has agreed to share his experience on pro- cedures, and to send records to CNHP. Can you adopt a species or a site, and lead a Chapter outing to re-locate any of these rare plants? For more information or to volunteer, please contact Rich Scully at (303)' 823-0766 or Caryl Shields at (303) 665-6312. Fort Collins Chapter Indoor monthly meetings are scheduled through April in the Main Conference Room of the National Seed Storage Laboratory (NSSL) on the campus of CSU. For more information, please contact Chapter President Don Hazlett at (970) 834-1493. August 12. Glacier Knobs Field Trip This trip will be led by Annette Miiler to "■lacier Knobs, where we will attempt to )5^iocate five species of Botrychium (grape- fern) and one Dryopteris (shieldfern). Call Annette at (970) 482-3063 to register and for details. August 26 Meadow Spring Ranch This trip will be led by Don Hazlett to Meadow Springs Ranch to census Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis (Colorado butterfly plant). Call Don at (970) 834- 1493 to register and for details. October 3 Impacts of Grazing and Management Options for Riparian Areas Bruce Bosley (Morgan County Extension Agent) will present a seminar discussing the impacts of grazing and management options for riparian areas in eastern Colorado. Metro-Denver Chapter Indoor monthly meetings are held September through April in the Morrison Center at the Denver Botanic Garden. For itiore information, please contact Chapter President Denise Larson at (303) 733-4338. Plateau Chapter June 7 or June 8 and June 10 Plant Identification Workshops and associated field trip Two separate workshops, each limited to 12 participants, will be conducted in early June. There will be a $17 fee that includes the cost of Wingate’s Rocky Mountain Flower Finder ($12), as well as a $7 dona- tion to the Plateau Chapter. On Wednesday, June 7, an indoor session will be held at Evelyn Horn’s home from 6:30- 9:00 PM. The second indoor session will be held on Thursday, June 8 from 1:00- 3:00 PM A joint field trip will be held on Saturday, June 10 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. For more information and to register, contact Evelyn Horn at (970) 835-8391. June 10, 9:00 am Weed Pull at Ridgway State Park. Come help us pull weeds, particularly annuals, in the area of the visitor center nature trail. Meet at the center at 9:00 am. And bring your gloves ! For mor informa- tion, please contact Lori Brummer at (970) 641-3561 or lbrummer@gunnison.com. July 22, 10:00 am. San Miguel Nature Conservancy Preserves Field Trip. Mallory Dimmitt (The Nature Conservancy) will introduce us to two of the San Miguel County preserves and the mission of The Conservancy. Meet at County Park in Placerville. It is on the left, shortly after turning off the highway toward Telluride. For more information, please contact Lori Brummer at (970) 641- 3561 or lbrummer@gunnison.com. August 12-13, 10:00 am Sphagnum Moss Identification Workshop Dr. Richard Andrus, Botanist at Binghamton University, will lead a two- day technical workshop in Ouray on iden- tification of local species of sphagnum moss. On Saturday, we will be inside look- ing through microscopes, while on Sunday we will drive to the Chattanooga fen. A donation of $25 will be requested to help cover the cost of Dr. Andrus’ travel. Space is limited. For registration, please contact Gay Austin at 970-641-6264 (H) or gaustin7@juno.com Southwest Chapter For Chapter news and activities, please contact Chapter President Sandy Friedley at (970) 884-9245. June 17 Narraguinnep Canyon RNA Leslie Stewart will lead this trip, during which we will explore Narraguinnep canyon and contribute to the list of plant species present in this USFS Research Natural Area. Ranging in elevation from 6800 to 8000 ft, this narrow canyon has north-facing slopes of Ponderosa pine (some spectacular pockets of old growth pine) and south-facing slopes of gambel oak, with a thin riparian area along the bot- tom. Depending on interest, two trip options are available; we will either hike eight miles from one end of the canyon to the other or drop into the canyon from sev- eral locations along the rim, nnd catalog the plants from various aspects and eleva- tions. Both options involve hiking and scrambling on steep terrain or a rocky ''News” continues on page 6 Aquilegia Vol. 24 No. 3 Page 6 “A/eivs” continued from page 4 canyon bottom without trails. Bring a lunch, snacks, and water; and wear sturdy hiking boots. Meet at the Dolores town hall/library parking lot on State Highway 145, between 4th and 5th street at9:(X) am. The Natural Area is about a one-hour drive from Dolores. Call Leslie Stewart at (970) 882-7241 for more information. July 29-30 Hanging Gardens in Southeastern Utah Arnold Clifford (Navajo Botanist and Geologist) will lead this trip, during which we will visit three hanging gardens in the vicinity of Bluff and Mexican Hat, Utah. These gardens exist on canyon walls amid spectacular geological scenery near the Goosenecks of the San Juan River, which are world-class entrenched meanders. Each of the gardens that we will visit occurs on a different geological formation and comprises different species, including: Primula specuicola (cliff primrose), Epipactis gigantea (helleborine), Zygadenus vaginatus (death camus), Erigeron kachinensis (Kachina daisy), Phacelia indecora, and Habenaria zoethcina. Meet at 9:00 am on Saturday at the intersection of US Route 191 and Utah Route 163, just east of Bluff, Utah. Come prepared for moderate desert hiking. We will continue to botanize the area on Sunday forenoon. To register and receive a packet of information, including local camping options and accommodations, contact Charlie King (970) 731-4794 or Sandy Friedley (970) 884-9245. August 26 Terraced Fens near Grindstone Lake, La Plata Mountains Marian Rohman will lead this trip, dur- ing which we will visit a few of a series of high elevation fens near and including Grindstone Lake above Rico, CO. We'll see typical wetland plants, including Spiranthes romanzoffiana (lady’s tresses), Pneumonanthe parryi (bottle gentian), Carex species and possibly Eriophorum altaicum (Altai cottongrass), and Utricularia minor (bladderwort). Bring a lunch and expect wet feet arid thunder- storms. Meet at the Dolores town hall/library parking lot on State Highway 145 between 4th and 5th St. We'll leave at 9:30 AM. Please call Marian Rohman at (970) 565-9327 for more information. Lookout Mountain Nature Center hosts Wildflower Festival, June 17-18, 2000 Celebrate our colorful native wildflowers and their pollinators, and learn how native plants weave a wild tapestry! Join us for the FREE Wildflower Festival, two full days of frin and activities for the whole family! You can: • enjoy a stroll in the ponderosa forest and meet our colorful native wildflowers; • discover Colorado’s busy buzzing native pollinators and the magic they dO; • learn to discriminate between a wonderful wildflower and worrisome weed; • tour our Colorado native plant gardens; • visit our native plant sale and start your own native gardens at home; • bring your whole family for a fun and educational celebration; • and more ! Lookout Mountain Nature Center, part of Jefferson County Open Space, offers the Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 17-18, 2000 from 10:00 Am to 4:00 pm. Advance registration is not required. Please call (303) 526-0594 for additional information. CU Herbarium on Line Nan Lederer Visit the CU Herbarium at www.colorado.edu/CUMUSEUM/research/botany/botany.html. In addition to general information about the facility, staff, and collections, the “Databases” include several links of use to anyone interested in Colorado's native flora. For example, we have recently posted the updated Catalog of the Colorado Flora by Weber and Wittmann. You can also search a statewide county database to obtain a list of plant species for which the CU Herbarium (CGLO) has specimens; this is available for every county in the state. Conversely, you can conduct a search by species for a list of counties in which the species occurs. For more information, please contact Nan Lederer or Tim Hogan by phone at (303) 492-3216 or e-mail at either lederer@col orado.edu or hogant@colorado.edu. August 28-29, 1999 Field Trip Report Weed survey backpack. Middle St. Vrain Pat Butler Undaunted by the drizzle that greeted us at Camp Dick, six weed warriors shouldered backpacks early Saturday morning and hiked west. Our objective, as volunteers for the USFS, was to review three infestations of Canada thistle or Cirsium arvense (Breea arvensis) that we’d found the previous summer and to continue our survey further west up the drainage. The three infestations located in 1998 were still very vigorous (although less mature, probably due to the later spring and wetter summer), although our pulling from the previous year may have had an impact on one of these stands. We found two more small infestations along the trail, past the junction with the trail to Red Deer Lake, our previous year’s destination. We camped a mile further up the valley and hiked anoth- er two miles to Gibraltar Lake, glad to see no more evidence of invasive weeds. Because of the wetter than normal season, even well above 10,000 feet we saw riot only the typ- ical fall gentians and asters, but a spectacular show of summer flowers, including paint- brush {Castilleja), golden ragwort (Senecio), and columbine (Aquilegia). Despite its bleak beginning, Saturday’s weather was mostly dry, allowing a full day of hiking and no soggy tents to put up. In contrast, Sunday’s crisp, clear beginning was marred by mid-morning steady, but fortunately brief, showers, which did not interfere with our control strategy of pulling all of the thistles that we found on our return to the cars. We spent a full hour at the worst location, just west of the trailhead parking lot, which also contained some toadflax (Linaria vulgaris). Because the Forest Service hr few resources to survey for or control weeds, I will be leading annual trips into this areOf^ to monitor and pull weeds. Please see Aquilegia Vol. 24 No. 2 for a description of this year’s August 26-27, 2000 trip. Vol. 24 No. 2 Aquilegia Page 7 Colorado Native Plant Society The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non- profit organization dedicated to the apprecia- tion and conservation of the Colorado native flora. Membership is open to all with an inter- est in our native plants, and is composed of plant enthusiasts both professional and non- professional. Please join us in helping tp encourage interest in enjoying and protecting Colorado’s native plants. The Society sponsors field trips, work- shops, and other activities through local chap- ters and statewide. Contact the Society, a chap- ter representative, or committee chair for more information. Schedule of Membership Fees Life $250 Supporting .$50 Organization $30 'family or Dual $15 V individual $12 Student or Senior . . . .^ $8 Membership Renewal/Information -Please direct all membership applications, renewals, and address changes to the Membership Chairperson, Colorado Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. Aquilegia is published four to six times per year by the Colorado Native Plant Society. This newsletter is available to members of the Society and to others with an interest in native plants. Contact the Society for subscription information. Articles for Aquilegia may be Used by other native plant societies or non- profit groups if fully cited to author and attrib- uted to Aquilegia. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to; Leo P. Bruederle Biology, Campus Box 171 University of Colorado at Denver P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364 E-Mail : Ibrueder @ carbon.cudenver.edu Short items such as unusual information about a plant, a little known botanical term, etc., are especially welcome. Previously published arti- cles submitted for reprinting require permis- sion. Camera-ready line art or other illustra- tions are also solicited. Please include author’s name and address, although anonymity may be requested. Articles subniitted via e-mail or on disks (MAC prefer- ably, or IBM) are appreciated. Please indicate word processing software and version. Officers President Jeff Dawson. . . . 303-722-6758 Vice-President . . . Jill Handwerk . . 970-491-5857 Secretary Alice Guthrie. . . 303-651-3127 Treasurer Denise Culver . . 970-225-1930 Board of Directors Gay Austin (00). Gunnison . . 970-641-6264 Leo Bruederle (00) . . . Denver .... 303-556-3419 Jeff Dawson (00) ., . . . . Denver .... 303-722-6758 Tina Jones (00) ..... . Littleton . . . 303-794-2647 Peggy Lyon (00) ..... Ridgway. . . 970-626-3195 Susan Spackman (00) . Loveland . 970-667-2865 Jill Handwerk (01) . . . Fort Collins 970-491-5857 Bill Jennings (01) .... Louisville . . 303-666-8348 Andy Kratz (01) .... . Lakewood. . 303-914-8291 Eric Lane (01) Lakevyood. . 303-239-4182 Jun Wen (01) Fort Collins 970-491-3528 Chapter Presidents Boulder ... Caryl Shields 303-665-6312 Fort Collins .... Don Hazlett 970-834-1493 Metro-Denver . . Denise Larson . . . 303-733-4338 Plateau Jeanne Wenger . . . 970-256-9227 Southwest Sandy Friedley . . . 970-884-9245 Committees Communications . . Leo P. Bruederle303-556-3419 and . . Jeff Dawson . . . 303-722-6758 Conservation ..... Bob Clarke. . . . 970-242-6067 Education Rob R.einsvold . 970-351-2716 and . . Tina Jones .... 303-794-2647 Field Trips Rick Brune. . . . 303-238-5078 Field Studies Loraine Yeatts . 303-279-3427 Horticulture and. . . Kathy Damas . . 303-543-1492 Restoration Lisa Tasker. . . . 303-447-9431 Legislative Affairs . VACANT Membership Myraa Steinkamp and . . Sue Martin .... 970-226-337 1 Publications Rick Brune. . . . 303-238-5078 and . . Velma Richards 303-794-5432 Publicity VACANT Rare Plant Eleanor Monograph, Von Bargen . . . 303-756-1400 Workshops Bill Jennings . . 303-666-8348 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM Name(s) Address (Address) City Phone Chapter: In addition to my membership, I have included $_ . State . Zip MEMBERSHIP CLASS (Select one) Individual, $12.00 Family/dual, $15.00 Senior/retired, $8.00 Student, $8.00 Corporate, $3(5.00 Supporting, $50.00 X L E-mail Boulder Fort Collins Metro Denver Plateau Southwest . as a contribution to the John Marr . as a general contri- Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or $_ S,,_^ution to the Society. CONPS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION —DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE JUNE - AUGUST CALENDAR SOCIETY EVENTS CHAPTER MEETINGS AND EVENTS Fort Collins Chapter August 12 Glacier Knobs Field Trip August 26 Meadow Springs Ranch Field Trip October 3 Impacts of Grazing and Management Options for Riparian Areas Plateau Chapter June 7 or 8, 10 Plant Identification Workshops and Field Trip June 10 Weed Pull at Ridgeway State Park July 22 San Miguel Nature Conservancy Preserves Field Trip August 12-13 Sphagmmi Moss Identification Workshop Southwest Chapter June 17 Narraguinnep Canyon RNA July 29-30 Hanging Gardens in SE Utah August 26 Terraced Fensi near Grindstone Lake, La Plata Mountains Colorado Native Plant Society RO. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~shill/conps.html June 10 Field Trips Chico Basin Ranch June 11 Bohart Ranch Prairies June 24^25 South Platte River Plant Communities July 15 Gray’s Peak July 22-23 Interdunal Wetlands: San Luis Valley July 29 West Elk Mountain and Ruby Range August 5 Rich Fens of South Park August 26-27 Middle St. Vrain Weed Survey Annual Meeting September 23-24 Plant Evolution and Natural History of the Colorado Plateau, Mesa State College Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #1475 Denver, Colorado TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL