California Indian Baskets and Botany: New Findings Speaker: Ralph Shanks Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 pm Location: Founders Auditorium, Orinda Community Center (next door to the Orinda Library, see directions below) In pre-European California, baskets were central to daily life. It was through basketry that the most populous and linguisti- cally diverse Native American population in the United States was able to create a highly productive economy and a vibrant cultural life with limited use of pottery and no agriculture. A large coiled basket made by the Yokuts for storage and feasts. Photograph by Lisa Woo Shanks. In fact. Native California was a land where basketry was combined with native plant resources so successfully that agriculture was not needed. Ralph Shanks will present his new findings on basketry and botany in a richly illustration slide show based on his new book California Indian Baskets: San Diego to Santa Barbara and Beyond to the San Joaquin Valley , Mountains , and Deserts. Ralph's talk will cover the state from the Bay Area south to San Diego, including the history, creativity, technology and fascinating selection of native plants for basketry as well as the transmission of botanical concepts. California: Art , Culture, and History. He teaches a class on basketry analysis at the University of California at Davis, is president of the Miwok Archeological Preserve of Marin (MAPOM), and is engaged in long-term basketry projects at both UC Berkeley and UC Davis. His wife, Lisa Woo Shanks, is editor and photographer for their beautiful books. Both books will be available for purchase from the author after the presentation. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Founders Auditorium of the Orinda Community Center at 28 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Founders Auditorium is across the hall from the main entrance to the Community Center building. The Founders Auditorium opens at 7:00 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496-6016 or rosacalifornica@earthlink.net, if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Community Center at 28 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 west side of the one-story Community Center building set back from the street on your right. There is additional free parking on the street, next door beneath the library building, and in the parking lot south of the library. 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 Community Center. Next Month's Program Robert (Bob) E. Doyle — General Manager, East Bay Regional Park District Ralph Shanks is also the author of Indian Baskets of Central NEW RARE PLANT PROGRAM Alameda and Contra Costa Counties are endowed with an incredible richness of native plant species. This richness is due partly to our location at the convergence of the North and South Coast Ranges, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the San Joaquin Valley. This convergence of botanical regions provides for a unique congregation of ecological conditions and native plants. The East Bay Chapter of CNPS keeps track of these rare and endemic native plants and plant communities. Within our catalogue of native plant species there is an abundance of rarity: from Mount Diablo endemics to Pleistocene relicts; nar- rowly distributed taxa to peripheral populations; and species that have suffered extirpations from changes in vegetation composition resulting from the introduction of non-native plant species or directly from human development. Based on the CNPS Inventory of Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of California, a total of 127 of these plant species are currently known from our Chapter area. These species are separated into five categories of rarity: • List 1A: Plants Presumed Extinct in California (2 taxa) • List IB: Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and Elsewhere (77 taxa) • List 2: Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere (10 taxa) • List 3: Plants About Which We Need More Informa- tion - A Review List (55 taxa) • List 4: Plants of Limited Distribution — A Watch List (34 taxa) It is important for our chapter to keep the information on rare plants as up-to-date as possible in order to "uplist" or "downlist" these species as appropriate through an evalu- ation of these data. Keeping rare plant information current is a large task that involves literature research, enumerating and mapping populations in the field, making observations of threats and management considerations, and compiling and reporting the results. Often this information is updated opportunistically for single populations when timing and budgets allow. In the absence of a systematic species by spe- cies approach, it is difficult to achieve a clear understanding of species health and threats they face at a chapter (landscape) level. It is through the development and sustained steward- ship of an Adopt A Rare Plant Program that we hope to build a local volunteer group of species-specific experts or "citizen scientists" to collect rare plant information such as existing literature to population occurrence information in the field, and to provide stewardship recommendations based on their observations. The goals of the Adopt A Rare Plant Program include: • Develop local species specific experts, either as indi- viduals or groups, through the adoption of a specific rare plant species within our chapter. • Acquire existing literature of the Chapter 's rare plants such as protologues, herbarium records, journal ar- ticles, recovery plans, mitigation plans, restoration plans, etc. • Build upon existing population occurrence information by systematically collecting qualitative and quantita- tive data species by species in the field. • Record population threats and management issues facing each species at a chapter level. • Seek participation from location agencies and orga- nizations such as East Bay Regional Park District, California State Parks, Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, and Save Mount Diablo, among others. • Have quarterly Rare Plant Committee meetings to share results and photographs taken in the field in a slideshow format. • Invite Adopt A Rare Plant Volunteers to contribute program anecdotes or observations from the field as Bay Leaf articles. Lor the inaugural year of the Adopt A Rare Plant Program the focus will be on the 77 List IB plant species as they are our rarest and most prominent in a regulatory context. Expectation of Volunteers These individuals or groups of volunteers will adopt a rare plant of their choice with the intention of monitoring oc- currences of a taxon for a minimum period of two years. Volunteers will become citizen scientists by taking part in this program. Program volunteers will get the opportunity to hike to spectacular and remote places within the chapter's wildlands to observe rare plants in the field, develop deeper knowledge of the rare plant adoptee, contribute to our robust plant science dataset, and affect long-term stewardship of rare plant populations. • Projected Start Date: March 2011 (A brief announce- ment of this program will be made at the March Gen- eral Membership Meeting: March 23. See the EBCNPS website for time and location.) • An orientation meeting will be held at the end of March. Time and location TBD. Attendance is required. Information packets will be distributed. • Typical Annual Duration of the Pield Season: March - December Volunteers will need to possess a beginning to intermedi- ate level of plant species field identification skills and must be able to use Latin names. If uncertain of their skill level, volunteers will be directed toward rare plants that match 2 THE BAY LEAF March 2011 their identification skills by the Rare Plant Committee Chair. Volunteers that have an interest in this program but need expert direction will be paired with other capable and willing participants. Field activities associated with this program, e.g. collecting rare plant population data, will only be conducted where access has been granted to volunteers. Only known populations will be included in this effort. Preferred Qualifications: Volunteers will have the following experience and qualifications: • Ability to use dichotomous keys such as those in The Jepson Manual and/ or the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Mount Diablo , California • Ability to record qualitative and quantitative data on field forms. • Appreciation of rare plant conservation. • Appreciation of outdoor recreational activities focused on natural history. Essential Requirements: • Ability to arrange you own transportation to rare plant populations. • Ability to navigate to rare plant populations using GPS coordinates and aerial photography or topographic maps. • Ability to record GPS location data in the field or de- rive GPS coordinates from field maps or web-based applications. • Ability to hike, occasionally on rugged terrain. • Must be a member of the East Bay Chapter of CNPS. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, would like more information, or would like to discuss if your skill level is compatible with this program please contact: Heath Bartosh Rare Plant Committee Chair East Bay Chapter CNPS hbartosh@nomadecology.com 925-957-0069 OAKLAND FOOTHILLS: PRIORITY PROTECTION AREA Last fall our chapter published the Guide to the Botanical Prior- ity Protection Areas of the East Bay. As a way to introduce our members to the guide and to the individual BPPAs, the Bay Leaf began printing the unabridged versions of the guest authors' pieces from the guide, but space limitations brought us to a temporary halt. After a few months' hiatus, we are resuming the inclusion of one piece per issue. This month's piece by guest author Mike Preston describes a portion of the BPPA we call the Foothills of Southern Oakland. Mike is a retired horticulturalist and landscaper. Laura Baker I've been walking the trails in the vicinity of Merritt College and Leona Park for several years now, delighting in the very interesting plant life and terrain, remnants of what must have been a magnificent urban highland before development of the College and ridgetop housing. One of the features of the area is an abandoned sulfur mine at the bottom of the McDonnell Trail, the fire road that wends its way down from campus, ending up at the dead-end terminus of McDonnell Avenue near Mountain Boulevard. It's a sleepy one-lane road dotted mostly with older houses, from an era when this must have been a woodsy retreat. The tailings are a phenomenal sight in the midst of this old neighborhood, a pile of yellow waste rock looming above one of the tributaries of Leona Creek, which flows year-round with acid drainage from the mine. A few years back I started poking around nearby off the trail, curious to see what inter- esting geology surrounds the site. It's part of the great Leona Rhyolite formation that includes the abandoned quarry off 580, consisting of metal-rich rock of volcanic origin, includ- ing iron, copper, and sulfur, and other rocks. The area was mined for iron pyrite extensively, and is supposedly riddled with tunnels between the old quarry and the tailings. The exposed pyritic rock is beautiful, with dramatic shades of red and yellow prominent. My interest soon shifted to the plant life of the area, which it soon became clear is extremely diverse, my running tally now well over 100 species. Structurally it is dominated by extensive and beautiful oak woodland, of fairly low stature but prob- ably great age, considering the many ring-clones, some up to a dozen trunks, evidence of past fire cycles. The woodland is a prominent and pleasant feature as seen from eastbound 580 near the confluence with Highway 13: the Leona Greenbelt. It is punctuated with pockets of chaparral (Adenostoma and Arctostaphylos tomentosa) and grassland on the steep southern exposures, and some fine patches of softer coastal scrub and grassland on more mesic western slopes. What I most love about my explorations here is the feeling of wildness, in a place bracketed by two freeways and a rid- geline full of houses. It's hardly pristine— there is evidence of past mining activity throughout, and a sewer right-of-way cuts down from the housing towards Mountain Boulevard, attended by acacia, pampas grass, broom and other camp followers. But there are many, many special spots that almost are pris- tine. It sports a glorious slope of Festuca californica that is not far from the biggest patch of Trillium chloropetalum I've ever seen in the East Bay. There is a goodly patch of Silene califor- nica, dazzling in the scrub near an oak-covered knob worthy of any Druid. There is a steep canyon facing 580 with native continued on page 4 THE BAY LEAF March 2011 3 continued from page 3. snapdragon, most-beautiful jewelf lower, venus thistle, Melica californica, Wyethia helenioides, and many other grassland spe- cies. Much of the place is rugged like this, and it's easy to feel thoroughly alone, especially since most of it is accessible only on deer trails. And it is changeable: probably as a function of its highly dissected terrain and its fire and mining history, there are many transitions between closed and open vegeta- tion of various types and mixtures. It's an intriguing place. The traces of old mining across the area have set minor details of terrain that have been integrated by resurgent vegetation into the nature of the place, showing how time heals some scars. The newer history is not so good, as the whole area— most of the remaining ridgetop open space, in fact— is in private hands with intention to develop. Current owners are NATIVE HERE Customers have been taking advantage of our new payment option. We accept credit and debit cards now, including com- pany and agency cards. We have started putting out annuals, including Clarkia and lupines. They're either in six packs for $6 or 4-inch pots for $5. Bulbs won't be available until the Plant Fair in the fall, when we sell them in their dry state. A gray fox, possibly a female with cubs, is hanging out just below the nursery. We first spotted her in early February. She was checking us out as well. And we have a few Pacific treefrogs living in our various bins that we keep watered all year for our water-loving plants. Every once in a while you'll under orders to clean up the mine tailings. The market isn't so great for new construction, but it's a place with million dollar views if you can get through a few hurdles. It would be a great shame if this happened. The whole property borders the City of Oakland's Leona Park, and is almost contiguous with the Regional Park District's Leona Open Space Preserve on the other side of Merritt College. A few well-placed purchases might provide significant corridor linkage. One hopes that the end of the story will be the preservation of much or all of this botanical, geological and historical treasure. Mike Preston hear a croak. As you walk over to see where it's coming from, the frog goes silent. They're well camouflaged. Our pot exchange bin is quite full. Feel free to take pots for your own potting projects. It's located just outside the top gate, so you can peruse it even when we aren't open. 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 PLANT FAIR WILL BE OCTOBER 1 AND 2 The 2011 Plant Fair Committee met on February 12 to begin preparing for the Plant Fair at the Chapter's Native Here Nursery. Save the dates October 1 and 2! Unless something unforeseen happens, those are the dates of this year's Fair. A poster designed by Janice Bray featuring Grindelia was chosen to publicize the Fair. Lesley Hunt will be the liaison with the chapter board, taking minutes of the planning meet- ings. The Plant Fair team is a great bunch of people. Consider joining us as there are positions to fill. Sub-committees still requiring coordinators or assistants include: publicity, speaker selection, communication and greeting, vendor coordination, coordination of non-sales exhibitors. Chapter merchandise, organizer of a silent auction or other special event, and help with hospitality (refreshments). If you would like to help with any of the above and/ or have other ideas to contribute, contact Charli Danielsen at Native Here Nursery nativehere@ebcnps.org, 510 549-0211, or attend the next Plant Fair planning session, Saturday, March 12 from 1-2 pm at Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive, Berke- ley 94708 (in Tilden Park, across from the Golf Course). Native Here will also participate in the Bringing Back the Na- tives Tour, Sunday, May 1 and BBTN Nursery Extravaganza on Saturday, April 30. Helping with that is a nice "training ground" for the Plant Fair. Although busier than an average nursery day, the tour does not bring crowds of people to the nursery all at once. It's a good way to see how the traffic pat- tern works, and how to help people find what they are look- ing for at the nursery. Contact information for volunteering is the same as above. Charli Danielsen 4 THE BAY LEAF March 2011 MEMBERSHIP REPORT Meet David Ogden (picture taken by Brad Heckman) Growing up in Lafayette in the late 40s and 50s, we neigh- borhood kids hiked and played in the open fields and oak woodlands in the spring, making paths, mazes, dens, and hiding places in the tall grass and mustard, unaware that they were invasive non-natives. The grass stained the knees of our jeans green. In the fall, we picked walnuts, twenty-five cents a bucket. There was open space everywhere — but nobody called it that— and Mount Diablo was a gentle, benign presence. My dad was born in Berkeley in 1903 and spent his teenage years on the family farm in Alamo, roughly at the intersection of 680 and Stone Valley Road today. I was born in Berkeley 40 years later, grew up in Lafayette, and have lived in the East Bay all my life. Dad told stories about fishing on Mount Diablo and in San Ramon Creek, where they dammed part of the creek for a swimming hole in the summer. I lived in Hayward for 20 years, and when my wife and I started a family, we decided to move to Walnut Creek. We looked at one house for sale, near Indian Valley School, and gazed across a canyon to a vast undeveloped oak woodland. It looked like a park. This was my introduction to Shell Ridge Open Space. I later learned that a group of visionary women, alarmed that developers had plans for the land, mounted a campaign to preserve it and ultimately saved a total of 2700 acres. I like living in the East Bay and in Walnut Creek particularly for the strong environmental activism here. I am proud to be part of a community that has preserved hundreds of acres of open space. Proud to be a volunteer with the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation and its Oak Habitat Restoration Proj- ect, where Tve learned how to plant acorns and help young oaks thrive, and participate in another group that works to restore native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and native trees, and eradicate non-natives like the mustard I played in as a kid. I'm a long-time volunteer with Save Mount Diablo, which has helped preserve thousands of acres on and around the mountain and is now involved in plant restoration on the lands they protect. This small community of environmental activists has taught me to savor our land and give something back to it. It taught me about the natural communities that include oak trees, raptors and robins, native bees and other insects, squirrels, voles, frogs, rattlesnakes. All of these make important contributions to environmental stewardship: the extraordinary quarterly Bay Nature Maga- zine, and our own Bay Leaf; events like "Bringing Back the Natives" that promote native plants in our own gardens; the Native Here Nursery, which grows locally native plant species; and exceptional public agencies like the East Bay Regional Park District, a rich educational and recreational resource. An East Bay native. I'm lucky to be living here. David Ogden , Walnut Creek New Members: please join us in welcoming our new members for the December/ January time frame: Jack Tellan, Ginny Orenstein, Steven Neff, Kristen Leitner, Ben Adams, & East Bay Regional Parks District David Amme. As always, a huge thank you to our renewing members. Join Dates Prior to 1986: Not only have I received many re- plies to my request for join dates prior to 1986, but a special bonus of wonderful stories that triggered the remembering of those dates. I plan on dedicating the April membership column to the sharing of those stories, minus names. There are still a lot of dates needed. I urge you to look on your bookshelf for your oldest Fremontia, it still just might be there. Upcoming Events ~ Opportunity to meet and greet the public for CNPS April 2 Sunol Wildflower Show (Sunol) April 16, John Muir Earth Day Birthday (Martinez) April 30, San Leandro Creek Watershed Festival (San Le- andro) May 1, Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (Various East Bay Locations) June 11, Heritage Day at Borges Ranch (Walnut Creek) Please contact me if you are interested in helping and or you have found your pre-1986 join date. Elaine Jackson elainejx@att.net 925-372-0687 THE BAY LEAF March 2011 5 FIELD TRIPS Saturday March 19, 10:00 am, Alhambra Creek watershed Join Igor and Shirley Skaredoff on this hike up from the Strenzel Meadow restoration area through the upper reaches of the watershed on oak woodland near Mt. Wanda. Janet Gawthrop will provide plant identification of early spring forbs and trees, including oaks and buckeyes just starting their leaves. This hike will last about 1/2 day, but bring water and be prepared for possibly muddy trails. Directions: Take Highway 4 to Martinez and exit at Alhambra Avenue. Turn onto Alhambra Avenue going under the trestle, away from the Carquinez Strait and downtown Martinez. Go less than 1 mile inland on Alhambra Avenue and then turn right on Alhambra Valley Road. The John Muir Grove will be on the left as you turn. Continue past Sheridan and Strenzel Streets to the left, and then you will see the meadow on your right, across from Jose Lane. Turn right onto the private drive at 5026 Alhambra Valley Road. Strain is the name of the folks adjacent to the meadow; in fact this was their meadow until they sold it to the National Park Service for the watershed/ flood/ plant restoration project. Sunday, March 20, 2:00 pm. Bird Trail (Chabot Regional Park) This short (about 1/2 mile, with insignificant elevation gain) trail is a botanically interesting transition zone between red- wood forest and mixed evergreen (mostly oak/ bay) forest with osoberry, flowering currant, gooseberries, and western leatherwood, and early wildf lowers such as Trillium chloro- petalum. The trail starts close to the MacDonald Staging Area in Chabot Regional Park off Redwood Road in Oakland. Directions:: Get on 13 south (going east on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, or from 24 just before the Caldecott tunnel). Once on 13, take the Redwood Road exit. On Redwood Road, go east (uphill). At the top of the hill cross Skyline Boulevard and go down into the valley, passing various equestrian facilities. About two miles from Skyline Boulevard, turn right into the MacDonald Staging Area parking lot. Please contact David Margolies (510-654-0283 (h), 510-393-1858 (cell), divaricatum@ gmail.com) if you need further information. Saturday, March 26, 9:30 am, Seafoam Loop and Black Oak Loop at Kennedy Grove, El Sobrante On this field trip, Gregg Weber will compare the native-plant rich area to the Eucalyptus plantation. Under the shady areas dominated by bay trees, there is more plant diversity than you would expect, with many common natives, and some unusual ones. This is a short 2.5 mile walk, with only a 400 feet elevation gain up to the ridge, and 150 feet elevation gain on Black Oak Loop. Directions: From 1-80, exit at San Pablo Dam Road and turn onto Castro Ranch Road in El Sobrante. From Orinda , follow Castro Ranch Road to El Sobrante. Go two blocks on Castro Ranch Road, and then turn right onto Hillside Drive. Go about 1/2 mile to the end of Hillside Drive, and then turn left on Patra Drive and park near the trailhead. No entrance fees. Do not turn into the Kennedy Grove park entrance on San Pablo Dam Road. Sunday, April 3 Toyon Canyon at Briones Regional Park Gregg Weber also leads this trip to a floristically rich area of Briones Regional Park. The canyon trail descends nearly 300 feet, and a 300 foot gain follows. However, the rewards may include unusual plants in flower such as Viburnum ellipticum, Eschschholzia caespitosa, Lomatium californicum, Helianthella castanea, and Eucrypta, plus many more familiar plants such as coyote mint, Wyethia , clematis, dutchman's pipe, and oso- berry. This trip will last about half a day, but more time may be allowed for extra wildflower viewing. Directions: From west of the Bay hills, go east on 24 and exit at Pleasant Hill Road. Go north on Pleasant Hill Road 0.5 mile and then turn left onto Reliez Valley Road. Go 4-5 miles on Reliez Valley Road to its end at the junction with Alhambra Valley Road. Ignore the entrance signs on Reliez Valley Road and continue straight on Alhambra Valley Road to the first left turn, which is Briones Road. Go about 1.5 miles to the end of Briones Road and park on either side of the road. For the Pinole/ Martinez area, just proceed down Alhambra Valley Road and follow the directions to the end of Briones Road. CONSERVATION FUND UPDATE Our Chapter continues to receive donations for the East Bay to be fully effective. As of February 7, 2011, in addition to the Conservation Analyst. Have you sent your contribution yet? many donors mentioned in the February Bay Leaf, we add to Any amount - from $5.00 to $5,000 - will up us reach our goal the list Claire Kremen, Paul Muniz and Karen Smith who sent of $35,000. We are quite close to fulfilling our financial objec- in donations this past month. Thank you so much. If you have five ($28,838 so far) and thank all of you who have already any questions, comments, or just want to discuss our chapter's made a contribution. The Conservation Analyst plays an conservation program, its focus and purpose, I can be reached important role in helping the East Bay Chapter influence land at carollbcastro@hotmail.com or 510-352-2382 evenings or use decisions toward the land stewardship that is essential to weekends. I look forward to counting you all in. the survival of our native flora and it habitat. Experience has proved this work to be of a highly time sensitive character Carol L.B. Castro and requires well thought out, informed, and timely responses Conservation Analyst Fund committee chair 6 THE BAY LEAF March 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 pepe 1 066@comcast. net Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bayleaf Mailing Holly Forbes hfomes@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 Elaine Jackson, Carol Castro Co-Chairs 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 Erin McDermott, Chair erinmcd2004@yahoo. comcom Outreach (vacant) Education (vacant) Plant Fair Charli Danielsen, Chair 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Lesley Hunt, Plant Fair- East Bay Chapter Board liaison 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net EBCNPS Sponsored Activities Book & Poster Sales Joanne Orengo greentheglobe@juno. com Grant Awards Sandy McCoy sandymccoy@mind- spring.com Native Here Nursery 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 and Commit- tee Chairs serve on the Board. 510-549-0211 Manager — Charli Dan- ielsen nativehere@ebcnps.org Sales — Margot Cunning- ham bunchgrassmarg@gmail. com BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES REGISTRATION OPEN 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 on 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 to 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 collection of gardens offered this year range from Jenny and Scott Fleming's 50-year-old collector's garden 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 hor- ticulturally available suite of natives from throughout Cali- fornia, 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 website; 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 provide 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. What's special about California native plants? They are adapted to our soil and climate and are easy to care for. Native plants are naturally drought tolerant. They attract native birds, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. And, as the gardens on the Tour show, California native plants are beautiful; these lovely gardens display a sense of place that is uniquely Californian. 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 @Kathy KramerConsult- ing.net or call 510-236-9558 between 9 am and 9 pm. THE BAY LEAF March 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 March 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 Saturday, March 5, 9:00 am. Genista rip (aka French broom) Redwood Regional Park — meet at Skyline Gate park- ing lot Sunday, March 6, 9:00 am, weeding crew at Sibley Regional Park— meet at the parking lot Saturday, March 13, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park— meet at the parking lot Directions to these events are identical to those given in the February Bay Leaf. If you need loaner gloves or tools, please contact Janet at janetgawthrop47@gmail.com. Field Trips (see page 6) Saturday March 19, 10:00 am, Alhambra Creek watershed Sunday, March 20, 2:00 pm. Bird Trail (Chabot Regional Park) Saturday, March 26, 9:30 am, Seafoam Loop and Black Oak Loop at Kennedy Grove, El Sobrante Sunday, April 3 Toy on Canyon at Briones Regional Park Membership Meeting (see page 1) California Indian Baskets and Botany: New Findings Speaker: Ralph Shanks Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 pm Location: Founders Auditorium, Orinda Community Center 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