Mimulus Memo

California Native Plant Society — Kern County Chapter

May/June 2009

(Out-Going)
President’s
Message

Just a note to
thank all of you
who have helped our
organization for the last
I served as your President! I
much and made such good
friends through the work and activities we
have done together. And I never would have
made all the native plant friends from all over
the state if I had not been encouraged to take
the leap and Just Do It!

four years when
have learned so

^kank/^au/I

Bonnie East - for running the Educational
Table at the Green Living event in the
Lake Isabella area, and Bonnie for making
a presentation on Gardening with Natives

Bonnie East, Natively Yours landscape Design -
for helping the Kern Wildlife Refuge design
and plant their new Native Garden

Ellen Cypher - for leading the field trips to the
Tejon Ranch

I also want to thank the people who have
agreed to take on the Committee Chair and
Officer positions for this coming term, most
especially Dorie Giragosian, our candidate for
President. She volunteered, and has so many
ideas that I know she will move us forward, as
well as keep us together. We are going to
appreciate her great sense of humor, too! I
encourage all of our members to join in and
help make Dorie’s new job a little bit easier
by volunteering for a few hours a month.

Lucy Clark

Bonnie East, Dorie Giragosian, Lorraine Linger
- For running the Educational Table at the
Bakersfield College Horticulture Fest

Debby Kroeger - for taking responsibility for
the Educational Table at the Green Thumb
Gardeners event at the East Hills Mall, and
winning us the First Place Prize for an
Educational exhibit

All who have renewed their CNPS membership

FROM OTTR WEBPAGES: March 26, 2009

I just wanted to thank you for posting plant
lists on your site. A few of us are going down
to Wind Wolves and continuing a loop up the
Kern Canyon to Short Canyon, Mojave,
Lancaster. I'm printing a couple of lists from
your web site so we can have those in hand
when we hike. I'm in Marin County and we
also post our plant lists for the entire county.
Here's the link should you ever need it:
www.marin.edu/cnps/MarinCNFS_Plant_Lists.litinl

Best,

Terry Sullivan

DID YOU KNOW

that you can renew your CNPS membership
online using a credit card? As an option, you
can set it up to renew automatically year
after year. It is quick, easy, convenient, and
reduces the cost of mailing renewal notices.
www.cnps.org
Click on the JOIN button

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Plant Science
Workshops,

Training Program
2009

http://cnps.org/cnps/education/

May 29-31, Rare Plants of San Luis Obispo County

Instructors: David Keil PhD, Deb Hillyard, Kevin Merk

Location: San Luis Obispo and coastal locations

(Please see the article on page 4)

June 10-12 Introduction to the second edition of^ Manual of California Vegetation

Primary Instructors and authors: Todd Keeler Wolf, John O. Sawyer, Julie Evens

Location: A 3-day transect across the central Sierra Nevada, from the foothills to the eastern Sierra. We will
begin at Calaveras Big Trees and end at Grover Hot Springs Valley, near Markleeville. See

www.scenic4.org/map.htnnl

Course Description: The authors will debut the greatly expanded second edition of A Manual of California
Vegetation. They will provide an overview of additions and changes to the manual, including new
vegetation types recognized or redefined across many habitats. You will learn how to use the new
manual, in the field as we traverse a variety of vegetation types in the Sierra Nevada, as well as its uses
for conservation and management.

Cost: Members $445 Non-members $470

June 23-26 Great Rivers of California: the American River

Primary Instructors: Robert Holland and Virginia Dains

Location: Headwaters, mid- elevation and valley sections of the American River.

Course Description: Azonal vegetation is shaped by processes other than regional biota and climate.

Riparian vegetation is shaped by the agency of flowing water, both during high flows (when the habitat
is sculpted) and during low flows (providing late summer irrigation). This class will focus on how
stream dynamics and sediment transport structure riparian habitats, taught from a floating classroom.

The first day we will float from Fair Oaks to Goethe Park on the lower American River, observing how
the current affects our boats, the river’s substrate, and the vegetation along a low-gradient valley stream.
The second day we will repeat the process upstream, floating the South Fork American from Coloma to
Fotus, a steepland stream with all together different riparian vegetation. Ficensed, professional guides
will captain our rafts both days. For an optional over-night third leg we will goat pack into the
American’s headwaters in Desolation Valley, where riparian vegetation manifests the additional
complication of persistent winter snowpack. The emphasis throughout the class will be more on the
processes that shape the vegetation and less on binomial nomenclature.

August 12-14**^, Vegetation Rapid Assessment:

Primary Instructors: Todd Keeler Wolf, Eric Peterson, Jennifer Buck

Focation: Donner Summit

Course Description: The California Native Plant Society (CNPS), the California Department of Fish and
Game (CDFG), present a Vegetation Rapid Assessment workshop near Donner Summit. The course will
be a combination of lecture and field exercises in vegetation sampling. The course will focus on
collecting data using the CNPS Rapid Assessment protocol. We will discuss applications of fine-scale
vegetation sampling, classification and mapping, how to document rare natural communities, and how
vegetation information fits into planning documents.

Cost: Members $365 Non-members $390

(continued on page 5)

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Tuesday, May 19 at the KC Superintendent’s Offiee at the

eomer of L and \T^ Street at 5:30 pm. Parking is available in the parking
garage aeeessible from 18*.

There will be no identifieation of plants tonight.

What are you looking for in your Kem Chapter of CNPS, starting this year? Your answers to that question, as well as
getting to know you and our new President and her Board are our purposes for this evening. Dorie has so many ideas and
so mueh energy; she volunteered to run for President, beeause she “didn’t want the group to die.” Please eome and
support our new President to be, and offer the best ideas you ean eome up with. (And don’t worry that if you have an idea,
we will ask you to earry it out!) This is a brain-storming session, information gathering, and every one of you is important
to the future of the Kem County Chapter. We will talk and partake of refreshments. Choeolate ineluded.

Dear CNPS Kern County Members,

My name is Dorie, and if able to overpower my opposition, and am elected, I will be the new club prez.

Our next All Member Meeting has been booked for May 19th from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Superintendent of Schools
office, downtown. Yeah!! Mark your calendars!

We are trying to get the club back on track. I hope many of you will be able to make it to the meeting on the 19th.
In preparation for that meeting, I would like you to please think about what things you would like the club to do this
next year. At the meeting, I hope we can talk about ideas for programs, speakers, trips, what you want to get from
the club. This will help get me/us started in the right direction.

We still have some committee positions vacant. I will list them, so you can mull over the possibility of perhaps
filling one of the jobs yourself, if you can give us the time. If two people want to share a job, that is fine, too. That
way, if someone is sick, or out of town, we can keep things going. According to the list Lucy sent me, the
following chairpersonships are still available:

Programs § Plant ID-ing § Field Trips § Plant Communities § Education/Outreach

If you have any friends who have expressed interest in joining the CNPS, invite them to the meeting. With several
of us being relatively new, it would be a good time to go ahead and add any more who are interested, and we can
"invite them to help on committees!". There will probably be several new people at the 5/19 meeting. I had about 15
people give me contact information at the Green Fest at Bakersfield College, and I will let them know about the
meeting date.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone, and getting to know you. I hope to see you all, soon.

Sincerely, Dorie Giragosian

It is time for the election of chapter officers.

The following people have volunteered to fill these positions. Please participate by voting!

KERN CNPS BALLOT FOR 2009-2010

President - Dorie Giragosian Treasurer - Kathy Sharum

Secretary - Laura Stockton

Please circle the names of your choices, cut off this ballot, and mail to:

(email subscribers may email their choices, or print this page out and mail it in.

Please email me for my address)

Stephen Cooley
mimulusmemo@bak. rr.com

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Rare Plants of Coastal San Luis Obispo

County workshop

May 29-30, 2009, San Luis Obispo

Dr. David Keil, Deborah Hillyard, and Kevin Merk

Course Description: The distinct combination of climate, soils and topography
of coastal San Luis Obispo County are the foundation of the unique array of
natural communities, which in turn support a wide variety of endemic, rare and
endangered plant species. This workshop will utilize both classroom and field
exploration of various local coastal communities, such as serpentine seep,
grassland and chaparral; coastal dunes; coast live oak woodlands, including the
local "elfin forest"; estuarine marsh; maritime chaparral; and coastal prairie.
Learn to recognize these communities and their associated species, and which
laws and regulations apply to their conservation.

COST: CNPS members: $ 310 Non-members: $ 335
For registration and for more information about this and other CNPS
workshops, go to: www.cnps.org/cnps/education . Last day to cancel your registration and receive a 50% refund is
May 15. 2009. After May 15, we will not be able to refund your registration fee, regardless of personal or professional
emergencies.

An Invitation from the Internet

I am attaching information for a new "green" gardening site that will be of interest to you. Members of native plant
soeieties and wildlife forums are being sent personal invitations to eheek us out. We’re new but we’re pretty sure
you’ll like what you see. www.wildlifegardeners.org

Our site is attraeting native flora and fauna enthusiasts. The forums are user friendly and easy to navigate.

Uploading images is a snap and they are automatieally resized to a thumbnail within a post and there is no need for
an off-site photo storage host.

In addition to edueational forums, we have ereated an area speeifieally for environmentally responsible individuals
and organizations where they may be able to share any information they’d like about their organization to inelude a
direet link to their site and eontaet information. This is a great area for loeal Audubon ehapters, native plant
soeieties, nature eenters, native plant nurseries, wildlife rehabbers, organizations sueh as Wild Ones, and even
“green” bloggers. Hope being others who are like minded will use this area as a resouree. If you know of a “green”
person or any “green” organization that might benefit from sueh exposure, please feel free to forward this to them.
The strings attaehed to the above offer would be that those who are given a free slot be "green" and that they try
their best to share their gifts and talents when possible by posting in the forums a little bit and partieularly if they
see someone who eould use a helping hand. It's a great thing when knowledge and experienee ean be shared.

We offer an events ealendar. It is editable by registered members. We weleome anyone who has knowledge of native
plants sales, symposiums, or workshops to share details with our members.

Please do share this e-mail with any native plant enthusiasts, wildlife gardeners, birders, organie gardeners, or
anyone interested in sustainable praetiees that you may know.

Cheers, David Fearless Weeder

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Plant Science Training Program Workshops, 2009 (continued from page 2)

Sept 29-Oct 1, Legends of the Fall: exploring the clandestine flora of early fall in the eastern Mojave

Primary Instructors: James M. Andre & Tasha La Doux

Location: UC Granite Mountains Desert Research Center

Course Description: Few botanists journey out in the late summer or early fall in search of colorful blooms
of California’s desert plants. Yet the early fall bloom in the eastern Mojave Desert can be more reliable
than the more popular spring blooms. Approximately 10% of eastern Mojave annuals are considered
“summer annuals”, species that germinate following the monsoonal cloudbursts of summer, grow
rapidly, and complete the life cycle before temperatures decline sharply in fall. In addition, many
perennial species flower in early fall, particularly those of the Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Polygonaceae.
This course will introduce botanists to the ecology and taxonomy of the diverse flora of early fall in the
eastern Mojave Desert, with special emphasis on rare or unique species. Participants should have
moderate to advanced taxonomic skills. Field trips will include moderate to short day hikes.

October 13-15 Vegetation Mapping:

Primary Instructors: Todd Keeler-Wolf, Julie Evens, Anne Klein, and Jennifer Buck, Rachelle Boul

Location: Mulford Hall, UC Berkeley and Marin Municipal Water District, Fairfax

Course Description: Please join CNPS and California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG for a three-day,
vegetation mapping workshop, hosted by University of California Berkeley’s Geospatial Imaging and
Informatics facility and Marin Municipal Watershed District (MMWD), Mount Tamalpais. This
workshop will be a combination of field and computer exercises in fine-scale vegetation mapping.
Participants will learn about vegetation sampling, classification, and photo interpretation. They will
collect reconnaissance samples to support a Vegetation classification and map and practice techniques of
photo interpretation, delineation, and attribution. They will use accuracy assessment to validate a
vegetation map.

The Plant Science Training Program provides workshops for professional botanists, biologists,
and ecologists to teach the skills and provide the tools and resources for conducting sound
scientific surveys for rare plants, rare plant communities, vegetation, and wetlands.

For further information about the Plant Science Training Program or to register go to

http://cnps.org/cnps/education/workshops/index.php
or contact Josie Crawford at jcrawford@cnps.org or (916) 447-2677 ext 205.

New CNPS Conservation Program Director

Following an extensive search, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Greg Suba as the new CNPS
Conservation Program Director! Greg will be responsible for coordinating the development of conservation
program initiatives and policies for the society.

Prior to joining CNPS, Greg worked to protect sensitive habitats at the urban / open space interface as
watershed coordinator for the Laguna Creek Watershed Council in Sacramento County. His past work includes
investigating reproductive strategies of seagrass populations along the west coast of North America, surveying
forest inventory plots in California's National Forests, assessing riparian ecosystem health throughout
Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer Counties, and developing outdoor education and stewardship programs
throughout northern California. Greg received his B.S. in Biology from Duke University, his M.S. in Marine
Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, and continues to learn from those with whom he works, lives, and plays.

Greg will be starting his work with CNPS on May 1. Please join me in welcoming Greg into the CNPS family
of staff and volunteers.

Tara Hansen, Executive Director, California Native Plant Society

5

Dedicated to the Preservatioii of Cali&rnia Natwe Flora

www.KernCNPS.org

Events Calendar

Field Trips

Meetings & Other Ewnts

updated May 6 , 2009

Some Locally Maintained Lists

• WILDFLQWER status/si^htings

• Plant Lists

• NeaibyPajks andPreseiTes
* Arboretutus & Gardens in?n nalifnmifl

Links to Related Sites

PlantIdentification& Photographs
Other Conservation Organizations
Museums, Gardens, Horticulture & Nutsenes
All the Rest of the GoodStuff

Contacts

Lucy Clark: Pre sident
email: lucyg391@gmail.com

Comments and suggestions about this web site
are welcome and shouldbe sent to
miinulusmemo@bak.fr. coin

CHAPTER MEETING

Out next All Member Meeting has been booked
fotMay 19th, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the
Superintendent of Schools office, downtown.
Yeah!! Mark your calendars!

RECENT AHQUNCEMENT3
updatedMayS, 2009

Che ck out the Est of leftover plants
from the plant sale
(prices reduced!)

• Stewardship Handbook by Havilah resident

• Revision oftheJepson Manual

• Collect & Eat Your Acorns free book

CONSERVATION HEWS

• Climate change threatens two- thirds nf Califncnifl'g
unique plants, study says

WILDFLQWER HOTLINE

1-800-500-5376

' TWISSELMANN/MOE FAMILY INDEX

ll' All index for family names in the'’'^llc
plant-key part of Twisselniaiiii>'Moe.

Print it out and tape it in.
Remember, field work is always nicer
wlien you liave your families with you.
Comuact ONE-PAGE version
Larcjer print TWO-Paije version

CNPS - Kern County Chapter
% Stephen Cooley, Editor
minnulusnnenno@bak.rr.conn

INTERNET EDITION

The mission of the California Native Plant Society
is to increase understanding and appreciation of
California’s native plants and to conserve them and
their natural habitats through science, education,
advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship.

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