Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society

. . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora”

Volume 22 Numbers

Annual Meeting Edition

May— June 1998

1998 ANNUAL CoNPS MEETING
September 18-20, 1998 Gunnison, Colorado
Save these dates! YOU are invited!

Are you looking for an unusual
learning opportunity? Do you need an
excuse to spend a weekend in peaceful
and friendly Gimnison country? Has i t
been awhile since you enjoyed the
blazing gold of the fall aspens? Do
you never have enough time to visit
with your "botany" friends? If so, the
Plateau Chapter encourages you to
join us next fall for the Society's
Annual Meeting!

With the help of USFS Biologist
Gay Austin and our local District
Office, we were very lucky to be able
to line up two of the West's top
scientists to help us learn to better
appreciate and understand sagebrush
coimtry — a major ecosystem in
Colorado and the West. Dr. E, Durant
McArthur, from the USFS Shrub
Sciences Laboratory in Provo, Utah
will be our keynote speaker. Dr.
McArthur has been doing research on
Artemisia for more than 20 years and
will help us as we learn to see
sagebrush with "new eyeballs." In
addition. Dr. Roger Rdsentreter,
Plant Ecologist from the state BLM
office in Idaho, will join us for both
our annual meeting weekend and for a
very special one-day workshop and

field trip the preceding Friday (see
announcement on page 4). In addition
to being a noted lichenologist. Dr.
Rosentreter is widely known for his
work on microbiotic soil crusts. A
fascinating mix of lichens, mosses,
and algae, microbiotic soils are
becoming known as critical to the
health of many of the West's
ecosystems.

But that's not all! In addition to Dr.
McArthur and Dr. Rosentreter, a
talented and knowledgeable group of
local experts will teach us about
common wUdflowers of the sagebrush
in the Gunnison Basin, habitat needs
of the Gunnison Basin endemic
sagegrouse, and native plants you can
use in landscaping. Our own CoNPS
Vice-President, Dr. David Buckner,
will share information about how to
restore disturbed sagebrush
communities; and Colorado Natural
Heritage Program Botanist Susan
Spackman will enlighten us
regarding those sagebrush ecosystem
plants that are known to be
threatened or endangered. Last, but
not least, we will delve into the
subjects of paleobotany and
paleoecology with Dr. Steve Emslie

from Western State College. Dr.
Emslie is going to share his
fascinating research regarding a
group of people who lived in the
Gunnison Basin almost 6,00P years
ago. What plants could they have
eaten or utilized?

During the field trip on Sunday (10:30
AM to 2:30 PM), we are tentatively
planning to visit several different
sagebrush community types, see a
sagegrouse lek (mating ground),
investigate microbiotic soil crusts,
and — by very special arrangetnenf —
be allowed to visit a newly-
discovered and very important
archeological site. All of these
locations are close to Gunnison, but are
on back roads that make carpooling
impossible. Therefore, in order to
protect our natural resources, we are
asking everyone who wishes to join us
for Sunday's field trip to sign up by
August 20, 1998 for the bus that
CoNPS will provide and for which
we must ask a $5.00 fee.

In addition to all of the above, you
can expect to be able to enjoy our
CoNPS book sale, posters, displays.

Continued on page 4

Volume 22 Aquilegia Page 2

1998 ANNUAL CoNPS MEETING

Tentative Agenda

Friday. September 18: Special Microbiotic Crust Workshop/Field Trip (NGTlE: Space is Limited!)

9:00 - 4:00 Join Dr. Roger Rosentreter for this rare opportunity to learn about the lichens, mosses, and other
Components of microbiotic soil crusts. Dr. Rosentreter, one of the West's top scientists, is studying these
crusts, which are proving to be more and more important in ecosystems all over the western U.S. After a
morning indoors, we will take a field trip to nearby BLM and NFS lands. Space is limited to the first 25
registrants! To sign up, call Gay Austin at (970) 641-6264 (H) or (970) 641-0471 (W). Please bring a lunch
and a hand lens.

Sattirday, September 19: Annual Meeting (Aspinall-Wilson Center, Gunnison)

9:00-10:00 Registration

10:00-10:15 Welcome

10:15 - 11:15 Keynote Address: Sagebrush Ecology. Dr. E. Durant McArthur, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, USES,
Provo, Utah

11:15 - 11:45 Common Wildflowers of the Sagebrush in the Gunnison Basin. Kathy Warren, Botaiiist

11:45

- 12:15

12:15

-1:30

1:30-

2v00

2:00-

2:30

2:30-

3:00

3:00-

3:30

3:30-

4:00

4:00-

4:30

4:30

Habitat Requirements for Sagegrouse. Sandy Hayes, Ecologist, BLM

Lunch (see enclosed registration form) and optional self-guided walk from the Aspinall-Wilson Center

The Role of Microbiotic Soil Crusts in Sagebrush Ecosystems. Dr. Roger Rosentreter, Plant Ecologist,
Idaho BLM

Threatened and Endangered Plants of Sagebrush Ecosystems. Susan Spackman, Botanist, Colorado
Natural Heritage Program

Native Plants for Landscaping. Gretchen Van Reyper, Landscape Architect and President, Plateau
Chapter

Break (refreshments)

Restoration of Sagebrush Communities. Dr. David Buckner, Plant Ecologist, ESCO Associates

Paleoecology and Paleobotany of the Gunnison Basin. Dr. Steve Emslie, Adjtmct Research Professor,
Western State College

Concluding remarks and announcements

Sunday. September 20: Workshop and Field Trip

8:30 - 10:00 Hands-on Sagebrush Identification/ Taxonomy Workshop (Aspinall-Wilson Center, Gunnison)
10:00-10:30 Break

10:30 - 2:30 Field trip to nearby public lands to learn about sagebrush and associated plant identification, visit a

sagegrouse lek, look at lichens and microbiotic soil crusts, and visit a newly-discovered archaeological
site. NOTE: Pre-registration for the bus by August 20, 1998 is REQUIRED! (Cost: $5.00)

Volume 22

Aquilegia

USEFUL INFORMATION

Page 3

Directions to Aspinall-Wilson Center

The Aspinall-Wilson Center is adjacent to the Western State College campus. To get there, go to the MacDonald’s
which is located onU.S. Highway 50 on the east side of Gunnison; turn north on Adams Street (jxist to the west of
MacDonald's); proceed north a short distance to Georgia St.; turn; right (east) and you will see the Center a short
distance ahead and to your right (south). There is a parking lot associated with the Center; you may also park across
the street in the Western State College parking lots.

LQdg in g

Note: Tomichi Avenue is the name of US Highway 50 as it passes through Gunnison; all of the following motels, but not
the B&B nor the campground/ are either on or within a half block of Tomichi Avenue (US Highway 50).

Motels and Distance from Conference Center:

If you want to be within walking distance of the Center, your best bets are probably the Holiday Inn Express or Super 8
Motel. If you would like a kitchenette and don't mind an older, somewhat funky but clean motel, try the Mountain View
Lodge, which is also within walking distance. If you want a nice motel with a very good restaurant (dinner only), try
the Tomichi Village Inn (1 mile east of Gimnison). There are many other motels in Gunnison, including the Ramada Ltd.
(970-641-2804), The Water Wheel Inn (970-641-1650), and the Econo Lodge (970-641-1000), all on the west side.

Holiday Inn Express (7 blocks)
400 E. Tomichi Ave.

Gunnison, CO 81230
(800)465-4329
(970) 641-1288

Super 8 Motel (6 blocks)

W' 411 E. Tomichi Ave.

Gimnison> CO 81230
(800)800-8000
(970) 641-3068 ,

Mountain View Lodge (8 blocks)
117 N. Taylor St.

. Gunnison, CO 81230
(800) 800-3395
(970)641-1799

Bed and Breakfast;

The Mary Lawrence Inn _

601 N. Taylor ^

Gunnison, GO 81230
(970) 641-3343

NOTE: The Inn is located in a residential area, about 12
blocks from the Conference C^ter.

Camping;

KOA Campground
105 County Road 50
Gunnison, CO 81230
(970)641-1358

NOTE: The Campground is located about 3 miles from the
Center, on the south side of the airport and very close to the
aiirport runway. However, night flights are infrequent.

Best Western Tomichi Village Inn (1 mile east)
41883 E. Tomichi Ave.

Gunnison, CO 81230

(800)528-1234 . .

(970) 641-1131

Days Inn Gunnison (27 blocks, on west side of town)
701 U.S. Highway 50
Gunnison, CO 81230
(888)641-0608
(970) 641-0608

Astragalus wetherilUi (Wetherill milkvetch)

Volume 22 Aquilegia

Continued from page 1

and refreshment breaks, as well as the opportunity to see old friends and
make new ones. We are also tentatively planning a "hands-on" sagebrush
identification and taxonomy session before the field trip on Sunday morning
between 8:30 and 10:00 AM.

The meeting will take place in a semi-rural setting on the east edge of
Gunnison at the Aspinall-Wilson Center, adjacent to the Western State
College campus. Plentiful parking is available, motels are nearby (see page
3), and downtown Gunnison is only a 5 or 10 minute walk. We hope youTl
mark these dates on your calei>d^, send in your registration and check, and
"come on over!" The organizing committee consists of the following CoNPS
Plateau Chapter members whom you may call for further information:

Paula Lehr, (970) 641-0671 (H)

Gay Austin, (970) 641-6264 (H) or (970) 641-0471 (W)

Kathy Warren, (970) 349-0743 (H)

Gretchen Van Reyper, (970) 835-3268 (H)

NEXT AQUILEGIA
DEADLINE APPROACHES

Please submit all contributions for the July-August issue of Aquilegia to Leo
P. Bruederle (Department of Biology, Campus Box 171, University of
Colorado at Denver, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364). NOTE: In
addition to contributed articles and exciting news from the Board, Vol. 22
No. 4 will include announcements,. Society and Chapter news, calendar of
events, etc.

Colorado Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 200

Fort Collins, Colorado 80522

Page 4

UNUSUAL

OPPORTUNITY FOR _
MEMBERS! ^

A day-long workshop /field trip
taught by one of the West's best-
known authorities on both lichens
and microbiotic soil crusts will be
held on Friday, September 18, 1998,
in Gunnison, Colorado, from 9:00 to
4:00 PM, in conjunction with the
armual meeting of the Colorado
Native Plant Society. This special
educational Opportunity is made
possible by the U.S. Forest Service
Taylor River-Cebolla District Office
in Gunnisdn. The workshop is
intended primarily for agency people
(BLM and USFS), but CoNPS
members will be able to sign up on a
limited basis. Registration is limited
to 25 participants on a first-come,
first-served basis. There wdl be a fee
of $12.00 to cover Dr. Rosentreter's
travel costs. The only way to register
for this workshop is to call Ga'
Austin at (970) 641-6264 (H) or
(970) 641-0471. Don't miss out! Call
today!

Place

Stamp

Here

1998 ANNUAL CoNPS MEETING

September 18-20, 1998 Gunnison, Colorado

Registration Form — Return by August 20, 1998

DATE

STREET PHONE

CITY STATE ZIP

You MUST return this form and your check by August 20, 1998 if you wish to sign up for a sack
lunch on Saturday and/or Sunday, and to reserve space on the bus for Sunday's field trip.
Lunches are optional, but the bus reservation at a cost of $5.00 is REQUIRED if you wish to join
this field trip. If you are attending the Annual Meeting, but not ordering a sack lunch or
attending the field trip, PLEASE return the form by the deadline anyway. You are even welcome
to come "spur of the moment," but a call to one of the organizers listed below by September 16,
1998 would be very much appreciated!

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING:

I plan to attend the Saturday/ September 19 meeting YES _______ NO

I plan to attend the Sunday, September 20 field trip YES NO

LUNCHES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT A COST OF $6*50 PER
LUNCH. IF INTERESTED IN A SACK LUNCH, SELECT FROM AMONG THE FOLLOWING:

'' " Saturday, September 19. Sack lunches provided by Farrells' Restaurant include one of the following sandwiches along
with potato salad, pickle, chips, beverage, and white chocolate /pecan cookie. Choose ONE,

1. Herbed cream cheese & ve^ies on a homebaked roll

2. Pecan/ chicken salad on a homebaked roll

3. Roast beef with horseradish cream cheese on a homebaked roll -

Sunday, September 20. Sack lunches provided by Firebrand Delicatessen include one of the following sandwiches
along with pasta salad, pickle, chips, beverage, and chocolate chip cookie. Choose ONE.

L Homemade humus^with sliced cucumber, tomato, carrots, and sprouts on a wheat roll

2. Smoked ham and Provolone cheese with lettuce and tomato on a French roll

3. Sliced turkey and Swiss cheese with lettuce and tomato on a French roll

PLEASE SIGN ME UP FOR: September 19 sack lunch ($6.50)

September 20 sack lunch ($6,50)

September 20 bus ($5.00 REQUIRED to participate)

TOTAL ENCLOSED

Return registration form and checks (payable to CoNPS) by August 20, 1998 to: Colorado Native Plant Society

c/o Gay Austin
600 North Iowa St.

Gunnison, CO 81230

For more information, call Paula Lehr (970-641-0671), Kathy Warren (970-349-0743), or Gay Austin (970-641-6264).

If you would like to attend the Friday, September 18, 1998 special Lichen /Microbiotic Soil Crust Workshop /Field Trip
with Dr. Roger Rdsentreter (please see page 4), you MUST register by phone with Gay Austin at (970) 641-6264 (H) or
(970) 641-0471 (W). Space is limited to the first 25 registrants.

NAME