CALENDAR OF EVENTS Membership Meeting (see below) Field Trips p. 2 Saturday, June 2, 10 am. Mount Diablo State Park, North peak trail from Devil's Elbow to Prospector's Gap Sunday, June 3, 2 pm, Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, San Mateo/ Santa Clara Counties Saturday, June 16, 10 am. Mount Diablo State Park, Knobcone Point Road and Blackhawk Ridge Road Native Here Nursery p. 6 Fridays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Nursery Open 9 am -noon. Saturdays, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Open 10 am - 1 pm. Tuesdays, June 5, 12, 19, 26 Seed collection mornings Plant Fair Planning Meeting (see below) Sunday, June 10, 2 pm. Native Here Nursery PLANT FAIR PLANNING MEETING The chapter is planning to hold another Plant Fair this fall at Native Here on October 20th and 21st, with a "rain check date" of the following weekend. The Fair is a large part of the revenue stream for the chapter. It is also a way to learn more about native plants, mingle with other plant nuts and posy sniffers and have a wonderful time in a lovely setting. There is much to do to be ready for the event. It is more than just business as usual at Native Here: vendors need to be contacted, speakers recruited, traffic plans formu- lated, informational materials prepared, publicity dis- seminated, plants grown that are not normally for sale at Native Here, physical plant readied for a larger than usual crowd, volunteers recruited to work before and dur- ing the fair, volunteers phoned, refreshments arranged for volunteers, and just about any task one can imagine. Come to Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive in Tilden Park, at 2 pm on Sunday, June 10th to help work out plans and find a task that you'd enjoy. You don't have to respond ahead, but if you'd like to, just e-mail nativehere@ebcnps.org and let us know what your interests are. MEMBERSHIP MEETING East Bay CNPS chapter membership meetings will be on summer recess until September 26, 2007. Watch future issues of the Bay Leaf and the chapter website for announcements of upcoming programs. Here's a little summary of how the East Bay Chapter CNPS membership meetings work: Membership meetings are free of charge and open to both members and non-members. We schedule meetings for the fourth Wednesday evening of the month in January-May and September-November, with a slight adjustment in the schedule to avoid Thanksgiving week. The meetings take place in Alameda County some months and Contra Costa County other months (each announcement in the Bay Leaf and on the chapter website gives complete information about the topic, speaker, and location of the meeting). Meetings begin at 7:30 pm with very brief chapter announce- ments. The main event is an hour-long presentation (usually a slide show) on a subject broad enough to be of interest to many CNPS members. Following the presentation, members are invited to stay and enjoy refreshments. I always welcome suggestions from members for future presentation topics or speakers (some of our best programs have come from members' suggestions), so please feel free to contact me with your ideas (rosacalifornica@earthlink. net or 510-496-6016). I look forward to seeing you at future meetings Sue Rosenthal FIELD TRIPSIN JUNE Saturday, June 2, 10 am. Mount Diablo State Park, North peak trail from Devil's Elbow to Prospector's Gap Meet at Devil's Elbow parking lot at 10 am. This trail is packed with native plants, and relatively few alien species. There may be Calochortus venustus, C. pulchellus, Chorizanthe membranacea, Hydrophyllum occidentale, Arnica discoidea, a few areas of Collinsia tinctoria, Lupinus spp., Cirsium spp., Clarkia concinna, Lomatium spp., and many more common species. There are large areas of Quercus chrysolepis. Bring lunch and water. We should arrive back at the parking lot around 2 pm. Gray sky or light rain will not cancel. Trip leader is Gregg Weber call 510 223-3310 if there are questions. Directions: take 680 to Diablo Road. Go east on Diablo Road. At Green Valley Road, only one lane goes straight ahead. Af- ter Green Valley Road, go past and do not turn at the Diablo Country Club sign. In about a mile, turn left at the Mount Diablo State Park sign. Continue to end of Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard. It becomes south gate road as it enters the park. Pay fee of $5 at the entrance station. Continue to Junc- tion Ranger Station, and make a right. About 3/4 mile past Juniper Camp's large parking area, is a small parking area at Devil's Elbow. That is where we will meet at 10 am. Sunday, June 3, 2 pm, Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, San Mateo/Santa Clara Counties This park, located in the hills at the south end of San Mateo County/ north end of Santa Clara County, has meadows and oak woodland. One usually sees two kinds of coral root orchids and also two kinds of calochortus, irises, and numerous meadow flowers. Directions: Get to the park by going south from San Fran- cisco on Highway 280 to Highway 84 (Woodside Road). Take 84 West (away from the Bay) to Skyline. Turn left (to the south) on Skyline and go to Page Mill Road. Turn left (toward Palo Alto). The park is on your left after a mile or so. (There is another park on the right.) There is no fee. Alternatively, take 280 South to Page Mill Road, turn right (away from Palo Alto) and proceed up the hill. The park will be on the right before you reach Skyline. Please contact David Margolies (510-654-0283 or 510-393- 1858 (cell), divaricatum@comcast.net) if you need further information. Saturday, June 16, 10 am. Mount Diablo State Park, Knob- cone Point Road and Blackhawk Ridge Road We will go through woodland, grasslands, chaparral areas, with Pickeringia , Salvia , Arctostaphylos, Quercus , Garrya. We may see a population of about 40 Calochortus splendens in bloom. We may see the only known population of Clarkia rubicunda on Mount Diablo. This can be a very hot walk, so dress for heat and bring at least 2 liters of water, and lunch. The road loses about 300ft, down to a creek, then we gain 500 feet to the top of the loop, and reverse on the way back. We should arrive back at the parking lot around 3 pm. Gray sky or light rain will not cancel. Trip leader is Gregg Weber call 510 223-3310 if there are questions. Directions: take 680 to Diablo road. Go east on Diablo road. At Green Valley Road, only one lane goes straight ahead. After Green Valley Road, go past and do not turn at the Diablo Country Club sign. In about a mile, turn left at the Mt Diablo State Park sign. Continue to end of Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard. It becomes South Gate Road as it enters the park. Pay fee of $6 at the entrance station. Continue for about a mile, and park at the large parking area at Curry Point. That is where we will meet at 10 am. Janet Gawthrop JOHN MUIR'S BIRTHDAY The celebration of John Muir's Birthday on April 21st at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez was crowned with this beautiful cake by local Martinez baker Jane Moore. Jane wanted to do something special for John and his admirers at this special Earth Day/ Birthday celebration. Knowing that John was an avid botanist she chose the lovely Calochortus pulchellus to adorn his cake, (see picture). Jane Moore also did our CNPS 40th Anniversary Cake. Elaine Jackson 2 THE BAY LEAF June 2007 CONSERVATION ANALYST FUND APPEAL REPORT Our CNPS chapter, our Conservation Committee, and our Conservation Analyst thank all of our members who have so generously donated to the 2007-2008 Conservation Analyst Fund so far. The response to our letter of appeal has been wonderful in the first few weeks and we hope donations will continue to come in. At the time of this writing (checks processed by our Treasurer as of May 3), we have received $20,630 in donations, but we need an additional $12,370 to sustain the Conservation Analyst program through the end of the fiscal year (March, 2008). There is still time to make a donation. To do so, make your check payable to CNPS, indicate in the memo line that it is for the Conservation Analyst Fund, and mail it to: CNPS, East Bay Chapter PO. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley, CA 94705 We thank the following members for their contributions during the month of April: John Alcorn, John K. Anderson, Dr Steve Asztalos, Laura Baker family, Joe Balciunas, Bob Battagin, David Bigham, Peter Boffey, Margaret A. Bowman, Patricia E. Coffey, Elea- nor Crary, Rick Dalgetty, John & Charli Danielsen, O'Neil & Marcia Dillon, John T. & Lisa Doyen, Catherine C. Dunlap, Mrs. W.B. Flick, Dorothy Frantz, Jerry & Irene Fritzke, Sara & Jean H. Gabriel, Marilyn Goldhaber, Paul Grunland, Judith Ann Gurbaxani, Joan Hamilton, Mary Ann Hannon, John H. Heckman, Claudia and Scott Hein, Sarah Herman, Joseph Herr, Jo Ann Herr, Peter Hopkinson, Diane Ichiyasu, Clark Jen, Robert Jolda, Larry M. Jones, Arti Kirch, Marcia Kolb, Carolyn Kolka, Jill Korte, Thomas Koster, Ralph Kraetsch, Dr. & Mrs. W.M. Laetsch, Barbara & Philip Leitner, Ed Leong, Dr. & Mrs. R.M. Lichtenstein, Lois Lutz, William J. McClung, William J. McCoy and Natasha Beery, Louise A. Miller, Lech Naumovich, Harriet Nye, Mary Ann Osborne, Elizabeth O'Shea, Helen & Tom Phillips, Peter Rauch, Marian Reeve, Tom Reid, Celeste Scanlon, Brenda Senturia, Doris Sloan, Erin Smith, Nicki Spillane, Ruth & Donald Stiver, Joyce Walton, Shoshana Wechsler, Tamara Wood, and Elaine Worthington-J ackson. ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Saturday, June 23, 2007, 10 am - 1 pm Native Plant Gardening for the East Bay at the Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive, Tilden Park Using East Bay native plants that are naturally adapted to our local climate and that require very little water to thrive is an easy way to have a beautiful garden and conserve water, especially during the summer months. In this class you'll learn about local native plants, about plant communi- ties, and how to choose combinations that work well in the home garden. We'll also discuss the nuts and bolts of site preparation and planting. Class is led by Lyn Talkovsky, an East Bay landscape gardener for ten years who specializes in local, native plants. Sponsored by the Alameda County Cleanwater Program. Pre-registration is required. Call 510-548-2220 x 223 to regis- ter. $10 Ecology Center members, $15 general, no one turned away for lack of funds. For info call 510-548-2220 x233, or email erc@ecologycenter.org. Beck Cowles Information Program Manager Ecology Center 2530 San Pablo Ave Berkeley, CA 94702 www.ecologycenter.org 510-548-2220 x233 Thursday July 19-Sunday July 22, 2007 UCSC Arboretum Native Plant Workshop: Willows on the Wing Workshop with John Bair $140 CNPS/ Arboretum members or $180 non-members This field trip will travel from the eastern Sierra across the crest to the western slope. Willow species will be associated both with elevation and east-west distributions. Almost half of the state's willow species will be seen as we visit areas from Sierra Crest near Saddle Bag Lake (+10,000 feet) down the streams feeding Mono Lake (6,500 feet elevation) and finally up in Sonora Pass (+9,500 feet) and down the western slope (500 feet) into the San Joaquin Valley. The group will gather in the late afternoon Thursday at the campground in Lee Vining for a brief trip overview and introduction to willows that evening. Thursday and Friday nights will be spent at the same campground. Friday will focus on willow species growing at higher elevations near the Sierra Crest with hikes near Saddle Bag Lake and Tioga Pass. On Saturday we will visit riparian areas along Rush and Lee Vining creeks. Then we will travel north to the Sonora Pass, stopping in Sardine Meadows just west of the pass. Saturday night will be spent at a campground near Kennedy Meadows. The group will wind down the western Sierra slope on Sunday, stopping a few times. Our last stop will be along the Stanislaus River to look at common central valley wil- lows. The trip will end in Oakdale at approximately 4pm on Sunday. Bring camping equipment and food. A hand lens and Jepson Manual are helpful. We will attempt to carpool where it makes the most sense. At most 20 participants. For registration call (831) 427-2998. For more information contact Brett Hall (brett@ucsc.edu). THE BAY LEAF June 2007 3 PROTECTING THE HILLSIDES OF PITTSBURG Hillside development is a highly contentious subject. The proverbial "house on hill" may be a wonderful experience for the few privileged, but at what cost? Most cities in the bay area include some degree of municipal codes, or ordinances, that protect the viewsheds of those living in the shadow of the hills. In the case of Pittsburg, a hillside protection ordinance is just beginning to acquire form. EBCNPS, along with other local land conservation groups, has been asking that Pittsburg reasonably protect their viewshed and the natural resources associated with those hills. The contiguous land of the inland Concord Naval Weapons Station along with the Pittsburg hills creates a largely unexplored, wild 7,000 acre landscape filled with potentially rare and unusual plants. The Pittsburg hills, currently owned by a consortium of de- velopment companies, could be repositories for some rare species including big tarweed (Blepharizonia plumosa), round- leaved storks bill ( Erodium macrophyllum), adobe navarretia (Navarretia nigelliformis ssp. radians), and even Mt. Diablo sunflower (Helianthella castanea). As we move along with the process, it has become apparent that only the hillside protection ordinances that are well au- thored and researched provide any real protection. We hope to include the novel technical element of USDA soil series to help guide which hillsides may be more prone to slide based on their pedogenesis, or soil formation. With this additional technical element, we hope to preserve a more native land- scape, with a greater distribution of native plants, which is both safer and more aesthetic for the entire region. If you live in or near Pittsburg, please help us comment on the Pittsburg Hillside Ordinance which will be under review in the month of June 2007. Please contact me at conservation© ebcnps.org or see www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us, for more informa- tion. Lech Naumovich Pittsburg Hills photo by David Reid 4 THE BAY LEAF June 2007 NATIVE HERE NURSERY Thanks to everyone for making our participation in Bring- ing Back the Natives so enjoyable. We had great volunteers: Janice Bray, Mel Erskine, Gregg Weber, Bill and Linda Hunt, Jane and Tom Kelly, Susan Billings, Karma De Witt, Patrice Anderson, Sara Goolsby, John Danielsen, Laura Beckett, Robert Bartlett, Dave Caniglia, Janet Gawthrop, and Ellen Gierson. Thanks to Kathy Kramer and Delia Taylor for or- ganizing. We had many new people visit the nursery who didn't know about us before. Summer is not a good time to plant, but it sure is a good time to work at the nursery! We can use volunteers to help with seed collecting, nursery maintenance, watering, transplant- ing. In the past we planted some natives in the triangle near our entrance at Golf Course Drive and would like to get someone to adopt it and weed, mow, prune, etc. year-round. If you're interested, email us at nativehere@ebcnps.org. Planning for the fall Plant Pair is happening already. We'11 have a planning meeting on Sunday, June 10, 2 pm at Native Here Nursery. See article in this Bay Leaf. Seed walks continue on Tuesday mornings. Meet at the bot- tom gate of the nursery at 9 AM. To get on the e-mail reminder list, contact nativehere@ebcnps.org. Native Here Nursery is located in Tilden Park at 101 Golf Course Drive, across the street from the entrance to the Tilden Golf Course. Contact info: 510-549-0211, nativehere@ebcnps. org, www.ebcnps.org, click on Native Here link. Charli Danielsen and Margot Cunningham Volunteers Laura Beckett, Patrice Anderson and Robert Bartlett helping us at Bringing Back the Natives THE BAY LEAF June 2007 5 Board of Directors Elected Officers President Charli Danielsen 510-549-0211 charlid@pacbell.net Vice President Delia Taylor 510-527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com Treasurer Holly Forbes hforbes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 FAX 510-642-5045 Recording Secretary Barbara Malloch Leitner 925-253-8300 bleitner@pacbell.net Corresponding Secretary Laura Baker 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Past President Elaine Jackson 925-372-0687 Elainejx@mindspring.com Education/Outreach Bay Leaf Editor and Webmaster Joe Willingham 510-841-4681 pepel 066@comcast.net Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 hforbes@berkeley.edu Education Linda Hill 510-849-1624 Lhilllink@aol.com Field Trips Janet Gawthrop Janetg24@excite.com Regional Parks Botanic Garden Liaison Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Grants Sandy McCoy sandymccoy@mindspring .com Hospitality open Membership open Plant Sale Interim Chair Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Programs Sue Rosenthal 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Publicity/Media open Conservation Conservation Committee Chair Laura Baker 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation Analyst (Staff) Lech Naumovich 510 734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Stewardship Native Plant Restoration Team Greg Wolford 510-848-6489 californica@mac.com Native Here Nursery Charli Danielsen Project Manager Margot Cunningham Sales Man- ager Janice Bray, Liason to Board 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Plant Science Bryophytes John Game 510-527-7855 jcgame@lbl.gov Rare Plants Heath Bartosh 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology.com Unusual Plants Dianne Lake 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com Vegetation Erin McDermott erinmcd2004@yahoo.com (c) 510-701-2890 Members at Large Carol Castro 510-352-2382 carollbcastro@hotmail.com Gregg Weber 510-223-3310 Roy West rwest@monocot.com 650-906-1100 Membership Application Name Address Zip Telephone I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Student, Limited income, $25 Individual, Library, $45 Household, Family, or Group, $75 Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Patron, $300 E-mail Benefactor, $600 (optional) Mariposa Lily, $1500 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1 , Sacramento CA 95816 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 June 2007 issue