April 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 MEMBERSHIP MEETING J Progressive Transitions: The East Bay Regional Park District in 2010 and 2011 Speaker: Robert E. (Bob) Doyle Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 pm Location: Auditorium, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Bob Doyle, new EBRPD General Manager The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) celebrated its 75-year history in 2009 and 2010, a time of significant transi- tion. In a period of substantial economic recession and con- siderable staff turnover, EBRPD, guided by an environmental ethic, continued its mission to preserve a priceless heritage of natural and cultural resources, open space, parks, and trails for the future, with areas set aside for enjoyment and healthful recreation for generations to come. Bob Doyle will discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead for the East Bay Regional Park District, including the effects of the reces- sion and the commitment of the District's staff, who have worked so hard to continue providing services to the public in the face of budget cuts and staffing reductions. Bob Doyle became the General Manager of EBRPD in 2011 after a 35-year history with the District, beginning as a ranger and working his way through the ranks to the top position in the agency. In addition to his long career at the Park Dis- trict, Doyle is a founding member of Save Mount Diablo, a former board member of the Bay Area Open Space Council, a founding board member of the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, and he was appointed to the first Board of Directors of the Agricultural-Natural Resources Trust of Contra Costa County. He has received industry recognition including a Mountain Star Award from Save Mount Diablo (2002) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from California Trails and Greenways (2010). He attended Diablo Valley College, San Francisco State University, and Saint Mary's College in Moraga, as well as completing continuing education courses at the University of California at Davis, the International Right of Way Associa- tion, and the National Recreation and Park Association. 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. Please contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496-6016 or rosacalifornica@earthlink.net, if you have any 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. Next Month's Program In the Company of Wild Butterflies— a film and presentation by Sal Levinson Location: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden FIELD TRIPS Sunday, April 3, 9:30 am. Gregg Weber will lead this field trip to Toyon Canyon at Briones Regional Park. See the March Bay Leaf for directions and a description, or you can call Gregg at 510-223-3310. Saturday, April 9, 9:30 am, Mitchell Canyon at Mount Dia- blo State Park This year Gregg Weber will lead the hike up the canyon during the mid-spring abundance of oak woodland and grassland flowers, including buttercups, larkspurs, owl's clover, blue dicks. Mount Diablo globe lily and other Calochortus. Bring $10 (?) for parking or your state parks pass. A couple of good books that describe this area's plants are Barbara Ertter's up- dated Flora of Mount Diablo (from Mary Bowerman's earlier version), and Yulan Tong's photo book on Calochortus. Directions: From west of the Oakland/ Berkeley hills, take 24 east and continue to the 680 interchange. Follow the lanes marked for 680 north, but then move immediately to the Ygnacio Valley Road exit, and turn right at the traffic light at the end of the ramp to go east. Stay on Ygnacio Vallley Road for several miles (past John Muir Hospital, through suburbs, past the Fime Ridge entrance and a Cal State campus) to Clayton Road, where you turn right at another traffic light. Go through several intersections on Clayton Road, and then turn right again at Mitchell Canyon Road. Go to the parking lot at the end (there is a fee). Meet at the start of the trail near the visitor's center. Sunday, April 10, 2 pm, Butano State Park, San Mateo County This park has second growth redwoods along little Butano Creek, located at the southern end of San Mateo County. It has many interesting plants that are often hard to find elsewhere in the Bay Area, many packed into a relatively small area (so this is a perfect trip for people who do not like to walk long distances: you can see a lot in a short space, and then enjoy the picnic area and the visitor's center while we take a longer hike). Among the plants are California burning bush, skunk cabbage, Clintonia, and calypso orchid (we do not guarantee we will see the orchid). Directions: go down Highway 1 from San Francisco to Pes- cadero (it is south of San Gregorio). Turn east onto Pescadero Creek Road. Shortly after passing through the village, turn right (south) on Cloverdale Road and follow it to the park (which will be on the left, 5 or so miles south of Pescadero. Go into the park (and pay the parking fee). Proceed to the restrooms on the right and park there. We meet at 2:30 pm. The trip will be led by David Margolies. Contact him at 510- 654-0283 (home) 510-393-1558 (cell) or divaricatum@gmail. com for more information. The walk will take place rain or shine. Saturday, April 16 9:30 am, Burma Road at Mount Diablo State Park Meet at 9:30 am at the Burma Road crossing of North Gate Road in Mount Diablo State Park. We will walk Burma Road from Camel Rock to Moses Spring Rock. This route will take us along part of Fong Ridge, featured in Steve Edwards' 2006-07 Wayne Roderick Fecture on Mt. Diablo. We will see a variety of spring flowers and some uncommon plants as we pass through woodland, grassland and chaparral areas. There is a 1000-foot elevation gain on the way out, and downhill on the way back. The round trip is about 4 miles and should take about 4 hours, so bring lunch and water. We will not be deterred by rain and will proceed regardless of weather. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 if you have questions about this or other Mt. Diablo field trips. Directions: Take the North Gate Road entrance to the park— state parks charge $10 for cars. Continue on North Gate Road for about 2-3 miles and park at the Burma Road trail crossing. Sunday, April 17, 9:30 am-l:30 pm. Tour of Acker- man Property and Dry Creek (yes, another Dry Creek) Heath Bartosh and Seth Adams will lead this tour, which will start from the staging area at Round Valley Regional Park to consolidate for carpools. Save Mount Diablo has been given access to lead a guided tour of an extremely important, 340-acre property on the edge of Brentwood. Preserved by Contra Costa Water District as part of a miti- gation package for Eos Vaqueros Reservoir expansion, the entirety of this property is endangered species habitat and it functions as an important wildlife corridor between the new Cowell Ranch State Park and other areas. Parallel ridges cut through its center and slope down to rare alkali seasonal wetlands with 360 degree views that stretch from Mount Diablo to the Sierra Nevada on a clear day. This trip will also be in celebration of California Native Plant Week, with East Bay CNPS Rare Plant Botanist Heath Bartosh identifying the flora. Don't miss the opportunity to visit this treasure, possibly followed by a short hike to the top of SMD's new Dry Creek property. A large group may be in attendance, so RSVP with Heath Bartosh at 925-228-3027 or hbartosh@ nomadecology.com. Round Valley Staging Area is located on Marsh Creek Road, outside of Brentwood. For a map includ- ing the staging area, go to http:/ / www.ebparks.org/files/. Sunday, April 24, 9:30 am. East Trail at Mount Diablo State Park Meet across from the Divide Reservoir sign on Marsh Creek Road in Clayton. This trip goes through some very nice na- tive plant habitat on the northeast side of Mount Diablo, with an interesting live oak forest. This walk has 1600 feet elevation gain on the way out, and downhill on the return. The round trip is about 6 miles. Figure on returning to the parking lot around 3-4 pm. Bring lunch and water. We will take 3 Springs Road, Olympia Trail, East Trail and Zippe Trail. Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ygnacio Valley Road. Continue on Ygnacio Valley Road several miles from Walnut Creek into the city of Clayton, and turn right onto Clayton Road at 2 THE BAY LEAF April 2011 its stoplight intersection with Ygnacio Valley. Take Clayton Road past the first intersection with Marsh Creek Road, and in about a mile it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road, and go about 2 miles past Regency Drive. As you go uphill, look for the Divide Reservoir sign (not the Nob Hill Reservoir sign). Park on the right side of the road across from the Divide Reservoir sign, where there is plenty of space to park. Call Gregg Weber at 510-223-3310 if you have questions. Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Point Mo- late grasslands (western Contra Costa County) This is the time to visit one of the last intact coastal bunchgrass prairies in flower, on the Potrero Hills at Point Molate. David Amme will lead this trip to an area now facing several devel- opment proposals considered by the City of Richmond and the US Department of the Interior. Point Molate is a peninsula in the narrows of San Pablo Bay, in the rain shadow of the Marin County hills. On the knolls and swales overlooking the bay are coastal prairie meadows, which transition into valley grassland. California oatgrass grows with purple needlegrass, squirreltail, junegrass, and red fescue next to patches of California fescue and the unique form of creeping wildrye. On this trip we will enjoy this still undisturbed beauty and discuss what can be done to save it. Directions: From the East Bay, take the Western Drive/ Point Molate exit from 580, just before the toll booths at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Proceed straight at the first 3-way fork, which gradually rises up a hill, curving more towards the north. As the road descends the hill, park at the parking lot right before the open gate marked Point Molate Restricted Area. Saturdays, April 9 and Aprill6, 10 am-12pm. Warm Springs V er- nal Pool Tours (San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge) Come see the flower rings bloom around some of the last intact vernal pools in the East Bay! Newcomers will enjoy learning about the unique features of a vernal pool grass- land, and visitors from past years can observe the pools in what will likely be a good rain year. Participants will see endangered Contra Costa goldfields, as well as several species of popcorn flower ( Plagiobothrys ), as well as Down- ingia and other native vernal pool and upland species. Refuge staff will lead a tour of the Warm Springs Unit of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wild- life Refuge. The walking tour will last about 1.5-2 hours. The total walking distance will not exceed one mile, but the terrain is uneven. Please wear sturdy shoes and dress according to the weather. Heavy rain will cancel. Directions: We will meet off Cushing Road in Fremont. Take 1-880 to the Fremont Blvd/ Cushing Parkway exit (Exit 13B) toward Cushing. Turn left on Fremont (if you are coming from the north, turn right on Fremont) and right on Cushing Parkway. Go past the light at Northport Loop. On the left side, immediately after the LAM business park, there will be a blue pipe gate across a gravel road. We will meet there. RSVP by e-mail to Ivette Loredo at ivette_loredo@fws.gov or call at 510- 792-4275X134 for reservations. Tours are limited to 20 people due to the sensitivity of the vernal pool ecosystem. BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES GARDEN TOUR Registration is now open for the free Bringing Back the Na- tives Garden Tour, which will take place Sunday, May 1, 2011, from 10 am to 5 pm at various locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Participants in the seventh an- nual, free, self-guided Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour can choose from fifty showcase native plant gardens. They will have the opportunity to learn how select and care for California native plants, lower their water bills, design a low-maintenance garden, attract butterflies, birds, and bees, and garden without using pesticides. More than 40 talks will be offered throughout the day. More than 6,000 people are expected to register for this annual event; early registration is suggested to ensure a place. The delightful collection of gardens offered this year ranges from Jenny and Scott Fleming's 50-year-old collector's gar- den to several that are newly installed, and from large in the hills lots to small front gardens in the flats. Garden styles run the gamut— from restoration gardens containing local native plants to the horticulturally available suite of natives from throughout California, and from gardens designed and installed by owners to those designed and installed by professionals. In the "Preview the Gardens" section at www. BringingBackTheNatives.net are photographs of each garden, extensive garden descriptions, and plant lists, as well as a list of nurseries that sell natives. Landscape designers familiar with designing with natives can also be located on the web- site; many of these designers offer discount consultations to tour participants. A companion feature, the Native Plant Sale Extravaganza, will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1. This exclusive sale features a number of native plant nurser- ies which carry large quantities of hard-to-find California natives. This two-day shopping opportunity offers native plant fans a good selection of native plants and provides a relaxed shopping experience. Knowledgeable staff will be on hand to help shoppers select the right plants for their gardens, and Saturday shoppers will have time to visit more showcase native plant gardens on Sunday, May 1, during the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. Admission to the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is free. Registration prior to April 22 is required and can be completed at www.BringingBackTheNatives.net. For more information, contact Kathy@KathyKramerConsult- ing.net or call 510-236-9558 between 9 am and 9 pm. THE BAY LEAF April 2011 3 NATIVE HERE Spring is here. A cascade of green has engulfed the nursery as dormant plants are leafing out. Some plants, such as osoberry and pink flowering currants, have flowered already and oth- ers are starting to now. Since we cannot always remember when certain plants leaf out, flower, and go dormant we are making a chart to document when plants go dormant, when herbaceous perennials emerge, when shrubs and trees start to leaf, when plants flower. It will be annotated each month as we make observations throughout the nursery. This informa- tion will be useful for customers in planning their gardens. Of course these events vary from year to year, depending on temperature and rainfall, but our observations will provide a starting point. Annuals are still available, including clarkias and lupines. They're either in six packs for $6 or 4-inch pots for $5. Most bulbs won't be available until the Plant Fair in the fall, when we sell them in their dry state, but there are some Chlorogalum pomeridianum and Zygadenus fremontii available in pots. PLANT FAIR: PLANNING FOR Plans are under way for our annual Plant Fair at Native Here Nursery. Mark your calendars for October 1 and 2. The Plant Fair planning team met March 12 and will meet again in May. If you like planning events, there are still some unfilled positions on the team— assisting with speakers, volunteer refreshments, membership, and signage, and co- ordinating participation with related groups. Contact Charli Danielsen at nativehere@ebcnps.org, or mention your interest to Margot Cunningham at the nursery. SUDDEN OAK DEATH SURVEY Sudden oak death, a fungus-like mold that is ravaging coastal California's beautiful live oaks, is now fairly widespread in regional parks from El Sobrante to Oakland. The disease is carried on many host plants, spread is fitful but inexorable, and there is no cure. Loss of oaks means more than loss of beauty — hundreds of species of native plants and animals depend on our oak trees. Watersheds and water cycling would be affected. Working with UC Berkeley's Dr. Matteo Garbelotto (www. cnr.berkeley.edu/garbelotto/english/index.php) and the California Oak Mortality Task Force (www.suddenoakdeath. org), community organizations including Friends of Five Creeks (www.fivecreeks.org) and Garber Park Stewards (gar- berparkstewards.blogspot.com/) are seeking volunteers for a "blitz" survey of infected host plants - mainly California bay laurels. Volunteers can signup at sodblitz.eventzilla.net to (1) Attend a free one-hour training and get survey materials, 1:30 pm Saturday, April 30, on the UC Berkeley campus (easy access by Other plants we have a good supply of are buttercups (Ranun- culus calif ornicus), some of which are blooming now, check- erbloom ( Sidalcea malvaeflora), a grassland perennial that has pink flowers, golden-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium calif ornicum), which likes moist areas, fringecups ( Tellima grandiflora), an evergreen ground cover that likes shade or part-shade, and a wide assortment of grasses and sedges for all different types of environments. We would love to have extra volunteers for April 30 and May 1 to help sell plants, write up sales and talk up membership in CNPS. Just e-mail nativehere@ebcnps to volunteer. Volunteers are welcome whenever the nursery is open. We are located across the street from the entrance to the Tilden Golf Course. To get on our email list, send a message to nativehere@ ebcnps.org. We'll be using it to send out information on plant availability and activities at the nursery. Margot Cunningham and Charli Danielsen OCTOBER 1 AND 2 Elaine Jackson is coordinating volunteers for the weekend of the Fair. We are very fortunate in the addition of Ginny Orenstein who will handle publicity for the Plant Fair. Look for more information at Native Here during Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. Charli Danielsen : APRIL 30 - MAY 1 BART and bus); and (2) Look for infected leaves at locations of their choice or suggested by organizers. Volunteers return suspect samples to an on-campus drop box by 5 pm Sunday, May 1. Samples will be laboratory tested, and results posted on an online database and Google Earth. A community meet- ing will discuss results and what can be done. Training also is available at 10 am, April 30 at the Orinda Community Center. Email Bill Hudson, wllhh@ymail.com. For more information about the survey, or if your group is interested in surveying a specific park or neighborhood, please contact f5creeks@aol.com or 510-848-8358. If you think you have an infected oak on your property, check out the Garbelotto lab's free treatment-training sessions (www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ garbelotto/ english/ index. php). If you have an I-phone, check out www.oakmapper.org, an I-phone app from another UC Berkeley lab. Susan Schwartz 4 THE BAY LEAF April 2011 MEMBERSHIP REPORT My request to search your bookshelves and memories for a join date for those of us that were members of CNPS prior to 1986 brought in some wonderful stories. I want to thank Stacey Flowerdew of our State office and Steve Hartman of LA/ Santa Monica Mountains chapter for sending inspira- tional ideas to find such dates. Phoebe's story was one of the most comprehensive. Elaine Jackson Meet Phoebe Watts When did I join CNPS? Well, I certainly was a member in 1981, because I was chairperson of the native plant sale that fall. I think that perhaps it was a desperate situation for the Chapter (which was San Francisco Bay chapter then), because Marjorie (Mar- gery?) Jones, who had run the sale, had to withdraw because of Photo of Phoebe by Joeqi ness . I was a me mber then ,but Willingham had not participated in Chapter activities, when Ruth Fiske, whose husband Steve was then and for a long time the Chapter treasurer, asked me if I would consider it. Why me? Perhaps because she knew that I was taking horticulture classes at Merritt. Besides Ruth, I don't remember talking it over with any one except Marjorie Jones. When I was invited to a Board meeting, it was the first Board meeting I had attended. I told them I knew how to run a sale (having run the Arts and Crafts Co-op's Seconds Sale a few times) but I didn't really know about growing the plants. But they took me on anyway — a desperation move? So I ran the 1981 sale, and since Glen Keator was then retiring from being the Bay Leafe ditor, I took on that job, and did it for many years. Michael Thilgen ran the 1982 plant sale. I joined CNPS at an Oakland Museum Wildflower Show. That would have been in May. I went to the wildflower show, my first, because I was in a class given by Glen Keator, and he took us all. I began taking classes from Glen in the mid 1970s, I think, so my best guess for my joining date would be May 1975 (or 1976). So, the last sentence above would have answered the question you asked, but thinking about that time in my life has given me such pleasure that I thought I'd send you the whole thing. Thank you for asking! Phoebe Watts Perhaps the following comments from various respondents might jog your memory on your join date prior to 1986. -Elaine. — Ah hah! My oldest Fremontia says April 1979. — I could not find a definite date when we joined CNPS. I would guess that it would be pretty close to 1980. —So, when did I first join CNPS ? January 1979. Dues= $8.00. 1 knew there must have been a reason to save the check stubs going back into the '60's. — Did manage to dig out the issues of Fremontia , and 1983 is as far back as they go, so I must have joined around then. — I remember joining when I was going to San Jose State years ago, and I believe I can safely say I've been a member since at least 1973. — I think I joined the CNPS back when I was doing docent work in the Natural Sciences Gallery at the Oakland Museum, when I did the docent training after my daughter was born. That would have been in 1971. —Thanks for your challenging email. When my son was born in 1970 1 planted the redwood that now towers over the roof in the front yard. So my guess would be 1974 — the year I entered law school. — I joined CNPS for the first time in 1972 if my memory serves me correctly. I let my membership lapse when I got a divorce and moved from San Francisco. I rejoined CNPS around 1983 and I have maintained my membership to the present. — I believe I first joined CNPS in 1978 (possibly 1979, but let's go with 1978) while attending UCSB. I should have transferred to East Bay Chapter around 1983 when I started grad school at UC Berkeley. I've had some gaps in my membership at various points, but have remained a strong CNPS supporter. New Members Please join us in welcoming our new members for the January/ February time frame: Yunden Bayarjargal, Janice Hayes, Nancie Ryan, & Brenda Muhareb. As always, a huge thank you to our renewing members. Join dates prior to 1986— Come on and give that shelf of Fremontias another look. You might just find your join date! Upcoming Events — Opportunities to meet and greet the public for CNPS April 2 nd Sunol Wildflower Show (Sunol). Lead volunteers Janet Gawthrop, Anita Person, & Elaine Jackson April 16 th , John Muir Earth Day Birthday (Martinez). Lead volunteers Heath Bartosh & Elaine Jackson April 30 th , San Leandro Creek Watershed Festival (San Le- andro). Lead volunteer Laura Beckett May 1 st , Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (Various East Bay Locations). Lead volunteer [your name here!] June 11 th , Heritage Day at Borges Ranch (Walnut Creek). Lead volunteer Christine Pyers Please contact me if you are interested in helping and/ or have found your pre 1986 join date. Elaine Jackson, elainejx@att.net, 925-372-0687 THE BAY LEAF April 2011 5 PRIORITY PROTECTION AREA: NORTH OF MT. DIABLO The lands north of Mt. Diablo are dominated by rolling hills of grassland and chaparral on southfacing slopes and blue oak woodland on north facing slopes. Scattered in this topography are stock ponds, seeps and riparian drainages. The geology consists of sedimentary rocks that have been uplifted and exposed at various locations, such as above Stewartville and near Kirker Canyon. This area lacks the steep topography of Mt. Diablo, but is has its own gentle rural charm. Good views of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range can be had from the ridgelines of the area. Small pockets of interesting native vegetation are strewn throughout the area. Silver bush lupine is found growing in small patches of moist grassland near the ridge tops. Black oak-hop tree woodland can be found just over the east side of these same ridges. Mountain mahogany grows in the steep cool drainages near Clayton Ranch. The diminutive blazing star grows in crevices in the south facing rock outcrops. The chamise chaparral of Irish Canyon contains scattered individuals of the rare Mt. Diablo Manzanita and splashes of virgin's bower. Underneath the chamise is a fragrant under- story of black sage, pitcher sage, skunkweed and Pogogyne. Transitional areas between chaparral and blue oak woodland or grassland support a number of rare and unusual plants, including the locally endemic Mt. Diablo sunflower, Mt. Diablo globe lily and serpentine bedstraw. RESTORATION PROJECTS Restoration Schedule: First Saturday of each month at Pt. Isabel on the Bay Trail. The next one will be April 2. Our hours are 10 am to 2 pm. 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. Contact info: e-mail: kyotousa@sbcglobal. net, 510- 684-6484 c. We welcomed 27 volunteers to the Pt. Isabel work party on Saturday, March 5th (some are shown in the photo by Tom Kelly). Thirteen young U.S. and international students (from Malaysia, Panama, Spain and Taiwan) came from the Purple Lotus School in Union City, seven members of the Toxicology Student Association at Cal came out for the second time, five of our Bay Area regular volunteers showed up, and two vis- iting scholars from the Shanghai Center for Disease Control joined the party! The tireless Purple Lotus team chopped The area is also rich in a number of special-status animals, including California red-legged frog, California tiger sala- mander and Alameda whipsnake. Threatened or endangered wildlife species are often used as surrogates for protection of rare plants in these same habitats. Perhaps of greatest risk to this area are the impacts from development of rural ranchettes. Such developments chop up the landscape and create a number of small parcels where monster homes are constructed, complete with new roads, leach fields, ATV courses, horse corrals and barns. Over time the vegetation around these homes is gradually cleared to comply with fire abatement requirements. Invasive landscape plants spread from the developed areas into the undisturbed habitat, dis- placing native vegetation and wildlife. Native Americans inhabited this area for several hundred years, making use of the abundant acorns from the oaks, and an understory of bulbs, including soap lily and brodiaea. The area has a long history of livestock grazing. Many of the fami- lies have been ranching in the area for more than 100 years. Livestock production is becoming less viable in this area as urban encroachment forces ranching families to sell and move to locations less subject to development pressure. Brad Olson down and dug out swaths of fennel that were crowding stands of coyote bush ( Baccharis pilularis), then turned their attention to the southern part of the trail where they removed masses of radish. The Tox students spread some mulch, carefully protecting new plantings and California poppies (Eschscholzia califomica) that had popped up along the trail and ended their day planting a large patch of yampah ( Perideridia kelloggii ) grown from seed from West Contra Costa by the Watershed nursery in Richmond. Visiting Chinese scholars Zhihai and Dasheng worked enthusiastically on multiple tasks, learning throughout the day about the marsh and about California na- tive plants and enjoying the stories about "Cowboy Cologne" (Artemesia califomica), and how yampah is the favorite host of the Anise Swallowtail butterfly. Our regular volunteers worked diligently and several of the new volunteers com- mented on how beautiful the area is and how much they enjoyed working there. Kevin Takei and Bruce Adams from the EBRPD organized a truckload of tools, all of which were put to good use. This huge work party was another example of how important the District's support is for the work and how much we appreci- ate Kevin Takei and all his staff. Jane and Tom Kelly 6 THE BAY LEAF April 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 jdoradesign@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 (vacant) Funds Development Carol Castro, Chair Grant Management Sally de Becker 510-841-6613 sallydebecker@comcast. net Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Information Infrastruc- ture Peter Rauch, Chair peterar@berkeley.edu Membership Co-Chairs Elaine Jackson elainejx@att.net Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carol bcastro@ 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 Vegetation (vacant) Outreach (vacant) Education (vacant) EBCNPS Sponsored Activities Book & Poster Sales Joanne Orengo greentheglobe@juno. com 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 arid Commit- tee Chairs serve on the Board. ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Tuesday, April 14 lpm-2:30 pm, U.C. Botanical Garden Join horticulturist Ken Bates for a tour through the California Area, the Garden's largest collection. See native flora from diverse regions of the state. Representing close to one-quarter of the state's native species, the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley showcases one of the largest species collections of native California plants anywhere. Free; members only; registration required, botanicalgarden. berkeley.edu / index, shtml 2011 Calendar of field courses sponsored by the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) Visit www.cal-ipc.org/ for more informa- tion. Wildland Weeds Biology and Identification Field Course Biol- ogy and Identification San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Wednesday, April 13 — Biology & Identification Thursday, April 14— Control Methods Redding— The McConnell Foundation's Lema Ranch Tuesday, May 17— Biology & Identification Wednesday, May 18— Control Methods SF Bay Area— The Presidio of San Francisco's Log Cabin Tuesday, June 21 — Strategic Approaches Wednesday, June 22— Control Methods San Diego— Tijuana River Nat'l Estuarine Research Reserve Wednesday, August 3 — Mapping Thursday, August 4— Control Methods Workshops offered by the Jepson Herbarium Registration information is available online at: http: / / ucjeps.berke- ley.edu/ workshops/ 2011/ regform_2011.html Flora of the Santa Cruz Sandhills May 6-8, Santa Cruz County Instructors: Jodi McGraw and Randy Morgan Amidst the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, islands of droughty, nutrient-poor sand soils formed from uplifted Miocene marine sand deposits give rise to unique plant communities found nowhere else in the world: the Santa Cruz Sandhills. Floristic jewels, the Sandhills are threatened by sand mining, residential develop- ment, incompatible recreation, and the invasion and spread of non-native species. Mimulus May 20-22, SNRI Yosemite Field Station in Wawona Instructor: Steve Schoenig California is the center of Mimulus diversity: 80 of the world's 120 species occur in the state. This class will discuss Mimulus evolution, ecology, and conservation while visiting some beautiful monkey flower hotspots in the Yosemite region. Potentilla, Past and Present July 15-17, Sagehen Creek Field Station, Truckee Instructor: Barbara Ertter If you want the inside scoop behind changes to Potentilla (cinque- foils) in the new Jepson Manual, and how to deal with "species" in a genus notorious for complex hybridization and asexual forms of reproduction, this is the workshop for you. Learn about new species of Potentilla in California and how to cope with plants that give only lip service to any rigid species definition. Aquatic Plants August 13-14, UC Berkeley and local Field Sites Instructor: Don Les Even at summer's end, when lowland botanizing is long past, diverse aquatic plants are still going strong in lakes, streams, and other wetlands. Because of the broad spectrum of plants that will be covered, the workshop will focus more on gaining familiarity with aquatic plant diversity than on keys to species. THE BAY LEAF April 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 April 201 1 issue CALENDAR OF EVENTS Native Here (see page 4) Tuesday afternoons— nursery open noon to 3 pm Friday mornings — nursery open 9 am to noon Saturdays— nursery open 10 am to 2 pm Restoration (see page 6) First Saturday of each month at Pt. Isabel on the Bay Trail. The next one will be April 2. Our hours are 10 am to 2 pm. We remove invasive plants and re-vegetate with native plants grown from plants found at the site. Field Trips (see page 2) Sunday, April 3, 9:30 am, Toyon Canyon at Briones Regional Park Saturday, April 9, 9:30 am, Mitchell Canyon at Mount Diablo State Park Saturdays, April 9 and April 16, 10 am-12 pm. Warm Springs Vernal Pool Tours (San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge) Sunday, April 10, 2 pm, Butano State Park, San Mateo County Saturday, April 16 9:30 am, Burma Road at Mount Diablo State Park Sunday, April 17, 9:30 am-l:30 pm. Tour of Ackerman Property and Dry Creek (yes, another Dry Creek) Sunday, April 24, 9:30 am. East Trail at Mount Diablo State Park Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Point Molate grasslands (western Contra Costa County) Membership Meeting (see page 1) Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 pm. Auditorium, Orinda Public Library Progressive Transitions: The East Bay Regional Park District in 2010 and 2011, speaker: Robert E. (Bob) Doyle 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