Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society . . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 26 Number 2 March - April 2002 Colorado Native Plant Society Field Trips Field Trip Committee — Gwen Kittel, Chairperson Sand Hills Flora with Blooming Sand Cherries Post Fire Vegetation of Wild Basin May 4, 2002 Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 PM June ISj 2002 Saturday from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Leader: Annette Miller Leader: Joyce GeUhorn Join Annette MUler and landowners John and Kathy Wagner for a walk around the Wagner’s sand hills property just southwest of Fort Morgan. We will meet at the entrance to their property at 0:00 AM and carpool to areas of special interest. The trip is timed '•'^o hopefully catch sand cherries {Prunus besseyi) in bloom. The group hmit is 30, with a possibility of limited primitive camping for five to ten. To register, contact Annette Miller at (970) 482- 3063 or almiller@lamar.colostate.edu. Directions and information will be sent to registrants. Re vegetation of Bent’s Old Foil; Historic Park May 26, 2002 Sunday Leader: Dexter Hess. Come enjoy scenes from the past, successful tamarix removal, and revegetation with drca 1840 natives along the Arkansas River at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Park. This will be a full day field trip led by Dexter Hess. Meeting time and location will be mailed to registrants. An optional half-day excursion to neai’by Boggsville, an early agricultural development, may also be possi- ble. For more information and registration, please contact Dexter Hess at (303) 719-3284-2464. This trip is limited to 15 people, so sign up early. Beginner Wildflower Identification Hike June 1, i002 Saturday Leaders: Gwen Kittel and Alice Guthrie Boulder County or City Opoi Space — spring/eaiiy summer wild- flower hike for beginners. Come learn to identify your favorite flowers ! No experience necessary Participants will learn some of the non-intim- ^Jating ways to key out flowers. limited to 15. To register, please con- tact Gwen via e-maii (pdieraHy) at gkittel@tnc.org or by phcxie at (303) 258-0908. Meeting time and location will be mailed to registrants. Come explore the fascinating revegetation of Wild Basin since the Ouzel fire in 1978, at which point Joyce Gellhorn began study- ing the vegetation of this area. One focus of her study has been to compare the growth of aspen suckers at the edge of the burned area to that of seedlings in more severely burned locations. Please register with Joyce by e-mail at jgellhom@sprynet.com or by phone at (3(B) 442-8123. Limited to 15 people. Crested Butte Wildfiower Festival July 8-14, 2001 Visit Crested Butte for a week of botanical celebrations, including a wide variety of wildflower related events from wfldflow er photogra- phy to garden tours! Experience breathtaking mountain landscapes and magnificent native flora. For more information, contact Michelle at (970) 349-257 1 or visit www.visitcrestedbutte.com/wildflower. Elevational Transect of WillovFs Augusts, 2002 Saturday from 9:00 am - 5:00 PM Leader: Gwen Kittel Learn to identify willows using vegetative characters alone. We will start on the plains and vkirk our way up in to the subalpine by car, with some hiking. To register, please contact Gwen via e-mail (preferably) at gkittel@tnc.org or by phone at (303) 258-0908. Details will be mailed to registrants. Limited to 15 people. Contents About the Society . . . .7 Articles . . ............ . . . . . .2 Calendar ........ .... . .8 Membership in the Society .... 7 News and Announcements .... .1, 3, 4, 5-6 Aqiiilegia Page 2 Vol. 26 No. 2 ROCKY FLATS HERBARIUM Jody K. Nelson, Exponent WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Eric Lane, Memberhip The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) manufacturing facility on the west- ern edge of the Denver metro area tliat produced nuclear weapons components during the Cold War. In operation from tlie early 1950’s through 1989, tlie Site is now shut down and is a Superfund cleanup site. Although the Site typically makes the news with respect to cleanup operations, most people are unaware of the ecological resources at the Site. It is not a nuclear w'asteland as some might imagine, but is home to an abundance of wildlife, plants, and plant communities, many of which are unconunon, and rapidly disappearing from the Front Range as urban sprawl increases. As part of the ecological monitoring conducted at the Site, plant voucher specimens have been collected over the past 30 years to document the flora of the Site. An early floristic inven- tory of the Site was conducted in the early 1970’s by Dr. William A Weber and his students, Gregory Kunkel and Leila Shultz from the University of Colorado at Boulder. They reported 327 vascular plant species, 25 lichens, and 16 mosses in their study. Since the early 1990’s, ecological monitoring has continued as part of the cleanup and closure activities. As part of this monitor- ing, species inventories have been conducted throughout the var- ious plant communities on-site to document the flora of the Site and assist in the development of monitoring and natural resource management plans and activities. Voucher specimens of each new plant species record for the Site have been eollected and main- tained in the Site herbarium. As of the end of 200 L a Site flora of 600 vascular plant species has been documented, representing 81 plant families and 324 genera. The families with the greatest representation at the Site include Asteraceae (101), Poaceae (96), Fabaceae (34), Cyperaceae (30), Brassicaceae (28), and Rosaceae (28). The herbarium collection includes almost 1100 mounted and labeled specimens. An electronic database was developed and used for storage of specimen information and production of herbarium labels. Unfortunately, because of limited public access to the Site for security reasons, few people have been aware of, or able to view, the herbarium specimens that document the flora of the Site. Therefore the complete Site herbarium collection was donated by the DOE and Kaiser-HiU to the University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO) at Boulder in December 2001. Placement of the herbari- mn collection at COLO provides a permanent home for the plant collections documenting the flora of Rocky Flats, which is impor- tant for both their biological and historical value. In addition, it makes the Site collection available to researchers, students, and the public, while still providing accessibility for future studies at the Site, as well. New records and collections at the Site will also be deposited at COLO. Special thanks go to Tom Ranker and Tim Hogan of COLO for their assistance in making this transfer possible. Tlie Colorado Native Plant Society is very pleased to welcome tl.,_^ following new members who joined tlie Society between January 1 and February 15, 2002; Susan Anderson, Patrick Baldwin, Kathleen Davenhill, Jim Gano Ahmi GiUatt, Adalbert Goertz, John E. Irvin, Steve Jennings, Nic and Mary Korte, Stephen M. Loy, Howard Matz, George L. Mohar, Rochelle Murray, Erik Nilsen, Terence H. Ryan, Linda Smith, Stillie Sprague, Crystal Strouse, and James K. Turner. CoNPS DONORS In 2001, many members made donations to the Society, either through the Marr Fund, Steinkamp Fund, or General Fund. Donations to tlie Marr Fund in 2001 totaled $1,751 bringing the fund to $36,700. Donations to the Steinkamp Fund totaled $4,715 bringing die fund to $22,900. The principal of the tw o Funds earns interest to fund research grants. General donations, which are used to support CoNPS activities including conservation efforts, educa- tion, and outreach, totaled $1,132 in 2001. All contributions are very important to the success of CoNPS. Thanks to the following donors, as well as to 17 others who wished to remain anonymous: Sue Ellen Alishouse and Les Golden, Craig Alseike, Ann Armstrong, Gay Austin, Beverly Baker and Papl Minter, I^arry Ballard, Bradley Barrett and Elizabeth Mansfield, Richard and Linda Beidleman, Rochelle Blumenstein, Linda Boley, Martha .Vnne Booth, Linda Bourgeois, Sally Boyson, Leo P. Bmederl Sallee Bniliwiler, Dennis and Lisa Buechler, Elinor and DuncaiT^ Burchard, Vivian Burrows, Patricia Butier, Sue Cannon, Judy Capra, Kathy Carsey, City of I^ayette, Dina Qark, Carolyn Crawford ^d Bill Jennings, Mary Damm, Jeffrey and Carol Dawson, Robert Dellapina, Amy Desautell, David Dickerson, Hobart Dixon, Barbara Dolder, Jerry and Sarann Duncan, Elizabeth Emmer, James Erdman, Kevin Essiiigton, Carol Fashing, Gilbert Fechner, Richard and Martha Fisher, William Goosmann, Ann Grant, Donald and Jane Hall, Ehzabeth Hall, Susan Harris, Emily Hartman, Ron Hartman, Merri Helm, Cindy and Bill Henk, Dexter and Fern Hess, Lorraine Higbie, Tim Hogan, Janis Huggins, Tina Jones, Sue A nn Kamal, Leah Keller, Charles and Anita King, Diana Kinsey, Nicole Korbe, Kenneth and Cindy I^air, Melissa Landon and Denise Culver, Denise Larson, Ivo Lindauer, John Martin, Sue Martin, Paula and Arthur Mears, Paul and Annette Aliller, Carol Minar, John Moore, Patrick Murphy, William Murray, Betsy Neely and Alan Carpenter, Katharine Noll, I^arry Nygaard and Connie Merz, Margaret Oakes, Benjamin Oblas, Neal Osborn, Elizabeth Otto, Donald Parker, Patricia Ploegsma, Eric Rechel and Kate Ellis. Sandy Righter, Andrea Robinsong, Rocky Mountain Wetlands, Renee Rondeau, Mary lx)u Rottman, Carla Scheck, Matt Schweich and Becci Siegle, Diana Shannon and Tim Dolan, Moras Shubert, Todd Sliker, Iidward Smelko, Gregory Smith, Steffens & Associates, Inc., Joe Stevens, James and Victorine Trammell, Ron Turner, Hazel Tuttle, Jeffrey Ulilich and Janell Edman, Gretche^ Van Reyper, Olin Webb, Gayle Weinstein, Lori and Roland WosL^^ Suzamie and Wilham Wuerthele, Lorraine and Dick Yeatts Thanks go to our CoNPS Treasurer for compihng this information for Aquilegia. Vol. 26 No. 2 Aquilegia Page 3 GARY PAUL NABHAN VISTT RESCHEDULED AN ADVENTURE IN WILDFLOWERS April 11-12, 2002 Dick Moseley Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan is the author of many articles, chapters, and books, including his 1997 Cultures of Habitat: On Nature, Culture, and Story. It has been stated that “Many ecologists write of nature, treating it as an object separate from the world of peo- ple, [but] Gary Paul Nabhan writes in nature, finding relevance to human existence in the fife of the wild. ” Gary Paul Nabhan is co-founder of Native Seeds/SEARCH, for- mer Director of Science at the Arizpna-Sonora Desert Museum, and member of the Ethnobiology and Conservation Team. He has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, a Pew Scholarship for conservation research, and a John Burroughs Medal for nature writing. His other books include: Gathering the Desert, The Forgotten Pollinators (co-authored with Stephen Buchmann), Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation, Desert Legends: Restoring the Sonoran Borderlands, and The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places (co-authored with Stephen Trimble). His most recent book is Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods. The Colorado Native Plant Society is Very pleased to amiounce tlie following events, which were rescheduled from Spring, 2001. For more information, please contact Jill Handwerk at (970) 221 -3460. April 11, 2002 Thursday from 7:30 - 9:00 pm Food, Culture: Stewardship in Working Landscapes — Coming Home to Eat ^"he Provost’s Lecture and Award for Interdisciplinary Environmental Achievement will be dehvered in Plant Science C 146 on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins. There will be a reception, book signing, and refreshments follow- ing the program, all of which is free and open to the public. April 12, 2002 Friday from 9:00 - 11:00 am Plants and Pollinators in Gardens, Farms, and Wildlands Jill Handwerk (President, Colorado Native Plant Society) will host this special CoNPS Workshop. For more information and to reserve a space, please call (970) 221-3460. April 12, 2002 Friday from 7:30 - 9:00 pm Dr. Nabhan w ill deliver a reading from among his writings at Jade Creek Books located at 123 N. College Ave in Fort Collins. For more information, please call (970) 484-30 19. NATIONAL WILDFLOWER WEEK John A. Hadaway, NWW Volunteer During the week of May 5th through the 11th, 2002, we w ill be celebrating the seventh annual National Wildflower Week. Some of the activities envisioned are organized nature walks, garden projects started at your local school, and book displays about native wildflowers, as well as others. For information, visit our website at www.nationalwildflowerweek.com. On behalf of the co-sponsors and volunteers who have worked on Jiis special celebration, we wish you a fun filled and enrich- ing National Wildflower Week. Please direct any questions to the contact referenced at our website and feel free to distribute this information to your hbrary, museum, schools, and others. Many of us have been in the sub-alpine and alpine meadows when they are blooming in their full glory. The myriad of flow- ers may often enhance our appreciation of the moimtains of Colorado but, at the same time, give us fits while trying to iden- tify all of the beautiful flowers which adorn these meadows. The mystery of what flower this or that is gives us an opportu- nity to have an adventine in discovering its identity. Those dam yellow composites (or DYC’s, as some call them) often give us the most trouble, but can be the most fun when being a wild- flower detective, that is, looking for clues that can help you solve the mystery of what plant is before you. If you have ever found yourself thumbing through wtildflower field guides and still having doubts with regard to the flower in front of you, then a Colorado Trail Foundation’s (CTF) wildflower class is for you. The Colorado Trail Foundation offers two one-week classes in wildflower identification at their CTF Education Center, which is located on the Alpine Scenic By-Way, northwest of Lake City. The classes ipclude field trips to the incredible wildflower areas of American Basin, Cinnamon Pass, Grizzly Gulch, and the Burroughs Park area near the Center, thereby providing students witli a diversity of habitats and plants. Last year during their stay in the beautiful San Juan Mountains, the classes identified 181 species of plants. For many of the students, the week was a mag- ical time in the mountains and gave them the confidence to iden- tify the plants before them. The classes this year are being offered during the weeks of July 21 - 27, 2002 and July 28 - August 3, 2002. For more information and to register, please contact Gudy Gaskill at (303) 526-2721 or gudyct@ecentral.com or Charlotte Briber at (303) 526-0809. Come and have a wildflower adventure this summer! AQUILEGIA LAUNCHING NEW FEATURE Kathy Damas, Horticulture and Restoration Interest in native plant gardening is growing like a weed! (Pardon the pun). Beginning with the next issue of Aquilegia, we will be featming a Native Plant Gardening column to pro- mote the use of native plants in home landscapes AND improve your chances for success with our local beauties. We have some ideas, but would love to hear from you as to what YOU want from this column. Possibilities include: featuring specific plant(s) in detail; describing \vhen and what types of maintenance to perform; choosing plants for wildlife; group- ings that work in specific microclimates; what to look for when purchasing native plant material or seeds — you name it, literally. If you have suggestions on other topics or w^ould be willing to write an article or two (wliich is MOST welcome), please contact Kathy Damas at knkdamas@mindspring.com or (303) 543-1492. We have some extremely knowledgeable people among our mem- bers and it would be great to have your input. This column is for you, so please help us give you what you want to make it a sue cess. Think Spring! Page 4 Acjinlegia Vol. 26 No. 2 SEDGES 2002; USES, blVERSITY, AND SYSTEMATICS OF CYPERACEAE A three-day conference on the uses, diversity, and systeniatics of the sedge family (Cyperaceae) is planned for June 6-8, 2002 at Delaware State L^niversity. The sedges are a large, ecologically aiid economically important family found in many habitats and climates tliroughout the world. This conference is hosted by tlie Claude E. Phillips Herbarium of DSU and sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. The first day is devoted to programs by researchers on an array of subjects mcluding systematics, weed ecology, horticulture, conservation, w'edand restoration, and eth- nobotany. On the second day, local field trips will enable confer- ence participants to see a variety of sedges, mostly members of the large and taxonomically complex genus Carejif. Identification workshops, again primarily for Carex, will be held on die third day. To be placed on the mailing fist for future notices and regis- tration, please send your name, address, and telephone number via e-mailtoRobertNacziatmaczi@dsc.edu. BOULDER COUNTY NATURE ASSOCIATION FIELD CLASSES Identification of Spring Wildfipwers In this class, Joyce Gellhorn will focus on identification of flow- ering plants of the East Slope of the Front Range. Emphasis will be placed on learning to use taxonomic keys to identify native plants. Part I; April 25 and May 2, Thursdays from 6:30 - 9:30 PM, indoor class; May 4, Saturday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, field class Part II: May 9 and 16, Thursdays from 6:30 - 9:30 pm, indoor class; May 18, Saturday from 9:00 am - 3:00 PM, field class Tuition: $65 for Part I or II ($55 for BCNA members); $120 for botli parts ($105 for BCNA members). Contact Joyce at (303) 442-81^3 or via e-mail at jgellhom@sprynet.com. Rooted in Rock: Botany and Geology of Six-Mile Fold From rare twin bladderpod to ubiquitous yucca, from locally sjiarse limestones to widespread shales, Joyce Gellhorn will show us how^ to use plants and rocks to “read” one another. May 7, Tuesday from 6:30 - 9:30 PM, indoor class May 11, Saturday from 8:30 - 11:30 am, field class Tuition: $40 ($35 for BCNA members); contact Joyce at (303) 442-8123orviae-mailjgellhom@sprynet.com CLASSES AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Plant-Animal Interactions June 13 - July 13, 2002. Dr. Kristina Jones (Harvard University) and Jennifer Reithel (University of California, Irvine). In this class we will design, execute, and analyze field experiments involving interactions between plants and animals, including pol- lination, herbivory, and seed dispersal. Each week will have a dif- ferent theme, and will include reading and discussing primary lit- eramre to get ideas, then coming up with our own experiments. The final paper for the course will be in the form of a grant pro- posal by each student on a topic of their choice. fTerequisite: one year of college biology. Field Botany July 14 - August 10, 2002. Dr. George Weiblen (University of Minnesota). The Rocky Mountains are a natural laboratory? in which to studying flowering plant diversity across a range of envi- ronments. Field Botany focuses on identifying local flora, sur- veying plant communities, rec- ognizing plant families, and learning field techniques for plant ecology and systematics. No prerequisites. For more infonnation, visit our website at www.rmbi.org or contact Ian Billick at cfirector@rmbl.org or (970)349-7231. COLORADO BEES INTEREST AND STUDY GROUP Adalbert Goertz Bees and Plants go together. Whosoever tries to study bees, has to know the local plants. Unfortunately, there are few experts for Colorado bees since the days of Cockerell more than 50 years ago, I have been trying to build up a plant-bee check fist for Colorado Springs bn my website at www.cyberspac^.oig/--goertz/ins.html. This note is to call op people to get interested in Coloracfo Apoidea and exchange notes. If you want to fight invading plants, you’ d bet- ter lcx)k at the role of the intrcxluc^ honeybee in this, There is also a need to look at other insect orders, which play a part in pollination. Prairie Dog Ecology Do prairie dogs really destroy rangeland? Why do females eat their nephew s? What is life hke inside a burrow? Steve Jones will discuss the most recent research, while you spend a morning observing prairie dog behavior May 14, Tuesday from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, indoor class May 19, Sunday from 7:00 -11:00 am, field class. Tuition: $40 ($35 for BCNA members); cxintact Steve at (303) 494-2468 or via e-mail at stvjones@peakpeak.com. DEADLINE APPROACHES Submit Aquilegia Contributions by April 15, 2002 Submit contributions for Vol. 26 No. 3 of Aquilegia on or before April 15, 2002. Articles not exceeding 10(X) words are especially welcome. Previously published ^cles submitted lor reprinting require permission. Include author’s name, address, and affiliation^^ anonymity' may be requested. Follow' the format from previous issues closely. Spell check. Submit via Cimail or on disks ^ MAC, preferably — as an MS Word or rtf (rich text format) document. Vol. 26 No. 2 Aquilegia Page 5 CHAPTER NEWS Boulder Chapter The Boulder Chapter invites you to join us for a guest speaker, refreshments, book sales, and socializing, on the second Thursday of the mondi through April at 7:00 PM. We now meet at the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks offices, 66 South Cherry vale Road. From South Boulder Road, go south on Cherry vale one-tenth of a mile and turn west onto a lane that leads back to the offices. WeTl meet in the north building conference room. For more information, contact Chapter President Kathy Damas at (303)543-1492. April 11, 2002 Thursday at 7:00 pm Keeping Nature at Bay — Wildlife Conservation in Great Britain Eddie Boosey is visiting Boulder from England and has graciously agreed to share his shdes, stories, and knowledge of British flora and fauna. Please join us for this unique opportunity. NEW PROGRAM! May 9, 2002 Thursday at 5:30 pm Annual Picnic and Hike Location and destination to be announced - watch Aquilegia for details. Fort Collins Chapter Meeting's are held at 7:00 pm in the Main Conference Room of the National Center for Genetic Resources Conservation (for- merly National Seed Storage Laboratory) at CSU located west of the rmlrbad tracks, about one block north of Pitkin St. ; enter on west side of building. Mem^bers are invited to join the speaker for dinner at Coopersmiths in Old Town, Fort Collins at 5:30 PM prior to the meeting. For more information, contact Chapter President Annette Miller at (970) 482-3063 or almiller@lamar.colostate.edu. April 2, 2002 Tuesday at 7:00 pm Restoration Efforts at Rocky Mountain National Park Jeff Connors (Resource Specialist, IMNP) will discuss restoration efforts that "^^lave been undertaken at Rocky Mountain National Park using both native and local genot}pes. Jeff will also talk about natural versus manipulative restoration May 4, 2002 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Sand Hills Flora Field Trip Join Annette Miller and landowners John and Kathy Wagner for a walk around their sand hills property just southwest of Fort Morgan. We will meet at the entrance to their property at 10:00 am on Saturday and carpool to areas of special interest. The trip is timed to hopefully catch sand cher- ries (Prunus besseyi) in bloom. The group limit is 30, with a possibihty of hmited primitive camping for five to ten. To regis- ter, contact Annette Miller at (970) 482- 3063 or almiller@lamar.colostate.edu. Directions and information will be sent to registrants. Metro-Denver Chapter Monthly meetings are held at 7:00 pm from September through April at the Denver Botanic Garden on York. For exact DBG location and more infonnation, please con- tact Chapter President Denise Larson at (303) 733-4338 oi Leo P. Bruederle at lbruederle@earthlink.net. Prior to the meeting at 5:30 pm, members are invited to join the speaker for pizza at Angelo’s located at 620 East 6* Avenue (between Pearl and Washington) in Denver. Yucca March 26, 2002 Tuesday at 7: OO pm Penland Alpine Fen Mustard: To be or not to be Penland alpine fen mustard (Eutrema pen - landii) is a globally rare species restricted to Colorado’s Mosquito Range. Its closest relative is the circimiboreal E. edwardsii. In 1^7, W.A. Weber subsumed E. penlandii into its North American congener, publish- ing the name E. edwardsii ssp. penlandii. Since then, there has been considemble interest and debate among taxonomists and conservation biologists regarding the sys- tematic relationship between the two taxa. Marr Fund recipient Kim Fayette Regier (Biology, University of Colorado at Denver) will present the results of her research — including some surprises. April 30, 2002 Tuesday at 7:00 pm Floristic Survey of the Upper Arkansas Valley and Lower Gore Range Intense floristic inventories have been the focal point of the Rocky Mountain Herb^um (RMH) at the University of Wyoming since the 1970’s. Marr Fund recipient Emily Holt (Botany, University of Wyoming) will discuss her Master’s research, which comprised a floristic sur- vey of the Sawatch Range (including the Collegiate Peaks and the highest Peak in Colorado, Mount Elbert), the eastern Mosquito Range, the southern Gore Range, and a portion of the Eagle Valley between Vail and Dotsero. The total area covers approximately 3,000 square miles and includes seventeen of Colorado’s 54 peaks over 14,000 feet. Her research uncovered new and previously document- ed populations of over 30 of Colorado’s rare plants! Plateau Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled through- out the year. For more information, contact Chapter President Jeanne Wenger at (970) 256-9227 and Bluecrow2u@aol.com or Program Chair Lori Bnunmer at (970) 641-3561 and lbrummer@gunnison.com. March 23, 2002 Saturday at 10:00 AM DeviPs Canyon Field Trip Cindy Carlson will lead us on this trip in Colorado National Monument to look for lichens. Bring water, lunch and hand lens. This trip will not involve much walking. We will carpool to the trailhead on a good gravel road. Meet at the Acorn station at the intersection of 1-70 and Hwy 6 and 50. Please contact Cindy at (970) 245-6465 to confirm trip details. April 6, 2002 Saturday at 9:30 am Grass Identification Workshop This Grand Junction workshop, which w ill be held from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm^ will pro- vide an opportunity to get to know com- mon local native and non-native grasses. There will be a fee of $15 to help cover the cost of travel for speakers; other details are forth coming. To register, please contact Gay Austin at austinaceae@frontier.net or (970)641-6264. Page 6 April 27, 2002 Saturday Rabbit Valley Field Trip Join us on this field trip, during wliicH we should see a nice variety of spring desert plants. Tliis is a perfect trip for beginning botanists and plant entliusiasts, as well as those with seasoned plant identification skills. For more infoniiation, please con- tact Gretchen Van Reyper at gretchv@juno.com or (970) 835-3268. May 18-19, 2002 Saturday and Sunday Grand Junction Gunnison Bluffs Field Trip and CoNPS Board Meeting Jeanne Wenger will lead this field trip into the Gimnison Bluffs area near Clifton. Meet at 9:30 am on Saturday at the Colorado Department of Transportation Park and Ride soutli of Grand Junction. This is located across Hwy 50, where Hwy 141 heads east to Clifton, about one mile north of Wliitewater. The Park and Ride is on the west side of the road. The Board meeting will take place at 9:00 am on Sunday at the Forest Service office in Grand Junction, which is located at 2777 Cross Road Blvd. Traveling north on Horizon Drive, tin*n left (west) at the first stop light past 1-70. For more information, please contact Jeanne Wenger at (970) 256-9227 and Bluecrow2ii@aol.com or Gay Austin at (970) 641-6264 and austi- naceae@frontier.net. Watch local media for otlier activities or, for more information, contact Jeanne Wenger at (970) 256-9227 and Bluecrow2u@aol.com or Lori Brummer at (970) 641-3561 and lbrummer@gunnison.com. Lobelia cardinalis Aqiiilegia Vol. 26 No. 2 June 8, 2002 Mt. Callahan Field Trip This field trip, which is being developed for beginners, will take place near Grand Junction, lliis trip is weather and plant dependent. If it’s a late spring, we'll have to delay this outing by one or two weeks. Contact Jeanne Wenger at (970)256-9227 or Bluecrow2u@aol.com for more information. Southeast Chapter Activities for tlie Soutlieast Chapter are sched- uled throughout the year. For more informa- tion about the Chapter, as well as news and activities, please contact President Dan Fosha at (719) 572-6972 or danfosha@aol.com. April 23, 2002 Ttiesday at 7:00 pm The Central Shortgrass Prairie Steve Kettler (Eastern Colorado Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy) will give a program entided ‘The Central Shortgrass Prairie: An Ecoregional Assessment and Conservation Blueprint.” This meeting of the Southeast Chapter will be held at the Beidleman Environmental Center located at 740 W. Caramillo St. in Colorado Springs. For more information, call (719) 572-6972. May 29, 2002 Wednesday at 7:00 pm Rare and Endemic Plants of the Arkansas River Valley Barrens Tass Kelso (Professor, Colorado College) will discuss the ecology of rare and endemic plants of the Arkansas River Valley barrens. This meeting of the Southeast Chapter will be held at the Beidleman Environmental Center located at 740 W. Caramillo St. in Colorado Springs. For more information, call (719) 572-6972. Southwest Chapter For more information about the Southwest Chapter, as well as news and activities, please contact Chapter President Sandy Friedley at (970) 884-9245 or by e-mail at friedley@frontier.iiet. April 6, 2002 9:30 - 11:00 am The Cacti of the Four Comers Area Ken Heil, Professor of Botany and Geology at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico has offered to present a lecture and slide show on the cacti of the Four Comers region. Ken is currently working witli the San Juan Basin Flora project and is a noted authority of cactus of the region. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the unique hatatats ai specialized adaptations of the cactiiS^ occurring in the area. The program will be presented from 9:30 to ILOO a.m. at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado Room reservations will be announced. Contact Sandy at 970-884-9245 for more information May 11, 2002 McElmo Canyon Vicinity Join Marian Rohman and Leslie Stewart on this trip, during which we will explore the canyons above McElmo Canyon. Numerous rock formations md soil anomalies in the area offer the oppor- tunity to visit some of the unique plant communities. WeTl meet at 9:00 AM at the M & M Tmck Stop parking lot at the junction of Route 666 and County Road G on the west side of Cortez. Plan to bring a lunch. The hiking could be quite steep depending on how adventurous we are, so wear sturdy hiking boots. Call Marian Rohman at 970-565-9327 for more information. June 8, 2002 ^ Flora of Upper Piedra River Drainage Dick Moseley and Charlie King have kindly invited us take a tour of the plant communities occurring on the slopes above the Piedra drainage. Unique geolo- gy, orchids and possibly ice caves are on the agenda. Contact Charhe King (970- 731_4794) or Dick Moseley (970-731- 5918) for more information. July 13, 2002 To Be Announced - agenda dependent upon moisture conditions. August 3, 2002 10:00 am American Basin and Cinnamon Pass Dick Moseley will lead us to explore the spectacular wildflowers of American Basin. We’ll meet at the trailliead into American Basin at 10:00 a m. and have the opportunity to explore the gentians, columbines, paintbrush, violets and otlier flowering wonders that make this area so spectacular. After lunch, we’ll head up to the top of Cinnamon Pass to explore tli( alpine communities and possibly some unique wetlands. Contact Dick Moseley at (970) 731-5918 for more information. Vol. 26 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 to 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 or Corporate . .$30 \.^Family or Dual .$20 Individual $15 Student or Senior $8 Membership Renewal/Informatioii Please direct all membership applications, renewals, and address changes to the Eric Lane (Chair of Membership), Colorado Native Plant Society, -PO. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please direct all other inquiries reg^ding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. Aquilegia is published four or more 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. Articles for Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non-profit groups, if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. Articles not exceeding 2GOO words in length and shorter items fewer than 500 words in length, such as unusual information about a plant, are especially welcome. Previously pub- lished articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Camera-ready line art or other illustrations are also solicited. Please include author’s name and address, although anonymi- ty may be requested. Articles submitted via e- mail or on disks (MAC preferably, or IBM) are appreciated. Please indicate word processing software and version; if possible, submit as an P?TF (rich text format) file. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to: Leo P. Bruederle Biologj', Campus Box 171 University of Colorado at Denver P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364 E-Mail: lbruederle@earthlink.net Officers President Jill Handwerk . . 970-491-5857 Vice-President . . . David Anderson . 970-484-0774 Secretaiy ....... Alice Guthrie . . . 303-651-3127 Treasurer Georgia Doyle . . 970-491-6477 Board of Directors Jill Handwerk (03) . . Fort Collins. . 970-491-5857 Sue Kamal (03) Greeley 970-353-9240 Andy Kratz (03) . . . . Lakewood . . . 303-914-8291 Denise Culver (03) . . Fort Collins. . 970-491-2998 Pat Ploegsina (01). . . Strasburg. . . . 303-622-9439_ David Anderson (02) Fort Collins. . 970-484-0774 Gay Austin (02) . . . Gunnison. . , . 970-641-6264 Gwen Kittel (02). . . . Boulder 3(B-258-0908 Laurel Potts (02). . . . Fort Collins . . 970-625-4769 Neil Snow (02). .... Greelev .... . 970-330-4823 Chapter Presidents Boulder ...... . Kathy Damas. . . . 303-543.-1492 Fort Collins . . . . Annette Miller . . . , 970-495-3240 Metro-Denver. . . Denise Larson . . . 303-733-4338 Plateau . Jeanne Wenger. . . , 970-256-9227 Southeast ..... . Dan Fosha 719-572-6972 Southwest .... . Sandy Friedley. . . 970-884-9245 Standing Committees and Chairs Conservation . . . Joe Rocchio 720-494-0876 Education and . . Jill Handwerk. . . . , 970-491-5857 Outreach .... . and Alice Guthrie . ,303-651-3127 Field Studies . . . Neil Snow . 970-330-4823 Field Trips .... . Gwen Kittel .... 303-258-0908 Finance ...... . Denise Culver . . . 970-225-1930 . and Georgia Doyle 970-491-6477 Horticulture and. Kathy Damas ... . 303-543-1492 Restoration . . . and Lisa Tasker . , . 970-544-3633 Membership. . . . Eric Lane ,303-239-4182 Newsletter .... . Leo P. Bruederle. . 303-556-3419 Sales . . Ann Armstrong . . 720-564-2052 . Sue Kamal . 970-353-9240 Rare Plant .... . and Laurel Potts . . Eleanor . 970-625-1769 Monograph . . . Von Bargen . . . . 303-756-1400 Research Grants. Neil Snow 970-330-4823 Website . Bob Clarke . 970-242-6067 Workshop; East . Bill Jeimings ... . 303-666-8348 West . Gav Austin ..... . 970-641-6264 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM Name(s) Address (Address) City Phone State Zip 1 E-mail Chapter: Boidder . port Collins Metro Denver Plateau Southeast MEMBERSHIP GLASS: Dues cover one calendar year. Individual, $15.00 .Family/dual, $20 00 Senior, $8.00 Student, $8.00 Corporate, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 Lifetime, $250.00 Southwest In addition to my membership, I have included $ as a contribution to the John Marr Fund (endowment in support of small giants-in-aid of research), $ as a contribution to Myma P. Steinkamp Memorial Fimd (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or $__ as a general contribution to the Society. CoNPS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ~ DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CALENDAR CHAPTER EVENTS May 29 Arkansas River Valley Barrens April 11 Boulder Chapter Keeping Nature at Bay April 6 Southwest Chapter ^ Cacti of the Four Corners Area May 9 Annual Picnic and Hike May 11 McElmo Canyon Field Trip April 2 Fort Collins Chapter Restoration Efforts at RMNP June 8 August 3 Flora of the Upper Piedra River American Basin and Cinnamon Pass May 4 Sand Hills Flora Field li-ip SOCIETY EVENTS March 26 Metro Denver Chapter Pehland Alpine Fen Mu^ard April 13 Board Meeting Lon^mmLCO April 30 tFpp^ArkansasA^Dey and Lower Gore Range May 19 Grand Junction, CO April 6 Plateau Chapter Grass Identification Workshop FIELD TRIPS May 4 Sand Hills Flora Field Trip April 27 Rabbit Valley Field IVip May 26 Revegetation of Bent’s Old Fort May 18 June 8 Gunnison Bluffs Field l>ip Mt. Callahan Field 1>ip June 1 Historic Park Beginner Wildflower Identification April 23 Southeast Chapter Central Shortgrass Prairie June 15 August 3 Post Fire Vegetation of Wild Basin Elevational Transect of Willows TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL