The January 2003 Bay Leaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter • Alameda & Contra Costa Counties j Calendar of Events Native Here Nursery, p. 4 Plant Sale Tuesdays and also on Saturday, February Fridays, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, January 4, 11, 18, 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 8, 9-noon Chapter Board Meeting Field Trips, p. 3 Wednesday, January 8, 7:30 p.m., home of Holly Sunday, January 5, 2 p.m. Huddert County Park, p. Saturday, January 11, 10 a.m. Jepson Herbaria, p. Forbes Sunday, January 26, 2 p.m. Redwood Regional Park, Membership Meeting, see below Wednesday, January 22, 7:30 p.m., Orinda Public Plant Sale Activities, p. 4 Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28, propagation/ potting sessions Library Membership Meeting Conifers of California Speaker: Ronald Lanner Wednesday, January 22, 2003, 7:30 p.m. Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) We’re used to bragging about our California conifer superlatives: coast redwood, the tallest tree in the world; giant sequoia, the most massive tree in the world; bristlecone pine, the oldest tree in the world. Even the aggregate of California’s 52 different conifers is a su- perlative; the largest number of coniferous species in any state and also in any comparably sized region on the planet. But beyond the superlatives lies a fasci- nating array of cone-bearing plants adapted to a broad diversity of California habitats. Dr. Ronald Lanner, Professor emeritus of forest biology at Utah State University, is the author of the first book devoted exclusively to all the coniferous plants of our state. In his award-winning book, Conifers of Califor- nia (Cachuma Press, 1999), Dr. Lanner provides a com- prehensive and engaging guide to the variety, botany, natural history, and human uses of California coni- fers. In his presentation to our chapter, Dr. Lanner will offer a beautifully illustrated tour of these remark- able plants. Dr. Lanner has studied forest trees for more than forty years and is the author of four other books on the sub- ject; Trees of the Great Basin; The Pihon Pine: A Natural and Cultural History; Made for Each Other: A Symbiosis of Birds and Pines ; and Autumn Leaves: A Guide to the Fall Colors of the Northwoods. A selection of Dr. Lanner’s books will be available for purchase after the presenta- tion. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month’s meeting will take place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The room will be open at 7:00 p.m., and the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the presentation. Contact Sue Rosenthal, telephone (510) 496-6016, or send an email to rosacalifomica@earthlink.net if you have any questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 24 Orinda Way: From the west, take Highway 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. Turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Vil- lage), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Highway 24 to the Orinda continued on page 2 Membership Meeting continued from page 2 exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria Way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Go one short block on Orinda Way to the parking lot on the southeast side of the new 2-stoiy building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): get off at the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedes- trian bridge on the left. Go one short block on the side- walk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Upcoming Programs February 26, 2003: John Game — California’s threatened plants and thoughts on how to protect them March 26, 2003: Alan Kaplan — The new kingdoms of life Sue Rosenthal Chapter Volunteer Opportunities Much of the strength of the California Native Plant So- ciety comes from grassroots activity that includes field work, education, and activism by both professional and non-professional botanists. Several opportunities exist for getting involved. Listed below are some examples of “hands on plants” field activities and other volunteer opportunities related to the three Plant Science com- mittees: Rare Plants, Unusual (locally rare) Plants, and Plant Communities. In our chapter area, development and land use changes are occurring at an alarmingly rapid rate. To date, 18 rare or endangered plant taxa have been extirpated (lo- cally extinct) from the East Bay (although not neces- sarily extirpated statewide). Almost 70 other plant taxa are extirpated from the East Bay. Information regard- ing the distribution and status of plants and vegetation (plant communities) is essential for ensuring that laws protecting biodiversity can be enforced, and that pro- active conservation measures can occur. Data collected by the Plant Science Committees are used by the Con- servation Committee and within the Committees to bet- ter understand where to concentrate conservation ef- forts, and to inform agencies of important biodiversity in our area. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to partici- pate. There are opportunities and niches for people with and without experience, and to work alone or in a group. Volunteering can be a great way to learn and/ or share your knowledge. If we all put in a little time, we can make a positive, lasting contribution to preserv- ing our native flora. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions about the projects and opportunities. Rare, Endangered, and Unusual Plants The Rare and Endangered, and Unusual Plants Com- mittees need volunteers to help monitor and look for endangered, rare and unusual plants in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. If you have a favorite place to hike, let us know, and we will send you a list of rare and unusual plants from that area that need to be monitored, or need location, or ID questions answered, or historical sites checked. If you are more interested in a particular species or a genus of plants or even a family, we can provide you with a list of its (their) oc- currences that need to be monitored or checked. Volunteers who focus on a particular species would not need prior botanical knowledge. If you are not veiy knowledgeable, we can give you a list of plants to choose from and help you learn to identify a particular rare or unusual plant. You can then look for it in the field, monitor it, try to find new populations, check sites where it was historically known, etc. and become the “local expert” for your plant. Contact Dianne Lake (unusual plants) or John Game (rare and endangered plants). Plant communities The Plant Community Committee needs volunteers to map and collect quantitative data on vegetation in our chapter area. This is a group activity using mostly easy- to-learn standard CNPS protocols. Hiking to field sites is usually involved. This is an excellent way to learn our local flora and its ecology. Some groups are focus- ing on wetlands or grasslands, others will work on ar- eas where vegetation data is needed for conservation planning in areas that are very threatened (Livermore Valley), or are undergoing regional planning (e.g. east- ern Contra Costa County). This data will also be used to update future additions of the Manual of California Vegetation, and towards determining priorities for pro- tection and restoration in the East Bay. There are also indoor activities such as confirming plant identifica- tions, mapping and research. Contact Susan Bainbridge. Additional tasks A volunteer is needed to help update our mailing list of agencies and organizations. This list is essential for disseminating information gathered by our chapter in order to insure its use. This may just involve calling a local or state agency to see if current lists exist, or it could involve contacting everyone on our list for their current data. The entire list also needs to be entered into a database format as the data didn’t transfer when we switched to a different system in 2001. Contact Dianne Lake. We are also looking for volunteers that have computer skills including GIS and data basing, and for volun- teers that have knowledge of legal, and conservation issues in the East Bay or in general. continued on page 3 2 Volunteer Opportunities continued from page 2 Contact information: Susan Bainbridge (Plant Communities): (510) 548-2918 or suebain@sscl.berkeley.edu John Game (Rare and Endangered Plants): (510) 527-7855 orjcgame@lbl.gov Dianne Lake (Unusual Plants): diannelake@yahoo . com. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to learn more about what you can do to help save our wonderful native flora. Sue Bainbridge, John Game, Dianne Lake Field Trips Sunday, January 5, Huddert County Park, San Mateo County. Field Trip led by David Margolies. Meet at the main parking lot (off Kings Mountain Road) at 2:00 p.m. Fetid adder’s tongue ( Scoliopus bigelovii), one of the ear- liest flowering plants in the year, is usually out first thing in the new year on the Crystal Springs Trail in the Redwood forests in this pleasant county park. The walk is about 1.5 miles, with an elevation change of two hundred feet or so. Directions: take 1-280 south from San Francisco to the Woodside Road (State 84) exit. Take Woodside Road (84) west about 1.5 miles through the village of Woodside and take a right onto Kings Mountain Road. The park entrance is on the right a mile or two up the hill. The main parking lot is just after the pay station. You must pay for parking even if the station is not staffed. Please contact David Margolies (510) 654-0283, divaricatum@aol.com, if you need further information. Saturday, January 11, 10:00 a.m. Special behind- the-scenes “field trip” through the University and Jepson Herbaria, UC-Berkeley, led by Barbara Ertter. Find out the stories behind all those dead plants, how they are preserved, and the critical role they continue to play. See actual specimens collected by David Douglas, Wil- liam H. Brewer, Albert Kellogg, and John Muir. A great way to spend a rainy half-day! The University and Jepson Herbaria are in the Valley Life Science Building on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. The entrance is on the ground floor of the atrium, in front of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The central Berkeley BART station is convenient, as are numerous bus lines. Parking can generally be found along the streets north of campus (2 hour time limit only on weekdays). Sunday, January 26, Redwood Regional Park in Oak- land. Field Trip led by David Margolies. Meet at the Redwood Gate Parking Area, off Redwood Road, at 2 p.m. Redwood Regional Park contains a portion of the red- wood groves in the East Bay. It was thoroughly logged in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It provides a good example of second growth redwood forest, along with oak/bay woodland and chaparral. We will walk along the Stream Trail and the Bridal Trail, in about a 2-3 mile loop, discussing redwood ecology and looking at the other native trees and shrubs found in the park. We will also look at the rainbow trout exhibit. Directions: The main entrance, Redwood Gate, is on Redwood Road in Oakland about a quarter mile north- west of Pinehurst Road. From San Francisco, take the Bay Bridge, staying to the right (but do not go to San Jose). Take 580 East, and then 24 East (towards Wal- nut Creek). Take the 13 South exit from 24. From the northern East Bay, get on 13 South (go east on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, for example). From Oakland, go east on 35th Avenue (which turns into Redwood Road). From the southern East Bay, take 580 west to 13 north, and exit at Redwood Road (immediately after the junction). Take the Redwood Road exit and go east (uphill). At the top of the hill you will cross Skyline Boulevard and pass various equestrian facilities. Go down into the valley. About two miles from Skyline Boulevard, turn left into Redwood Regional Park. Go to the parking lot at the end of the access road. Please contact David Margolies (510) 654-0283, divaricatum@aol.com) if you need further information. David Margolies and Barbara Ertter A New Species ! From: Joys and Sorrows of Botanists, by A. Carex, 1870 3 Plant Sale Activities Activities of Others We are selling plants on Tuesday mornings through January and into early February. For buyers who can- not come to the nursery on a weekday we will be there Saturday, February 8 th , 9-12. Plants available include 1 1 different manzanita culti- vars and 5 ceanothus cultivars. Among the shrubs, perennials, and grasses there are some 20 selections. The plants are all one gallon size and ready for planting soon, best while the weather is cool. Propagation /Potting Sessions: Tuesdays January 7, 14, 21, 28 9 a.m. to noon Merritt College Landscape Horticulture Rain or shine Cuttings that went into the greenhouse before the holi- days will not have rooted yet, so we are on a break from potting; propagation of shrub cuttings is on the agenda this month. Shirley McPheeters (925) 376-4095 Native Here Nursery Native Here Nursery open for business Fridays, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 9 to noon Saturdays, January 4, 11, 18, 25, 10 to one p.m. The nursery remains open, weather permitting, through- out the winter. Heavy rain or strong winds will close the nursery. Winter is a good time to plant in places without heavy frost. Rain makes the watering job a lot easier. New volunteers are always welcome to join in on either Fri- day or Saturday. Please just come in ready to go to work, no reason to call first. Volunteers are sowing seeds and potting up seedlings. If there is something you need in a particular container size for next fall, this is the time to get your orders in. A few people have asked to be included on the seed collecting permits for the coming spring-fall collecting season. There is still time. Contact Charli, email charlid@pacbell.net, with your name, address, and number. Charli Danielsen Volunteer Opportunities at the University and Jepson Herbaria Group Volunteer Saturdays at the University and Jepson Herbaria for Spring 2003 are January 18, Feb- ruary 9, March 9, April 19, and May 10, beginning at 10 a.m. and finishing up by 5 p.m. (participants need not stay the full time) . Our focus will be chipping away at the unmounted backlog of pressed plant collections, from California and around the world, some brand new, some decades old. Volunteers are needed to mount, sort, and file these collections, and to assist with re- lated projects. No previous herbarium experience is necessary, but a level of dexterity and attention to de- tail is valued. The University and Jepson Herbaria are in the Valley Life Science Building on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. For more in- formation, or to be added to the Group Volunteer re- minder list, please call Ana Penny (510) 642-2465. We also welcome individual volunteers who can come in during our regular hours (M-F 8-5). We will try to match your interests, abilities and schedule to one of the numerous curatorial projects that have been gath- ering dust. For more information about individual vol- unteer opportunities, call Barbara Ertter (510) 642- 2465. San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival January 24-26, 2003 San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Mare Island, California Discover Refuge trails on San Pablo Bay National Wild- life Refuge at Building 505 on Mare Island. Join a natu- ralist-led walk on the Refuge at Tolay Creek and Cullinan Ranch, and meet the Refuge System’s famous Blue Goose mascot. Explore Festival Headquarters at Build- ing 897 for more activities including more than 50 ex- hibits, live animal visitors, slide and video presenta- tions, games and activities for children, and much, much more. For a detailed Flyway Festival brochure or for more information, call us at (707) 644-WING (9464) or visit the official Flyway Festival website at www. SFBayFlywayFestival . com . The Tramp and the Roughrider March 14 - 15, 2003 Smith Center, Ohlone College Join us as we reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look to the future of natural resource conservation in the United States. View the contents of the Refuges’ time capsule, one of hundreds that will commemorate continued on page 6 Board of Directors Elected Officers Committee Coordinators President: Tony Morosco, c/o Calflora, 937 San Pablo Ave., Albany 94706 w/528-5426, tony-morosco@calflora.org Vice President, Administration: Elaine Jackson, 3311 Estudillo St., Martinez 94553, 925-372-0687, elainejx@mindspring.com Treasurer: Holly Forbes, 7128 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530, 234-2913, w/643-8040 Secretaries: Recording: Michele Lee, 2923 Sheldon Dr., Richmond 94803, 243-1265 Corresponding: Joanne Kerbavaz, 1709 Berkeley Way, Apt. B, Berkeley 94703, JKERB@parks.ca.gov Past President Barbara Ertter, 1859 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, h/526-4592, w/ 643-0600 Advisors Members at large: Jim Sharp, 2663 LeConte Ave., Berk. 94709, 644-9344, itsa@dnai.com vacant Bay Leaf Editor Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704, 841-4681, pepel 066@attbi.com Committee Coordinators Bay Leaf Mailing: Holly Forbes, 7128 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530, 234-2913, w/643-8040, hforbes@uclink4.berkeley.edu Bryophytes: Dan Norris, 802 Lexington Ave., El Cerrito 94530, 435-2004, dhnorris@uclink.berkeley.edu Conservation: Steve Asztalos, 839 York St., Oakland 94610, asztalos1@llnl.gov Donations: Sandy McCoy, 1311 Bay View Place, Berkeley 94708, wbmccoy@earthlink.net East Bay Public Lands: Peter Rauch, 526-8155, peterr@socrates.berkeley.edu Education: Vacant Field Trips: Janet Gawthrop, 360 Monte Vista Ave. #214, Oakland 94610, 654 3066, Janetg24@excite.com Hospitality: Irene Wilkinson, 440 Camino Sobrante, Orinda 94563, 925-254-3675 Media: Elizabeth Bade, 2151 Carrol Rd., Walnut Creek 94596, 925-531-7896 Membership: Delia Taylor, 1851 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, 527-3912, deliataylor@mac.com Native Here Nursery: Charli Danielsen, 101 Golf Course Dr., Berkeley 94708, 549-0211, charlid@pacbell.net Native Plant Restoration Team: Sarah Ginskey, 1096 Miller Avenue, Berkeley 94708, 510-558-8139, sawginskey@sbcglobal.net Plant Communities: Susan Bainbridge, 2408 Parker St., Berkeley 94704, 548-2918 Plant Sale: Shirley McPheeters, 104 Ivy Dr., Orinda 94563, 925-376-4095 Phoebe Watts, 1419 Grant St., Berkeley 94703, 525-6614, phoebewatts@cs.com Plant Sale Publicity: Elaine Jackson, 3311 Estudillo St., Martinez 94553, 925-372-0687 Posters: Heather Koshinsky, 2033 Carquinez Ave., El Cerrito 94530, w/522- 8180, hak@dnai.com Programs: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016, rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Rare Plants: John Game, 1155 Spruce St., Berkeley 94707, 527-7855 Regional Parks Botanic Garden Liaison: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016, rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Unusual Plants: Dianne Lake, 1050 Bayview Farm Rd. #121, Pinole 94564, 741-8066, diannelake@yahoo.com Recorded Chapter Information: 464-4977 CNPS Home Page: http://www.cnps.org East Bay Chapter CNPS Home Page: http://www.ebcnps.org Bay Leaf & Board meeting minutes online Chapter CNPS-EB-Alerts E-mail List: Find out more; email to listserv@usobi.org with: INFO CNPS-EB Alerts Membership Application Name Address I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Student, Retired, Limited income, $20 Individual, Library, $35 E-mail Household, Family, or Group, $45 (optional) Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Benefactor, $500 Life, $1000 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 1722 J Street, Suite 17, Sacramento CA 95814 5 Activities of Others continued from page 4 the 100th anniversary of the Refuge System. Discover the events leading up to the creation of the System through The Tramp and the Roughrider, a two-man play re-enacting the historic discussion between Presi- dent Teddy Roosevelt and California naturalist John Muir. Whether you’re a naturalist, a sportsman, or a historian, you will be captivated by this passionate per- formance by Lee Stetson as John Muir and Alan Sutterfield as Teddy Roosevelt. Tickets on sale by the SF Bay Wildlife Society. Friday Evening: $12 adults, $8 seniors /students. Saturday Matinee: $10 adults, $6 seniors /students. Tickets on sale 10 am Tuesday, January 7, 2003. To order, call (510) 792-0222 and ask for the Visitor Center Desk. Foetid adders tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii, is a plant in the Lily family that usually occurs under redwood trees. It flowers from early January to early March, and can be seen for example in Marin County or the Santa Cruz Moun- tains. In our two counties, it has been seen in the Oakland Hills, but has not been reported there for many years. If you see it this year in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties, please inform Dianne Lake or me. John Game California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Oakland, CA Permit No. 2018 Time Value January 2003 issue