September 2001 The BayLeaf California Native Plant Society • East Bay Chapter • Alameda & Contra Costa Counties Calendar of Events Preparation for Plant Sale, ( See page 3) September 1 , Saturday Native Here Work Party, 10 a.m. (See page 4) September 4, 1 1 , 1 8, 25, Tuesdays Native Here seed collecting. (See page 4) Septembers, Saturday Field trip in Tilden Park, 9 a.m. (See page 2) September 16, Sunday Field Trip to see tarweeds and other autumn flowers. (See page 4) September 28, 29, Friday and Saturday Native Here seed sowing. (See page 4) September 29, Saturday Chapter Picnic, East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, 4 p.m. (See page 2) October 6-7, Saturday and Sunday Annual Plant Sale, Merritt College, Oakland. Saturday October 6, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday, October 7, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (See page 3) Conservation Committee The newly reconvened Conservation Committee held its first meeting on July 26 th . A previously compiled list of conservation items served to either introduce or reacquaint committee members with pressing East Bay conservation issues. Since there were 33 issues and 6 members it was clear that we couldn't cover them all. We decided that each member should pick topics that interest him or her. This resulted in our agreeing to track 13 out of 33 projects. Follow up reports on each will be made at subsequent meetings. There remain 20 or so conservation issues lacking any sort of follow up. One of the Committee's findings was that a large majority of these involve land east of the East Bay hills, an area of extremely rapid growth that is underrepresented by East Bay CNPS membership/ activity. To partially remedy this deficiency, the Commit- tee agreed that it is important to solicit additional partici- pation, especially from those members who either live in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa Counties or have an expressed interest in conservation/ development issues there. By getting on the postal or email lists of county, municipal and regional agencies and checking relevant web sites, people can follow conservation issues affecting native plants. They can share their views and concerns with the Conservation Committee whether or not they choose formal membership in the Committee. Clicking on will direct you to a list of conservation issues. We would like to encourage you to peruse the list and contact the Conservation Committee chair at CNPS-EB-ConsComm@usobi.org if you see something that stirs your interest. No experience is necessary. Learn as you go and enjoy working with like- minded people. You may also wish to subscribe to cnps- eb-alerts to be kept apprised of upcoming CNPS EB Conservation Committee meetings and activities. To find out more about that list, and get instructions on how to subscribe, email to listserv@usobi.org with: INFO CNPS- EB- ALERTS appearing somewhere in the body of the message. Steve Asztalos President’s Message Great news!! After a major hiatus, at a time when pro- posed developments, vegetation management plans, and other potential threats to the East Bay's floristic heritage are at an all-time high, we once again have a chapter Conservation Chair. Our new chair, Steve Asztalos, has already convened a reconstituted Conservation Commit- tee, with the results described elsewhere in this issue of the President’s Message, continued Bay Leaf. Please read Steve's report, and note well the need for additional Committee members if we are going to successfully address the flood of conservation issues facing our chapter. Steve's call for increased representation from eastern Alameda and Contra Costa Counties dovetails with a general consensus among chapter officers that we should make it a top-priority goal to boost general membership and activity from parts of the East Bay (= all of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beyond the current member- ship centers (e.g., Berkeley, Oakland). Such efforts could include occasional membership meetings in places like Livermore, Antioch, or Fremont, more field trips, and an increased presence at outreach events (e.g.. Earth Day Fairs) in these places. For this to happen, however, we need a core of existing members in these areas who are familiar with local venues and opportunities. If you want to see more CNPS activity in your area or have additional ideas for local involvement, please contact the appropriate chapter officer or committee chair. You are needed!! One specific example where increased involvement of local members could result in multiple benefits involves future parklands in the far East County areas. The population boom around Brentwood, for example, represents not only increased development pressure, but also an increased demand for protected open spaces. As it happens, this need coincides with the presence of a rich native flora, including many rare species that do not occur elsewhere in the East Bay. One species, Tropidocarpum capparideum, was once abundant in the Brentwood, where it hasn't been seen in decades. Although it was thought to be extinct, a small population was recently rediscovered in the South Coast Ranges. If other hidden populations are awaiting redis- covery in the East County area, they are more likely to be found with many eyes looking. Won't you join us in ensuring that all of the East Bay's floristic treasures are appreciated? Barbara Ertter Annual East Bay Chapter Potluck Picnic Summer's end isn't so sad when you can look forward to the annual East Bay Chapter picnic. This year the picnic will take place on Saturday, September 29, beginning at 4:00 p.m., at the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden (at the intersection of South Park Drive and Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Park, Berkeley). Come join old and new friends in a breathtakingly beautiful setting to eat great food, win native plants, travel the state (botanically), and enjoy the company of fellow native plant enthusiasts. Bring a dish to share (main dish, salad, side dish, dessert). We'll provide beverages, a great native plant raffle, books and posters to buy, and tours of the Botanic Garden. Mother Nature will provide the warm early fall weather. To get to the Garden, take Hwy 24 to the Fish Ranch Road exit (just east of the Caldecott Tunnel). Follow Fish Ranch Road up the hill to Grizzly Peak Boulevard. Turn right on Grizzly Peak and follow it for 1.5 miles to South Park Drive. Turn right on South Park Drive and follow it for 1.5 miles to Wildcat Canyon Road. Turn left on Wildcat Canyon Road for one block and then turn right on Anza View Drive. Park along the lawn side of Anza View Drive and enter the Garden through the open gate on Anza View. (The restrooms are located in the main parking lot on Wildcat Canyon Road at South Park Drive.) If you need assistance with access to the picnic site or have mobility concerns, please call or e-mail Sue at 510-496-6016, rosacalifornica@earthlink.net. Sue Rosenthal Field Trips Saturday, September 8 at 9:00 a.m.: Field trip focusing on invasive weeds, and the many reasons a native plant group needs to be concerned about weeds. Bob Case will start with a talk and slides at the meeting room of Tilden Botanic Garden. The trip will then proceed out of doors at Tilden to learn some noxious weeds that now crowd open spaces in the East Bay. Bring water for the outdoor section of this half-day field trip. Participants are encour- aged to carpool. Directions: From Highway 24, exit at Fish Ranch Road. Stay on Fish Ranch road and proceed to Grizzly Peak Blvd. Take Grizzly Peak Blvd. up to the intersection with Centennial Drive. Turn right onto Golf Course Drive (into Tilden). Go past the golf course, bear right at the intersec- tion, and follow signs to the botanic garden. Parking lot is across the street. Alternative directions: In Berkeley or north Oakland, take either College or Telegraph Avenue to Claremont. Turn north (uphill) on Claremont, and follow it uphill past stoplight and Claremont Hotel to Skyline/ Grizzly Peak Blvd. Turn left and follow Skyline/ Grizzly Peak into Tilden. Or, take the 8:08 AC Transit Bus #65 at the intersection of Center and Shattuck and get off at the intersection of Shasta and Grizzly Peak. Follow Shasta into Tilden Park, and walk downhill from the intersection of Shasta and Golf Course Drive (Selby Trail avoids traffic and meets the road at the golf course intersection). Both Selby Trail and Golf Course Drive will meet Central Park Drive at the Brazil Room. Go downhill through the lawn to the right of the Brazil Room and follow the fence next to the road to the entrance of the Botanic Garden. continued on page 4 2 CNPS Sale of Native Plants October 6 & 7 Sat. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Early Bird Buyers! The plant sale opens at 9 a.m. in our usual propagation/ nursery area at Merritt College. Merritt College will have its own sale in its courtyard. Our offerings are many: numerous varieties of manzanitas (. Arctostaphylos ), and wild lilac ( Ceanothus ), sages (Salvia), buckwheats (. Eriogonum ), California fuchsia (Epilobium), monkey flowers (. Mimulus ), silktassels (Garry a), perennial bunch grasses, succulents, currants (. Ribes ), coffeeberries (Rhamnus) - to name just some of the major groups. This year we will also offer flannel bush (. Fremontodendron ) for sale. Experienced native plant gardeners will be on hand to help you with your selections. In addition to plants there will be available CNPS posters, wildflower seeds, and a good selection of books on botani- cal subjects. Be prepared. Bring cash and personal checks (we can't accept credit cards), wear comfortable shoes, and bring sturdy boxes to carry home your purchases. A loading zone at the curb will allow cars to drive into the Horticul- ture area to load plants. Help us set up for the Sale! September is a very busy month as we move every plant at least once before the sale, spread lots of mulch, put price tags on every plant, refresh labels, assemble temporary structures, groom plants and much more. We'd appreci- ate whatever skills and time you can offer, and you will get a thorough preview of what is available. People who can drop in to help for just half a day make a big difference keeping us on schedule. Check the calendar below for our work schedule (shaded days are work days.) We work from 9 am to 2 pm in the Landscape Horticulture area at Merritt College, to the west of the greenhouses. Bring your lunch if you can stay after a noon break. Parking requires two quarters. M T W V* f S \ SI 3 m 5 & 1 9 to (Z n* >4 tS 1 f £ n fis| \9 Zl 22 24 zt> :W ZS ,29. IF i Uz; 3 1 •:'5 . 7 —J Volunteer at the Sale, Saturday and Sunday, morning or afternoon We need many volunteers, especially on Saturday during the plant sale to cashier, sell plants, and assist people. If you've helped us in recent years you should receive a reply postcard soon. Please respond . . . even if only to let us know you aren't available this year but want to stay on the mailing list. If you don't hear from us or if you'd like to volunteer for the first time please call (925) 376-4095 or (510) 525-6614. Shirley and Phoebe 3 Field Trips continued from page 2 Sunday, September 16: Chris Thayer will lead a field trip in eastern Alameda/ Contra Costa County to see tarweeds and other autumn flowers. The group will be limited to ten people, and Chris asks that participants call him at (925) 283-4858 so he can give them directions and the exact starting time. Due to possible fire closures in a dry Sep- tember, the exact starting location will be announced in September to interested participants. Janet Gawthrop Native Here Nursery Seed collection will continue on Tuesday mornings through October. A number of East Bay sites will be visited. If you have a project for which you'd like to have seed collected, please call or e-mail Charli in order to schedule a walk for your project. There will be an effort to sow many of the seeds collected this summer at the end of September, the 28 th and 29 th . Your help on either of those days would be appreciated. There are always lots of other tasks waiting to be per- formed at the nursery as well. The job of cleaning old labels has proven too much for one volunteer to complete. If you'd like to tackle a modest number, come by when the nursery is open and pick up a batch and some cleaning materials. We reuse pots, too. Although the nursery uses only certain sizes and shapes, all are welcomed. Those we do not regularly use are given to school projects. We'd particu- larly like to see some of those D pots come back . . . we've been filling them up like mad! Charli Danielsen Native Plant Restoration Team Saturday, September 1, 10 a.m.: Native Here work party. Come hang out in this delightful spot with Charli and the gang. We'll work around the nursery on oblong spurge and assorted other nasties, and also bust a move inside the fence on potting and other needed chores. This will be a good time to start eyeing what's available at the nursery for the fall planting season. Meet at Native Here, 101 Golf Course Drive, Tilden Park, across from the golf course entrance. Saturday, October 6: EB CNPS Annual Plant Sale. No NPRT work party; please volunteer and shop for bonus garden plants at the sale. See you there! No reservations are needed... just show up and pitch in. Wear protective clothing — sturdy shoes, long sleeves and 4 pants, a sun hat; bring water, gloves and your favorite weeding tool. We also have gloves and tools to lend. Would you like to get on our email list? Drop me a line at casartunda@aol.com. Noah Booker Wanted: Your Ideas for Programs and Venues As your (relatively) new Programs Chair, I want to plan monthly membership meetings that appeal to as many of you as possible. But I need your help! Please send me e- mail messages or call me with ideas for future programs or speakers and voice your opinions on past programs. I'll listen very carefully. Even better, join me in planning programs — I am a committee of one right now. I also want to make these meetings accessible to the greatest number of members. Since our chapter covers a few hundred square miles, finding a central location is difficult. For many years, we've been holding the pro- grams at the U.C. Botanical Garden. This location has some distinct advantages — a nice meeting room in a beautiful setting — and some disadvantages — difficult access for those who aren't comfortable driving in the hills at night, and far from public transportation as well as from the eastern portion of our chapter. I'm thinking about moving the meetings around to various sites that would be accessible to more members, but I need your ideas here, too. Please e-mail or call me and voice your opinion on moving the meeting to locations other than the U.C. Garden (for example, venues in Berkeley, Albany, Oak- land, Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and beyond). If enough of you are in favor of moving the meetings around, we'll do it! And while you're at it, mark your calendars for our next membership meeting program: Linda Vorobik - Thoughts on botanical illustration and editing Fremontia, Wednesday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. at the U.C. Botanical Garden. You can contact me at rosacalifornica@earthlink.net or 510- 496-6016. Sue Rosenthal Activities of Others The Oakland Museum Needs Docents. Interested in nature? Like working with kids? Then docenting at the Oakland Museum of California's Natural Science Gallery may be your thing. Learn in-depth about California's natural environments and how to share your knowledge with others. Classes are held on Tuesday afternoons beginning September 11th and continue for 9 months. Field trips to diverse areas of California are included, ckground in biology is necessary - just dedication and enthusiasm. For more information or to sign on, call 510- 238-3514. continued on page 6 Board of Directors Elected Officers President: Barbara Ertter, 1859 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, h/526-4592, w/643-0600 Vice President, Administration: Tony Morosco, 2329 7 th St., Berkeley 94710, 549-2238, w/642- 8468 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, Calif. State Parks, 250 Executive Park Blvd., Suite 4900, San Francisco 94134, w/4 15-330-6323 Advisors Members at large: John Game, 1155 Spruce St., Berkeley 94707, 527-7855 Jim Sharp, 2663 LeConte Ave., Berkeley 94709, 644-9344 Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704, 841-4681 Bay Leaf Editors Brett Boltz, 2210 Spaulding Ave., Berkeley 94703, h/549-3327, w/643-0448, bboltz@uclink2.berkeley.edu Joe Willingham, 2512 Etna St., Berkeley 94704, 841-4681, pepe@dnai.com Recorded Chapter Information: 464-4977 CNPS Home Page: http://www.cnps.org East Bay Chapter CNPS Home Page: http://www.ebcnps.org Chapter CNPS-EB-Alerts E-mail List: Find out more; email to listserv@usobi.org with: INFO CNPS-EB Alerts All area codes are 510 unless noted Committee Coordinators Bay Leaf Mailing: Holly Forbes, 7128 Blake St., El Cerrito 94530, 234-2913, w/643-8040 Bryophytes: Dan Norris, 802 Lexington Ave., El Cerrito 94530, 435-2004 email norris_daniel@hotmail.com Conservation: Steve Asztalos, 839 York St., Oakland, asztalos1@llnl.gov Plant Communities: Susan Bainbridge, 2408 Parker St., Berkeley 94704, 548-2918 Rare Plants: Brad Olson, 4442 Arcadia Ave., Oakland 94602, 482-0794 Unusual Plants: Dianne Lake, 1050 Bayview Farm Rd. #121, Pinole 94564, 741-8066 Donations: Vacant Education: Elly Bade, 2699 Shasta Rd., Berkeley 94708, 644-1656 Field Trips: Janet Gawthrop, 360 Monte Vista Ave. #214, Oakland 94610, 654- 3066 Hospitality: Irene Wilkinson, 440 Camino Sobrante, Orinda 94563, 925-254-3675 Legislation: Roy Buck, 848-4169, email roybuck@msn.com Membership: Delia Taylor, 1851 Catalina Ave., Berkeley 94707, 527-3912 Native Here Nursery: Charli Danielsen, 101 Golf Course Dr., Berkeley 94708, 549-0211, email cwd@wli.net Native Plant Restoration Team: Noah Booker, 6366 Valley View Rd., Oakland 94611, h/339-1588, w/ 840-9367, email casartunda@aol.com Posters: Heather Koshinsky, 2033 Carquinez Ave., El Cerrito 94530, w/522- 8180 Plant Sale: Shirley McPheeters, 104 Ivy Dr., Orinda 94563, 925-376-4095 Phoebe Watts, 1419 Grant St., Berkeley 94703, 525-6614 Plant Sale Publicity: Elaine Jackson, 3311 Estudillo St., Martinez 94553, 925-372-0687 Programs: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016, email rosacalifornica@earthlink.net EBRP Botanic Garden Liaison: Sue Rosenthal, P.O. Box 20489, Oakland 94620, 496-6016 Membership Application Name Address Zip Telephone I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) Other Membership category: Student, Retired, Limited income, $20 Individual, Library, $35 Household, Family, or Group, $45 Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Benefactor, $500 Life, $1000 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 1722 J St., Suite 17, Sacramento CA 95814 5 Activities Of others continued from page 4 Habitat Stewardship Opportunity. The National Wildlife Federation and LifeGarden, a Contra Costa based non- profit environmental education organization, have teamed up to train volunteers to help communities create and preserve wildlife habitat. The Habitat Stewards program will involve presentations by local experts and field trips to a variety of East Bay gardens, parks and restoration sites. Topics include plant identification, California natives appropriate for home landscapes, healthy garden- ing practices, pollinator-plant relationships, site analysis, propagation, and building habitat teams. Volunteers will help others create and restore wildlife habitat in back- yards, schoolyards, workplaces, and at other private and public areas in the community. Participants who complete the training will be expected to contribute 50 hours to a community habitat project. A minimum of 24 hours of training is required of the more than 60 hours offered. The fee for region-based materials is $75. Training sessions will be held on Saturdays and some Thursday evenings start- ing September 20 and continuing through mid-November. To obtain a registration form, a copy of the training schedule, or additional information, please email judy@lifegarden.org or call Judy Adler at 925-937-3044. Visit www. lifegarden.org for updates on this and other LifeGarden projects. Space in the workshop is limited. The deadline for registering is September 15, 2001. The training is underwritten in part by a grant from the City of Walnut Creek. California Lichen Society Programs September 22, 2001 'Hands On' Lichen Basics CALS Founding member Barbara Lachelt will present this Saturday workshop, 'Hands-On' Lichen Basics. Barbara has developed a 'teaching set' of lichens she uses to illustrate lichen morphology. We will spend the morn- ing inspecting these samples to become more familiar with the unique morphology of lichens. In the afternoon, we will use keys to identify unknown specimens. Help to identify your own lichen specimens will be available by CALS mentors during this time. The workshop will be held in Duncan Hall at San Jose State University from 10am to 4pm. Duncan Hall is located on San Salvador Street at South 5 th Street. It is easily reached by taking the 7 th street freeway exit from Hwy 280. The campus map can be found on the San Jose State Website: http:/ / www.sjsu.edu/ campusmap/ map.html. Bring a lunch. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available. Contact Judy Robertson at jksrr@aol.com or 707-584-8099 for questions. October 20, 2001 Introduction to Lichens Janet Doell, co-author of the CALS Mini-guide to Common California Lichens, CALS founding member and first President will guide us through an Introduction to Li- chens. Come to learn lichen groups, common lichen genera, and basic morphological features. We will also talk about lichen collection techniques, preservation and preparation for Herbarium quality specimens. This workshop will be held in the Conference room at the University Herbarium, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bldg., UC Berkeley, from 10am to 4 pm. Bring a lunch. Coffee, tea and snacks will be available. Please contact Janet at doell4@home.com or 510-236-0489 if you have questions. ♦ ♦ ♦ Aridity, more than anything else, gives the western landscape its character. It is aridity that gives the air its special dry clarity; aridity that puts brilliance in the light and polishes and enlarges the stars; aridity that leads grasses to evolve as bunches rather than as turf, aridity that exposes the pigmentation of the earth and limits, almost eliminates the color of chlorophyll ... To eyes trained on universal chlorophyll, gold or brown hills may look repulsive. Sagebrush is an acquired taste, as are raw earth and alkali flats... You have to get over the color green; you have to quit associating beauty with gardens and lawns . . . Wallace Stegner California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Oakland, GA Permit No. 2018 Time Value September 2001 issue