November 2002 The Bay Leaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter • Alameda & Contra Costa Counties j Calendar of Events Chapter Board Meeting Plant Sale Activities Wednesday, November 6, 7:30 p.m., home of Delia Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19, 26, Merritt College, Taylor, 1851 Catalina Avenue, Berkeley. One block north of Solano Avenue between The Alameda and p. 2 Colusa in North Berkeley Field Trips Saturday, November 16, 10 a.m., Livermore, field trip Native Here Nursery Fridays, Native Here Nursery open 9 -noon to Sycamore Grove Park, p. 2 Saturdays, open 10-1, p. 6 CNPS State Board Meeting Saturday, December 7, UC Berkeley Faculty Club, all Native Plant Restoration Team Saturday, November 2, 1-4 p.m., Wildcat Creek work party, p. 3 day meeting and banquet, p. 6 Membership Meeting The Great Sand Waste: A History of San Francisco’s Dunes Speaker: Pete Holloran Wednesday, November 20, 7:30 p.m., Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Ever wish to travel back in time to witness a favorite landscape before it suffered the ravages of industrial- ization? In the absence of time travel, historic photo- graphs provide a window on the past that helps us understand the dips and swells of the contemporary city. The advent of photography coincided with the rise of San Francisco as a wealthy urban center, so it’s no surprise that its photogenic environs were well documented by dozens of excellent photographers during the second half of the 19th century. Thanks to gracious support from local archives and collec- tors, Pete Holloran will use dozens of photographs of old San Francisco to illustrate the evolution of its dune landscapes. Nearly a third of San Francisco — including most of the Richmond and Sunset Districts as well as Golden Gate Park, Hayes Valley, and downtown — were covered by extensive sand dunes. It wasn’t all just open sand either. A rich mosaic of oak woodlands, tightly woven dune scrub, and interdune slacks and ponds were scattered across the landscape. Now mostly gone, the dunes of San Francisco persist in remnant oak woodlands in neighborhood parks, patches of dune scrub at the Presidio and Fort Funston, and sandy backyards throughout the city. And, of course, at Crissy Field, one of several dune restoration projects that Pete has been involved with over the last eight years. In addition to his work with the National Park Service and other land managers, Pete served for four years as president of the Yerba Buena chapter of the California Native Plant Society. His articles on the history of dune landscapes have appeared in Bay Nature magazine and Reclaiming San Francisco (1998, City Lights Books). He is now work- ing toward his Ph.D. in environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz. 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 build- ing, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room will open at 7:00 p.m. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Please contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496- 6016 or rosacalifomica@earthlink.net, if you have any questions. continued on page 2 Membership Meeting continued from page 1 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 Village), 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 exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Go 1 short block on Orinda Way to the parking lot on the southeast side of the new 2- story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): leave 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. Upcoming Programs December, 2002: No meeting (happy holidays!) January 22, 2003: Ronald Lanner — Conifers of California February 26, 2003: John Game (our very own!) — Topic to be announced March 26, 2003: Alan Kaplan — The New Kingdoms of Life Sue Rosenthal Plant Sale Activities Our plant sale was a big success, and thanks go out to all who worked during the weekend and to the many enthusiastic plant-buyers who attended. The funds earned will be budgeted for the Chapter’s programs involving various projects of local native plant conservation and education. The year-round plant sale committee of propagators and potters, who also organize and set up the sale, are very few in number. It is they who deserve all the credit for making it happen. Their Tuesday work sessions are the sociable, fun part of this endeavor, and their responsibilities for the sale are an extension of their dedication. Anyone may join in at any time. This month: Tuesdays, November 5, 12, 19, 26 Merritt College Landscape Horticulture Area The sale of plants remaining from the sale will con- tinue. Come up to the nursery for a good selection before noon on Tuesdays. There is a campus parking fee of 50 cents. Shirley McPheeters Field Trips Sycamore Grove Park, Livermore; Saturday, Nov. 16, 10:00 am -12 noon, Wetmore Road entrance. Rain cancels. Questions: Mary Ann Hannon, 925-443- 5588 This may be a first: a CNPS field trip to Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore. Join member Mary Ann Hannon for a field trip to see one of the finest stands of western sycamores in the state and learn how their future may be affected by various water regimens in Arroyo Del Valle. Instead of looking down for flowers, we’ll be looking up at trees and shrubs and enjoying the cool days of fall after a hot, dry summer. Bring binoculars and tree keys. Birds and trees go to- gether, and we’ll certainly want to note some of the birds in this riparian area. If people want to stay beyond the field trip time, the upper portion of the park includes some hilly grass- land and tree-lined drainages, a man-made pond, and the site of the Olivina Estate of Julius Paul Smith. There are great views of the valley from the tops of the hills. The Livermore Valley is also home to some old and many new wineries, so wine-tasting may be a good way to spend the rest of your afternoon in Livermore after the field trip. One vineyard abuts the park. Directions to Sycamore Grove Park: 580 East, Portola Exit (not a clover leaf interchange), take exit and stay on Portola. Turn right on L Street (stop light). Continue south on L through downtown Livermore. L Street changes its name when it crosses College Avenue (stop sign) to Arroyo Road. Continue on Arroyo Road to Wetmore Road (stop sign). Turn right. The entrance to the park is down the hill on the left. There is a $2 parking fee — you will need dollar bills for the machine. Janet Gawthrop The botanist’s objective is a furtherance of knowledge of living plants. If wise, he will never try to produce a work which is perfect, complete and final. Any such work would be a paradox . . . Completion, perfection, finality represent an anomaly, a contradiction in the field of biology. W. L. Jepson East Bay Chapter Grants The East Bay Chapter of CNPS supports scholarly, scientific, and conservation projects involving Califor- nia native plants. Preference is given to projects in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, though other applications will be considered. Send your applica- tion to: The California Native Plant Society, East Bay Chapter Grants Committee c/o McCoy 1311 Bay View Place Berkeley, CA 94708 By fax: c/o McCoy - 510-644-4428 By e-mail: wbmccoy@earthlink.net (please put “EBCNPS Project Support” in the subject). The application deadline is December 1, 2002. Sandy McCoy Earth Day Grants Greetings to all the Chapters from the State Office: We have received notice of Earth Day program grants of up to $2000 available for support of environmental restoration or cleanup projects that enhance public open spaces and can be worked on collectively by community volunteers. Projects will be conducted on Saturday April 12th. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to recruit at least 50 (!) volunteers. More information is available at www.calparks.org/ earthday/index.htm. Marion Millin, Membership & Communications Coordinator, MMillin@cnps.org 916-447-2677, FAX 916-447-2727 California Native Plant Society www.cnps.org 1722 J Street Suite 17, Sacramento, CA 95814 CNPS Recommends Yes Vote on F The East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society was pleased to donate, through its Conserva- tion Committee, $2,500 to Friends of the Ridgelands, to notify and educate voters about Measure T, the Fremont Hills Area Initiative of 2002. We encourage voters to vote Yes on November 5 in order to conserve much of these lands for their native plant species and habitat values. CNPS-EB considers this extensive hill area of great ecological value and worthy of being preserved for its open space. To see a list of many environmental organizations which are endorsing Measure T, visit: www. FremontHills2002 . org/ Endorsements .html. Native Plant Restoration Team September’s work party with the Friends of Straw- berry Creek was inspiring. A good turnout meant that a large amount of progress was made clearing the ivy and other invasive exotics that had completely overtaken this sweet year-round creek that drains a large section of Berkeley (this section is located behind the Strawberry Lodge, continues through Strawberry Creek Park and eventually joins the Bay in the Eastshore State Park). When we started the creek wasn’t even visible through the ivy! This is an on-going project and it is exciting to see that the first phase of the re-planted native plants (sword ferns, pink flowering currants, grasses, etc.) are taking hold in the dappled shade. Of great concern is that some pieces of the huge culvert that undergrounds much of this creek are collapsing upstream of this area - something the City apparently has no discernible plan to address. Thanks again to all for their efforts to restore this treasure. Creek Party Join us in celebrating Wildcat Creek’s Fall garment of light, colors, odors and music. Saturday, Nov. 2 nd , 1 — 4 p.m. The beginning of the lecture series at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden means we switch to our winter schedule. Meet at the Environmental Education Center in Tilden Regional Park Nature Area (North end of park). We will be pulling ivy and other invasive exotic plants to restore the creekside vegetation along the gorgeous Lower Pack Rat trail (that leads to Jewel Lake) through one of Tilden’s most beautiful and accessible oak groves graced with an understoiy of huge sword ferns, hazelnuts, thimbleberries, elder- berries, native blackberiy, and dogwoods — simply lovely in any season. Even if you only have an hour or so, this beautiful setting is sure to delight you. Recommended gear: Wear long sleeves and pants with other layers for comfort and protection. Bring water, your favorite gardening gloves, and tools (we also have some tools and gloves to loan). Heavy rain cancels. Hope to see you there. Monthly Restoration Work Parties are sponsored by the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society — www.ebcnps.org. For more infor- mation regarding CNPS’ restoration efforts, call Sarah Ginskey at (510) 558-8139 or to be included on CNPS’ Restoration Team’s e-mail list: sawginskey @ sbcglobal . net . Sarah Ginskey 3 Our fully stocked nursery just prior to opening offers thousands of native plants of hundreds of species. Many thanks go to Plant Sale co-chairs Shirley McPheeters and Phoebe Watts who coordinate planning and organization of the Plant Sale. Within minutes of opening, happy native plant shoppers were making their selections, scooping up the “gems” for their backyards and projects. The Annual Plant Sale would not be possible without the many volunteers that assist throughout the year and on Plant Sale weekend. Additional volunteers are needed at Tuesday morning propagation sessions and in the month leading up to the Plant Sale. 4 Proceeds of the Plant Sale fund nearly the entire budget of the East Bay Chapter, including scholarships for students, conservation programs, and educational activities. By the end of the first day, most plants had found happy new homes. Remaining plants are on sale Tuesday mornings through Janurary or until stock is exausted. 5 Photos by Tony Morosco © 2002 CNPS-EB Native Here Nursery Saturdays: Native Here Nursery open 10-1 Fridays: Native Here Nursery open 9-noon November is a wonderful time to plant natives. Let the rain do most of your work after planting. Plants may be purchased whenever the nursery is open — Friday and Saturday mornings. Volunteers continue to be needed to work on many tasks including sowing the seeds that have been collected throughout the spring and summer. Seed collection has stopped for this year and will resume in May of 2003. If you wish to be named on the collection permits for which we apply to various agencies, please let Charli or Margot know this month. Your full address and phone number will be required on the applications. If you wish only to collect in certain locations, that information would be helpful also. At present, many of the species which have been grown at the nursery have been voluntarily removed from sale because they are known hosts of the Phytophthora which causes Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (SODS). There is no specific time predicted for inspection and release of those plants for sale. Keep checking. The nursery is at 101 Golf Course Drive in Tilden Park. Phone is 510/549-02 1 1 . FAX messages may be sent to 510/525-9076 and e-mail to charlid@pacbell.net. Charli Danielsen CNPS State Board Meeting December 7th, 2002. CNPS Annual Banquet and Lecture. Members from across the state will be joining us Saturday, December 7th, at the UC Berke- ley Faculty Club. This year’s featured Lecture will be presented by Hugh Safford speaking on “Plant Spe- cies Diversity in California Serpentine: Regional Patterns and Possible Causative Factors”. Field trips and tours will also be offered in conjunction with the banquet. Contact: Delia Taylor, (510) 527-3912, deliataylor @mac . com . East Bay Tarplants As discussed in the July and September Bay Leafs, five CNPS-listed rare tarplant species are recorded for our Chapter’s two counties. Photos of three of these were presented in previous articles, and a fourth one, Blepharizonia plumosa ssp. plumosa, is shown this month. This is perhaps the most beautiful of the rare tarplants here, as it has numerous large flower heads with short stalks closely arrayed on long branches. The outer petals (ligules) around the flower disks are soft in texture but brilliantly white with a few streaks of pale pink. The plants are glandular with attrac- tively aromatic, slightly pungent- smelling foliage. B. plumosa ssp. plumosa is a very uncommon plant of grassy hills in the eastern part of our counties, also occasionally recorded in adjacent San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. It is closely related to the more widespread B. plumosa ssp. viscida, but differs in having shorter stalks to the flower heads and tighter, more spike-like racemes. It is less glandular but has longer, more plumose bristles (pappus) on the top of each fruit. Both subspecies can occur in the same general area, for example in the vicinity of Corral Hollow in eastern Alameda County. I observed them both with Chris Thayer and Staci Markos recently, on a beautiful September day during which we saw eight other tarplant species, most in full flower. Surpris- ingly, several other plants were also in flower, includ- ing the late-blooming Eriogonum wrightii as well as E. angulosum. Another locally recorded tarplant that is listed as rare statewide - the last in this series - is Madia radiata. Sadly, the last definite local sighting may have been as long ago as 1941 near Antioch, and it seems the plant has not been seen in our counties for many years. It is a rare plant of the Inner Coast Ranges further south - I have seen it once in Monterey County. It seems to appear mainly in wet years and is certainly worth searching for in suitable habitat in the eastern part of our area should El Nino weather re-emerge. It flowers in late spring, much earlier than other rare tarplants in our counties. Our area has many other tarplants, particularly in the open hills to the east. Species of Madia and Layia mostly flower in the spring, but the majority of the others provide flowers and scented foliage long after most plants have died down. Tarplants are attractive subjects for the photographer. Where open space is still preserved, they make local field excursions rewarding, even in the driest weeks of late summer. John Game The tree which moves some to tears of joy, is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity . . . and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself. William Blake 6 Activities of Others UC Botanical Garden Programs Quarterly Bird Walk Saturday, November 2, 9 a.m. Join Manager of Collections & Horticulture Chris Carmichael on a morning walk to discover the Garden’s bird life. Free for Members, $5 plus admission for non-mem- bers. Registration recommended. The Buzz from the Wine Country: Bees in a Vine- yard Landscape Saturday, November 2, 11 a.m. Prof. Gretchen LeBuhn will talk about some of our most interesting and least known native pollinators, solitary bees. With the decline in honeybee colonies, the importance of our native bees as pollinators has been realized. She will discuss her work with vine- yard owners in Napa and Sonoma promoting pollina- tor protection. Free with admission. Registration recommended. Docent Training November 7, 2002 - March 27, 2003, 9:30 am - 12:30 p.m. UC Berkeley faculty, Garden Staff, and additional expert speakers will present lectures and tours on a variety of topics to familiarize class participants with botany in general and California native plants in particular, and with the Botanical Garden specifi- cally. Tour techniques and practice are featured as well. For more detailed information, please call 643- 1924. Fee and registration required. Autumn Color in the Mist November 17, 10 a.m. Horticulturist Elaine Sedlack explores the Garden’s Asian Area as maple, dogwood and Sorbus create a tapestiy of seasonal brilliance. Free for Members, $5 plus admission for non-mem- bers. Registration recommended. Biodiversity Hotspots in Serpentine Habitats November 17, 1:00 p.m. Prof. Susan Harrison will speak on the local and regional richness of serpentine-endemic plants in California. Her research is focused on the factors that give rise to high diversity in serpentine-endemic plants and how those factors may help us to better understand the general phenomenon of biodiversity hotspots. Free with admission. Registration recommended. Wayne Roderick Lectures Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive (South Park Drive is closed Nov. -March) in Tilden Park, Berkeley, (510) 841-8732, bgarden@ebparks.org, www. nativeplants . org Saturday mornings 10:30-noon. Free to the public. Seating is limited, come early and save a place. November 2, Steve Edwards: Botanical hotspots of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. November 9, Bob Case: Field survey of weeds, from Alameda County north into Oregon and east into Nevada. November 16, Robbin Thorpe, Vernal pool plants and their specialist native bee pollinators. November 13, Steve Edwards, Death Valley daze. December 7, Dick O’Donnell, Exploring the Oat Hill Mine Trail serpentines. December 14, Bob Case, A gallery of Sierra Nevada wildflowers. December 21, Pete Holloran, The Great Sand Waste: an historical journey though San Francisco’s dunes. CalFlora Reorganization Meeting If you had to create a new library focused on Califor- nia plants, how would you do it? How would you support such a library? Would you charge the public for services? How would you determine leadership, decision mak- ing, and responsibilities? Join us to reorganize Calflora. After three years as a non-profit organization, we need to restructure in order to support our mission: gathering scientific information about California plants and disseminat- ing it to the public. If you use Calflora, share our mission, or wish to improve Calflora, we need your help now. Meeting: Friday, November 8, 2002 1 to 4 p.m. UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, Conference Center 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 RSVP by Oct 31 to calflora@calflora.org or 510-528- 5426. Please call us anytime to get the latest news and information. Parking: $0.50 per hour. Refresh- ments served. Details and an agenda will be sent out to those who reply prior to the meeting. We will bring you the latest exciting news on partner- ships and funding opportunities that we are pursu- ing. Demonstration, discussion, and training on how to use Calflora’s latest features precede the meeting at 10 a.m. at the Calflora office. Recent Statistics: Calflora & CalPhotos combined have over 200,000 visits per month (roughly 28,000 users per week) performing 600,000+ searches per month. Content: 8000+ species reports for all California species (recent flora additions in process). 850,000+ observations of California native and exotic species with detailed locations. Access to 26,000 California plant photos in CalPhotos (53.45% of the flora). continued on page 8 7 Activities of Others continued from page 7 Synonymy services search historical observations and show name relationships. Tools: Users now add photos and observation reports daily. Review tools for experts to annotate and correct photos (observations may be next). Visualize observations on Topo maps and aerial photos (up to 3 meter resolution). Used by Department of Fish and Game to create species diversity richness map for California. Coming soon - Find local observations from ZIP code, Calflora on your handheld PDA? California Botanical Society Lectures Lectures are free and open to the public. Held in 2063 Valley Life Sciences Building University of California, Berkeley. Start: 7:30 p.m. November 2 1 — Spring-fed wetland structure and function in California oak savannas Randy Jackson, Ecosystem Sciences Division, UC Berkeley January 16 — Fire, drought, and the evolution of chaparral shrubs David Ackerly, Department Biological Sciences, Stanford University Start Markos Coordinator, Public Programs & Development Jepson Herbarium 1001 VLSB #2465 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720 (510)643-7008 http : / /ucj eps .herb .berkeley . edu Big Tarplant, Blepharizonia plumosa ssp. plumosa in eastern Alameda county. Photo by John Game, September 2002. 8 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: vacant Jim Sharp, 2663 LeConte Ave., Berk. 94709, 644-9344, itsa@dnai.com 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 9 Blepharizonia plumosa ssp. plumosa in eastern Alameda county. Photo by John Game, September 2002. The insert at top right shows fruit with the plumose bristles (pappus) that give this plant its name. 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 November 2002 issue