CALENDAR OF EVENTS Native Here p. 4 Fridays, September 1,8, 15, 22, 29, Native Here Nurs- ery open 9 am-noon Saturdays, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, nursery open 10 am-1 pm Tuesdays, September 5, 12, 19, 26, seed collection trips from Native Here Native Plant Restoration Team (see July-August Bay Leaj) September 9, restoration activities at Tilden Regional Park Annual Chapter potluck picnic p. 8 Saturday, September 23, 2006, beginning at 2:00 pm, Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Intersection of South Park Drive and Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills) Membership Meeting (see below) Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 7:30 pm Native Plant Fair p. 3 Saturday, October 28, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, Sunday, October 29, 12:00-3:00 pm, Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Road (across from the golf course entrance) Tilden Park, Berkeley MEMBERSHIP MEETING The Virtual Herbarium Speaker: Andrew Doran Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 7:30 pm Conference Center, University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley (directions below) “What are dead plants for, anyway?” On the website for the University and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley, that question provides a portal to information about what herbaria do and how they do it. In the most general sense, herbaria are collections of preserved, documented plant specimens that are irreplaceable physical records of biodiversity, structural and chemi- cal variation, distribution, and ecology used by many academic, professional, and amateur botanists for projects in systematics, ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation, and many other fields. Until recently, individuals wishing to examine herbarium specimens had just two options: travel to the herbarium to view them in person or request specimens be sent to them on loan. But shipping is expensive and hard on inherently fragile specimens over time, and ultimately limits who has access to the specimens. Thanks to the Internet and other advances in imaging and communication technology, herbaria can now offer a third option for examining specimens: viewing them virtually via the internet or other electronic media. The University and Jepson Herbaria have embarked on a number of major projects to improve access to their collections by creating a “virtual herbarium.” Among these projects are producing high resolution images of the 2.2 million specimens in the two herbaria and increasing electronic access to those specimens and associated data. Andrew Doran is the new Administrative Curator of the University and Jepson Herbaria. Andrew will explain how technology is changing the way the University and Jepson Herbaria operate and describe current, future, and proposed projects in the development of the University and Jepson’s “virtual herbarium.” Andrew came to Berkeley from the University of Connecticut continued on page 2 continued from page 1 and plant records manager at the Denver Botanic Gardens and at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden in Wisley, Surrey, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where he managed the herbarium. He has also worked as a horticultural taxonomist is 3 /4 mile up Centennial Drive on the right. Parking is past the Garden on the left (across the street from « the Garden). 1 From Dwight Way in Berkeley, I take Dwight Way east, two J blocks past Piedmont. Turn left on Prospect. Turn right on Centennial Drive. The Garden East Bay Chapter CNPS mem- bership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month’s meeting will take place in the Conference Center of the University of California Botanical Garden on Centennial Drive, east of Memorial Stadium and west of the Lawrence Hall of Science, above the main campus of the University of California in Berkeley. The Garden gate will open at 7:00 pm; the meeting be- gins at 7:30 pm. Refreshments will be served after the meeting. Please contact Sue Rosenthal, 510-496-6016 or rosa californica@earthlink.net, if you have questions. Directions to the UC Botanical Garden Andrew Doran long off ramp. Continue up Fish Ranch Road about 3/4 mile. At the stop sign, turn right on Griz- zly Peak Boulevard Continue 3.1 miles on Grizzly Peak Boulevard to the next stop sign (Centen- nial Drive/ Golf Course Road). Turn left on Centennial Drive. Travel 3/4 mile down Centennial Drive, past the Lawrence Hall of Science. The parking lot is on the right-hand side just before the Garden, which is on the left. entrance is 3 /4 mile up Centen- nial Drive on the right. Park- ing is past the Garden on the left (across the street from the Garden) . From Walnut Creek, take the Fish Ranch Road exit from High- way 24 (just before the Caldecott Tunnel). Turn right onto Fish Ranch Road at the end of the From Interstate 80, take the University Avenue exit. Take University Avenue toward the hills until it dead ends at Oxford Street. Turn left on Oxford Street and continue to the second stoplight. Turn right on Hearst Avenue and continue to the second stoplight. Turn right on Gayley Road and continue to the first stop sign. Turn left on Stadium Rimway to the first stop sign. Turn left on Centennial Drive. The Garden entrance Future Meetings October 25, 2006: Orinda Library Auditorium Speaker TBA November 15, 2006: Orinda Library Garden Room Speaker: Debbie Viess, Mushrooms of the East Bay PLANT SALE ACTIVITIES We are hoping to be invited soon to meet with the City of Oakland Parks and Rec- reation Department and other city officials to discuss the possibility of relocating our plant sale and growing grounds to the Dunsmuir Estate. Roy West has been ably coordinating this effort — making contacts, keeping in touch with the Dunsmuir Estate board and City of Oakland staff, and preparing materials for our meeting. He is also working with an artist to produce an appealing illustration of our growing grounds con- cept to give officials, neighbors, and others a general idea of what our facility might look like. In the meantime, we are planning and preparing for our Native Plant Fair, which will be held on October 28 and 29 at Native Here Nursery in Tilden Park (in the Berkeley hills) . We discovered that our traditional plant sale date — the first full weekend in October — is also the date of a Cal Football home game, which can wreak havoc on traffic in Berkeley and the hills. So we rethought our date and chose the last weekend in October instead. We will need lots of volunteer help in the weeks before and on the day of the Native Plant Fair, so if you have time to help in any way, please contact Elaine Jackson 2 THE BAY LEAF September 2006 (elainejx@mindspring.com or 925-372-0687). And please do read the other articles in this issue of the Bay Leaf about the Native Plant Fair and our need for volunteers. As always, feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments about the Native Plant Fair or about our plant sale in general: rosacalifornica@earthlink.net or 510-496-6016. Sue Rosenthal NATIVE PLANT FAIR First Annual Native Plant Fair We’re turning a problem into an opportunity. Although we don’t yet have a new location for our chapter’s growing grounds and traditional fall sale, we do have a great place for a celebration and sale of native plants. On the weekend of October 28 and 29, we’ll be holding our first ever Native Plant Fair at our own Native Here Nursery in Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills. Many people may not realize that our annual plant sale is the primary source of our East Bay chapter’s operating funds. Missing a year of this sale would have a significant impact on our programs, from conserva- tion to plant science to membership meetings. Yet without our growing grounds, we don’t have the space and facilities to grow the volume of plants we provide at our traditional sale. We know our loyal plant sale customers want a local source of native plants and we need the revenue our sale generates, so we’re combining a special selection of favorite plants, bulbs, and seeds from around the state with an outstanding stock of beautiful plants native to Alameda and Contra Costa counties at our chapter’s restoration nursery, Native Here. There will be thousands of plants at Native Here, so we’re hop- ing to make this a leisurely sale, with plenty of plants available throughout the weekend. But the plant sale is just part of the Native Plant Fair. Throughout the weekend, we’ll offer free talks by experts on many aspects of gardening with native plants, a great selection of books on California botany and horticulture, beautiful garden-themed art and crafts for sale, and fun activities for children. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Amanda Jorgenson, the new Executive Director of CNPS, as well as Lech Naumovich, our chapter’s Conservation Analyst, and many of our hardworking committee chairs and board members. We’ll print the schedule of events and more details about the Native Plant Fair in the October issue of the Bay Leaf as well as on our chapter’s website, www.ebcnps.org. We’re hoping many of our members and others who garden with and love native plants will come to support the chapter and enjoy a day of celebrating California’s flora. Please spread the word and plan to join us at our Native Plant Fair. Native Plant Fair Saturday, October 28, 10:00 am-3:00 pm Sunday, October 29, 12:00-3:00 pm Native Here Nursery 101 Golf Course Road (across from the golf course entrance) Tilden Park, Berkeley For more information, contact Sue Rosenthal: rosacalifornica@earthlink.net or 510-496-6016 NATIVE PLANT FAIR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We need many volunteers in the next several weeks to help us get ready for our Native Plant Fair, as well others to work on the weekend of the fair (October 28 and 29). There will be tasks of all types and sizes to choose among, from quick and easy things you can do at home to strenuous and not-so-strenuous activities at Native Here, from planning to preparing the nursery to cashiering, and much more. Whether you have an hour or a day to spend helping us make the Native Plant Fair a success, we’ll be most grateful for your assistance. Please contact Elaine Jackson if you can help: elainejx@mindspring.com or 925-372-0687. THE BAY LEAF September 2006 3 VEGETATION COMMITTEE My name is Erin McDermott. I am the new Vegetation Committee chair for the East Bay Chapter of CNPS. Heath Bartosh, head of our Rare Plant Committee, told me that the position was open. I am excited about the opportunity to be more active in CNPS, having been a member of the East Bay Chapter for about 7 years. Currently I work at Sycamore Associates in Walnut Creek as a botanist and arborist. Prior to that I worked for the Park Service at Point Reyes on the “weed team”, which traveled around the state participating in weed removal efforts in several California National Parks. For two summers I worked in Lake Tahoe as a botanist for the Forest Service while completing my Master’s degree in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC Davis. My thesis project studied the symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and valley oak roots in a restoration setting. In 2002, I received a scholarship from the East Bay Chapter for my graduate work. I am a Bay Area native and am looking forward to learning more about our two counties’ open spaces, flora, and vegetation. I am excited about working on local conservation issues and look forward to meeting you. Erin McDermott NATIVE HERE NURSERY Fridays, September 1,8, 15, 22, 29, Native Here Nursery open 9 am -noon Saturdays, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, nursery open 10 am -1 pm Tuesdays, September 5, 12, 19, 26, seed collection trips from Native Here This summer it has been extremely hot at the nursery. Temperatures hovered above 100 degrees for many days in July. We watered a lot and only a few plants suffered. Some plants actually seemed to look better after the heat wave. Things seem to be constantly changing at the nursery these days. Plants get potted up and moved around every week. We maintain an inventory, which I try to keep up to date. Customers are welcome to browse it when they come to the nursery. It’s based on our seed collection database, so it lists all the species from all the locations where we collected the seeds. We don’t post it on our website because it changes almost weekly as new plants are put out and others sold. We have many oaks in long one-gallon pots: coast live oak, interior live oak, valley oak, blue oak, and others. As always we have a large assortment of native grasses, including Nassella pulchra, N. lepida, Melica californica, Agrostis, Elymus glaucus, and Festuca californica. We have many shrubs, including coffeeberry, creambush, sticky monkeyflower, and snowberry. Native Here will host the CNPS Plant Fair on October 28th and 29th. You will be able to buy both Native Here plants and horticultural natives from the Chap- ter Plant Sale Committee (no separate invoices). Iris douglasiana will be available for the fair after resting through the summer months. Many vendors will be at the fair as well, and there will be talks throughout each day. Volume customers please note that discounts will not apply during the days of the Plant Fair, so do your volume shopping earlier, on either Friday, September 15 (late morning) or Saturday, September 16 (early afternoon) . We’ll need help getting ready for this event. The parking lot and grounds need weeding and trimming . Come by on Fridays 9 am-noon or early Saturdays (preferably before 1 1 am, as we tend to get busy with customers after that time) and we’ll put you to work. If you would prefer to help at other times, contact us by e-mail, na- tivehere@ebcnps.org. We will continue to collect seeds at various East Bay locations on Tuesdays. Meet at the bottom gate of Na- tive Here across from the Tilden Golf Course parking lot exit at 9 am. We usually return by about 1 pm, but sometimes later if we go farther afield. To find out the location each week, email nativehere@ebcnps.org. We also accept well-documented seed you collect with landowner permission, either for contract growing or for general use. We are located in Tilden Park at 101 Golf Course Drive (across the street from the entrance to the Tilden Golf Course), 510-549-0211. Margot Cunningham, Native Here Nursery VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Your East Bay Chapter Needs You We are looking for new Board Members for 2007. Are you one of those members that has thought an event we have held could have been a little better or a little different to educate the general public? Are we address- ing all the issues with native plants that you would like to see us address? Well here is your opportunity to offer innovative ideas for your California Native Plant Society Chapter. Seats available are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, Poster/ Book Sales, and Hos- pitality. Please contact a present Board Member that you 4 THE BAY LEAF September 2006 know (see next to last page with all contact information) or me, Elaine P. Jackson, elainejx@mindspring.com 925-372-0687. Look for more information on our web- site www.ebcnps.org. Elaine P. Jackson, Chapter President ACTIVITIES OF OTHERS Docent training at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden If you like learning about native plants, spending time in a beautiful setting, or working with people, docent training at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the California flora in a spectacular garden and give something back to the community. Botanic Garden docents promote the cause of preserving the rich heritage of our native flora by introducing school children and the general public to the diversity of California plant life through this exceptional all-native garden. Docent training covers a comprehensive array of topics from plant communities to pollination to gardening with natives and prepares docents to lead tours in the garden. Classes will be held at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden on Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm beginning on September 12 and continuing through mid-February. The fee for the 20- session training course is $125. For more information or to sign up, contact Glenn Keator 510-527-9802 or gkeator@aol.com. Celebration by the Bay — Open House at the Water- shed Project Sunday September 24, noon - 4:00 pm, free, everyone welcome. Join us for an afternoon of fun activities for all ages: guided tours of our marsh restoration project, bird watching with Golden Gate Audubon, free refreshments, raffle prizes, and more. Visit our new demonstration The Small Celandine There is a Flower, the lesser Celandine, That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain; And, the first moment that the sun may shine, Bright as the sun himself, e tis out again! When hailstones have been falling, swarm on swarm, Or blasts the green field and the trees distrest, Oft have I seen it muffled up from harm, In close self-shelter, like a Thing at rest But lately, one rough day, this Flower I passed And recognised it, though an altered form, Now standing forth an offering to the blast, And buffeted at will by rain and storm. garden and native plant nursery, transplant a seedling to take home, or help paint a mural. You can sign up for a workshop, learn about your local creek, or get in- volved in restoration projects. Your presence will help us honor our volunteers and thank everyone who supports our programs. A special bonus: Visit UC Berkeley’s Earthquake Engineering Research Center next door to our nursery. Directions: From 1-580 in Richmond, take the Bayview exit and go southwest towards the Bay. Follow Bayview as it curves and becomes Meade Street, then turn left on South 47th Street. Visit our web site for more de- tailed directions. For more information, email bayshorestewards@the- watershedproject.org, call 510-665-3689, or visit www. thewatershedproj ect . org. The Watershed Project is an environmental education non-profit organization located on the University of California’s Richmond Field Station, 1327 South 46th Street, Richmond 94804. Gardens Sought for Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Gardens are being sought to participate in the Sunday, May 6, 2007 Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will showcase bird- and butterfly-friendly, pesti- cide-free, water conserving gardens that contain 30% or more California native plants. Gardens must be located in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties. The application, which is due by Oct. 15, 2006, can be downloaded from www.BringingBackTheNatives.net. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, email Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net or call 510-236-9558 between 9 am and 9 pm. I stopped, and said with inly-muttered voice, “It doth not love the shower, nor seek the cold: This neither is its courage nor its choice, But its necessity in being old. “The sunshine may not cheer it, nor the dew; It cannot help itself in its decay; Stiff in its members, withered, changed of hue.” And, in my spleen, I smiled that it was grey. To be a Prodigal’s Favourite-then, worse truth, A Miser’s Pensioner-behold our lot! O Man, that from thy fair and shining youth Age might but take the things Youth needed not! William Wordsworth 1804. THE BAY LEAF September 2006 5 Clematis ligusticifolia Photo by Janet Bray 6 THE BAY LEAF September 2006 Board of Directors President Elaine P. Jackson 3311 Estudillo Street Martinez 94553 925-372-0687 Elainejx@mindspring.com Vice President Laura Baker 79 Roble Road Berkeley 94705 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Treasurer Holly Forbes 7128 Blake Street El Cerrito 94530 hforbes@berkeley.edu h 510-234-2913 w 510-643-8040 FAX 510-642-5045 Recording Secretary Barbara Malloch Leitner 2 Parkway Court Orinda 94563 925-253-8300 bleitner@pacbell.net Corresponding Secretary George McRae 5810 Barrett Avenue El Cerrito 94530 510-233-7374 elegans@aol.com Past President Joe Willingham 2512 Etna Street Berkeley 94704 510-841-4681 pepel 066@comcast.net Education/Outreach Bay Leaf Editor and Webmaster Joe Willingham 2512 Etna Street Berkeley 94704 510-841-4681 pepel 066@comcast.net Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 7128 Blake Street El Cerrito 94530 510-234-2913 hforbes@berkeley.edu Education Linda Hill 1002 Park Hills Road Berkeley 94708 510-849-1624 Lhilllink@aol.com Field Trips Janet Gawthrop 360 Monte Vista Avenue #214 Oakland 94611 Janetg24@excite.com Gardens Regional Parks Botanic Garden Liaison Sue Rosenthal PO Box 20489 Oakland 94610 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Grants Sandy McCoy 1311 Bay View Place Berkeley 94708 sandymccoy@mindspring.com Hospitality open Membership Delia Taylor 1851 Catalina Avenue Berkeley 94707 510-527-3912 deliataylor@mac.com Plant Sale Interim Chair Sue Rosenthal PO. Box 20489 Oakland 94620 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Programs Sue Rosenthal P.O. Box 20489 Oakland 94620 510-496-6016 rosacalifornica@earthlink.net Publicity/Media George McRae 5810 Barrett Ave. El Cerrito CA 94530 510-549-0211 elegans@aol.com Conservation Conservation Committee Chair Laura Baker 79 Roble Road Berkeley 94705 510-849-1409 Lbake66@aol.com Conservation Analyst (Staff) Lech Naumovich 5718 Dover Street Oakland 94609 510 734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Stewardship Native Plant Restoration Team Greg Wolford 2945 Otis Street Berkeley 94703 510-848-6489 californica@mac.com Native Here Nursery Charli Danielsen Project Manager 101 Golf Course Drive Berkeley 94708 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Margot Cunningham Sales Man- ager Plant Science Bryophytes John Game 1155 Spruce Street Berkeley 94707 510-527-7855 jcgame@lbl.gov Rare Plants Heath Bartosh 112 Gilbert Court Martinez 94553 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology.com Unusual Plants Dianne Lake 1050 Bayview Farm Road #121 Pinole 94564 510-741-8066 diannelake@yahoo.com Vegetation Erin McDermott erinmcd2004@yahoo.com 1315 Henry St. Apt. B Berkeley, CA 94709 (c) 510-701-2890 Members at Large Carol Castro 890 Estudillo Avenue San Leandro 94577 510-352-2382 carollbcastro@hotmail.com Gregg Weber 4186 B San Pablo Dam Road El Sobrante 94830 510-223-3310 Roy West rwest@monocot.com 1635 Posen Avenue Berkeley 94707 650-906-1100 California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 Chapter web site www.ebcnps.org Recorded Chapter Infor- mation 510 - 464-4977 State CNPS web site www.cnps.org Membership Application Name Address Zip. Telephone I wish to affiliate with: East Bay Chapter (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) E-mail _ Other (optional) Membership category: Student, Limited income, $25 Individual, Library, $45 Household, Family, or Group, $75 Supporting, $75 Plant lover, $100 Patron, $300 Benefactor, $600 Mariposa Lily, $1500 Mail application and check to: California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento CA 95816 THE BAY LEAF September 2006 You/ re/ IvwWed * ANNUAL POTLUCK PICNIC for the EAST BAY CHAPTER of CNPS Saturday, September 23, 2006 beginning at 2:00 pm At the beautiful Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Intersection of South Park Drive and Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills) All are welcome — bring your family and friends and a dish to share (appetizer, main dish, side dish, or dessert). We’ll supply wine and beer, soft drinks, and all the tools for eating. Along with the great food and drink, enjoy the company of fellow native plant enthusiasts, a native plant raffle, an insider’s tour of the beautiful garden that launched CNPS, and fun games for all ages. For more information: 510-496-6016 or rosacalifornica@earthlink.net 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 September 2006 issue