Farewell to Jim Reveal Field Trip Issue - Over 60 field trips! Volume 39 No. 1 Spring 201 5 Aquilegia: Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Dedicated to furthering the knowledge ; appreciation , and conservation of native plants and habitats of Colorado through education, stewardship, and advocacy Volume 39 Number 1 Spring 2015 ISSN 2161-7317 (Online) - ISSN 2162-0865 (Print) Inside this issue Article James Lauritz Reveal (1 941 - 201 5): Tribute by Noel Holmgren Field Trips & Chapter Events Workshops News & Announcements Exciting News about Ackerfield's Flora ofColoradol Conservation Corner About the Society Calendar Jim Reveal 201 1, Oregon © Loraine Yeatts This issue is filled with so many field trips, events, and news that the articles and columns originally scheduled for this issue will be printed in the Summer 201 5 issue of Aquilegia. The exception is Conservation Corner because of the time-sensitive nature of the column. The chapters have outdone themselves with over 60 field trips this year! A number of the field trips offered by the Boulder, Metro Denver, and Northern Chapter take place in the high country. The one scheduled article that we are retaining in this issue is the tribute to Jim Reveal by his friend, Noel Holmgren. The botanical community is greatly saddened by the death of botanist Jim Reveal. Thank you to Noel Holmgren and the Nevada Native Plant Society Newsletter for granting their permission to reprint Holmgren's tribute to Reveal. Thanks also to Steve Popovich for contacting the Holmgrens and the NNPS Newsletter about reprinting the article and Loraine Yeatts for her photos of Reveal. And last but not least, thank you to Rob Pudim for his wonderful cartoons. We are not aware of any other native plant society publication containing cartoons by a professional cartoonist. Rob's donation of his time and talent makes Aquilegia unique. Jim Reveal 201 1 CA © Loraine Yeatts Cartoon © Rob Pudim Something Exciting has Happened! See page 17! Why is Jennifer Ackerfield excited? why is Charlie Turner excited? Cover Photos: Jim Reveal at 2014 Eriogonum Society Meeting in Idaho © Loraine Yeatts Cover photo of Eriogonum ovalifolium ©Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com 2 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. I Spring 2015 James Lauritz Reveal (1941-2015) A tribute to my field companion, colleague, and friend by Noel H. Holmgren This article first appeared in the Nevada Native Plant Society Newsletter (vol. 4 1, no. 1, Jan/Feb 2015, pp. 3-7) and is printed with permission from the Nevada Native Plant Society and Noel Holmgren. Jim was born 29 March 1941 in the Washoe County Hospital near Reno, Nevada, the first of two children to Jack Liburn Reveal (1 91 2-1 988) and Arlene Hadfield Reveal (1916-2005). Prior to Jim's birth, Jack was working summers in the Elko County range survey with my father, Arthur Holmgren, while both were students at Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University). By 1 941 Jack had graduated, and the Reveals were living in Yerrington, Nevada. Soon after Jim was born, they moved to California where Jack, as part of the war effort, worked in the management of tree harvest in the coastal redwood forests. Jim grew up in California. He attended kindergarten and first grade in Dunsmuir, then, in 1 948, the family moved to the small Sierra Nevada resort town of Pinecrest, where his father served as a district ranger on the Stanislaus National Forest. While living in Pinecrest, Jim completed his schooling from grades two through twelve. His second and third grades were in a two-room school house in Long Barn, a ten-mile ride from home. In 1 950, a one-room school house was established in Pinecrest, from which he and one other student graduated in 1 955. From Pinecrest he rode the bus 30 miles to a high school in Sonora. In 1951, at the age often, he began working summers for a high Sierra packer, working around horses and guiding pack trips into the Emigrant Wilderness Area of the high Sierra Nevada of Tuolumne County, developing skills that have served him well on several occasions later in life. These early years in Jim's life are possibly fairly accurately reflected in the ficticious character of Jerrit Trover in the novel by Jim and his childhood friend, Joanne Knowles, whose nom de plume is Jo DeEds (DeEds & Reveal, 2013). After graduating from high school in 1 959 and a summer working on theToiyabe National Forest, he entered Utah State University, majoring in forestry, and in Jim's own words: I arrived in Logan in the fall of 1 959, majoring in forestry; my mother drove me there from California and took me around to meet all of her old professors. My father drove me to Logan in the fall of 1 960, and one of his stops was the herbarium atop the botany building where we visited Art Holmgren; I was scheduled to take his plant taxonomy class in the spring of 1961 so meeting the professor was a nice touch. I listened to tales of the old days and looked around the fourth floor seeing all the tall cases filled with Photo: Jim Reveal 2014 Eriogonum Society Mtg. in Idaho © Loraine Yeatts specimens. I had collected plants for my high school advanced biology class, and in anticipation of taking taxonomy I had spent the summer of 1 960 collecting on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. I was in Art's taxonomy course that spring, and about halfway through his class, and under the intense prodding of Arthur Cronquist who was in the West collecting plants for the Intermountain Flora project, I changed majors and was now a botany student and Art Holmgren' s newest protege In September of 1961 Noel and I were in the field gathering plants in Dinosaur National Park for his dad. Later, in late September, we were sent to southern Utah to search for Asclepias tuberosa so that Robert Woodson of the Missouri Botanical Garden could drive West and gather specific populations without having to actually search them out. Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 3 Jim (with white cowboy hat) leading a field trip for the 201 1 Eriogonum Society meeting in California Photo © Loraine Yeatts Thinking bock on the events of early 1 964, 1 do not now remember when I learned that Noel and I would be collecting plants for the Intermountain Flora project. (Reveal, 201 3) I also don't remember the details that led up to this pairing, except for the fact that Dr. Cronquist and my father made the arrangements for Jim and me to use of the Intermountain Herbarium pickup and plant collecting equipment, and Cronquist had the funds on his Intermountain Flora NSF grant to pay mileage and $7.00 per diem for each of us. We were thrilled. buckwheats, Eriogonum nutans var. glabratum Reveal (1 037) from west of Deeth and E. holmgrenii Reveal (1 576) from the ridge above Johnson Lake in the Snake Range, Geranium toquimense N. H. & A. H. Holmgren (1518) from a cirque just below Jefferson Peak in theToquimas, and Cirsium eatonii var. viperinum D. J. Keil (1 588), not far from the Holmgren buckwheat locality in the Snake Range. In 1 965, our collections included the types for Primula nevadensis N. H. Holmgren (2216) from Mount Washington in the Snake Range and P. capillaris N. H. & A. H. Holmgren (2154) from the Ruby Mountains. In June of 1 964, as soon as school was out, Jim and I loaded the truck and headed out for an adventurous summer of field work, not realizing then that we would have those same opportunities for the following two summers as well. The first two summers, Jim was a masters student at Utah State, and the third season he had moved to Brigham Young University for his doctorate. That third season (1 966), we were allowed to stray beyond the region boundaries to collect Eriogonum and Castilleja for our thesis studies. The three years are described in more detail by Jim in Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden (Reveal, 201 3). I was the designated leader of the expeditions, so the collection numbers were mine. I did all the driving, but we both had equal say in where we were to collect. It turned out to be the best division of labor, taking advantage of Jim's uncanny ability to spot interesting plants at highway speeds and my ability to negotiate the slower, but sometimes tricky, unmaintained, back roads. We gathered 2,164 collections during the three years, 1,031 of them from Nevada. Among the 891 collections made in 1 964, four from Nevada became types for names new to science. The numbers in parentheses are my collection numbers: two In 1966, most of our collections were from out of state, but in Nevada our collections included types for Castilleja salsuginosa N. H. Holmgren (2764) from Monte Neva Hot Springs, C. dissitiflora N. H. Holmgren (2772) from the White Pine Range, Eriogonum heermannii var. clokeyi Reveal (2990) from the Spring Mountains, Draba oreibata var. serpentina Tiehm & P. K. Holmgren (2761) from the Snake Range, and Potentilla holmgrenii D. F. Murray & Elven (2818) from the Snake Range. In 1967, while I remained in New York working on my dissertation, Jim spent eight days in early June collecting in southeastern Utah with Johnnie Gentry (Cronquist's new graduate student) and Gerrit Davidse (a master's student of my father). Beyond that, Jim was taking short trips collecting eriogonums, often assisted by his first wife (Caroline Grace Powell Reveal). The summer concluded with a September trip into New Mexico and Texas with Gerrit Davidse. Most of Jim's summer of 1 968 was spent collecting on the Nevada Test Site for Dr. Janice C. Beatley (1919-1 987), an ecologist working on the flora of that area. For eleven days in August 1 968, 1 joined him, collecting in and around the Test Site. This time he did the driving and was owner of the collection numbers. Eight of his collections became types, six of which he described himself: Eriogonum umbellatum var. vernum Reveal, near Yucca Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 4 Flat (Reveal 1139); Townsendia jonesii var. tumulosa Reveal, Las Vegas Valley (Reveal 1 326); Eriogonum cernuum Reveal, Timber Mountain (Reveal 1 501); Mochoeronthero ammophila Reveal, Ash Meadows (Reveal & N. H. Holmgren 1882); Grindelia fraxinopratensis Reveal, Ash Meadows (Reveal & N. H. Holmgren 1 887), and Eriogonum microthecum var. lapidicola Reveal, South Belted Range (Reveal & N. H. Holmgren 1 926); and two by other authors: Astragalus beatleyae Barneby, South Gold Flat (Reveal 1071); Penstemon pahutensis N. H. Holmgren, on Rainier Mesa (Reveal 1206). Jim finished all the requirements for a Ph.D. in the spring of 1 969. His thesis was a revision of the genus Eriogonum, consisting of 546 double-spaced pages, which represented a condensed version of an 1800-page manuscript. Dr. Reveal had a job waiting for him as Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, but before heading east he made a quick trip to southern Nye County to collect the type of Eriogonum infiatum var. contiguum Reveal (Reveal & M. E. Matthews 21 57). Promotions during his career at UM included Associate Professor in 1 974 and full Professor in 1 981 . During his first few years, he was able to concentrate his research on the first two volumes of \ntermountain Flora and on his beloved Eriogonum. During a sabbatical in 1975-76, he spent six months working with his former major professor, Stanley L. Welsh (b. 1 928), on the Utah Cruciferae (Brassicaceae). Fieldwork during his University of Maryland years included Eriogonum hunting trips throughout the western United States and Mexico. Trips further afield include Panama (1 979), the People's Republic of China (1981), and Nicaragua (1994), and, in retirement, a brief respite from Eriogonum collecting in the Eurasian country of Georgia (2005), where there are no eriogonums. During the 1 980s and early 1 990s, his research focus changed to studying the colonial flora of Maryland (1 680-1 725), which involved travel to England, including a year and a half (1 990- 1 992) residence in London as Visiting Research Fellow at the Natural History Museum, studying specimens of American plants named by Carl Linnaeus. During the 1 990s, he was doing research and writing about history of botanical explorations in the west and on validating supra-generic nomenclature. The latter work earned him the name "The Great Validator." He retired in 1 999 from the University of Maryland with the title Professor Emeritus and moved to a country home near Montrose, Colorado, where he and second wife, C. Rose Broome (b. 1 939), had a couple horses and a truck that would pull a horse trailer and sometimes a large fifth-wheel trailer. The two of them traveled widely throughout the west collecting Eriogonum species and camping in style with the comforts of their fifth-wheel trailer. Back in the 1 960s, Jim and I would dream about such comforts when for two summers we camped with a rickety, somewhat reinforced, plywood box, built to resemble a camper, anchored to the bed of the Intermountain Herbarium pickup truck. The trailer came in handy for one of his projects, which was following the path of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and collecting the plants observed by them. This resulted in the book Lewis and Clark's Green World: The Expedition and Its Plants, co-authored with Earle A. Scott (Scott & Reveal, 2003). Jim was a Research Associate at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science from 2001 to 2006, during which time he studied the collections of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Since 2003 he has been an Honorary Curator at the New York Botanical Garden, where he spent time doing library research and working on the Eriogonoideae for Flora of North America and Polygonaceae for Intermountain Flora. In 2007, he and Rose opened yet another chapter in their lives, selling the Colorado farm and moving to Ithaca, New York, where he was an Adjunct Professor in Cornell University's Department of Plant Sciences and where he continued to work on Eriogonum and various other genera. He was a popular speaker. His CV lists more than 80 invited talks on a host of subjects in addition to Eriogonum, including biogeography, ecology, the Endangered Species Act, pre-Linnaean collectors in North America, and botany of the Lewis and Clark expedition. One of the many remarkable things about Jim is his voluminous list of publications, which exceeds 530 titles of scientific papers and books. Even before completing his Doctoral degree, he had 36 publications in print or in press, the first ten of them in print before he had finished his Masters degree. Awards received include: Washington Academy of Sciences Outstanding Biologist for 1972 and again for 1978; the EdgerT. Wherry Award from the North American Rock Garden Society in 2009; the Merritt Lyndon Fernald Award by the New England Botanical Club in 2009; the Outstanding Academic Book Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries for his 1 992 book Gentle Conquest: The Botanical Discovery of North America with Illustrations from the Library of Congress (Reveal 1992). Jim was the mentor, leader, and inspiration of the Eriogonum Society. He was still actively working on various research projects in his office at Cornell University only two days before his sudden and untimely death on 9 January 201 5. He was taken far too young. Rest in peace, Jim. We miss you. Literature Cited DeEds, J., and J. L. Reveal. 201 3. Between the icebox and the stairs. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co. Earle, A. S., and J. L. Reveal. 2003. Lewis and Clark's green world. The expedition and its plants. Helena, Montana: Farcountry Press. Reveal, J. L. 1 992. Gentle conquest. The botanical discovery of North America with illustrations from the Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.: Starwood Publishing. . 201 3. Noel Holmgren and the early days of collecting in the Intermountain West. Mem. New York Bot.Gard. 108: 13-23. Aquilegia Volume 39, No. I Spring 2015 5 FIELD TRIPS & OTHER CHAPTER EVENTS BOULDER CHAPTER John Vickery is a Native Plant Master Instructor and member of the CoNPS Education & Outreach Committee. Assessing post-flood riparian conditions through Boulder County's small grant program (Chapter Program) Speakers: Laura Backus and Susan Sherrod April 9, Thurs. 6:30 p.m. Last chapter meeting of the season. West Boulder Senior Cen- ter, 909 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80303 at 6:30 p.m Join our spring community service project to Purge Your Spurge on Saturday, May 2! It's an annual tradition, and there's no weed more satisfying to pull than the spurge! Join CoNPS members, Wildlands Resto- ration Volunteers and other community members and help us purge the spurge from numerous locations in the Boulder foothills. Myrtle spurge ( Tithymolus myrsinites syn. Euphorbia myrsinites ) is a "List A" noxious weed that has escaped ornamen- tal gardens and is now designated for statewide eradication by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Sign up here: https://www.wl rv.net/index.php?section=events &action=list&type=projects Scroll down to "Myrtle Spurge 2 - Olde Stage Road (BoCo)" on May 2. Don't forget to select CoN PS as your group! FIELD TRIPS For more information or to register: Megan Bowes, bowesm@ bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561 -4883. Early Spring Hike in Northern Jefferson County April 29, Wed. 5:30 pm to dusk Early Spring Gems of Six Mile Fold May 14, Thurs. 5:30 pm to dusk Leader: Carrie Cimo Join Carrie Cimo, BCPOS Plant Ecologist/Volunteer Coordina- tor, for our annual May hike! The Boulder chapter will kick off the summer field trip season with a trip to explore a landscape created by folding and faulting as the Rocky Mountains uplifted 65 million years ago. You will see fossilized evidence of the Cre- taceous seas that once inundated this area, as well as some of the earliest blooming wildflowers in Boulder County including the Front Range endemic Bell's twinpod ( Physaria bellii). Bring your dinner and/or snacks to share with the group. Meet: Boulder County Parks and Open Space Six Mile Fold Prop- erty - located ~4.5 miles north of Boulder near the junction of US 36/ Highway 7 and Neva Rd; please park along the Neva frontage road. For more information, directions or to register: Megan Bowes, bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561-4883. Megan also has copies of the BCPOS wildflower checklist and geology diagrams available upon request. Carrie Cimo is a member of the Colorado Native Plant Society and a Plant Ecologist and Volunteer Coordinator with Boulder County Parks and Open Space Leader: John Vickery Come join us on the outwash mesa slopes of Pattridge Open Space in Arvada to find common spring flowers. Prairie dog colonies, shrub dominated north facing slopes, a creek and tributaries, and mesic prairie areas add to the variety. Let's see if we can identify two dozen plants in bloom in this relatively little known open space. Entry to the area is via a paved bike trail, but expect to be off-trail much of the time. Meet: This event will take place at the eastern end of the park, near the hamlet of Leyden. The park is along the south side of W 82nd Ave between state highway 93 and county road 72. However, we will park near the trailhead along a wide street in a subdivision on the mesa top to the south side of the park. Ac- cess to the subdivision is from CR 72 to the east or from CR 1 72 to the south. From 72, go W on 72nd Ave to Quaker St. Go north (right) to 77th Dr., then go west (L) four blocks to a traffic circle, continuing west on 78th Dr. Go to the next traffic circle with 77th PI and park in that vicinity. The bike trail entrance is to the N just off the traffic circle. The Drunken Botanists — Hike and Dinner June 11, Thurs. 5:30 pm to dusk (followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant) Leader: Megan Bowes In her recently published book The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stew- art explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol. Megan Bowes will take us on a hike to find the botanical rela- tives of these fermented favorites. Afterwards, we'll convene at a nearby eatery. Meet: OSMP South Mesa Trailhead — 1 .7 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive (Highway 1 70). Bring water and your favorite key or field guide. For more information or to register: Megan Bowes, bowesm@ bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561 -4883. Megan Bowes is a member and volunteer of the Colorado Na- For more information, directions or to register: Megan Bowes, tive Plant Society. She is a plant ecologist with Boulder's Open bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561 -4883. Space and Mountain Parks department. 6 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Willow Identification June 20, Sat. OR June 21, Sun. 9am - 5pm Leader: Gwen Kittel Come learn to identify up to twelve of Colorado's most com- mon willows in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We'll stop at 3 locations within the park: 2 road-side streams and a one-mile hike into a wetland. Key to willows, park map will be provided. Meet: Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Park entrance fee or cur- rent pass is required and the responsibility of the participants. Carpool location: please meet at the North Table Mountain Park Trailhead located north of Golden on State Highway 93, just north of Pine Ridge Road at 8:1 5 AM. Bring plenty of water, bag lunch, hat, sunscreen, rain gear, and waterproof shoes. To register: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com; maximum number of participants- 1 5 per day. Gwen Kittel has over 20 years of experience working with wil- lows, and has written a vegetative key to the willows of Colo- rado. Caribou Ranch — Conifers and Colorful Wildflowers Galore July 1, Tues. 5:30 pm to twilight Leader: Linda Boley Join Linda Boley for an evening posey mosey to see amazing wildflower and conifer diversity and possibly a moose at one of Boulder County Parks and Open Space's montane parcels. Bring snacks, water, and your favorite key or field guide. Meet: Caribou Ranch Open Space, located 1 .5 miles north of the Town of Nederland off of the Peak to Peak Highway. Car- pool will leave the SW corner of Justice Center parking lot (6th and Canyon) at 5 pm sharp. For more information or to register: Megan Bowes, bowesm@ bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561 -4883. Linda Boley is a CoNPS member and Volunteer Naturalist with Boulder County Parks and Open Space and has led a number of public hikes at Caribou Ranch. Rocky Mountain National Park — Cub Lake/The Pool Loop July 1 0, Fri. 8:1 5 am to mid-afternoon Leader: Marlene Borneman Variety defines this wildflower loop hike with Marlene Borne- man. Throughout early mid-summer blooming season many species are represented. In December 201 2 a wildfire spread through the meadows and forest in Cub Canyon. Floras now thrive in the revitalized soil and open canopies. Bonuses are possibilities of lilies, including yellow pond lilies, several orchids and moose as we hike through meadows, aspen forest, ponds and creek drainages. The trail is easy-moderate, mostly level with a few uphill gains to Cub Lake, then downhill to the Pool and then an easy trail along the Big Thompson River to fin- ish. The Pool is a natural feature of deep carved granite bowls swirling with turbulent water in the fast moving Big Thompson River, an excellent setting for lunch. Round trip distance: 6.2 miles; elevation gain: 540 feet; rating: moderate. Meet: Beaver Meadows entrance station (meet at west end) to carpool to trailhead; be prepared to pay/share entrance fee. Those wishing to carpool from Boulder should plan to leave the north end of the covered parking garage next to the Twenty- Ninth St's Macy's department store south entrance (same park- ing level as the theater parking but opposite end of the garage) at 7 am sharp. For more information or to register: Marlene Borneman, 970- 218-4533. Marlene is an avid mountaineer and the co-author of the Colo- rado Mountain ClubV'Rocky Mountain Wildflowers" field guide. Rocky Mountain Alpine Plants - Ute Trail July 18, Sat. 8:15 am to early afternoon (time will depend partly on timing of afternoon thunderstorms) Leaders: Teal Potter and Amy Churchill Join Teal Potter and Amy Churchill on a botany and ecology hike along the scenic Ute Trail off Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you like botanizing in the alpine and want to learn about the different alpine plant communi- ties, plant strategies for living in the alpine, and the threats to biodiversity in this ecosystem, please join us for this mellow morning hike. These gals will happily adapt the discussion to address your alpine interests. The Ute Trail is a moderately easy 4.2 miles. Meet: Outside the Alpine Visitor Center, be prepared to pay / share the park entrance fee More trail info: http://www.rocky- mountainhikingtrails.com/ute-trail.htm. For more information or to register: Teal Potter, 406-253-7351 . Teal Potter and Amy Churchill are CoNPS members and PhD students at the University of Colorado, studying alpine plant community ecology. Boulder Open Space Mountain Parks South Boulder Creek Floodplain Aug. 27, Thurs. 5:30 pm until dusk Leader: Lynn Riedel OSMP Plant Ecologist Lynn Riedel and Colorado Department of Transportation biologists will take us on a trip to the newly pur- chased Granite property to explore the recent wetland creation. Meet: East Boulder Recreational Center parking lot (5660 Sioux Dr.), NE corner. For more information or to register: Megan Bowes, bowesm@ bouldercolorado.gov or call 303-561 - 4883 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 7 GORE RANGE CHAPTER The Gore Range Chapter is planning 3 CSU Cooperative Extension Eagle County Native Plant Master classes: Native Plant Master classes: Montane Plants Mondays, June 1 5, 22, 29 - Vail Nature Center Alpine Plants - Tuesdays - July 7, 14, 21 - Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and Loveland Pass Trees and Shrubs - Fridays - August 7, 14, 21 - No Name Creek, Glenwood Canyon The Native Plant Master classes are from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Please contact Jeff Pieffer to register at jeff.pieper@eaglecounty.us Hoosier Ridge West Field Trip Thursday, July 30, 9 am - 4:30 pm Leaders: Klaus and Jane Hendrix This is a moderate hike, starting in the subalpine forest of Hoosier Pass. The hike reaches the alpine at an elevation of 1 2,900' Total distance is about 3 miles. The species that we are likely to encounter may be found at Klaus and Jane's website: http://www.picturetrail.com/hendrix. Trip will be limited to 1 5 participants. No Name Creek© Nanette Kuich Monarda at Staunton State Park Photo © Mo Ewing 28th and Aug 2nd The hike is limited to 1 5 people (no drop ins). Organized by Lenore Mitchell, Native Plant MasterTrainer for 1 0 yrs who lived near Staunton for years before it was a park. MEET: 9 a.m. each date; meet at the main parking lot just after the entrance (annual Park Pass or daily $7/car fee). Follow US 285 west of Denver approx 20 miles from junction 285 & C470; exit ramp at Shaeffer's Crossing to right-hand turn; follow Elk Creek Rd approx 2 miles to well-marked State Park Entrance. Look for silver Volvo XC70 station wagon. BRING: weather- appropriate clothing; sunscreen; water; snacks; lunch optional. Weber and/or Wingate books, hand lens and camera optional. Plant lists will be provided. William F. Hayden Park on Green Mountain May 1 5, Fri. 4:30 - 5:30 pm and 5:30 - 7:30 pm Leader: Judy King To sign up or request further information, please contact Nanette Kuich at kix@vail.net. METRO-DENVER CHAPTER Phacelia (Chapter Program) LukeTembrock May 5, Tues. 7 pm Englewood Public Library, 1000 Englewood Parkway, Perrin Rm Hikes Register for Denver Chapter Hikes online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or reschedule. Staunton State Park April 25, Sat. 9 am to noon Leader: Lenore Mitchell 4:30 - 5:30 pm we will hike the trail close to the parking lot and see interesting plants. 5:30 - 7:30 pm we will hike the Green Mountain Trail to the radio tower and return on the Hayden Trail. We should see Easter Daisies and other spring plants. Moderate hiking level. Judy King lives near Green Mountain and regularly hikes this route and monitors flower bloom times. She is a Native Plant Master and regularly leads native plant hikes for the Colorado Mountain Club. Meet at the Florida Parking Lot off of Alameda Avenue. BRING: weather-appropriate clothing; sunscreen; water; snacks. A plant book, hand lens, and camera are optional. Plant list will be provided. Roxborough State Park May 20, Wed. 8:30 am to noon Leaders: Kathy Brown and Jannette Wesley Join us for monthly 2 mile nearly level hikes on wide trails to observe plants as spring progresses into high summer. Initial blooms such as Pulsatilla patens fPasque flower) give way to delights such as Dodecatheon pulchellum (shooting stars) and various shrubs and trees. Additional dates: May 31 st ; June We'll hike along the South Rim Trail, and see a variety of wildflowers, great scenery, and wildlife. Various herbivorous and woody plants, including some unusual varieties. If you don't know poison ivy, there's lots to see (and learn to avoid). Leisurely hike. Kathy Brown is a Native 8 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Plant Master instructor. Jannette Wesley is a Native Plant Master and Co-President of the Colorado Native Plant Society, Metro Denver Chapter. Meet at the visitors center. Park entrance fee is $7 per car. Bring snacks and water. From northeast Denver: follow Santa Fe Drive south, exit onto Titan Road and follow west, then curve south onto Roxborough Road. Remain on Roxborough past Safeway shopping center until it ends (do not follow into residential Roxborough Park gated area) turn right onto dirt road instead, then take first right turn into the Roxborough Fire Station, located just before the park entrance. Visitor Center is 2 miles farther on same road. From southwest Denver: follow C470, exit onto CO 1 21 (Wadsworth) and follow to left hand turn onto Waterton Rd (instead of entrance to Lockheed Martin). Waterton Rd curves to the left and leads to traffic light by Roxborough Road (area with Safeway shopping center). Turn right at light and follow Roxborough to park entrance as stated above. Staunton State Park May 31, Sun. 9 am to noon Leader: Lenore Mitchell See description for April 25th date Red Rocks Park June 7, Sun. 8:30 am to noon Leaders: Jan & Charlie Turner The 1.3 mile Trading Post Trail loop at Red Rocks Park is a great place to hike and view native plants while also enjoying the beautiful rock formations that first attracted people to the area. At Red Rocks Park, the plains meet the foothills and an interesting variety of plants can be found along the trails. Plants we may encounter include Lomatium orientate, Mertensia lanceolata, Delphinium geyeri, Physaria vitulifera, Physocarpus monogynus, and Asclepias viridifloras. We will try to avoid unpleasant encounters with Tragia ramosa, a nasty little Euphorb that can turn your skin red and make it sting. Red Rocks Park is located near Morrison and is part of the Denver Mountain Park system and the site of numerous concerts. Jan Loechell Turner is the editor of Aquilegia: Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society and a member of the CoNPS Board. She is professor emerita at Regis University and a former Native Plant Master Trainer. Charlie Turner is the President of CoNPS and is an advisory scientist involved in environmental cleanup. Jan and Charlie are the authors/photographers of Wildflowers of Red Rocks Park. Meet at the Trading Post Parking Lot in Red Rocks Park at 8:1 5 am. Willow Identification Field Trip, Golden Gate Canyon State Park June 20, Sat. OR June 21 Sun. 8:1 5 am - 5 pm Leader: Gwen Kittel Come learn to identify up to twelve of Colorado's most common willows in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We'll Aquilegia Volume 39, No. I Spring 2015 stop at 3 locations within the park: 2 road-side streams and a one-mile hike into a wetland. Key to willows, park map will be provided. Park entrance fee or current pass is required and the responsibility of the participants. Carpool location: please meet at the North Table Mountain ParkTrailhead located north of Golden on State Highway 93, just north of Pine Ridge Road at 8:15 am. Trip Leader: Gwen Kittel. Gwen has over 20 years' experience working with willows, and has written a vegetative key to the willows of Colorado. An all day trip, bring plenty of water, bag lunch, hat, sunscreen, rain gear, and waterproof shoes. Maximum number of Participants - 1 5 Per Day Mount Goliath and Summit Lake June 24, Wed. 7:30 am - 3 pm Leader: Lenore Mitchell Come join us for a delightful and relatively easy 1 .5 mile downhill hike beginning near 1 2,000 ft to admire early alpines such as tiny blue Eritrichum aretoides (alpine forget- me-nots) and large yellow Rydbergia grandiflora (Old Man of the Mountain); then descend down into the Bristlecones and subalpine forest and on to the Nature Center (restrooms here). MEET: 7:30 am at the parking lot to the east of the Echo Lake Lodge (follow 1-70 west from Denver to Idaho Springs exit #240 onto Mt Evans Rd (Colorado 1 03), follow past Echo Lake to Lodge. Allow at least an hour from Denver. Look for silver Volvo XC 70. Early start necessary to avoid frequent afternoon thunderstorms. National Park Pass or daily fee ($ 1 0/car) required. If you're late, proceed up Mt Evans Rd, look for us at the Nature Center or farther on at the higher Mt Goliath trail head parking lot. BRING: warm clothing including rain gear, sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water, snacks and lunch. Weber and/ or Wingate books, hand lens, hiking pole and camera optional. Plant lists and area info provided. LIMIT: 1 5 people. Organized by Lenore Mitchell, a Native Plant Master trainer for 1 0 yrs who has lead many groups on this trail. Kathy Brown will assist. Golden Gate Canyon State Park June 27, Sat. 8:30 am to noon Leader: Judy King Begin at the Nott Creek parking lot and hike a little used trail following the creek. See Leafy Blue Jacobs' Ladder and other interesting plants. Meet at the North Golden Parking Garage at 8 am to carpool and share park entrance fee. Judy King is a Native Plant Master and leads flower walks for the Colorado Mountain Club. Additional information is available by contacting Judy King, 303-984-2987. Staunton State Park June 28, Sun. 9 am to noon Leader: Lenore Mitchell See description for April 25th date. Alpine Superheroes, Rocky Mountain National Park, Forest Canyon Pass July 2, Thurs. 9 am to 3 pm Leader: Leanne Benton This hike will look at the alpine wildflowers and ecology of Rocky Mountain National Park. These tiny floral gems are true superheroes with amazing adaptations and strategies for survival in a harsh climate! Our hike will begin at the Alpine Visitor Center and descend gradually through a variety of alpine habitats where we should see a great variety of flowers such as moss campion, alpine forget-me-not, alplily, and the alpine clovers as well as less common species such as alpine lousewort, snowlover, goldbloom saxifrage and whiplash saxifrage. Snow levels permitting, we will continue downward into the upper subalpine to a trailhead where we can drive back up to our starting point. If snowdrifts are still too deep, we will backtrack back up to the visitor center. Hike is approx 4 miles with either option. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Alpine Visitor Center parking lot (approximately 25 miles west of Estes Park - allow 1 hour drive time), we will shuttle some cars down to the endpoint of the hike prior to starting our hike. Leanne Benton is a recently retired park ranger-naturalist with the National Park Service. For 23 years she led wildflower walks and alpine ecology walks in Rocky Mountain National Park and served as a park botanist on archaeology projects and Ute tribal visits. Her passion is the alpine tundra and she continues to teach seminars and present programs for the Rocky Mountain Conservancy (formerly Rocky Mountain Nature Association) and CoNPS. The hike is limited to 15 people. Bring 1-2 quarts of water, lunch, sunblock, sunglasses, layered clothing, and rain gear. We will be hiking at 12,000'and will need to watch for lightning. Carpool information will be shared with registered hiking participants. Hoosier Ridge - East July 9, Thurs. 9 am to 4 pm Leaders: Jane & Klaus Hendrix Take 1-70 West to Exit 203 (Breckenridge/Frisco). Go south on Colo. Hwy. 9, through Breckenridge, to Hoosier Pass. Park in the large parking area on the west (right) side of the road. To avoid the possibility of a thunderstorm while we're above timberline, we will meet at 9 a.m. From the parking area, we'll cross Highway 9 and enter a subalpine forest of spruce and fir. Small meadows of alpine species will reveal themselves as we follow a dirt road to a foot path that straddles the Continental Divide, affording us with magnificent views of 14,265-foot Quandary Peak. Depending on the weather and the desires of the group, we may ascend to Unnamed Peak 12, 814' to search for certain rare species. The return trip will be through a moist drainage on the north side of the Continental Divide where we'll find spring-flowering species in late snowbeds just waking up and many wetland species. Moderate. Some of the route will be cross-country, including small rock fields and grassy hummocks. Wear sturdy hiking boots. The maximum round trip distance is 3.2 miles with a maximum elevation gain of 1,275 feet. Bring rain gear, a windbreaker, warm clothing, lunch and water. Return to the parking area by 4 p.m. Note: There is no restroom facility at Hoosier Pass. There is a public restroom at Breckenridge City Market (from Colo. Hwy. 9, bear right at the Park Avenue roundabout.) Carpool from Morrison, meet 7am attheWooly Mammoth parking lot at Lamppost LL: heading west on 1-70, take Morrison Exit to the right, parking lot is on west (Left) side of road. Jane will have a self-published wildflower guide specific to this area available for purchase at $3. This is totally optional. Anyone who would like to tour Klaus & Jane's Mountain View Experimental Gardens after the hike is most welcome. Leaders: Klaus & Jane Hendrix, 970-453-41 74, email: k-jhendrix@juno. om, websites: http://www.picturetrail.com/hendrix, http:// www.picturetrail.com/snowtrekker7 Pulling for Colorado Event July 1 1 , Sat.- The Colorado Weed Management Association http://www.cwma.org/ Lower McCullough Gulch Near Breckenridge July 22, Wed. 9 am to 4:30 pm Leaders: Jane & Klaus Hendrix Located 6 V 2 miles south of Breckenridge at 1 0,300 feet is the parking area for this wildflower paradise. Klaus & Jane found 1 30 blooming species on last year's scouting trip! The route trails through a small meadow replete with flowering species. It then enters a spruce-fir forest, revealing the shade-lovers in the understory. A short side trail leads down to McCullough Creek where riparian species thrive. Returning to the main trail, the route continues up a gentle grade to vast meadows of sunflowers, delphiniums and mariposa lilies. Maximum round- trip distance: 4 miles. Maximum elevation gain: 750 feet. Bring lunch, warm clothing, rain gear, camera, notepad and guide books. Jane will have a self-published wildflower guide specific to this area available for purchase at $4. However, there is no obligation to buy the booklet. Meet at the far west end (near the trees) of the Breckenridge City Market parking lot at 9 a.m. There is a public restroom in the store. City Market is located at the north end of Breckenridge at North Park Avenue and Colo. Hwy. 9. There is a traffic roundabout at that intersection. We will plan to return to the trailhead by 4:30 p.m. Carpool from Morrison, meet 7 am at the Wooly Mammoth parking lot, at Lamppost LL: heading west on 1-70, take 10 Aquilegio Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Morrison Exit to the right, parking lot is on west (Left) side of road. Anyone who would like to tour Klaus & Jane's Mountain View Experimental Gardens after the hike is most welcome. Leaders: Klaus & Jane Hendrix, 970-453-41 74, email: k-jhendrix@juno. om, websites: http://www.picturetrail.com/hendrix, http:// www.picturetrail.com/snowtrekker7 Register online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or rescheduled: Shelf Lake Area Field Trip with Optional Camp Out July 24 - 26, 6 pm Fri. to 5 pm Sun. Leader: Jeanne Willson This trip is designed to let participants attend either or both day trips in the Geneva Basin and camp if they wish. Hike the beautiful Shelf Lake hike on Sunday up into a rich and wet alpine valley with great biodiversity including gorgeous, healthy bristlecone pines, several species of gentians, and thousands upon thousands of flowers including: larkspurs, bistort, and paintbrush. This will be my 6th trip to Shelf Lake in as many years; we will continue to expand the plant list. Or, explore (but do not enter) the old mining structures or just wander in the Geneva Basin, taking your own time to look things up in Weber. But wait! Two great day trip options on one weekend, plus time to hang out . . . what to do? Let's go camping! I have reserved 3 sites (to be shared as needed) in the Burning Bear campground. I will reserve more as the requests roll in, space permitting. Tent or small campers are appropriate. I will go up to Geneva Basin Friday morning. Given interest, we can go on a short hike such as Silver Dollar Lake on Friday. For Saturday/Sunday, people can choose to carpool to the fen (Saturday) or Shelf Lake (Sunday) as day trips, or come up and spend the weekend. Everyone should plan to be on their own for all meals or plan on your own to cook jointly. Campers are invited to bring either a dessert or appetizer to share. Would-be campers who need encouragement or who need to borrow a tent, a camp chair, or a camp stove, etc. are welcome, and are encouraged to ask camping questions before the trip. Note that the camping is at about 9800' and it can be wet and cold. I will bring 2 rain shelters, more as needed. Carpooling will be arranged from the Mammoth parking lot at 1-70 for those who want day trips. The Shelf Lake portion will be run through Colorado Mountain Club for members, and guests will sign a CMC waiver. Other participants will sign a CoNPS waiver. Hikers should follow CMC guidelines for hiking preparedness. Shelf Lake is considered a "B-difficult" hike under CMC rules, which means it has substantial distance and/or elevation gain and requires reasonable fitness, good hiking boots, rain gear and warm clothes, food and water, personal first aid kit, map and GPS, etc. The elevation gain is roughly 2,000 feet depending on our route. Please call the trip leader if you have questions about hike preparedness. We hope that the weekend format encourages people from Boulder, Longmont, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and anywhere else to come together for some serious Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 botany or serious hanging out. Both day trips will have trip limits of 15 participants each, so please sign up soon on the Eventbrite website. Jeanne Willson, PhD, leads many natural history hikes and loves botany, paleontology, canoeing, and playing guitar, ukulele, and fiddle. Meeting Time: Campers should plan on meeting to share appetizers at 6 pm on Friday, July 25th. Saturday. The Sunday meeting time will be at 8:00 am at the campground entrance on Geneva Creek Road; Anyone wanting to carpool should meet with other hikers at 6:45am at the Mammoth lot at Lamppost LL. Approximate Ending Time: 5:00 pm Sunday plus the drive home. Please express your interest or commitment soon! Call/write Jeanne Willson, riversong@centurylink.net, 720-581 -2052. Register online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or rescheduled: Rocky Mountain National Park, Wild Basin Area Aug. 1, Sat. 6:30 am to 5 pm Leader: Christine Taraskiewicz The field trip starts at the Wild Basin side of Rocky Mountain National Park and we'll hike up to Calypso Cascades or up to Ouzel Falls (depending upon the group) where we'll look for the fauna that blooms along the Creek and in the damp crevices of the Cascade. There are plenty of rocky crags across from the creek to search for different blooms. Wildflowers along the St. Vrain Creek and Rocky Crags: Wild Basin Area, Rocky Mountain National Park. Christine Taraskiewicz is a lover of Colorado summers, she has been leading wildflower hikes for over 20 years for small groups and in recent years for the Colorado Mountain Club. Meet Sat., Aug. 1 at the Sheridan and 88th Outdoor RTD Park & Ride at 6:30 a.m. Register online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or rescheduled: Staunton State Park Aug. 2, Sun. 9 am to noon Leader: Lenore Mitchell See description for April 25th date. James Peak Wilderness Crater Lakes Trail Aug. 5, Wed. 7:30 am to 4 pm Leader: Cheryl Ames The trail starts near the Moffat Tunnel and climbs 1 500 ft to the lower Crater Lakes. There are intervals of aspen, spruce and meadow, with some rugged and steep terrain. We will hike through a meadow about a mile from the trailhead and find wild raspberries ripe for us to taste, remnants of old cabins and 11 wonderful views of the continental divide. This trip will only go to the lower lakes and will keep everyone very busy visiting all the wildflowers. This will be an all day outing. We should be starting the hike at 8:45 am. Depending on our hiking progress, we should be at the Lakes by 1 :00 pm and back to the trail head by 4:00 pm. This is all weather and participate dependent. Trail Distance: 6 miles round trip Limit:1 2 participants Cheryl Ames is an avid hiker and outdoors person who can't get enough of the great outdoors and sharing all the treasures nature has to offer. Retired from IT work at the State of Colorado, member ofCoNPS for 8 years and has taken a number of classes from CoNPS and CSU Extension Center. For carpooling from the Denver area, meet at the Golden Garage, 3rd Level, Garage is on Jackson between 1 2th & 1 3th Streets at 7:30 AM. The trail head is at the East Portal "Directions: From Nederland, travel south for 4.5 miles on Colorado Highway 1 19 to Rollinsville.Turn west onto the gravel Gilpin County Road 1 6 and continue eight miles to the Moffat Tunnel. A large parking area is available at the East Portal Trailhead". For people meeting should be there at 8:30. Bring a pack with lunch, water, rain gear, plant books, cameras, etc. Contact Cheryl with questions and concerns via e-mail chery_e_ames@msn.com or phone 303-940-2043. Register online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or rescheduled: Castlewood Canyon State Park Oct. 4, Sun. Time TBA Leader: Jeanne Willson Four to five hour hike, 30 minutes from the Arapahoe Park and Ride This charming state park southeast of Parker is a geological gem full of human history, with plants normally living from the prairie to the high foothills crowded on top of each other. Our 7 mile loop hike will take us through two intimate canyons, past a 1 00 year old homestead and a spectacular FAIL of a dam. We'll also hike on top of a riverbed and past fossils of prehistoric forests. Jeanne Willson, holds a PhD in Botany from Cornell. She currently is Co-President of the Metro Denver Chapter of CoNPS and volunteers teaching natural history including geology, paleontology, and evolution with the Colorado Mountain Club and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Please be prepared to walk 7 miles over a good but rocky trail with about 700 feet of elevation gain; wear good walking shoes or hiking boots with long pants and bring water, lunch, raingear, sharp eyes, and field guides. Binoculars and camera optional. The park has rattlesnakes and poison ivy, hence the long pants and sharp eyes recommendation. Register online: www.metrodenverconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is cancelled or rescheduled. NORTHERN CHAPTER Programs Butterfly Use and Pollination of Colorado Eriogonum Species May 7, Thurs., Potluck Dinner 5:1 5 pm. Presentation 7 pm Dr. Paul Opler and Evi Buckner-Opler Renowned Lepidoptera expert, Paul Opler, PhD, along with his adventure partner and wife, Evi Buckner-Opler, will share knowledge of butterfly use and pollination of Colorado Eriogonum species! Location: High Plains Environmental Center, 1854 Piney River Drive, Loveland, CO 80538 Potluck dinner 5:1 5-6:45 pm followed by presentation at 7 pm The focus of Dr. Opler's research for much of his life has been the members of the insect order Lepidoptera. His work involves a number of separate projects that relate to the systematics, biological diversity, distribution, and ecology of several groups of Lepidoptera. This includes surveys of the diversity of public lands, notably national parks and military lands. Dr. Opler is involved with the systematics of Lycaenid butterflies and several moths families, including Notodontidae, Arctiidae, Geometridae, and Tortricidae. He is also quite passionate about conservation efforts that benefit butterflies and moths. Learn more at: http://bspm.agsci.colostate.edu/people-button/ faculty-new/paul-opler Butterfly on Eriogonum fiavum var. piperi photo © Loraine Yeatts Field Trips Demonstration Gardens, Northern Water Conservancy Dis- trict, 220 Water Ave., Berthoud, CO May 1 3, Wed. after work Rabbit Mountain Open Space, Longmont/Lyons area, CO May 23, Sat., carpool TBA Watering Holes, Pawnee Grasslands, northeast of Ault, CO May 31, Sun. carpool TBA Phantom Canyon, north of Livermore, CO June 7, Sun. carpool TBA, limit 1 5 12 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Owl Canyon Pinon Pines, northwest of Ft. Collins, CO June 1 0, Wed. after work:, carpool TBA Vedauwoo Campground/Rec trails, east of Laramie, WY June 1 4, Sun. carpool TBA Middle Cherokee Park, west of Livermore, CO June 27, Sat. carpool TBA Well Gulch, Lory State Park, south of Bellvue, CO July 08, Wed. after work. Details TBA. Lost Lake, off Little Laramie River Road, Laramie, WY July 1 2, Sun. carpool TBA (limit 1 5) Shelf Lake Trail, near Grant, CO (joint venture with Denver chapter) Fri-Sun, July 24-26, Register online: www. met rode n- verconps.eventbrite.com to receive updates in case hike is can- celled or rescheduled. Northern Chapter details TBA. Lower McCullough Gulch, south of Breckenridge, CO Aug 01, Sat. carpool TBA Trail Ridge Road, RMNP, west of Estes Park, CO Aug 09, Sun. carpool TBA Dan & Anne Clark's Native Plant Garden, 5106 Farrier Ct., Loveland CO, Wed, Aug 1 2, after work Intriguing Vegetation of Middle Bald Mountain Aug. 1 5, Sat. 8:30 am -3:30 pm Join Steve Popovich, Botanist for the Arapaho-Roosevelt Na- tional Forests, and Trevor Roberts, CoNPS member and former botany technician for Steve, on a visit to the curious Middle Bald Mountain, about 35 miles NW of Fort Collins and 6 miles SW of Red Feathers Lakes. At 1 1,000 ft., it is the highest peak in the Laramie Mtns and contains an interesting mix of alpine and subalpine plants, uncommon for its location so far east of the continental divide. See rare alpine vagrant lichens (i.e., rolling loose along the ground) and discuss why the community is so special, being neither alpine nor subalpine, but something in between. Learn how 1000's of years ago today's surrounding subalpine forest may have actually been montane in its vegetation, even at this high elevation - prompting study by the Rocky Mtn Research Station and changing the way we think about Front Range life zones. Steve will also discuss how a communications tower and associated development was recently proposed at the sum- mit, and how the Forest Service recommended an alternate site, in part to protect the summit's special vegetation. And... enjoy the incredible views west towards the Rawahs and east towards Ft Collins and the plains! Where: meet at Vern's Place restaurant at 830 am in LaPorte. From there we will carpool to a gravel road and parking lot % mile from the summit of Bald Mt and will walk (easy-moderate hike) to the summit for lunch. Total elevation gain from parking Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 area to summit is 350 feet. Bring lunch, water, warm clothes, and rain, wind, and sun protection. Contact: Ronda Koski, conpsworkshops@gmail.com, or Steve Popovich, 970-295-6641. Signal Mountain Trail, Larimer County, CO Aug 22, Sat. carpool TBA Cathy Fromme Prairie (West), Ft. Collins, CO Sept 9, Wed. after work, details TBA. Hugh's Cabin Barbecue and Hike, Poudre Canyon, CO Sept. 26, Sat. carpool TBA Wednesday after-work hikes will normally meet at 6 pm, while weekend trips will typically meet at designated car-pool locations at 7 am. Watch for specifics on the CoNPS website, but questions can also be directed to Ronda Koski, Northern Chapter President, at: ronda.koski@colostate.edu, 970-568- 9745 (home) or 970-217-5286 (cell). PLATEAU CHAPTER Tabeguache Trail near Grand Junction May 2, Sat. 9:00 am Amie Wilsey and Van Graham We would like to do a field visit to look at Jones bluestar ( Amsonia jonesii) on May 2nd, 2015. Participants should meet at the Tabeguache Trailhead in Grand Junction at 9 am. The field trip will likely take half a day. Participants should pack a snack/lunch, water, notebooks, cameras, sunscreen, field books and any other field items they may need. Amie Wilsey is an Environmental Scientist/Biologist at WestWater Engineering Email Amie to register: amw@westwaterco.com Log Hill Mesa, North of Ridgway May 31, Sun. 9:00 am Dickson Pratt Enjoy a walk through a walk through the pinon-juniper-oak- serviceberry forest to look at spring wildflowers. We will make a brief stop at Inspiration Point for the views and then go to the trailhead on neighborhood open space. The flower walk should take about one and a half to two hours, not counting the driving, but will involve less than a mile of distance at an elevation of 7600 feet. Meet at Log Hill Mesa, just north of Ridgway. Meet at Ridgway Library at 9:30 AM, 300 Charles Street, corner of Railroad and Charles Streets, one block north of SH 62 (Sherman Street) at the Town Park. There is a large parking lot just north of the library building. We can carpool or caravan up to the mesa from 13 View from Inspiration Point in Ridgeway Photo © Dickson Pratt there; the distance is about nine miles. Parking is plentiful, both at the library and on the mesa. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. If you would like to bring a picnic lunch, Inspiration Point is a good place for it and there are other trails in the area if people are interested in exploring them. Contact: Dickson Pratt, dgp_colorado@yahoo.com 970-497- 0579 (text messages welcome) SOUTHEAST CHAPTER Class Essential Botany: What You Need to Know to Successfully Identify Colorado's Native Plants May 9, Sat. 9 am- 2 pm Dr. Neal Osborne with Linda McMulkin & Ed Roland Southeast Colorado Water Conservation District Meeting Room (near Pueblo Airport) Special disounted cost of $5 for Colorado Master Gardeners, Native Plant Masters, and Colorado Native Plant Society mem- bers. All others, $15. You will leave this class with the essential botany you need to know to key out a plant. Class followed by hands on experi- ence. Bring a sack lunch to class. Advance registration required by Fri., May 1,4 pm To register, call the CSU Extension Office at 719-583-6566. Field Trips IMPORTANT: 1. If you want to join one of our trips, please register directly with the trip leader at least 5 days before the trip date. 2. Your trip leader should respond with all necessary details on meeting times, locations, carpooling options, etc. Most trips take most or all of one day, so a snack or bag lunch is sug- gested. 3. If you must cancel after registering, please email the trip leader at the registration email address. Notification of any trip cancellation (due to inclement weather, etc.) will be sent to the email account you used for registration. 4. All trips are free of cost except for the option of shared trans- portation expense. 14 Birds and Botany in Cheesman Canyon May 16, Sat. Leaders: Doris Drisgill (primarily native plants) and Jeff Jones (primarily bird sightings) Register at: leaderdoris@gmail.com (include date of this trip in subject line) Trip rating: Moderate Location: Carpool to Gill Trail along S. Platte River near Deckers. To see: Spring flowers, spectacular rock formations, ouzels, ospreys and other birds. Timpas Creek May 31, Sun. Leader: Steve Olson, USFS Botanist Register at: Ieadersteve01@gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Trip rating: Moderate Location: Carpool to Comanche Grasslands near Bloom, Co, just across the Otero County line To see: Both short grass prairie and riparian native species plus interesting geology. Greenhorn Mountain June 13, Sat. Leader: Neal Osborn, Prof. Emeritus, CSU-Pueblo Register at: leaderneal@gmail.com (include date of this trip in subject line) Trip rating: Moderate (with an option for a longer hike) Location: TH in Rye, Co. (trail parallels Greenhorn Creek) To see: One of the most diverse habitats for native "woodies" in Colorado, along with many interesting herbaceous species. Elk Park on Pikes Peak June 14, Sun. Leader: Doris Drisgill Register at: leaderdoris@gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Trip rating: Moderate (though a short 2 mile hike, it's at 1 2,000 ft. elevation) We'll see typically abundant alpine species such as mountain dryads, bluebells, and many others. Note: Discounted $7 entry fee at Pike's Peak toll gate Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 Cottonwood Pass June 20, Sat. Leader: Doris Drisgill Register at: leaderdoris@gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Location: Cottonwood Pass is in the Collegiate Range out of Buena Vista, CO Trip rating: Moderate (though a short 1 -2 mile hike, the trail tops out along the Continental Divide at over 1 2,000 ft. eleva- tion) To see: Many alpine species such as lavender wallflower, alpine phlox, smelowskia plus some spectacular mountain scenery East Bear Gulch Trail June 20, Sat. Leader: Steve Olson, USFS Botanist Register at: leadersteveOl @gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Trip rating: Moderate (with an option for a "strenuous" hike to the top of Curley Peak) Location: Oak Creek Grade Road, south of Canon City To see: A foothills habitat with a diverse range of "woodies" and herbaceous species, plus steep granite walls and overlooks with spectacular views of the Sangres. BioBlitz in the Wet Mountains June 26, Fri. - June 28, Sun. Leader: Steve Olson, USFS Botanist If you would like to help with the bioblitz, contact Steve Olson at Ieadersteve01@gmail.com. Cordova Pass Trail in the Spanish Peaks July 1 1, Sat. Leader: Neal Osborn, Prof. Emeritus, CSU-Pueblo Register at: leaderneal@gmail.com (include date of this trip in subject line) Location: Carpool or drive to Cordova Pass TH , which is about 1 4 miles south of La Veta, CO. To see: Some exceptional native plants including Bristlecone Pines, Corkbark Firs, and many other interesting alpine "wood- ies" and herbaceous species. Plus, views of the geological formations radiating from the base of the Spanish Peaks. Buffalo Canyon above Helen Hunt Falls July 1 8, Sat. Leader: Doris Drisgill Register at: leaderdoris@gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Location: North Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs Trip rating: Moderate To see: Wood lilies, monkshood and other riparian species below St. Mary's Falls. Goose Creek Trail July 25, Sat. Leader: Steve Olson, USFS Botanist Register at: Ieadersteve01@gmail.com (include date of this trip in the subject line) Trip rating: Moderate Location: Southeast corner of Lost Creek Wilderness, north of Lake George, Co. To see: Riparian and "dry land" summer flowers, woodies, birds, and interesting rock formations along Goose Creek. Additional trips are often added during the growing season. Please check under "Southeast Chapter" at CoNPS.org. San Juan/4 Corners Native Plant Society May 2 & 3: Wildflowers of Red Rock Park, Gallup, New Mexico May 20: Annual Trip to Sand Canyon, Canyons of the Ancients June 6, June 7: Wildflowers of Southeast Utah June 21 : Wildflowers and Views, Mesa Verde Nat. Park July 8: Wildflowers of Hermosa Fens & Wetlands, Bolam Pass August 22: Wild Mushroom Hunting -- and Eating! For information: http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/ San%20Juan%20Four%20Corners%20Native%20Plant%20 Society.htm Workshops For complete descriptions and to register, see our website http://www.conps.org/Activities/workshops.shtml or contact Ronda Koski at conpsworkshops@gmail.com. If workshops are full, contact Linda Smith (conpsoffice@gmail.com) to be placed on the waiting list. Grass Identification Workshop One-day workshop offered on 3 separate dates and locations; Indicate desired date when registering! 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Cost: $30 (non-member price $45) Saturday, April 25, 201 5 - Douglas County Extension, 410 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock, CO 80104; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Workshop will be in the CSU Extension Building - Garden Level Conference Room Presenter: Rich Rhoades This workshop is designed to provide a basic knowledge of grass morphology and terminology as it pertains to identifying grasses. Workshop attendees will use "Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado" by Janet Wingate to learn how to use keys to identify common grass species. Rich will provide a brief presentation about grasses, and the remainder of the workshop will be devoted to keying out a variety of species. At the end of the workshop attendees will have the ability to key out many common grass species. If you wish to be added to the wait list, please contact Linda Smith at conpsoffice@gmail.com. Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 15 Winter Willow ID Workshop Date: Sunday, April 26, 201 5, 1 0 am-2 pm One day workshop Co-sponsored by the Central Rockies Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (CeRSER) and the Colorado Native Plant Society (CoNPS) Location: High Plains Environmental Center 1 854 Piney River Dr. Loveland, CO 80538 Presenters: Randy Mandel and John Giordanengo Cost: $30 CeRSER or CoNPS Member, $40 Nonmember Registration limit: 40 people If you have a copy, please bring them with you: Rocky Mountain Willow Identification Field Guide by Robert Dorn Field Guide to Colorado's Wetland Plants: Identification, Ecology, and Conservation by Denise R. Culver and Joanna M. Lemly About the Presenters: Randy Mandel, Restoration Ecologist, Golder Associates, Inc. M.S. Forest Physiology/Genetics, Colorado State University Randy Mandel is an internationally recognized restoration ecologist with over 30 years of experience. He currently works for Golder Associates as a Senior Restoration Ecologist. His major accomplishments include (1) Lead propagation specialist for the Suncor Revegetation Pilot Project in Alberta, Canada, (2) Lead revegetation specialist for the Yanacocha Minera Gold Mining Project near Cajamarca, Peru, (3) Professional botany mentor for the US Forest Service, White River National Forest Botany Program, (4) Restoration Ecologist, EnCana Natural Gas, Piceance Basin operation; and Comprehensive ecological services for Pitkin County Open Space. Mr. Mandel has been a key restoration ecologist for numerous restoration, reclamation, and remediation projects including 14 National Parks and National Monuments as well as multiple Justice Department native plant projects such as Telluride Mountain Village, the Beartooth Highway, and the Yellowstone Club. John Giordanengo, Program Director, Southern Rockies Seed Network, M.S. Range Ecology (Ecological Restoration emphasis), Colorado State University Few finer days exist beyond those spent keying out willows. Much of John's time doing so has been in association with his work restoring Colorado's riparian areas — from alpine to plains. After 1 8 years of experience in Ecological Restoration, John pays homage still to the insights his knowledge of native flora provide into the fun little secrets of ecological restoration. Enjoying membership in CoNPS for 1 6 years, and serving as a board member for two years, John enjoys steering budding restoration ecologists to the society for a lesson or two. Today, somewhere between the botanizing and the restoration work, he is pleasantly busy growing the Southern Rockies Seed Network, a seminal program of Synergy Ecological Restoration. Special Event Co-Sponsored by CoNPS Sedges of Colorado: Advanced Workshop and Field Trip III August 28-30,2015 Presenter: Dr. Anton (Tony) Reznicek Location: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), Gothic, CO Please note that this is a special event that will be held at Rocky Mountain Biological Station and registration is not at the normal workshop rate. Registration costs do not cover the actual expenses. This workshop/field trip is made possible thanks to extra funding by Denver Botanic Gardens ($300) and CoNPS ($300). Thank you to Melissa Islam and Leo Bruederle for making the arrangements. Cost: $220 includes two nights of lodging (8/28-8/29) and meals at RMBL. Meals include one breakfast, two lunches and two dinners. There is no discount if you do not stay in the lodge and take the meals. Eminent botanist, Tony Reznicek (University of Michigan) will be returning to Colorado to provide a workshop on the sedges of Colorado focused on the west slope. Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado Native Plant Society, and University of Colorado Denver are collaborating to offer this "sedgevent"that will combine a workshop at the picturesque Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic with two days of field trips. The workshop will be held on Friday with an hour of lecture and then focus the rest of the day on identifying fresh specimens. Saturday and Sunday, we will venture out into the field focusing on areas around Crested Butte. The workshop is targeted at advanced beginners to those with intermediate skills. Please register early. Registration is limited to 18. If your organization is willing to help sponsor this workshop to help defray the cost, please contact Leo Bruederle (Leo. Bruederle@ucdenver.edu). Anton Reznicek, Ph.D. Dr. Reznick is Assistant Director of the University of Michigan Herbarium and Curator of Vascular Plants. His research focuses on the evolution and systematics of the Cyperaceae, especially Carex, phytogeography of the northeastern North American flora, and conservation of the Great Lakes region flora. To register, go to http://www.conps.org/Activities/workshops. shtml. If workshop is full, contact Linda Smith at 970-663- 4085 or conpsoffice@gmail.com to be added to the wait list. 16 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 News & Announcements It Happened! Flora of Colorado will be printed! Charles L. Maurer and Other CoNPS Members Came to the Rescue! Jennifer Ackerfield is very excited and grateful. CoNPS members came through for her and donated the remainder of the money needed to print Flora of Colorado. There were a number of large and small donations and pre-orders of the book, but the fund was still almost $ 1 0,000 short of the amount needed to cover printing costs. We thought, wouldn't it be nice if Jennifer had a fairy godmother or godfather who would make her dream come true? And it happened! In an email sent with the Winter 2014 issue of Aquilegia, Charles Maurer read that $10,000 was the amount still needed in order for the Flora of Colorado to be printed by the publisher, BRIT, in time for the 2015 wildflower season. Maurer contacted CoNPS, offering to donate the remainder of the funding (by that time, $8,500 was still needed) so that the book would be published in time for wildflower season. Thanks to Maurer's generosity and the generosity of other CoNPS members, the book will be published in early May, just in time for us to take it into the field and key out the Spring plants. Photo © Don Neumann Who is this man who stepped in to make sure the book would be published in the Spring of 201 5 and why was he interested in the Flora of Colorado 1 . Charlie Maurer, a member of the Plateau Chapter of CoNPS, has a connection with Colorado State University and botany. Maurer was a student of Dr. Harold Harrington, author of the Manual of the Plants of Colorado, and a graduate of Colorado State University. Maurer spent his early years on a large ranch located near Cimarron, Colorado, and graduated from Montrose County High School in 1 956. He attended the Colorado School of Mines for two years before transferring to Colorado A&M in 1 958, later called Colorado State University, where he received a BS in Agronomy [1 961 ] and a MS in Botany and Plant Pathology studying under Dr. Ralph Baker [1 963]. He received a degree in statistics from Metro State in Denver in 1972. After working for the Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado, for nearly 30 years, he took early retirement in 1 993. While at Coors, he worked as a research agronomist, bacteriologist, chemist and several other jobs ending, his last 1 5 years or so as Director of Quality Control. After retiring from Coors, he worked for the EPA's national forensic crime laboratory [NCIS] in Lakewood, Colorado, both on site and remotely, via computer, for about 1 4 years as a quality management consultant. Charlie and his wife returned to western Colorado, settling in Grand Junction in 2000, where he finally had time to rekindle his interest in the flora of the region, especially that found on their family ranch near Cimarron. He took the three native plant identification classes (Native Plant Master classes) offered through the CSU Extension service in Grand Junction to get reacquainted with plant identification after a too long absence. When will Ackerfield's book be printed? Jen and the editors at BRIT are carefully going through the book, making corrections. It is a tedious process but hopefully it will be completed this month and the book will be available in early May. The Remarkable Jennifer Ackerfield Has any woman single-handedly written the flora of an entire state? This was a question pondered by Jen Ackerfield and Jan Turner. For help, they turned to Rudi Schmid, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, editor of the "Reviews and Notices" column in Taxon, and an outstanding scholar. Rudi was not aware of any woman, other than Jen Ackerfield, who has been the single author of a modern flora/manual for an entire state. And Jen is only 39 years old! See Dr. Schmid's website for information on women botanists: "Agnes Arber and Other Early Women Botanists," http:// rudischmid.com/arber/. Perhaps Schmid will expand the site to include contemporary women botanists! I took plant identification classes from Dr. Harrington sometime about 1 959 or early 1 960. We used his recently published Manual of the Plants of Colorado as our textbook. He was, at that time, similar in age to my father and was, as I recall, a large, gentle man who was easy to talk to and was very patient with students both in the class room and on field trips. && Metro to Mountain Group April 28, 6:00, pm- 9:00 pm Basic Botany - April - ECMR May 5, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Basic Botany - May - ECMR May 8, 1 5, 22, 8:30 am - 1 2:40 pm, NPM Course at Mt. Falcon May 1 3, 8:30 am - 1 2:30 pm, Plants of Green Mountain May 1 7, 8:30 am - 1 2:30 pm Plants of Green Mountain May 1 9 & 23, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Plant Families and Intro to Keying - ECMR and South Valley May 28, June 4 and Jun 11, 8:30 am - 1 2:40 pm, NPM Course at South Valley June 8, 10, 12, 8:30 am -12:40 pm, NPM Course at Lair o'the Bear June 1 6, 23, 30, 8:00 am - 1 2:1 0 pm, NPM Course at Green Mountain June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, 8:30 am - 1 2:40 pm NPM Course on Wetland/Riparian Plants at the South Platte Park June 25, 9:00 am - 1 0:30 am, Creating Your Own Native Plant Garden - CSU Extension-Denver July 1 0, 1 7, 24, 8:30 am - 1 2:40 pm, NPM Course at Golden Gate Canyon State Park July 1 1 , 1 8, 25, 8:30 am - 1 2:40 pm, NPM Course at Reynold Park July 22, 29, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, Plant Field Sketching class July 29, 8:00 am - 1 2:00 pm, Alpine Plants August 1 , 8:30 am - 1 2:30 pm, Grasses of Green Mountain class August 25, 1 :00 pm - 4:00 pm, Explore Gardening with Native Plants September 1 9, 1 :00 pm - 3:00 pm, Wildflower Collecting and Sowing class Register for any class at http://npm.eventbrite.com Pueblo County Essential Botany: What You Need to Know to Successfully Iden- tify Colorado's Native Plants. May 9, Sat. 9 am- 2 pm. To register, call the CSU Extension Office at 719-583-6566. Teller County Basic Botany Class - May 28, 2015 Woodland Park Library Native Plant Master Course - May 29, June 5 & 1 2, Woodland Pk. Native Plant Master Course - July 1 7, 24 & 31 For fees, registration, and additional information, contact Mark Platten, mark.platten@colostate.edu. (News & Announcements continued on page 29) Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 23 CONSERVATION CORNER The Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative's Rare Alpine Plant Project by Ginni Greer In 2014, 1 had the opportunity to search for Eutrema penlandii on Mt. Evans with a number of botanists and Colorado Native Plant Society members. When speaking with them, I realized that most of the 'alpine native plant community' knows nothing about the efforts being carried out in the Mosquito Range to locate and document the GPS locations of rare alpine plants. The Mosquito Range is a unique area of high mountain peaks and passes, alpine cirques, and rich fens in Park County. Its unusual hydrology and geology create areas that contain many of the state's rare plants and natural communities. Additionally, atypical limestone outcrops and unglaciated uplands have created a biodiversity hotspot. Few other areas in Colorado support the number and rarity of plant species found here. Recreational opportunities abound in the area that at times threaten the fragile ecosystems of the rare alpine plants. In 201 0, Sheila Lamb of the US Forest Service South Park Ranger District (USFS-SPRD) suggested that the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative (MRHI) apply for a grant from the US Forest Service RAC Secure Rural Schools to fund a Rare Alpine Plant Project. In the spring of 201 1, MRHI was granted funding and the Mosquito Range Rare Alpine Plant Project had its beginnings. Initially this was to be a two year project to preserve and protect rare alpine plant communities in the Mosquito Range. Our focus was finding new populations of Eutrema penlandii, a threatened, federally listed plant and protecting them when they are in danger due to recreation. This species is an Ice Age relic occurring at elevations of 12,000 feet and up. When we started the project in 2011, there were nine known locations in the Mosquito Range and adjoining areas. We now know of 60 locations. The project has been such a success that we have continued to receive funding from a number of sources, allowing the project to expand beyond the original two years. We just completed our fourth year and plan to begin our fifth next season. As you can imagine, the goals, objectives and scope for the project have grown through the years. MRHI set out to create a detailed botanical survey of rare alpine plant communities in relation to recreational roads & trails (authorized and unauthorized). Once plants are located, they are mapped with a Trimble GPS. The data are then downloaded into ESRI ArcMap, which allows us to share data with our partners and create maps of the known plant populations. We developed and continue to work to implement a conservation plan to protect these rare plant communities. In addition, we continue to educate Eutrema penlandii Photo © Ginni Greer community residents and visitors on our rare alpine plants and methods to preserve and protect them. The project team consists of at least one botanist, a mapper, a trails manager, and environmental stewards. Eutrema penlandii, a member of the Mustard family (Brassicaceae), is a small (not over 6") perennial plant of the alpine tundra that has been found only in the Mosquito Range of Colorado. Each flower has 4 white petals. The heart-shaped basal leaves have rounded tips. The leaves and fruit (siliques) have stalks and are hairless, features that distinguish them from Draba. The siliques turn purple-black once they are mature, another distinguishing feature. It's thought to be an Ice Age relic, (from Taliga, Christine E. and Gina Glenne, 2011. Plant Guide for Penland's eutrema {Eutrema penlandii). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Colorado State Office. Denver, 80225-0426, http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_eupe1 0. pdf.) A list of the rare plants in the Mosquito Range was compiled by Sheila Lamb (USFS - SPRD), Gina Glenne (USFWS) and Steve Olson (USFS), using information from the Colorado Natural Heritage Program records. The list was prioritized and this is the list from which we work. The list has changed slightly through the four years with new plants being added and the most common of the rare plants removed. The 2014 list is on the following page. 24 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Critically Imperiled (SI) Armeria maritima ssp. sibirica Braya glabella Draba weberi Papaverradicatum ssp. kluanen- sis Draba globosa Erigeron lanatus Eutrema penlandii Silene kingii (gastrolychnis) Mertensia a I pin a Viola selkirkii Imperiled (S2) Astragalus molybdenus Braya humilis (neotorularia) Castilleja puberula Crepis nana (askellia) Draba exunguiculata Draba fladnizensis Draba grayana Draba oligosperma Botrychium ssp. Ipomopsis globularis Machaeranthera coloradoensis (Xanthisma) Parnassia kotzebuei Phippsia algida Ranunculus gelidus (R. karelinii) Saussurea weberi Senecio soldanella (Ligularia) Townsendia rothrockii Vulnerable (S3) Aquilegia saximontana Chionophila jamesii Draba crassa Draba streptobrachia Penstemon harbourii Not Ranked (SNR) Oxytropis podocarpa The USFWS and BLM spearheaded setting up five permanent Eutrema penlandii research monitoring plots and two Modified Whittaker plots that are visited each year. The monitoring plots allow population trends and the health of plants to be noted. MRHI, in conjunction with Sheila Lamb, is also creating floristic lists of all the plants in the £ pen landii monitoring plots and in surrounding areas. Although this is a less scientific approach and we aren't always there at the same time of the year every year, it is a start at learning more about the plants in the Mosquito Range. In addition to locating the rare plants, we record all instances where roads or trails encroach on the plant populations. Where possible, we close these illegal trails, as well as place rocks around the plants, and post conservation signage to protect the plants. Each year we monitor closures and re-do them when necessary. In 2014, MRHI was fortunate to have the assistance of an AmeriCorps NCCC crew for two weeks to assist with trail work and road closures. In addition to other work, they built one very impressive buck and rail fence. MRHI also partnered with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV) in 201 4 to stop offroad usage that has expanded into the Cameron Amphitheater in recent years, threatening six rare alpine plants that call this area home. A not so fun part of the project has been noxious weed removal. We work at the lower elevations in areas that lead to national forest land to stop the spread of noxious weeds. Our focus has been Matricaria perforata, Linaria vulgaris and non-native thistles. We have concentrated our efforts in the towns of Fairplay and Alma, as well as neighboring communities. In 201 3 we tried biological control of Linaria vulgaris by releasing Calophasia lunula. Unfortunately, when we checked on them in 2014, we saw no signs that they had survived the winter. We continue to educate the public wherever possible regarding how noxious weeds are spread and what individuals can do to help stop the spread. Education remains one of our goals and takes on many different forms. We have set up a program for high school students to learn about trails, tools, and rare plants while meeting their volunteer requirements. We have worked with the Boys and Girls club in a weed pulling and tree planting project. We also conduct wildflower walks each summer, often with the USFS botanist. We attend HOA meetings to distribute information regarding noxious weeds and we sponsor community weed pulls. In addition, we attend local community events to talk about the rare plant project and noxious weeds and write noxious weed articles for newsletters. In 2014, MRHI held twelve Family Adventure Series programs. This summer environmental education series explored everything from bugs to backbones, birds to geology. These two-hour sessions featured fun, movement, crafts, and hands-on nature exploration for children from preschool to middle school. Another aspect of environmental education for children was the Story-Walk®. Story-Walk® is an innovative and delightful way for children to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time. The last two summers, MRHI has been fortunate to have funding for four environmental stewards through the Southwest Conservation Corps. Stewards receive a small living stipend during the 10-week program, in addition to an education award upon completion of the program. The stewards gain valuable work and field experience in finding and keying plants, learning to map locations using a Trimble GPS, how to use ESRI ArcMap, and trail and conservation work. In the four years (201 1 - 2014) that MRHI has been exploring the Mosquito Range we have scouted 169 locations, found 60 new instances of Eutrema penlandii (not necessarily new populations), mapped 563 instances of rare plants, hiked 727 GPS miles or 979 'adjusted' miles, and explored approximately 1,1 87 'adjusted' acres. Volunteers play a large role in all MRHI projects. Through the years we have had 675 volunteer hours contributed scouting for plants, 363 hours pulling noxious weeds, and 1 ,548 hours on trail work. Our partners through the four years have included the US Forest Service South Park Ranger District, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, South Park National Heritage Area, Bureau of Land Management, the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, Park County GIS/Mapping Department, Park County Land and WaterTrust Fund, and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 25 According to Sheila Lamb, SPRD, the Forest Service and other partners have a need for information, especially related to rare, sensitive, threatened, and endangered species to assist with land management. But they don't have the funding to pay for research. "So, relationships with partners who are able to get this information are invaluable." MRHI plans to continue the rare plant project in 2015. If you would like to join in the search for rare plants in the Mosquito Range sometime, please send an email to info@mrhi.org. We would love to have you! To learn more about the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative, go to our website, www.mrhi.org. Ginni Greer is Secretary of the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative. Background: A member of CoNPS has brought to the attention of the CoNPS Board and the Conservation Committee concern over a piece of legislation moving through the Colorado House of Representatives. This legislation is House Bill 1 5-1 006, which would establish a grant program to manage invasive phreatophytes (invasive, non-native species, growing in the riparian corri- dors, and consuming a high amount of water), namely Russian olive and tamarisk. Jennifer Bolton, a lobbyist on behalf of the Audubon Society, testified against the bill in the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee Hearing. Their society was afraid the bill did not go far enough to mandate restoration with native species. This hearing occurred on February 2, 201 5. The bill passed unanimously out of committee, but it was amended to address some concerns of environmental lobbyists. Amendments at that time included "giving priority to proposed projects that demon- strate an integrated management approach to invasive phreatophytes and achieve specified management objectives". The bill was also amended "to protect the riparian habitat native to each basin in which projects are proposed". The bill can be found here: http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS201 5A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/F67AD6EA00B4C33187257D90007828BF?Open&file=1006_01. pdf and a summary of amendments here: http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2015A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/F67AD6EA00B4C3318 7257D90007828BF?Open&file=1006_01 .pdf Actions: Members of the CoNPS Conservation Committee investigated this bill. We solicited feedback from the CoNPS board. Members of the board were generally in support of the bill, and no negative feedback was received. Megan Bowes, Ecologist at the City of Boulder OSMP, responded her agency has received support from this program in the past. She hoped that the bill would not mandate any specific restoration prescription, because in some cases, depending on the existing plant community, the only prescription necessary is to remove invasives and let nature take its course. Jenny Neale contacted Anna Sher, Biology Profes- sor at the University of Denver and expert on exotic invasives and restoration. She was supportive of the bill. Mo Ewing and I also spoke with Steve Ryder, State Weed Coordinator with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Eric Lane, State Director of Natural Resources. Steve and Eric are also supportive of the bill, especially as amended in Committee. They believe that the bill provides the flexibility in managing invasive removal, and would not benefit from more specific requirements. Eric stressed that each site is different, and that some sites may need active restoration with native species, but in others, where the number of invasives removed was minimal and a healthy population of native plants was present, the best response would be to just let nature take its course. This bill will fund projects that use Best Management Practices as determined by the grant review committee. The committee will be an inclusive body, involving multiple stakeholders, including local representatives. Steve asked if CoNPS would like to be involved in the process of project review, and we agreed that we may have members who are experts and we may be able to be involved. We asked him to keep us in mind in that process. Summary and Future Actions: Therefore, we believe this is not a bad bill and we should not oppose it. The bill has now moved to the House Appropriations Committee and will probably remain in a holding pattern until early April. If we want to actively support this bill, we should follow up with lobbyist Jen Bolton (who Eric Lane believes is now in support of the bill) and Brent Moore, lob- byist with the Colorado Weed Management Association and Colorado Association of Conservation Districts. I will get their contact information and reach out to them, asking if they recommend taking any action on moving this bill forward, and what CoNPS can do if our Board decides to actively support this bill (i.e., to whom to write a letter). Mo and I believe this may be a good way to establish a conservation advocacy partnership with them. Locating and marking Eutrema penlandii Photo © Ginni Greer House Bill 15-1006 by Jessica P. Smith Jessica P. Smith is a member of the CoNPS Board of Directors and works for CNAP (Colorado Natural Areas Program). 26 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 Southern Rockies Seed Network and CoNPS Cross Pollinate by John Giordanengo Ecological restoration succeeds in large part by establishing the right plants, at the right time, and in the right place. Although the last two requirements are easily met by skilled restoration practitioners, obtaining the right plants has proven challeng- ing in our region. The right plants are those that are locally adapted, their genetics honed by hundreds if not thousands of years of evolutionary pressures such as drought, fire, herbivory, a multitude of pests, a wide range of weather conditions, and combinations of all these factors. Such plants may be referred to as ecotypes. Over the past decade, the demand for ecotypic plants has been largely unaddressed. Given the rate and extent of ecological disturbance in our ecoregions — booming extrac- tive industries, wildfires, floods, urbanization, habitat loss, and other anthropogenic disturbances — and knowing well the desire for ecotypic seed among land management agencies and industry, developing reliable sources of ecotypic seed is critical to maintaining the integrity of Colorado's ecosystems and native flora. Pooling Demand for Native Ecotypes The unmet demand for ecotypic seed, cuttings, and container- ized plant materials within our ecoregion exists in large part due to a historic reliance upon mass-produced plant cultivars, a lack of consistent and focused demand for ecotypic plants, and a scarcity of proper production and storage facilities. Further- more, adequate investment in research and development for ecotypic plant materials has failed to keep pace with a rapidly evolving restoration industry. To address these challenges, the Southern Rockies Seed Network formed in 201 4, thanks to the dedication of more than 40 agency and industry partners in Colorado and Wyoming. The seed network is working to de- velop ecotypic workhorse plant materials (i.e., those most com- monly used in ecological restoration) as well as niche ecotypic seeds to meet targeted partner needs (i.e., pollinator plants, shrubs for mineland reclamation, or propagation of rare species for conservation). These plant materials would become avail- able through a network of industry partners such as nurseries, seed companies, community gardens, etc. The seed network is also able to contract-grow plant materials for specific partners. Seed Network Functions Myriad other functions of the Southern Rockies Seed Network include: pooling seed needs across a broad partnership to fo- cus demand in the marketplace; increasing production capacity through education and networking among strategic partners; coordinating seed collection efforts, production, storage, and testing activities; developing a sound provenance system; mar- keting; and research and development to improve knowledge and practice of using ecotypic seed. Curiously, one of the most challenging parts of this work will be finding remnant popula- tions of native plants that have not been genetically altered by cultivated varieties of native plants. If such genetic degradation seems far fetched, consider for a minute the case of Colorado's native Greenback Cutthroat trout, which have reached the furthest limits of extinction due to hybridization with the non- native Rainbow Trout. It is no stretch of the imagination that a great many of our native plants are far more promiscuous than trout, readily forming hybrids where their populations come close enough together that natural pollination barriers are overcome. CoNPS Members Can Play a Valuable Role Developing a sustainable seed network poses many challenges, none of them insurmountable as can be attested to by the dozen or so existing successful seed networks across the coun- try. However, such an effort should never be attempted without the sincere support of partner organizations such as the Colora- do Native Plant Society. Recognizing the values and interests of their flora-loving members, The Colorado Native Plant Society and the Southern Rockies Seed Network are forging an inter- organizational agreement that will, in part, strategically engage CoNPS volunteers in collecting native ecotypic seed and locat- ing remnant native plant populations throughout Colorado. "We are looking for experiences that make this love of plants meaningful and that bring us together with others who feel the same way," says Denise Wilson, secretary of the CoNPS board of directors and seed collection guru. "Native seed collection in our wild habitats is a perfect volunteer activity to learn, meet friends new and old, get outdoors, give back to the environ- ment, and have fun doing something we love!" Training and Seed Collection Opportunities for CoNPS Members Trainings for native seed collection and identification of rem- nant native plant populations will be held in June and July of 2015. Stay tuned to CoNPS and/or Synergy for an invitation for training, as well as seed collection events to be held through- out the spring, summer, and fall! Intriguing Questions A great richness of fascinating research questions also provides an opportunity for CoNPS members to be engaged in the seed network. Although there is much the industry has learned from the poor performance of cultivated native trees moved too far from one portion of their range to where they are planted, there is much to learn with respect to the genetic variation among populations of native grasses and forbs across their geographic distribution. Research by the USFS on the adapt- ability of cultivated trees to reforestation sites distant from the source populations found observations on poor growth and survival, and that maladaptation took time to develop. These observations led to the development of the first "seed move- ment" guidelines in 1939. These guidelines were further revised in 1 966, including general seed movement guidelines such as a maximum of 1 ,000 feet in elevation, and a maximum of 500 miles in latitude, between "source of plant stock" and the "site to be restored." More recently, Bower et. al. (Generalized Provisional Seed Zones for native plants. Ecological Applications, 24(5), pp Aquilegia Volume 39, No. I Spring 2015 27 91 3-91 9) developed a map of provisional seed zones for all of North America, based on an aridity factor and minimal annual temperatures, overlain atop Level III ecoregions. Although this work is helpful to the industry, much region- and taxa-specific work remains to be done. Such genecological research is essential to help understand "how local is local." In other words, much research is needed to better understand if the Western wheatgrass ( Pascopyrum smithii) collected in Boulder County can be used for restoration only in Boulder County, or if it is "genetically appropriate" to use that species throughout eastern Colorado, or even into Wyo- ming. The Native Plant Materials Policy (FSM 2070.3) requires that practitioners "Ensure genetically appropriate native plant materials are given primary consideration."The policy defines "genetically appropriate" as: (a) Adapted to target site condi- tions; (b) Genetically diverse; (c) Unlikely to cause genetic con- tamination; (d) Not likely to become invasive; (e) Not likely to be a source of non-native pathogens; and (f) Likely to maintain critical connections with pollinators. FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE: Exotics, Cultivars, and Ecotypes used in Revegetation In order to understand where we are in the ongoing saga of revegetation and restoration science and practice, it is impor- tant to have at least a glimpse at history. The evolution from a revegetation paradigm primarily dependent upon introduced species to one that is more restorative in nature, utilizing the benefits of site-specific populations, has been gradual. Many of the initial revegetation materials consisted of introduced spe- cies that, although successful in their original mission of critical area stabilization, soon became invasive. Examples include kudzu {Pueraria lobato), crownvetch ( Coronillavaria ), Russian olive ( Elaeagnus angustifolia), and others. By the mid-1 980s, the revegetation paradigm began to shift towards the use of improved native cultivars, and much gratitude is given to the NRCS plant materials centers for creating a diverse source of native plants to meet the growing restoration needs emerging in the US at the time. These cultivars were a great leap forward from the previous reliance upon entirely non-native species for ecological restoration, and it is likely such cultivated natives will provide an important source of restoration materials for decades to come. In the late part of 20th century the industry shifted once again, with a focus on local ecotypes, revealing the steady progress towards locally adapted plant materials. Several federal and state orders, mandates and guidelines have encouraged the use of ecotypic plant materials in restoration. Much of this change was spawned by the Federal Native Plant Conservation Memorandum of Understanding of 1994 (renewed in 2014), whereby 1 1 federal agencies agreed to ensure that "to the greatest extent feasible, native plant species are maintained, enhanced, restored, or established on public lands, and that such activities are promoted on private lands." In 1995 those agencies partnered with 53 organizations to form the Plant Conservation Alliance, which has coordinated efforts nationally. Other influential promulgations include: Executive Order 13112 (Invasive Species, 1999); Native Plant Conservation Initiative National Strategy (1995); USDA's efforts to "Preserve, Maintain, and Enhance the Diversity of Plant Communities" (36 CFR 219); Guidelines for Burned-Area Emergency Rehabilitation, encour- aging use of seeds that originate from genetically local sources of native species (WO Amendment 2500-2000-2, 2523.03); the Native Plant Materials Development Program (2001, CFR, BLM), and the Forest Service Seed Handbook (FSH 2409.26f, Seed Handbook, R2 Amendment 1 993). Most recently, the June 20, 2014, Presidential Memorandum on Pollinators provided another boost for the development of native ecotypic plants for restoration. In part the presidential memorandum directs (Sec 3(f)) that: "The Departments of Agri- culture and the Interior shall establish a reserve of native seed mixes, including pollinator-friendly plants, for use on post-fire rehabilitation projects and other restoration activities." It is with this brief history in mind that we embrace a meaning- ful relationship with the Colorado Native Plant Society, forging a future of working together toward the ongoing preservation of Colorado's native flora. Interested in Learning More? A seminal program of Synergy Ecological Restoration, the Southern Rockies Seed Network is working to raise funds and is seeking out assistance with website and database develop- ment, marketing, research, etc. Myriad interesting opportuni- ties exist for passionate plant enthusiasts to help make this seed network grow. If you are interested in learning more about this network, or in growing seed, providing funding, conduct- ing research, volunteering on seed collection projects, and the like, please contact John Giordanengo at 970-420-7346 or john@synergy3.org. With some light lifting by many hands, we can get this budding network off the ground! Conservation Committee Meeting Summary Many members of the Conservation Committee met for a brainstorming session on February 6, 201 5. This is a brief outline of the ideas that were discussed. For a more complete summary, see the CoNPS website under Conservation Committee. I. On-the-Ground Conservation/Restoration Projects A. CoNPS should not try to run our own on-the-ground programs. There are numerous opportunities to do conserva- tion projects run by other organizations. We should partner with other organizations and offer joint conservation programs for our members. We should be a source for conservation vol- unteers. We may pick up new members by partnering with oth- er organizations. We will choose two or three joint programs this year to test CoNPS member interest in these programs. II. Public Comments A. The consensus was that CoNPS should continue to respond to requests for public comments, recognizing that our impact will probably be greater on local interests. 28 Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 1 Spring 2015 B. Chapter presidents should be contacted to identify one or more people in their chapter to keep an eye on local issues and inform the chapter president of important local issues needing comment. III. Ongoing Programs Run by CoNPS for Fun and Education A. Types of Programs - plant ID, rare plants, open space B. Specific Programs 1. Adopt-a-Rare Plant Program (call it Rare Plant Treasure Hunt) - presently run by Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Denver Botanic Gardens - keep this program going with CoNPS support. 2. Phenology studies 3. CoNPS Annual Field Studies Bioblitz 4. Other suggestions to consider in the future IV. Ideas for the Conservation Corner column in Aquilegia A. Conservation Corner should be used to educate our mem- bers about conservation in Colorado B. Write a series of articles about conservation organizations and programs in each chapter region News & Announcements (cont. from p. 23) CoNPS Twitter Account! Follow CoNPS on Twitter @ColoradoNPS Aquilegia coerulea var. daileyae Locations Aquilegia coerulea var. daileyae is be- ing studied by researchers at the Uni- versity of California, Santa Barbara. They have located sites at Reynolds Park and Hermit Park but are interest- ed in new sites where the plant can be found. The variety has no nectar spurs but two sets of sepals making the flower look like a Clematis. If you know of other locations where Aquilegia coerulea var. daileyae occurs, please contact Scott Hodges at scott.hodges@lifesci. ucsb.edu and Zac Cabin at zacharycabin@gmail.com. In addi- tion, if you know of a rental (with 2 beds and cooking facilities) available from mid-June through early August in the Reynolds Ranch area near Conifer, please contact Zac. Photo © Al Schneider www.swcoloradowildflowers.com Front Range Wild Ones Calendar of Events Wednesday, April 8; 7 pm - Creating a Suburban Wildlife Oasis by Marcia Tatroe Wednesday, May 6; 7 pm - Pollinator Gardens by Susan Smith June, July, August - Garden Tours, TBA Wednesday, September 2; 7 pm Wednesday, October 7; 7 pm - Guest Speaker: Nick Daniel, Denver Botanic Gardens Wednesday, November 4; 7pm *Chapter meetings are held at Englewood Library in the An- derson Room on the first Wednesday of the month. https://frontrangewildones.wordpress.com/calendar/ Aquilegia Volume 39, No. I Spring 2015 Wildlands Restoration Volunteers Weed Pulls Sat. April 18 Purge Your Spurge Plant Exchange, 9am-Noon. Bring in your bagged Myrtle Spurge in exchange for Free Native Plants! Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, CO. (303) 543-141 1 X 3# Myrtle Spurge 1 - Spruce Gulch, Boulder (Volunteer Project), 8am-4pm. Spend a beautiful day with other volunteers helping to rid the state of the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge. Lunch provided. No experience necessary. Minimum Age 1 6 (accompanied by an adult). To sign up go to www.wlrv.org and select "Current Project Schedule"or call Morgan (303) 543-1411 X3# Sat. April 25 Purge Your Spurge Plant Exchange, 9am-Noon. Bring in your bagged Myrtle Spurge in exchange for Free Native Plants! Daughenbaugh Open Space located on West Cherry St. East of McCaslin Blvd. in Lou- isville, CO. "Purge Your Spurge" on Facebook or (303) 543-1411 X 3# Purge Your Spurge Plant Exchange, 9am-2pm. Bring in your bagged Myrtle Spurge in exchange for Free Native Plants! 900 Jefferson County Pkwy, Golden, CO. "Purge Your Spurge" on Facebook or (303) 543-1411 X 3# Sat. May 2 (This one is co-sponsored by CoNPS Boulder Chapter!) Purge Your Spurge Plant Exchange, 9am-Noon. Bring in your bagged Myrtle Spurge in exchange for Free Native Plants! 6400 Arapahoe Rd., Boulder, CO. "Purge Your Spurge" on Facebook or (303) 543-1411 X3# Myrtle Spurge 2 - Olde Stage Road, Boulder (Volunteer Project), 8am- 4pm. Spend a beautiful day with other volunteers helping to rid the state of the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge. Lunch provided. No experi- ence necessary. Minimum Age 16 (accompanied by an adult). To sign up go to www.wlrv.org and select "Current Project Schedule" or call Morgan (303) 543-1 41 1 X 3# Wed. May 6 Myrtle Spurge 3 -Wonderland Lake, Boulder (Volunteer Project), 8am- 4pm. Spend a beautiful day with other volunteers helping to rid the state of the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge. Lunch provided. No experi- ence necessary. Minimum Age 16 (accompanied by an adult). To sign up go to www.wlrv.org and select "Current Project Schedule" or call Morgan (303) 543-1 41 1 X 3# Sat. May 1 6 Purge The Spurge Plant Exchange 9 am-Noon. Denver Natural Area's Program will be hosting the first of two Purge The Spurge events on Saturday, May 1 6th at the CSU Extension Denver office (888 East Miff Avenue Denver, CO) in conjunction with the "Plant-a-Palooza" plant sale. Sun. May 17 Myrtle Spurge 4- North Table Mountain, Golden (Volunteer Project), 8 am- 4 pm. Spend a beautiful day with other volunteers helping to rid the state of the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge. Lunch provided. No experience necessary. Minimum Age 1 6 (accompanied by an adult). To sign up go to www.wlrv.org and select "Current Project Schedule" or call Morgan (303) 543-1 411 X3# Sat. June 6 Purge The Spurge Plant Exchange 9am-Noon. Denver Natural Area's Program will host another Purge The Spurge event on Saturday, June 6 at the Denver City Park Greenhouse. Sat. September 15 Myrtle Spurge Spruce Gulch 2.0 (Volunteer Project), 8 am - 4 pm. Spend a beautiful day with other volunteers helping to rid the state of the noxious weed Myrtle Spurge. Lunch provided. No experience neces- sary. Minimum Age 16 (accompanied by an adult). To sign up go to www.wlrv.org and select "Current Project Schedule"or call Morgan (303) 543-1411 X 3# 29 Colorado Native Plant Society Membership Form DUES include newsletter Aquilegia published quarterly. Name Membership dues cover a 1 2-month period Address 1 — 1 New 1 — 1 Renewal Citv State Zip IZZI Student $17 IZZI Senior (65+) $17 1 — 1 Individual $25 Phone E-mail □ Family $35 IZZI Plant Lover $50 IZZI Supporting $100 Chapter (if known) IZZI Patron $250 IZZI Benefactor $500 IZZI Lifetime Member $800 If this a change in address, please write your old address here. Address CONTRIBUTIONS to CoNPS are tax deductible John Marr fund for research on the biology and natural history of Colorado native plants $ City State Zip Most members receive the Aquilegia newsletter electronically. I — I Check the box if you would like to receive the printed copy of Aquilegia. Please make check payable to: Colorado Native Plant Society Chapters : Boulder, Gore Range, Metro-Denver, Northern, Plateau, Southeast, or Unaffiliated. Mvrna P. Steinkamp Memorial fund for research and other activities to benefit the rare plants of Colorado $ Send completed form and full remittance to: CoNPS Office PO Box 200 Fort Collins, CO 80522 □ Check box to receive information on volunteer opportunities Board of Directors STATE OFFICERS Co-Presidents Charlie Turner & Jan Turner conpscturner@gmail.com & JLturner@regis.edu Vice President Irene Shonle irene.shonle@colostate.edu Treasurer Mo Ewing bayardewing@gmail.com Secretary Denise Wilson deniseclairewilson@gmail.com CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Boulder Gore Range Northern Metro-Denver Plateau Southeast Erica Cooper Nanette Kuich Ronda Koski (Acting) Jannette Wesley & Jeanne Wilson Stephen Stern Vacant boulderconps@gmail.com kix@vail.net conpsworkshops@gmail.com metrodenverCoNPS@gmail.com & riversong@centurylink.net stern.r.stephen@gmail.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT LARGE Jenny Neale (2014) nealejr@gmail.com Betsy Bultema (2014) blharbert@gmail.com Bob Powell (2014) robertlpowell@durango.net Lenore Mitchell (201 5) mitchelllenore89@gmail.com Steve Olson (201 5) sdolsonoslods@aol.com Jessica Smith ( 201 6) .jpsmith24@gmail.com Jan L. Turner (2016) JLTurner@regis.edu STANDING COMMITTEES Conservation Mo Ewing Education & Outreach Sara Copp Field Studies Steve Popovich . Horticulture & Restoration Jim Tolstrup Media Jan L. Turner. Membership Vacant Research Grants Catherine Kleier Sales Linda Smith Workshops Ronda Koski ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Linda Smith 30 bayardewing@gmail.com src715@gmail.com stevepopovich@hotmail.com .jim@subrbitat.org JLTurner@regis.edu conpsoffice@gmail.com ckleier@regis.edu conpsoffice@gmail.com conpsworkshops@gmail.com conpsoffice@gmail.com Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 CoNPS CALENDAR APRIL 201 5 Apr 9 Assessing post-flood riparian conditions (program) (B) Apr 13-16 National Native Seed Conference, Santa Fe, NM Apr 1 5 Soc. of Wetland Biologists RM Chapter Annual Mtg. Apr 1 8 Rock Garden Society meeting at Denver Bot. Gardens Apr 24 Phenology class at Denver Botanic Gardens Apr 25 Grass ID Workshop, Castle Rock, 9 am -3 pm Apr 25 Staunton State Park (MD) Apr 25-26 AZNPS Annual Meeting, Flagstaff, AZ Apr 26 Winter Willow ID Workshop, Loveland Apr 29 Early Spring Hike in Northern Jefferson County (B) MAY 201 5 May 2 Purge Your Spurge - Myrtle Spurge Weed Pull (B) May 2 Tabeguache Trail (near Grand Junction) Hike (P) May 2-3 Wildflowers of Red Rock Park, Gallup, NM (SJ) May 5 Phacelia chapter program (MD) May 7 Butterfly Use & Pollination of CO Eriogonum Program (N) May 9 Essential Botany Class (SE) May 13 Demonstration Gardens, Northern Water Conservancy District, Berthoud, CO Field Trip (N) May 1 4 Early Spring Gems of Six Mile Fold Hike (B) May 1 5 William F. Hayden Park on Green Mountain (MD) May 16 High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC) Huge Native Plant Sale, Loveland May 16 Birds and Botany in Cheesman Canyon Hike (SE) May 20 Roxborough State Park Hike (MD) May 20 Sand Canyon, Canyons of the Ancients (SJ) May 23 Rabbit Mountain Open Space Hike(N) May 30 CoNPS Board Meeting, Regis U. Library, Denver May 31 Staunton State Park Hike(MD) May 31 Watering Holes, Pawnee Grasslands Hike (N) May 31 Log Hill Mesa, North of Ridgway (P) May 31 Timpas Creek Hike (SE) JUNE 2015 June 5-7 Trees & Wildflowers, Shambhala Mtn. Center June 6-7 Wildflowers of Southeast Utah (SJ) June 7 Red Rocks Park Hike (MD) June 7 Phantom Canyon Hike- Full (N) June 10 Owl Canyon Pinon Pines Hike (N) June 1 1 The Drunken Botanists — Hike and Dinner (B) June 13 Greenhorn Mountain (SE) June 1 4 Vedauwoo Rec trails Hike, east of Laramie, WY (N) June 1 4 Elk Park on Pikes Peak Hike(SE) June 20 Cottonwood Pass Hike (SE) June 20 East Bear Gulch Trail Hike (SE) June 20 Willow Identification Hike (MD & B) June 21 Willow Identification Hike (MD & B) June 21 Wildflowers and Views, Mesa Verde Nat. Park (SJ) June 24 Mount Goliath and Summit Lake (MD) June 26-28 BioBlitz in the Wet Mountains (SE) June 27 Golden Gate Canyon State Park Hike (MD) June 27 Middle Cherokee Park Hike (N) June 28 Staunton State Park Hike (MD) JULY 201 5 July 2 Rocky Mtn Nat Park, Forest Canyon Pass Hike (MD) July 7 Caribou Ranch Hike (B) July 8 Well Gulch, Lory State Park Hike (N) July 8 Wildflowers of Hermosa Fens & Wetlands, Bolam Pass (SJ) July 9 Hoosier Ridge - East (MD) July 10 Rocky Mtn Nat Park — Cub Lake/The Pool Loop Hike (B) July 1 0-1 3 - American Penstemon Society Annual Meeting, Chico, CA July 1 1 Pulling for Colorado Event- Weed Pull (MD) July 1 1 Cordova Pass Trail in the Spanish Peaks Hike (SE) July 1 2 Lost Lake, off Little Laramie River Road, Laramie, WY (N) July 1 5-1 9 Crested Butte Wildflower Festival July 18 Rocky Mountain Alpine Plants - UteTrail Hike (B) July 18 Buffalo Canyon above Helen Hunt Falls Hike (SE) July 22 Lower McCullough Gulch Near Breckenridge Hike (MD) July 24-26 Shelf Lake Area Field Trip & Opt. Camp Out (MD & N) July 24-27 Eriogonum Society Annual Meeting, Reno, NV July 25 Goose CreekTrail Hike (SE) July 30 - Hoosier Ridge West Field Trip (GR) AUGUST 201 5 Aug 1 Rocky Mtn Nat Park, Wild Basin Area Hike (MD) Aug 1 Lower McCullough Gulch, south of Breckenridge (N) Aug 2 Staunton State Park Hike (MD) Aug 5 James Peak Wilderness Crater Lakes Trail Hike (MD) Aug 9 Trail Ridge Road, RMNP, west of Estes Park, CO (N) Aug. 1 2 Dan & Anne Clark's Native Plant Garden, Loveland (N) Aug 15 Middle Bald Mtn near Red Feather Lake Hike (N) Aug 22 Signal Mountain Trail (N) Aug. 22 Wild Mushroom Hunting -- and Eating in S. CO (SJ) Aug 27 South Boulder Creek Floodplain Hike (B) Aug 28-30 Carex Workshop - Tony Reznicek, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO SEPTEMBER 201 5 Sept 9 Cathy Fromme Prairie (West) Hike (N) Sept 11-13 Native Plants & Pollinators, CoNPS Annual Conference & Annual Colorado Rare Plant Symposium, American Mountaineering Center, Golden, CO Sept 1 9 CoNPS & Front Range Wild Ones Annual Seed Swap and Plant Sale, Butterfly Pavilion, Broomfield, CO Sept 26 Hugh's Cabin Barbecue and Hike, Poudre Canyon (N) OCTOBER 201 5 Oct 4 Castlewood Canyon State Park Hike (MD) Oct 17 Landscaping with Native Plants Workshop, Pueblo KEY B Boulder Chapter GR Gore Range Chapter MD Metro-Denver Chapter N Northern Chapter P Plateau Chapter SE Southeast Chapter SJ San Juan/Four Corners Native Plant Society Aquilegia Volume 39, No. 7 Spring 2015 31 Colorado Native Plant Society P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://www.conps.org J-farCequin’s (gardens SOIL NOT OIL by Mikl Brawner Who came up with the fears? That insects are bad? That fungi are bad? That bacteria are bad? That we should use oil to poison them? Money made somebody make some things up. Poisoning Life has never been a good idea. But we've grown up since the 20th Century; Our view is bigger now. This is natural; this is native; this is good. This is the support system for photosynthesis: The way we got our energy for thousands of years — through plants. Humans can support Life. We can grow nutritious food. We can feed Life. And we can say, "No, not at all," to neonics. They kill and sicken our insects, and more, for a long time. Enough of poisoning our earth. Save the bee-ings. We Want Life Back. Paid advertisement Please support our advertiser's business We see the soil as alive with millions of beings, Supporting and surviving together, Feeding the plants that feed the soil And consuming carbon and our wastes, And storing the energy as fertility. Harlequin's Gardens New Western Garden features many Colorado natives ^ 100% Neonic-free Plants ^ Many Local & Regional Native Plants Beekeeping Supplies Products and Soils for Organic Gardening Good Classes; Knowledgeable Staff 303-939-9404 Boulder, CO www.HarlequinsGardens.com V J