MEMBERS MEETING: PHOTO SHARING NIGHT Photo Sharing Night! Wednesday, January 25, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) East Bay CNPS photo sharing nights are eye-popping, educa¬ tional, and just plain fun. Everyone is invited to enjoy and/ or share photos or videos of hikes, trips and adventures, gardens, landscapes, work parties, flora, fauna, plant art, you name it! Come to share your images or just to enjoy those that others bring. Nonmembers are welcome to present and/or enjoy, and both amateur and pro photographers are invited and appreciated. GUIDELINES: 1. IMPORTANT: Contact Sue (programs@ebcnps.org) by January 18 if you want to show photos or videos. (This is required.) 2. Each presenter will have time for up to 20 images (or up to 7 minutes of video). Bring photos you think will appeal to native plant and nature lovers. 3. Provide your images in advance so we can save time during the meeting. Here's how: When you contact Sue (by January 18), you'll receive a link to an online Dropbox set up especially for this meeting, along with instructions on how to upload your photos or videos. If you haven't used Dropbox before, rest assured that it's easy to upload images (and less stressful than trying to do it via flash drive on the night of the meeting). Dropbox can accom¬ modate large file sizes. Upload your PowerPoint, digital images, or videos to the Dropbox by January 23. This will allow more time for showing photos at the meeting by reducing set-up time. 4. Prints are also welcome: We'll have a table on which you can display them. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. E mail programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way: From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Getting ready for the shot, by Rob DeGraff LETTER FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT By the time you read this, I will have completed my two-year term as chapter president. It has been a privilege to work with the Board, the committees, and the membership. I feel the chapter is in a good place, so I am pleased to turn the re¬ sponsibilities over to my esteemed colleague Beth Wurzburg. I doubt you'll notice much change as I step down. The real work of the chapter is carried out by the committees and projects—Native Here Nursery, the Conservation Committee, Field Trips, Programs, Plant Science, Restoration, Bay Leaf, and the website, to name a few. Most of the dedicated people who work in these areas have served for years before me and will continue to serve in 2017. There will be some new talent, to be sure, and I am looking forward to new developments! My biggest satisfaction has been to affirm and encourage those engaged in the important work of the chapter. And it certainly has been a privilege to work with the intelligent, thoughtful, steady, hardworking people who devote their free time to the preservation and appreciation of our East Bay native plants. The Chapter is in good hands. I am looking forward to catching up on some personal and professional obligations I've put on hold these past two years, but I will continue to work with Clara on fundraising and with the Nursery Committee on phytosanitation in 2017. Thanks to you, our members, for bringing out the best in all of us these past two years. I hope the next two years brings greater strength and success to this fine organization. Barbara Leitner THE NEW RARE PLANT CHAIR: DANNY SLAKEY After reading departing Rare Plant Chair Heath Bartosh's farewell article in the December issue of the Bay Leaf, I was left with a deep appreciation of what Heath has done for rare plant science and conservation in the East Bay Chapter. I first met him shortly after I began working as a Rare Plant Treasure Hunt Coordinator for CNPS in 2011, when he at¬ tended a field trip I had organized to document a population of big-scale balsamroot (Balsamorhiza macrolepis, CRPR 1B.2) in a preserve near American Canyon. During my nearly five years of working for the statewide CNPS Rare Plant Pro¬ gram, I frequently had the pleasure of working with Heath, both through his role in the East Bay Chapter and the Rare Plant Program Committee at the State CNPS level. Much to my surprise, less than a year after leaving my paid position with CNPS for a botanist with the consulting firm AECOM in downtown Oakland, I received a text from Heath asking if I would be interested in taking over his role as East Bay Chapter Rare Plant Chair at the end of 2016.1 was immensely honored to be considered for this role, and at the same time a little terrified, as I wondered if I could adequately serve as a Rare Plant Chair while still finding time for my vegetable and native plant gardening, raising chickens, cycling, and kayak¬ ing, among a few other hobbies. Ultimately though, my fond memories of working with CNPS volunteers, the numerous rare plant adventures I've had with CNPS, and the ability to contribute to rare plant science and conservation drove me to accept Heath's offer. I am excited to begin working as rare plant chair in 2017, in some cases picking up where Heath left off, and in other cases undertaking new projects. On the top of my list is jump-starting a new year of the Adopt a Rare Plant (AARP) program, in which volunteers agree to search for known rare plant occurrences of their adopted rare plant and document their findings. Stay tuned for a kickoff meeting in early spring 2017.1 am also in the process of looking into other projects to undertake, through consulting with both the statewide CNPS Rare Plant Program and local volunteers and experts. I'm truly looking forward to working with the East Bay Chapter, continually improving my knowledge of the East Bay flora, and helping to advance rare plant science and conservation in the East Bay. Danny Slakey, Incoming East Bay Chapter Rare Plant Chair RESTORATION PROJECTS IN JANUARY Saturday, January 14, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve. Meet us at the parking lot, where we will decide where to work in light of soil conditions and recent weather. November volunteers made tremendous progress in removing sprouts of Italian thistle, poison hemlock and young French broom, which sprang up in the October rains. Park staff will meet us at the lot, where you can pick up loaner gloves, tools, and water. Sunday, January 15, 9:00 am, Sibley Regional Park We meet at the Oakland-side parking lot, just a few hundred meters on Skyline north of the Huckleberry Park lot. However you may also enter Sibley Park from the Old Tunnel Road staging area, and then walk south to the work site. You may find the Old Tunnel Road entrance more convenient if you come from either north or east of the park. However, this secondoption requires that you bring your tools and gloves, or take your chances with what's in the toolbox by the no¬ torious wall of broom. If you have questions you can e-mail either sibley@ebparks.org orjanetgawthrop47@gmail.com. Saturday, January 21,9:30 am, Isabel restoration in McLaugh¬ lin Eastshore State Park. Just off 1-580 (take Central to the bot¬ tom of the 1-580 overpass). At the stop sign (Rydin Road) turn right and come down to the end of the street. If you pass Cost¬ co on your right, you've gone too far. You'll find us on the trail. 2 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 CHANGES AT NATIVE HERE On January 3, Nursery Manager Amy Leonard resigned to pursue other interests. We wish her well, and hope she will continue to develop her knowledge and interest in native plants. Native Here will not seek a new Nursery Manager immedi¬ ately. During the past year, nursery leadership has formed a committee that meets regularly and seeks to address the larger issues of nursery operations — how to best meet the mission of the chapter and the goals of the nursery; how to attract customers and volunteers to learn more about growing and protecting locally native plants; how to implement best practices for phytosanitation. The ongoing work of the nursery will continue as always. Over the past year or two. Native Here has grown stronger. We have more volunteers—and more volunteer hours — than ever before. We have a delightful cadre of high school, college, and millenial volunteers who have contributed admirably, in community service, internships, and drop-in work. These young people have groomed plants, watered, potted, weeded, cleaned pots—and learned about native plants from the very best. We are so happy to have the energy and fresh minds of these new volunteers. They add to the steady, mindful work of more experienced ones. Sometimes I think the volunteers at Native Here are like an orchestra—Charli is the concertmaster, with John and his band of seed collectors and cuttings propagators; Shirley lead¬ ing the watering team (and potting sometimes, too!); Gudrun on bulbs; Penny on maintenance; Steve on cages; Marilyn on CONSERVATION ANALYST’S Over the course of 30 minutes in front of the CNPS Chapter Council representatives at the early December meeting I had the opportunity and pleasure to present about our robust East Bay conservation program. In preparing, I was reminded how far the chapter has come with supporting the position I cur¬ rently fill. I gained a deeper understanding of why I do this work, namely that CNPS conservation activities are backed by scientific evidence as well as passion. I relayed what my typical week looks like, and quickly described three of our top projects (Knowland Park, Point Molate, Tesla), which have both long histories and current activity, and from which we have learned important lessons. I spoke of the importance of forming alliances in all our conservation work, from personal one on one connections to connections that expand into co¬ operation with other organizations and with agencies. I also noted that I could not do my work without the dedicated volunteers who surround me. In addition to these important points, I also laid out how we can work hard to prepare effec¬ tive administrative records and connect with the state office. NURSERY cuttings; Sara on potting; Sue on inventory; Yona on signage and potting; and many, many more. Lesley Hunt will lead the Nursery Committee, together with Beth, Delia, Steve, Sue, Charli and Barbara. Saige White is our steady Nursery Assistant, helping with sales and stock. Native Here is a lovely place, with good energy and lots to learn and do. People are relaxed and friendly, and always generous with their knowledge. There is something new to every visit! We will all be taking on more responsibilities to cover the management functions, and we welcome anyone who would like to help out. We would especially welcome people who could help with: T. outreach on the website and Facebook; 2. publicizing the nursery and events; 3. sales procedures; 4. regular watering during the dry months; 5. pot cleaning and phytosanitation; 6. bookkeeping; 7. organizing events; 8. special projects and maintenance. If you are interested, write to nativehere@ebcnps.org and let us know what you would like to do! Barbara Leitner, Lesley Hunt , and Charli Danielsen REPORT In the new year keep a look out on the Conservation blog for viewing a copy of my presentation, and for more detail on a basic CEQA response strategy, https: / /ebcnps.wordpress. com/ Our role as an organization will continue to rise in importance in coming years. I had heard before, but discovered again that there is tremendous latent demand among our chapters for more conservation representatives. My goal was to inspire attendees with specific and hopeful recommendations for using the tools and lessons we have learned as a chapter, and I believe that I succeeded. Thank you for continuing to put your faith in me. Happy holidays! Karen Whitestone THE BAY LEAF January 2017 3 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION We thank our lucky stars for the youngsters among us!! Point Isabel December work parties were extremely well attended - first, by Japanese students (and their chaperone) attending the English Studies Institute (ESI) in Berkeley ( http://esi.edu/en US/1 and then, environmental stud¬ ies students from Berkeley High School. These students - who were a little cautious at the outset - quickly threw themselves into the work with enthusiasm and elan. On December 3 rd the ESI group weeded radish and oat grass, while stopping occasionally to write down all the new English words they heard from our Stewards and volunteers. Once the area was cleared, they learned how to plant buckeye ( Aes - cuius califomica) saplings that we had propagated from the two buckeyes on either side of the Hoffman channel. With a tip of our hats to Jeremy Saito of the EBRPD, we presented the students with bandanas from the District as reminders of their work at Point Isabel after they return to Japan. Berkeley High School students Nina and Ottavia let us know that we were celebrating Saturnalia on December 17 th when they and their fellow students came out in force to work with us. Saturn was an agricultural deity and the festival included a public banquet - we shared some delicious snacks - as well as sacrifice - the BHS students "sacrificed" their Saturday to help Mother Nature and her life forms. The crew, along with student mom Heather and Steward Ivy, cleared masses of oat grass and oxalis, wheelbarrowed weeds to the compost piles, and set to work planting. A BHS teacher and his wife rode by on their bikes and stopped to help student Krishna dig a hole (a good deed the students got a kick out of) for one of the shrubs. By day's end we had bedded in 6 California sagebrush (Ar¬ temisia califomica ), 4 toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) yarrow (Achillea millefolium)), 2 lizard tail (Eriophyllum staechadifolium), and 1 bee plant (Scrophularia califomica). Thanks to all our volunteers and to Steward Lewis, Core Volunteers John, Nancy, Luciano and Rob for their unceas¬ ing work in weed removal and trash pickup. There are fewer oxalis every day and Hoffman marsh is looking great for the visiting egrets and other birds. Special thanks to Jesus and Gabriel from the City of Richmond for bringing us large rolls of cardboard and a big pile of mulch for the Adopt-a-Spot at Central Avenue and Rydin Road. Many thanks also to EBRPD's Scott Possin for the plant stipend and to our ranger Bruce Adams for all his help and good cheer. Happy Holidays Everyone! Jane and Tom Kelly 4 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 5 BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS Berkeley High School Crew. Photo by Jane Kelly. Ivy, Heather, and Ethan. Photo by Jane Kelly. 6 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 BHS student Krishna and teacher. Photo by Jane Kelly. BHS student Ezra. Photo by Jane Kelly. BHS students Ottavia and Nina. Photo by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF January 2017 7 Directory of Chapter Leaders Officers and Committee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of volunteers. Proposals for committees and projects are wel¬ come and will be considered by the Board. Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebc- nps.org Vice-President David Bigham david@hjuliende- signs.com Recording Sec¬ retary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci. edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding- secretary@ebc- nps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebc- nps.com Committees Bay Leaf News¬ letter Bay Leaf Editor and Webmaster Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps. org webmaster@ebc- nps.org Bay Leaf Assis¬ tant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@ gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation- chair@ebcnps. org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation© ebcnps.org FieldTripsJanet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47 @gmail.com FundsDev elopment Delia Taylor, Chair funds-develop- ment-chair@ebc- nps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail. com Information In¬ frastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm- chair@ebcnps. org Membership Vacant Native Here Nursery Liaison Steve Toby plantfair@ebc- nps.org Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound. net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebc- nps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny SI a key, Chair botanikerrr@ gmail.com Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants- admin@ebcnps. org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwa- tersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwater- sci.com EBCNPS Spon¬ sored Activi¬ ties East Bay Chap¬ ter News list Emailed an¬ nouncements of upcoming EBC¬ NPS events List manager- Martha Booz mlbooz@calna- tives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebc- nps.org Charli Danielsen, production man¬ ager charlid@pacbell. net Penny Spear, in- frastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collec¬ tion dnlsen@pacbell. net Saige White, Nursery assistant swhite@cnps. com Restoration Projects Huckleberry Re¬ gional Botanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader j a n e t gawthrop47@ gmail.com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@no- madecology.com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, leaders 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbc- global.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ ebcnps.org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, lead¬ er 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound. net 8 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 MEMBERS MEETING FEB. 22: CERCIS (REDBUD) North American Cercis (redbud): a study of evolution and adaptation Speaker: Camille Nowell, MSc Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) For many centuries Cercis, a genus of attractive woody plants that includes our native western redbud, has been a focus of botanical study and appreciation. The first recorded mention of the group was by the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, circa 325 BC. Native Americans, distinguished botanists, and eminent statesmen have also taken an interest in Cercis, including Carl Linnaeus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Edward Lee Greene, Milton Hopkins, and Duane Isley. More recently scientists have been investigating this group to better define its species and to understand its global patterns of distribution. The traditional taxonomic treatment of Cercis described two species in North America: the eastern species C. canadensis and the western species C. occidentalis (western redbud). In her master's research on Cercis, Camille found through DNA analysis that Cercis in the Colorado River drainage may in fact be a different species. In her presentation, Camille will introduce the redbud genus and explain how she determined there could be a "cryptic" third species in North America. Camille Nowell with a redbud. Photo by Diana Gamba. Camille Nowell has conducted detailed botanical surveys in the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevada, and the San Joaquin Valley. She recently earned her M.S. degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, with an emphasis on California native flora. Her research on Cercis took her on expeditions throughout montane California and the Colorado Plateau. She has also enjoyed working on barn owl, golden eagle, and prairie falcon studies for the East Bay Regional Park District. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Email programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way: From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria Way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Next Month's Program (note new location): March 22, 7:30 pm, Albany Library, Edith Stone Room Glen Schneider—Skyline Gardens: The East Bay's Richest Botanical Hotspot CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT Successful communications with East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) through the Safe Trails, Environmental Protection (STEP) alliance Efforts to preserve narrow (single-track) hiking trails on EBMUD land for just hikers and horse riders has produced a strong alliance group with a clear platform. The STEP (Safe Trails, Environmental Protection) alliance of environmental organizations and equestrians formed in August 2016, and includes EBCNPS, the Sierra Club, and the Audubon Society as the major environmental players. We originally gathered in response to a proposal to open four specific trails to mountain bikes. (Bikes are currently not allowed on EBMUD property except a few paved paths.) Our clear advocacy for safe trails has influenced the EBMUD Board and staff. We all agree that a trial program for introducing mountain bikes requires robust analysis and preparation in order to avoid significant environmental damage. Without our attention and advocacy this mountain bike ad¬ dition proposal would have passed as a benign addition to EBMUD's scheduled Watershed Master Plan update. Our group's "statement of goal" focuses on "supporting the continued safe and enjoyable use of EBMUD trails... while protecting water quality and the watershed's diverse plants and wildlife." You can read our organization's September 2016 comment letter, under Conservation Analyst Reports: https: / / ebcnps.wordpress.com/conservationanalystreports/ . We encouraged the district to examine impacts of trail use changes as part of this two-year trial proposal allowing mountain bikes, as well as to perform baseline studies, which may include analysis in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Connecting narrow trail segments into protected areas like El Sobrante Preserve and Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve was proposed originally but seems to be off the table now. Regular stakeholder meetings between EBMUD and STEP will continue considering the pilot program if it moves forward. Within STEP, we are also outlining suggested en¬ forcement recommendations and sensitive species protection guidelines for presentation to the district. Another major concern has been for the importance of establishing guidelines able to evaluate the proposed pilot project, clearly defining markers of success or failure of the pilot. STEP reported on difficult experiences we heard of from Marin Municipal Water District and Mount Tamalpais State Park, where creation of rogue trails has caused major adverse environmental impact. Esteemed volunteer Glen Schneider has been leading regu¬ lar hikes at Skyline Gardens, a stretch of trail starting near Tilden Park Steam Train in Oakland. Glen is the leader of a restoration project along this trail, including regularly removing nonnative plants and even rebuilding trail, all of which encourages native plants in the area. Sometime soon we hope to establish a designation with EBMUD to recognize the uniqueness of Skyline Gardens. Blooming now in January and February are Western leatherwood ( Dirca occidentalis, CNPS RPR 1B.2), currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.), and Chinese houses ( Collinsia heterophylla). Many grasses will probably continue to leaf out after the recent storms. Next time you go for a walk, hike, or trot on EBMUD lands (with a permit, of course, https:/ / www.ebmud.com/recreation / buv-trail-permit /) , you can relax into your preferred nature-loving routines, knowing that a mountain biker will not barrel around that blind curve ahead, crushing vegetation and maybe even you. Involved from EBCNPS: Glen Schneider, Jim Hansen, Karen Whitestone, Peter Rauch New 2017 Richmond City Council favors open space, adopts General Plan Amendments At the City Council meeting on January 24,2017 two agenda items favoring open space in Richmond received unanimous Council approval as additions to the city's General Plan. Our organization delivered a letter as well as spoken comments on both items. Council heard from more than 20 public speakers for each item during the Study and Action Session. Did you know that Richmond has more than 30 miles of shoreline, the most of any San Francisco Bay Area city? Passing the Richmond Hills Initiative, preserving 430 acres near Wildcat Canyon We received news in late 2016 from the Richmond Registrar of Vters that the Richmond Hills Initiative had enough veri¬ fied signatures (out of more than 6500) to qualify it for the 2018 General Election ballot. EBCNPS contributed to natural resource knowledge for initiative language and both our Conservation Committee and Board endorsed the final text as early as April of last year. The Richmond Hills Initiative Area is 430 acres partly overlapping with our Sobrante Ridge Botanical Priority Protection Area (BPPA), located between San Pablo Dam Road and Wildcat Canyon Regional Park https:/ / ebcnps.wordpress.com/2016/ 09/22/ sign-the-richmond-hills-initiative/. Rare plant species and communities exist within this ridgetop native plant landscape between Richmond and El Sobrante. There are seasonal wetlands there and west of San Pablo Ridge, with vernal pool species such as small rusheses (El- eocharis) and little white buttercups (rare Ranunculus lobbii) blooming now in Wildcat Regional Park. Federally threatened and state endangered pallid manzanita ( [Arctostaphylos pallida) are also found here within pockets of maritime chaparral. All these resources would be affected by urbanization. Others have found that the initiative area touches multiple water¬ courses and is geologically unstable for building. Initiative organizers submitted the "sufficiency of the peti¬ tion" to the City Council, which quietly accepted the petition with its certification at the January 17 meeting with the prom¬ ise of further discussion. At the January 24 Council meeting 2 THE BAY LEAF February 2017 CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT (CONTINUED) it was a pleasure to witness the Councilmembers' eagerness to adopt the initiative. Changing the North Shoreline land use designation from Industrial to Open Space Since at least 2011 the North Shoreline area between Point Pi¬ nole and Point Molate has been a concern to our organization. Encompassed by the Richmond Shoreline BPPA, this overall span contains 500 acres of tidal marshes, 800 acres of mudflats, several estuaries of local creeks, and coastal prairie grassland, as well as extensive alkaline soils. The Richmond shoreline is known for eelgrass beds (Zostera marina) in subtidal zones, healthy shoreline mudflat flora, and as a California Audubon Society Designated Important Bird Area. Our archive showed continued EBCNPS recommendations for better General Plan protections during the update process, to no avail until now. Potentially recovering some lost time by re-zoning the land as open space, the Council combined this with an emergency ordinance "temporarily prohibiting land uses conflicting with the contemplated General Plan Amendment." This item passed, which means conservation for maximum area acreage and removal of worst-case industrial land use scenarios from the North Shoreline equation. Study of tte current state of the uplands here may reveal a need for restoration. Protection of wetlands and uplands areas as open space land would ensure that the natural communities of these dwindling ecosystems remain protected. Council took strong action in line with their existing policies for natural habitat protection. We hope that native habitat protection and restoration in this area create opportunities for even greater public shoreline access. Involved from EBCNPS: Karen Whitestone, Gregg Weber, Barbara Leitner, Jim Hansen. Karen Whitestone , East Bay Chapter Conservation Analyst PLANT SALE AT NATIVE HERE 2/25-26 The chapter's Native Here Nursery will hold the last sale of the winter planting season on Saturday and Sunday, February 25-26 from 10-2 both days. Sidalcea (Brooks Island only) and huckleberries ( Vaccinium ) will be half price on that weekend. A variety of local annuals will be available in pots with multiple seedlings. Local bulb plants including zygadene and trillium will be offered. Of course, there will be a wide selection of native plants from all parts of the East Bay for both gardening and restoration purposes. If there's something special you've been looking for, check the inventory online at www.nativeherenursery.org. It is current as of mid January. As plants become rooted or emerge from dormancy (or if they sell out) the inventory will be updated. Currently the goal is to have an update posted by mid-month each month, so check the week before the sale. Volunteers and customers are always welcome during regular nursery hours: noon-3pm on Tuesdays, 9-noon Fridays, 10-2 Saturdays. If you would like to volunteer to help with the sale weekend, please send an e-mail to Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl@mac.com East Bay CNPS Native Here Nursery NEW NATIVE HERE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR I have been volunteer coordinator for special events at the nursery for about 7 years. In the meantime I have become a member of the board of directors and joined the Nursery Planning Committee. As a result, I decided to seek a new volunteer coordinator. I am very happy to announce that Ruth Ann Pearsons has stepped up to the plate. I have met twice with Ruth Ann and she is very enthusiastic and eager to get started. I asked her for a brief bio and this is what she told me: Ruth Ann Pearsons is a native plant garden enthusiast, iPhonographer, blogger and credentialed Child Development Master Teacher. She currently volunteers with the curation department at UC Botanical Garden and serves as a garden ambassador. She received her bachelors degree in botany from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for Mt. Diablo Interpretive Association and created and edited the Mt. Diablo Review. As VIP Coordinator for Mt. Diablo State Park she staffed and managed the visitor center and developed the State Park Volunteers in Parks Manual. Ruth Ann enjoys camping and road cycling. She is married and has two adult daughters. She is thrilled to have found an opportunity where she can support the East Bay Chapter CNPS and Native Here Nursery, using her knowledge of California native plants and skills for working with people. Ruth Ann can be reached at rapearsonsl@mac.com Steve Toby THE BAY LEAF February 2017 3 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION A king tide of 7.1 feet came to Hoffman marsh at Point Isabel on January 11 and we went out to record it. The marsh turned into a crystalline lake with birds huddled on the only small piece of land that was still able to sustain them. The berm cov¬ ering the Stege pipe was completely submerged and the geese were swimming over it. Water came up so high that it flooded a couple of the newly planted buckeye (Aesculus califomica) saplings. They seem to have weathered the flood but we are keeping a close eye on them to see if they need to be moved. Speaking of plants, Tis the (planting) season! On Christmas Day/1 st Day of Chanukah we worked with Steward Lewis and planted his site with 2 toyon ( Heteromeles arbutifolia), 4 lizard tail ( Eriophyllum staechadifolium), 10 yarrow (Achillea millefolium), 2 bee plant ( Scrophularia califomica), and 3 purple clarkia (Clarkia purpurea). On New Year's Eve, we planted 6 farewell-to-spring ( Clarkia amoena) on Tom's site. Stewards Sue and (now 11-year-old) Oliver Schoening moved about 20 purple needle grass ( Stipa pulchra) clumps that had been planted before their stewardship commenced and that were being overgrown by nearby Artemisia califomica. The transplanted grasses are now in more open areas and, with the recent rains, they are doing well. New plants for 2017 on Sue and Oliver's site include big saltbush (Atriplex lentifor- mis), coffeeberry (Frangula califomica), Scrophularia califomica, Achillea millefolium, lippia (Phyla nodiflora), California oatgrass (Danthonia califomica), and various bulbs. We were rained out for our 1 st work party in January so we held it on the 2 nd Saturday of the month and accomplished an incredible amount of work thanks to the stellar Stewards and volunteers who showed up. We were very happy to welcome back Steward Nina who is sporting a new knee. Core volunteers Gudrun and Nancy worked with Nina all day, heads down, soil knives in hand, meticulously remov¬ ing countless bunches of invasive oat grass and oxalis from the established plants and the masses of poppies on her site. The transformation of the site in just this one work party is remarkable. Tom joined Steward Lewis at his site planting three yampah (Perideridia kelloggii), and three Phyla nodiflora adding to the 21 plants we put in on December 25 th . This new site is thriving. Steward Ivy brought along two friends (Jessica and Shannon). This super energetic and young crew of three cleared loads of weeds on Ivy's site before planting two bee plants and four Perideridia kelloggii. The day after the work party we spotted an anise swallowtail butterfly checking out the yampah. It looks like Ivy will see their caterpillars on her site later this year. Our nearly final planting for this season took place on Janu¬ ary 15 th when we put in the last Scrophularia califomica and seven lippia. Hoffman marsh is a busy Point Isabel Restoration Project place now. Over the past few weeks we have spotted Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Canada Geese, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Mallards, Willets, and Egrets. Thanks to Core Volunteer John Kenny for helping ID a number of these. Special thanks this month go to American Soil and their Man¬ ager, Donna Capozzi, who helped us resolve a problem due to a mislaid invoice. Donna worked with us and arranged for us to pick up the remaining 3 bags of soil we had pre-purchased to slightly amend the soils out at Point Isabel before planting. Thanks as always to the EBRPD and to our ranger Bruce. Jane and Tom Kelly 4 THE BAY LEAF February 2017 Birds looking for dry land at Point Isabel (left) and king tide at Hoffman Marsh. Photos by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF February 2017 5 RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, February 4 and Saturday, February 18, Pt. Isabel restoration in McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Just off 1-580 (take Central to the bottom of the 1-580 overpass). At the stop sign (Rydin Road) turn right and come down to the end of the street. If you pass Costco on your right, you've gone too far. You'll find us on the trail. Tom Kelly KyotoUSA www.kyotousa.org www.heliosproject.org Phone and Fax: (510) 704-8628 Cell: (510) 684-6484 tkelly@kyotousa.org Saturday, February 4, 2017, 9 am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont. gov/ SabercatRestoration . Click on the "Event- brite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but chil¬ dren under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long- sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebertat ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Sabrina Siebert Special Assistant City of Fremont Environmental Services Division Saturday, February 4,10 am -1:00 pm, rain date for Garber Park Stewards Fern Glade Workshop with Lech Naumovich. This is a great hands-on class to identify native ferns that you may find amid the French broom and Algerian ivy and an opportunity to help expand this successful restoration area. Dress in layers for the changing weather and shoes with good tread. We provide tools, snacks and water. Meet at the Clare¬ mont Avenue entrance to Garber. See January Bay Leaf for the original announcement or www.garberparkstewards.org, or email Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com . Sunday, February 5,10:00 am -1:00 pm, the monthly North Basin restoration meets at Eastshore State Park, on the bay shoreline south of Tom Bates soccer fields, to continue clearing radish and other invasives from around the native plants. A map of the area can be found at https://goo.gl/ rqdZQW. For directions to the work site or more informa¬ tion about this project, contact John Kenny ( j ohnkennv54@ yahoo.coml . Saturday, February 11,9 am -12 pm, PAL Camp, 10100 Sky¬ line Boulevard (address not posted at location) Please join us for a volunteer work party at the open space surrounding the Police Activities League's "PAL Camp" to pull French broom and other invasive weeds. Due to lack of city money, it has been un-maintained and overgrown. We will simultaneously help restore native vegetation, protect the pallid manzanita on site, reduce the hazardous fuel load in an area close to homes, and make PAL Camp more attractive and fire safe for the inner city kids who use the park. Meet at the yellow gate on the east side of Skyline Boulevard across from Big Trees Trailhead in Joaquin Miller Park. This is south of Chabot Observatory; about a block and a half south of the Metropolitan Horseman's Association at 10060 Skyline and the Redwood Bowl Parking lot, and north of Roberts Regional Park. Wendy Tokuda Saurday, February 11, 10 am -12:30 pm, help plant natives on beautiful Cerrito Creek at Albany Hill With welcome rains, this is a great time to help resilient and beautiful native plants get established on Cerrito Creek at Albany Hill. Learn about the history of this fascinating urban oasis! Tools, gloves, water, and snacks provided. Wear closed¬ toed shoes with good traction and dress in layers, prepared for changing weather. All ages welcome -- there's a climbing structure for the very young. Meet at El Cerrito's Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Avenue (3488 Santa Clara on Internet maps). We work in a drizzle, but heavy rain moves to Sat., Feb. 18. Groups of 10 or more please RSVP. Otherwise, just show up! Questions? Email Friends of Five Creeks, f5creeks@gmail. com, or check our web site at www.fivecreeks.org . Susan Schwartz, President, Friends of Five Creeks 510 848 9358 f5creeks@gmail.com www.fivecreeks.org Saturday, February 11 at 9:30 a.m. Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve. This botanic preserve almost always has something in bloom, but early February this year should provide unusually abundant manzanitas and western leath- erwoods in flower. Not to mention that the rain has finally softened the ground and made pulling weeds much easier. Join us at the parking lot at 9:30 am to get gloves, tools and snacks, but come early or stay late to take in the flowers. Directions: From Highway 13, exit at Park, cross 13 going uphill from the ramp, and then turn left onto Mountain. Fol¬ low Mountain to the traffic light at Snake, and then turn right (uphill) on Snake and follow it all the way to its other end at the intersection of Snake and Skyline, roughly 2 miles. Turn left onto Skyline, and follow it several hundred meters to find the Huckleberry parking lot on the right side. 6 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 RESTORATION PROJECTS CONTINUED Saturday, February 18, 10 am-noon, Garber Park. Please join us as we continue pulling invasive weeds and planting seedlings we have grown from our own Garber Park seeds. Meet at the Claremont Avenue entrance. We provide tools, snacks and water. Everyone welcome. For more information and directions: www.garberparkstewards.org or contact Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com . Sunday, February 19 at 9:00 am, Sibley Regional Park. Join us to push back the notorious wall of broom from some oth¬ erwise healthy oak woodland and purple needlegrass prairie on the Sibley-to-Tilden trail. If you are arriving from Oakland or points south, you can meet us at the Skyline parking lot, about 1/3 mile north of the Huckleberry parking lot. If you are coming from Berkeley, Orinda, or points further east, you can park at the Old Tunnel Road staging area, but e-mail janetgawthrop47@gmail.com or sibley@ebparks.org so we know to expect you. The last several months have featured increasing amounts of water in a creek that ran dry last sum¬ mer, with choruses of frogs in the background. Saturday, February 25, 9:30-11:30 am join Friends of Albany Hill for the last Saturday of the month work party, loca¬ tion to be announced. Gloves and tools provided but bring a favorite weeding tool if you like. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Fong pants and long sleeves recommended. Heavy rain cancels. For more info: friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com . Margot Cunningham Wishing everyone a turn of luck for the better with the start of the lunar new year. Janet Gawthrop Broom at Sibley ripe for removal! Photo by Wendy Tokuda. The January 14 Pt. Isabel team. Photo by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF January 2017 7 February Sale 50% off Sidalceafrom Brooks Island Huckleberries February 25-26 Saturday - Sunday 10:00am - 2:00pm both days Native Here Nursery 101 Golf Course Rd. in Tilden Park Berkeley 510 - 549-0211 nativeherenursery.org for current inventory Also featuring spring annuals zygadene and other local bulbs 8 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 Brown Bag Speakers Forum Monday, February 6 at 12:30pm Reflections on Albany Hill: An Island in an Urban Sea Dr. Barbara Ertter Does the preservation and appreciation of the natural world only happen in large faraway wilderness areas, or are pockets of wildland in our backyards just as important (and pos¬ sibly more so)? And what is the reciprocal value for those of us fortunate enough to have ready access to such "islands in an urban sea"? Join biologist Barbara Ertter, one of the original members of Friends of Albany Hill, for a discussion on the ecologically unique features of Albany Hill and the site stewardship program that developed to protect them. Barbara Ertter is Curator of Western North American Botany at the University an Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley. Primary research interests in¬ clude western floristics (including the East Bay), systematics of several members oi the rose family (e.g., Potentilla, Ivesia, Rosa), and the history of western botany. Sig¬ nificant publications include an updated edition of The Flowering Plants and Ferns o Mount Diablo, California ( 2002 ), Annotated Checklist of the East Bay Flora ( 2013 ), and treatments of Potentilla, Ivesia, Horkelia, Rosa, and related genera for The Jepson Manual, Vascular Plants of California ( 2012 ) and Flora of North America ( 2015 ), She currently lives in Boise, Idaho. Albany Library 1247 Marin Ave. A presentation of the Albany YMCA and the Albany Library For more information please contact Albany Library at 510-526-3720 www.aclibrary.org Alameda County LIBRARY .. .Infinite j mwbilitie,) THE BAY LEAF January 2017 9 FIELD TRIPS Go see Mount Diablo manzanita in flower Saturday, February 4,2017,10:00 am to 1:00 pm, Curry Point on Mt. Diablo. We will walk 4 miles round trip, from Curry point to Balanc¬ ing rock, via the Knobcone point Road. 30 ft elevation gain, with 300 ft of ups and downs. Optional extra mile and one hour, returning via bootleg trail, and Blackhawk Ridge Road. Bring food for short lunch break. We will go through woodland, non-native grasslands, chap¬ arral areas, with Chaparral pea. Black sage, Manzanitas, Silk-tassle trees. We should see Mount Diablo manzanita, and Contra Costa Manzanita in flower, and maybe some Eastwood manzanita in flower, and Knobcone pines. Directions: Take 680 to the Diablo Road exit ,and go east on Diablo Road. At Green Valley Road, only one lane goes straight ahead. After Green Valley Road, go past and do not turn at the Diablo Country Club sign. In about a mile, turn left at the Mt. Diablo State Park sign. Continue to the end of Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard, which becomes South Gate Road as it enters the park. Be prepared to pay the fee (now $10?) at the main entrance station, or have your state parks pass ready. Continue for about a mile, and park at the large parking area at Curry Point, where we will meet. Remember to factor in about 20 minutes driving time from the base of the mountain to Curry point. Pet dogs, cats, pigs, tapirs, hedgehogs, and mongeese are not permitted at Mount Diablo State Park. Here is the link to the entry on Meetup with links, graphics, signup options and comments: https:/ / www.meetup.com/ebcnps/ events 7232135385/ Sunday, February 19,2:00 pm, MacDonald Fire Road in Chabot Regional Park. Meet at the MacDonald Staging Area on Red¬ wood Road in Chabot Regional Park. Take Highway 13 south to Redwood Road exit, turn left onto Redwood Road after exiting, go over the hill. The MacDonald Staging Area is on the right about one mile into the valley. If you come to the entrance to Redwood Regional Park on the left or to Pinehurst Road, you have gone too far. We will look for woody plants, many of which should be in bloom, including western leatherwood. An uphill walk but not too strenuous. Meet at 2:00 pm. (We are walking south southeast towards Castro Valley, so if you are late, just catch p.) Trip leader: David Margolies (divaricatum@gmail.com, 510-393-1858). MORE PT. ISABEL PHOTOS BY JANE KELLY 10 THE BAY LEAF January 2017 DIRECTORY OF CHAPTER LEADERS Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice-President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes correspond ing-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby plantfair@ebcnps.org Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Saige White, Nursery as¬ sistant swhite@cnps.com Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board MEMBERS’ MEETING Wednesday, March 22, 7:30 pm Skyline Gardens: The East Bay's Richest Botanical Hotspot Speaker: Glen Schneider Location: Edith Stone Room, Albany Library and Community Center (directions below) Skyline Gardens is the section of East Bay MUD land be¬ tween Tilden Park's Steam Train and the Caldecott Tunnel (Hwy 24). Along this 1,600-foot-elevation volcanic ridge and adjacent valleys — where the fog meets the heat—237 native plant species have been identified so far. Over the last year, the EBCNPS-sponsored Skyline Gardens Project has established that this area is the most botanically diverse area of its size (about 250 acres) in the entire East Bay. And as a result of recent invasive removals in the area (eucalyptus, thistles, hemlock, etc.), natives are regenerating in amazing numbers. Plants not seen in 100 years are popping up. In addition to the botanical survey, the project holds restora¬ tion workdays on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday morn¬ ings under permit from EBMUD. The project's volunteers have developed exciting new tools and mass techniques for removing invasives with the goal of eradicating all invasives (including the invasive seed bank in the soil) in this area. Skyline Gardens and trilliums. Photos by G. Schneider Glen will introduce us to this botanically rich and beautiful area and describe the project's methods and results. Glen will also lead a follow-up field trip to Skyline Gardens on April 1; see meetup.com/ ebcnps for details. Glen Schneider is an East Bay native and long-time CNPS member. His family farmed pears in the Martinez area and founded Orchard Nursery in Lafayette. He has been a native plant garden landscape designer/builder for over 40 years. His own garden of local native plants in Berkeley is on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour every year. For more information about the Skyline Gardens Project or to volunteer, contact skylinegardens@ebcnps.org. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Edith Stone Room of the Albany Library and Community Center at 1249 Marin Ave. The Edith Stone Room is on the first floor of the building, accessible through the main lobby or from the parking lot behind the building. The Edith Stone Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Email pro- grams@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to the Albany Library and Community Center at 1249 Marin Ave, Albany 94706: The Albany Library and Community Center is located on Marin Ave. six blocks east of San Pablo Ave. From 1-80 or 1-580, take the Buchanan St. exit and proceed east as Buchanan St. turns into Marin Ave. There is free parking in a small parking lot behind the library/community center building as well as free parking on the street. FIELD TRIPS These tours have been rescheduled. Here are the new dates. Monvero Dunes Wildflower Tour - Saturday, March 11,2017 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monvero-dunes-wildflower- tour-tickets-31844988217 Right Angle Canyon Moreno Shale Wildflower Tour - Sunday, March 12,2017 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/right-angle-canyon-more- no-shale-wildflower-tour-tickets-31848142652 All tickets are free for these wildflower tours. Adults only need a ticket, children do not need a ticket. Ryan E. O'Dell Natural Resource Specialist - Ecology: Bureau of Land Management, Central Coast Field Office, 940 2nd Avenue, Marina, CA 93933 (831) 582-2224 FAX: (831) 582-2266 Sunday, March 12, 9:30-noon Monday, March 13, 9:30-noon Wildflowers and Unusual Habitats of the Byron Area Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wild- flowers-and-unusual-habitats-of-the-byron-area-registra- tion-32094151471 Join us for this opportunity to hike and explore one of the newest additions to the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy's Preserve System. This property was acquired in December 2016 in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District. The property's alkali soils support populations of rare plants and the wetlands provide habitat for Fairy Shrimp and California Tiger Salamanders. Our hike will start along an old (under-maintained) ranch road for the first 1/2 mile and then continue along a typical ranch road. We will also have the opportunity to hike off-trail to get a closer look at some of the unusual features of the property. This property is so new that we aren't sure what we will find blooming, though we are hopeful that our wet winter will result in beautiful spring displays. Distance: minimum 2+ miles round trip. Option to extend the hike based on pace and interest of group up to 4 miles round trip. Difficulty: easy, generally flat terrain. Ground may be uneven, and depending on weather, a little muddy. This hike is limited to 25 participants (all participants must register in advance.) If you are confirmed to participate, and then are not able to join us, please let us know so we can make your spot available to someone else. This docent led hike is open to all ages and members of the public. Participants need to be comfortable walking on uneven ranch roads. This hike is not open to dogs (or other pets). There are no facilities available at the hike start or during the hike. Bring everything you need to be safe and comfortable. Suggested items to bring include: water, snack, waterproof clothes (if rain is predicted), sturdy closed-toe shoes, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, etc), camera, binoculars (if you are a birder) and anything else you would bring on a hike. Trip leaders: Heath Bartosh, Senior Botanist, Nomad Ecology, Abby Fateman, Executive Director, East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy NOTE: Directions to the hike start will be emailed to regis¬ tered participants. Sunday March 12, 11:00 am, Bridgeview Trailhead into Dimond Canyon. In the heart of Oakland, we will walk through Redwood Forests and into an oak and bay woodland overlooking Palo Seco Creek. We will see lush early spring displays of mosses, lichens, liverworts, and four species of fern. In addition to the trees we will see 20 to 30 species of native plants. Wear good hiking shoes and bring water and a light lunch or snack. Meet at the Bridgeview Trailhead into Dimond Canyon. The Bridgeview Trailhead is on the west side of Monterey Blvd., about 1,500 feet south of Park Blvd. and just south of the Mont¬ clair Golf Course. Parking is free and unmetered on Monterey Blvd. The trip will cover about 2 miles. The path includes a portion going into and out of the canyon with steps and steep inclines. The other portion of the path is flat but the terrain can be uneven and rocky. Rain will cancel. Trip leader: Camille Nowell (camille_fawne@hotmail.com, 510-295-9231) Sunday March 26,2:00 pm, San Pedro County Park, Pacifica. David Margolies will lead a walk at this park on the side of Montara Mountain. There should be plenty of flowers in bloom as well as shrubs, includingcoast silk tassel (Garrya el- liptica) and California burning bush. Meet in the main parking lot near the visitor's center (be sure to pay the entrance fee). To get to the park, take highway 1 south from San Francisco to the south side of Pacifica. Turn east onto Linda Mar Blvd. and take it to the end. Turn right onto Oddstad Blvd. and go one block to the park entrance. Sunday, April 2 9:30 am First public hike on the Dainty Ranch, see separate ar¬ ticle. BRINGING BACK THE NATIVES EVENTS Follow this link to find out about spring workshops at Bring- www.bringingbackthenatives.net/ spring-2017-workshops ing Back the Natives on growing California native plants: 2 THE BAY LEAF March 2017 ADOPT A RARE PLANT KICKOFF MARCH 18 Adopt a Rare Plant Program 2017 Kickoff Meeting Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Wildcat Canyon Rd., Berkeley, CA 94708 Saturday, March 18 th , 10 am to 12 pm The East Bay Chapter's Adopt a Rare Plant Program is hold¬ ing its annual kickoff meeting this year at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, an appropriate location given that CNPS was founded at this garden. Both returning and new rare plant adopters are invited to attend but at least some previous plant ID experience is required. In this program, participants are asked to search for and document historical occurrences of their adopted rare plant (or plants) over the course of at least a year. In this way adopters are able to become experts on their adopted plants and gain important insights into the habitats where they occur as well as the threats to their long term survival. The Adopt a Rare Plant Program is a successful chapter-level effort of the larger statewide Rare Plant Treasure Hunt program run by CNPS, and has been providing impor¬ tant data to the California Natural Diversity Database since its inception by former rare plant chair Heath Bartosh several years ago. More information on the program is available at http://ebcnps.org/ native-plants/ rare-plants/ The meeting will include an overview of some of the East Bay region's rare plant flora, including a review of the spe¬ cies most in need of updated documentation. We will also go over some tools to help in both planning rare plant outings and documenting rare plants when out in the field. Perhaps more important, it will be a chance to meet some other rare plant adopters that participants can team up with. If you are interested in attending the meeting or want to join the group but can't attend, RSVP to rare-plant-chair@ebcnps. org (tentative RSVPs are fine if you are not sure you can at¬ tend). Coffee, pastries, and snacks will be provided for all participants, and rare plant adopters are welcome to check out the garden after the meeting Danny Slakey East Bay Chapter Rare Plants Chair PLANT HIKE AT DAINTY RANCH SUNDAY APRIL 2 Join us on the first-ever public hike to explore Dainty Ranch in Briones Valley. Dainty Ranch was acquired in July 2014 by the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy. Briones Valley is an important wildlife corridor that provides a connection from Cowell Ranch/John Marsh State Park to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. The hike will be on the valley floor and follow Briones Valley Creek from one end of the property to the other. Hike details Date: Sunday, April 2 at 9:30 Distance: Minimum 2+ miles round trip. Option to extend the hike based on pace and interest of group to explore other areas of the property accessible by fire road. Difficulty: Easy, Generally flat terrain, fire road. Dainty Ranch from adjacent property. We will be hiking on the valley floor. Capacity: This hike is limited to the first 25 participants who register. If you are confirmed to participate and then are not able to join us, please let us know so we can make your spot available to someone else. Trip leaders: David Margolies and Lesley Hunt, EBCNPS Abby Fateman, Executive Director, East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy Directions to the hike start (vicinity of the intersection of Deer Valley Road and Marsh Creek Road) will be emailed to reistered participants. Register at httPs://www.eventbrite.com/e/explore-daintv-ranch-briones- vallev-tickets-32340525382 THE BAY LEAF March 2017 3 RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, March 4 and Saturdy, March 18,9:30 am, Pt. Isabel restoration in McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Just off 1-580 (take Central to the bottom of the 1-580 overpass). At the stop sign (Rydin Road) turn right and come down to the end of the street. If you pass Costco on your right, you've gone too far. You'll find us on the trail. Tom Kelly , www.kyotousa.org www.heliosproject.org Phone and Fax: (510) 704-8628 Cell: (510) 684-6484 tkelly@kyotousa.org Saturday, March 4,2017, 9 am-noon, Sabercat Creek Habi¬ tat Restoration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Saturday, March 11,2017,9 am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 3. If taking the trailhead from Via Orinda, go down the hill to the main trail (site 2 will be just in front of you) and turn left (head east) until you see another site to your right with cages and a mulch pile. If taking the trailhead at Quema Drive and Paseo Padre Pkwy, go down the slope to the main trail and turn right (head west) until you see a site to your left with cages and a mulch pile. With the recent rains the soil is moist and soft, perfect for re¬ moving invasive plants, planting new native trees and shrubs, and caring for previously planted ones. Our work will help stabilize soils and creek banks, filter pollutants, increase na¬ tive plant diversity, and improve food and shelter for wildlife. Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/Sa- bercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Sabrina Siebert Special Assistant City of Fremont Environmental Services Division Office phone #: 510-494-4589 Sunday, March 5, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, the monthly North Basin restoration meets at Eastshore State Park, on the Bay shoreline south of Tom Bates soccer fields, to continue clear¬ ing radish and other invasives from around the native plants. A map of the area can be found at https://goo.gl/rqdZQW. For directions to the work site or more information about this project, contact John Kenny fjohnkenny54@yahoo.com J. Sunday, March 5 and Sunday March 12, 9:00 am. Genista rip. Redwood Regional Park, Canyon Meadows picnic area Saturday, March 11 at 9:30 a.m. Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve The rain has softened the ground and made pulling weeds much easier. Join us at the parking lot at 9:30 am to get gloves, tools and snacks, but come early or stay late to take in the flowers. Directions: From Highway 13, exit at Park, cross 13 going uphill from the ramp, and then turn left onto Mountain. Fol¬ low Mountain to the traffic light at Snake, and then turn right (uphill) on Snake and follow it all the way to its other end at the intersection of Snake and Skyline, roughly 2 miles. Turn left onto Skyline, and follow it several hundred meters to find the Huckleberry parking lot on the right side. Saturday, March 18, 2017, 9:30 am-12:30, pm, Garber Park Workshop: The Waters of Garber Park. Presented by Lech Naumovich, Golden Hour Restoration Institute. This springtime workshop will focus on creek stabilization tech¬ niques around waterways and drainages that can maintain the soil integrity. Join us and learn techniques - in the field e- that include an analysis of soil erosion, spiling, willow staking, and living fascines. We will focus on the Creek on the Claremont Avenue Trail, where we can see successes and discuss "lessons learned" from past erosion control efforts. We will also head over to Harwood Creek to examine several past efforts at erosion control on Upper Harwood Creek and take a look at the eroding Lower Harwood slope - sugges¬ tions for stabilization? Dress in layers for the changing weather, wear boots or good sturdy shoes, and be ready to have fun while Learning with Lech about erosion control. Coffee, tea, and breakfast rolls will be ready by 9:15 am (under Shelagh's carport at the Evergreen Lane Entrance to Garber). Workshop begins at 9:30. What to bring: We provide gloves, tools, and snacks, but if you have a sharp tool such as a hori hori, trowel, or clippers please bring them Also bring a water bottle to fill up from our water container. For more information and to RSVP contact Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com. Directions: Many of you have been to Garber before and have your own favorite way of getting there, but for those who aren't familiar with the park directions can be found on our website www.garberparkstewards.org. Click on Direc¬ tions in the Menu Bar at the top. I recommend parking at the Claremont Avenue Entrance and walking up the trail, which takes you past Fern Glade and Fireplace Plaza to the Evergreen Lane Hillside. Shelagh Brodersen Volunteer Coordinator, Garber Park Stewards Email: garberparkstewards@gmail.com Blog: www.garberparkstewards.org 4 THE BAY LEAF March 2017 RESTORATION PROJECTS CONTINUED Sunday, March 19, 9 am, Sibley Regional Park Meet us at the Oakland side parking lot off the right side of Skyline, a few hundred meters north of the Huckleberry lot. There we will look at the Sibley-to-Tilden trail and de¬ cide if we should walk to the worksite or carpool to the Old Tunnel Road staging area. This rainy winter has made for easy removal of French broom but sometimes also reduces the trails to a deep clay slurry. You can park at Old Tunnel Road staging area and walk to the worksite if you already have your own gloves, tools and water. However, if you are new to this worksite please email either janetgawthrop47@ gmail.com or sibley@ebparks.org so that we know where and when to expect you. If you walk in on the asphalt path from the parking lot, be sure to turn off to the worksite before the pavement turns left and uphill, away from the patch of milk thistles and young coast live oaks. Send an e-mail if these directions do not make sense. Saturday, March 25, Friends of Albany Hill March 25 join Friends of Albany Hill for the last Saturday of the month work party, 9:30-11:30am. Location to be an¬ nounced. Gloves and tools provided but bring a favorite weeding tool if you like. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Long pants and long sleeves recommended. Heavy rain cancels. Free t-shirts for participants. For more info: friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com Margot Cunningham Friends of Albany Hill w w w. f riendsof albany hill, org CONSERVATION ANALYST APPEAL: OUR GOAL IS MET! Our generous members and friends have donated over $40,000 to sustain our Conservation Analyst for the year 2017! We also received donations specified to support other Chapter activities which are very much appreciated and needed. Heartfelt thanks to all below for your donations received since September 2016: Ann Adams, John Alcorn, Mary Alderson, Patrice Anderson, Stephen Asztalos, Laura Baker and Lewis Lu- bin, James Barse, Stephen Batchelder, Laura Beckett, Judy Bendix, Bennett Berke, David Bigham and Howard Arendtson, Terry Blair, Elinor Blake, Peter Boffey, Fred Booker, Barbara and Robert Brandriff, Leslie Brandt, Shelagh and Bob Brodersen, Zelda Bronstein, Margaret Brostrom, Brenda Buxton and Stephen Walsh, California Wildlife Foundation, Bob Case, Carmen Castain, Albert Chung, Jean Circiello, Patricia Cof¬ fey, Carol and Robert Coon, Rose¬ mary Corbin, Margot Cunningham, Frances Dahlquist, Linda and Tom Dalton, Charli and John Danielsen, Elizabeth Davidson, William Davis, Sally de Becker, Adrienne Debisschop, Barbara Dengler, Mark Detterman, Linda Downing, Lisa and John Doyen, Frances Dupont, Chris Erickson, Barbara Errter, Leesa Evans, Ron¬ ald Felzer, Annmarie Finneral, Theo Fitanides, Margeret Flaherty, Holly Forbes, Gerald Ford, Norman Frank, Gordon and Jutta Frankie, Dorothy Frantz, Jane Freeman, Christopher and Christine Gaber, David Gilpin, Sara Goolsby, Greenberg Family Trust, Simon Gunner, Ann Gurbaxani, Mi¬ chele Hammond, Mary Ann Hannon, Jim Hanson and Nancy Allen, Miao He, Ellen and Barry Hecht, Charles Heimstadt and Loretta Brooks, Daniel Hill, Hillside Gardeners of Montclair, Ann Holzhueter, Kristen Hopper, Rus¬ sell Huddleston, Bill and Leslie Hunt, Robin Hunter, Ashok Jethanandani and Arvind Kumar, Dwight Johnson, Robert Jolda, Nicole Jurjavcic, Patri¬ cia and Jivendra Kale, Jane and Tom Kelly, John Kenny, Kenny-Rosenberg Family Trust, Brian and Gail Kerss, Allison Kidder, Arti Kirch and Cindy Siegel, Gudrun Kleist, Emily Knapp, Marcia Kolb, Christopher Kroll, Eve Lednicky, Frankie Lee, Barbara and Phil Leitner, Evelyne and David Len- nette, Ed Leong, Vera Lis, David Loeb, Cinda MacKinnon, Matthew Madison, William Malloch, Tarnia Marg, David Margolies, Viki Maxwell, Jo McCon- dochie, Caroline and Bill McCormack, Shirley McPheeters, Liza and Nicholas Mealy, Jon Merkle, Lynn and Eric Miller, Louise Miller, Brent Mishler, William Moseley, Caroline Moyer, Sheldon Nelson, New Seasons New Leaf Market, Linda Newton, Meredith Nielsen, Camille Nowell, Roberta O'Grady, Christine O'Rourke Gaber, Elizabeth O'Shea, Hazel Olbrich, Jana Olson, Sharon Orderman, Patricia Overshiner, Carol Pachl, Lisa and Andy Paterson, Karen Paulsell, Anita Pearson, Sandia Pearson, Mildred Petersen, Jerry Powell, Donna Preece, Genevieve Prlain, Karen Putz, Doug¬ las and Alma Raymond, Krehe and Katherine Ritter, Jean Robertson, Jean Rochlin, Sue Rosenthal, Dick Schnei¬ der and Schneider Foundation, Judy Schwartz, Susan Schwartz, Brenda Senturia, Mardi Sicular-Mertens, Jake Sigg, Shirleymae and Igor Skaredoff, Doris Sloan, Karen Smith, Elizabeth Sojourner, Robert Sorenson, Linda Spahr, Nicki Spillane, Alfred Stans- bury, Ernilie Strauss, John Sutake, Sylvia Sykora, Sylvia Sykora Associ¬ ates, Delia and John Taylor, Scott Taylor, Jean Thomas, Steve Toby, Laurie Umeh, John Underhill, Eliza¬ beth Varnhagen, Mardi and Michael Veiluva, Elizabeth and Craig Wahl, Jeanne Walpole, Joyce Walton, Phoebe Watts, Alison and Dale Webber, Karen Wetherell, Shirley White, Kitty Whiteside, Susan Wickham, Doris and Joe Willingham, Christina Wistrom, Elaine Worthington-Jackson, Suk-Ann Yee, Bill and Mary Alice Yund, David Zippin, Roberta Zorzynski THE BAY LEAF March 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION It has been raining. But you know that. The reservoirs are filling, but we've still got a way to go to fill the aquifers. The California Department of Water Resources - about which we've been hearing a lot as a result of concerns about the condition of California's dams (1,400) and reservoirs (1,300) - also keeps track of groundwater which is also re-charging, albeit more slowly. If you like maps, check out DWR's ground- water status maps - here's how it looks for 2014-15: http:// www.water.ca.gov/ groundwater/maps_and_reports/ MAPS_CH ANGE / DOTMAP_F2015-F2014.pdf All good, of course, for our native plants but the rain is like a steroid for the non-native plants that we are trying to cull at Pt. Isabel. Our strategy at this point is to clear the weeds away from the new plantings so that we don't lose track of them. Speaking of keeping things clear - it's time for a shout out for Rob Kirby, Jr. our own "waste management" volunteer extraordinaire! Rob keeps Rydin Road and that part of the Bay Trail spotless which is an incredible achievement. Strangely, we still have folks who come out and find it hard to get their litter into a garbage can. We do have "campers" who do not always pick up after themselves, and truckers waiting to haul mail who forget to take their truck part replacements and food containers back home with them. Even so, Rob and his "picker" can be seen out on Rydin Road regularly hauling away just about everything that gets left behind. His efforts have been an important element in keeping the area attrac¬ tive to both humans and wildlife. By keeping the trash out of Hoffman Marsh, we can be assured that the marsh remains an important habitat for the animals that rely on it. Horned Grebe became trapped in discarded fish netting in the Hoffman Channel. Bruce rescued the Grebe and took her/him to Wildcare in San Rafael which handled the initial intake and stabilization. The patient chart at Wildcare recorded that our Grebe was "super stabby" when they examined it. That made us proud! Wildcare transferred our Grebe to the International Bird Rescue in Fairfield that specializes in shore birds and has a pool in which the birds can swim while recuperating. In Fairfield, our Grebe buddied up with another Horned Grebe that had arrived for treatment and we saw them both happily swimming around on the webcam https:/ / www.bird-rescue. org/birdcams/live-san-francisco-bay-center.aspx. Our Grebe had minor injuries on its legs and on a wing and Bird Rescue will decide where to release it once it is healed. Wildcare and International Bird Rescue are fabulous organizations. Kudos to our youngest Steward, Oliver Schoening, for his energetic and consistent support and thanks to all the amaz¬ ing volunteers without whom the project would not succeed. We thank EBRPD Ranger Andrew Derrer, who is always encouraging of our efforts and who brought us a slew of tools for our rescheduled work party on February 11. We'd also like to acknowledge the City of Richmond and staffers Greg Hardesty and Shannon Elliott for their prompt response to a Caltrans error in mowing our Adopt-a-Spot at the corner of Rydin Road and Central Avenue Some plants survived the well intentioned clean up, but a lot of the plants and wildflow- ers were lost. Greg got Caltrans out there promptly to assess the damage and agree to replace the plants. Jane and Tom Kelly Apropos the impacts of trash on habitat, we were lucky to The youngest Point Isabe | steward, Oliver Schoening. have our excellent Park Ranger, Bruce Adams, nearby when a photo by Jane Kelly 6 THE BAY LEAF March 2017 MORE POINT ISABEL PHOTOS THE BAY LEAF March 2017 7 A NOTE FROM THE UNUSUAL PLANTS CHAIR As we get into the blooming season after this very wet win¬ ter I would like to encourage everyone to make good use of our Chapter database. Rare, Unusual, and Significant Plants of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, now that it is online. You can use it to find what rare and unusual plants occur in your area or along your favorite trails and help us monitor those plants. You can also look up historical populations that have not been seen or reported for 25 years or more and help us look for and update them. Or if you have a fa¬ vorite rare or unusual species you can find where it occurs in our two counties and help us monitor those populations. The status and knowledge of our rare and locally rare plants depend on the data we receive from our members and other plant enthusiasts and professionals. We need in¬ put on your observations and the results of your monitor¬ ing efforts of these rare and unusual populations so that we can continue to update the database and keep it useful as a tool for land management and planning agencies, conser¬ vationists, academics, and researchers, as well as the casual hiker. Monitoring and knowing the state of our local flora is more important now than ever before, given the dire situation in Washington and its attitude towards the health of our natural resources and environment. The database is accessible through the Chapter website un¬ der the Plant Sciences tab. There is a user agreement and short registration form, and you can also request an "Add Observations" form that just requires a few extra questions so we can assess your plant identification skills. When you first access the database there is a Documentation tab that will help you understand how the database works and how to use it. It also explains the concept of "unusual" plants and why they are important; our Chapter ranking system and criteria; a map; and descriptions of our region and loca¬ tion systems. Dianne Lake Tidytips (Layia sp). Photo taken near Byron in east Contra Costa County. See field trips article on page 2. 8 THE BAY LEAF March 2017 DIRECTORY OF CHAPTER LEADERS Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice-President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby plantfair@ebcnps.org Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Saige White, Nursery as¬ sistant swhite@cnps.com Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board THE BAY LEAF March 2017 9 MEMBERS’ MEETING APRIL A Journey Back in Time on San Miguel Island Speaker: Bob Sikora Wednesday, April 26, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Extending west into the Pacific beyond the area sheltered by Point Conception, San Miguel Island has been sheltered from people for decades —by the weather, the Navy, and now, hopefully, by the National Park Service. The island's isola¬ tion has left it as a virtual museum of California geology and archaeology. Bob Sikora has had occasion to visit the island several times, beginning 50 years ago. As you will see, a visit is an experience akin to walking on the moon. He will take us there on April 26. Bob Sikora (MA, zoology, UC Berkeley) was one of the first four research divers at UC Berkeley. He taught advanced biology at Berkeley High and enjoys nature photography in his retirement. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Questions? Email programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way: From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria Way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Next Month's Program: May 24, 7:30 pm. Garden Room, Orinda Public Library Ted Kipping: Pacific Coast Irises and Their Beautiful Love Children You are here--50 years ago! San Miguel Island location (image OpenStreetMap contribu¬ tors) Thursday, May 4, 2017 is a Big Day of Giving for Sacramento Area non-profits including the California Native Plant Society. See https:// www.bigdayofgiving.org/CNPS for information on how to contribute. CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT Antioch Residents Turn out for Forum on Sand Creek Hous¬ ing Development Over 180 people crowded into Antioch's Prewett Community Center one night in late February to talk about housing de¬ velopment plans slated for southeast Antioch, south of Lone Tree Way. A large planning area named the "Sand Creek Focus Area" in City planning documents, this four square mile area lies on both sides of Deer Valley Road in southeast Antioch. The Kaiser Center sits inside; the entire planning area stretches lengthwise from slightly east of the hospital all the way over to Black Diamond Mines. Water flows east from the oak woodland foothills of Black Diamond Mines Regional Park and across a broad sweeping valley, then crosses Deer Valley Road. This is Sand Creek, from which the planning area takes its name. (See maps on the next page.) The forum was organized by Antioch residents. Save Mount Diablo, Sierra Club, Greenbelt Alliance, and the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (EBCNPS). EBCNPS is advocating the protection of the rare and unique plant species and communities of Sand Creek. The Sand Creek Focus Area almost fully occupies the "Four Valleys" conser¬ vation area from the Chapter's 2010 publication, "Botanical Priority Protection Areas (BPPA) of the East Bay" (http: / / ebcnps.org/publications/ guidebook-to-botanical-prioritv- protection-areas / 1 Dianne Lake, EBCNPS Unusual Plants Committee Chair, as¬ sembled a list of more than 200 rare, unusual and significant native plants likely to occur within the Sand Creek Focus Area. Megan Keever and Nicole Jurjavcic, the Chapter's Vegetation Committee Co-Chairs, examined the California Natural Diversity Database vicinity occurrence records and found several rare natural communities that may occur in Sand Creek Focus Area, such as alkali meadow and seeps, northern claypan vernal pools, and cismontane alkali marsh. I shared photos of several native plants with the forum au¬ dience. Many residents were surprised to learn about the variety and beauty of their natural heritage. Some of these genera have known occurrences within the City of Antioch, commonly encountered on a trail hike. Other pictures showed species that are documented within eastern Contra Costa County, but are rare gems: brodiaea ( Brodiaea spp.), calandrinia ( Calandrinia spp.), round-leaved filaree ( California macrophylla), showy golden madia (Madia radiata), diamond- petaled California poppy (Eschscholzia rhombipetala), small- flowered morning-glory ( Convolvulus simulans), adobe na- varretia (Navarretia nigelliformis ssp. nigelliformis) and various fiddlenecks (Amsinckia spp.) with attractive caterpillar-shaped inflorescences. The area also includes potential habitat for rare large-flowered fiddleneck ( Amsinckia grandiflora), and recently rediscovered Mt. Diablo buckwheat ( Eriogonum truncation). Ending the slideshow, I recounted a few local native plant protection successes, including preservation of rare Antioch Dunes evening-primrose ( Oenothera deltoides ssp. howellii), and Antioch Dunes buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum var. psychicola). The City is still proposing to allow the building of up to 4,000 housing units in the Sand Creek Focus Area. Of particular con¬ cern is a development named "The Ranch," up to 1,300 houses in almost one third of the Sand Creek Focus Area between Empire Mine Road and Deer Valley Road. If constructed, the Ranch projrct could stimulate even more development along its outskirts. Public concern is growing, and residents are telling the City that the planning area for housing is too big, with too many houses. Residents at the forum expressed concern about added traffic delays, neighborhood safety, loss of focus away from other revitalization plans, and of course, loss of a beautiful open space. The organizations involved support more community workshops, a full EIR, and an alternative that shrinks the Urban Growth Boundary (aka. Urban Limit Line). Stimulated by the February forum turnout. City officials scheduled two "Listening Forums" in late March. Most importantly, residents at all these forums are loudly voicing their desire to keep some of the area's natural beauty and see Antioch fix its other issues before adding large housing developments. If you have photos or special stories about Antioch's open spaces and wildflower fields, or wish to keep informed on this issue, please contact me at conservation@ebcnps.org. For more information and photos of the site there is also a Facebook page, "Antioch Community to Save Sand Creek", https:/ / www.facebook.com/antiochsavesandcreekandstop- theranch/ Karen Whitestone UC BOTANICAL GARDEN PLANT SALE Saturday, April 29,10 am - 2 pm UC Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale Your Source For Waterwise Plants Despite the recent rains waterwise gardening in the Bay area is smart and sensible. The Garden offers a wide selec¬ tion of drought resistant plants from around the world, including an extensive selection of California natives. Shop for exotic, unusual and hard to find plants: rare cycads 2 THE BAY LEAF April 2017 and palms, carnivorous plants, cacti and succulents, vines, tropical specimens and more. There is something for every¬ one at the Spring Plant Sale. Great Advice and Guidance The UC Botanical Garden's expert staff and volunteers take pride in the plants we grow and propagate. We'll be here to answer questions, give advice, and talk all things plants. http: / / botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/ springplantsale/ [t*vov Id bV'pfOltrcfq 3>VI A 6r " nh&CBrac^^ i; -r rjr Q32^Xd£i Einsrc T THE BAY LEAF April 2017 3 RESTORATION PROJECTS Join the City of Fremont's Environmental Services to enhance wildlife habitat along Sabercat Creek. We are holding volun¬ teer work days on the first Saturday mornings of each month from 9 am-12 pm. With the recent rains, the soil is moist and soft, perfect for removing invasive plants, planting new native trees and shrubs, and caring for previously planted ones. Our work will help stabilize soils and creek banks, filter pollut¬ ants, increase native plant diversity, and improve food and shelter for wildlife. Saturday, April 1, 2017, 9 am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Saturday, April 15,2017,9am-noon celebrate California Na¬ tive Plant Week with Habitat Restoration at Sabercat Creek, Site 4. Enter at the trailhead at Quema Drive and Paseo Padre Parkway, go down the slope to the main trail and turn left (head east) through the cattle gate. Look for browse protec¬ tion cages to your right. Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/Sa- bercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Sabrina Siebert Special Assistant City of Fremont Environmental Services Division Office phone #: 510-494-458 Mobile phone #: 734-649-3795 www.fremont. gov/SabercatRestoration Saturday, April 1, 9 am. Redwood Regional Park Meet at Canyon Meadow picnic area to pick up gloves, tools and water, and hike to the work site. You can reach Canyon Meadow via the main park entrance from Redwood Road. If the entry kiosk is staffed be sure to tell them that you are looking for the French broom pull so that they do not charge you for parking. Saturday, April 1, 9:30 am, Pt. Isabel at McLaughlin East- shore State Park. Meet at the end of Rydin Road to pick up tools and find a site in need of weeding, e-mail kvotousa@ sbcglobal.net to RSVP and if you have any questions. Sunday, April 2, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, the monthly North Basin restoration meets at Eastshore State Park, on the bay shoreline south of Tom Bates soccer fields, to continue clear¬ ing radish, ripgut brome and other invasives from around the native plants. A map of the area can be found at https://goo.gl/rqdZQW . For directions to the work site or more information about this project, contact John Kenny (iohnkennv54@vahoo.com ). Saturday, April 8,9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Botanic Pre¬ serve (only entrance in Oakland, to the right of Skyline Boulevard) Meet the ranger at the parking lot to pick up gloves, water and tools and we decide on a worksite. Now that some of the French broom is gone we've started pulling Italian thistles and poison hemlock that sprang up this year. If you have questions or want to volunteer on a different date please e- mail janetgawthrop47@gmail.com . Sunday, April 9, 9:30 to 1 pm. Redwood Regional Park Meet at Canyon Meadow picnic area to pull French broom. See April 1 description. Saturday, April 15, 9:30 am, Pt. Isabel at McLaughlin Eastshore State Park Meet at the end of Rydin Road to pick up tools and find a site in need of weeding. E-mail kyotousa@sbcglobal.net to RSVP and if you have any questions. Saturday, April 15 10 am-1 pm, Garber Park. Come join Garber Park Stewards and Lech Namovich, Golden Hour Restoration, to review some research on French broom and help us conduct a systematic survey to determine the degree of its infestation and the probability of its eradication. Due to the work of devoted volunteers over many years French broom is nearly eradicated at Garber. We will be walking off trail and surveying the entire 13 acre park using a systematic grid, removing any broom we find. Join us on our first an¬ nual "sweep" through the park to keep Garber French broom free. Wear long sleeves and pants, and shoes or boots with good treads. We provide tools, gloves, water, and snacks. Directions: can be found at garberparkstewards.org. RSVP to Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com . Sunday, April 16,9 am, Sibley Regional Park (Oakland entrance) Meet us at the parking lot off Skyline, a few hundred meters north of Huckleberry Park. However if you want to start in from the Old Tunnel Road staging area (Orinda side), then e-mail either janetgawthrop47@gmail.com or sibley@ebparks. org so we can expect you. We have made enough of a dent in the wall of French broom to move back a short distance from the Sibley to Tilden trail. Saturday, April 22, 9 am, Beaconsfield Canyon in Oakland Celebrate Earth Day with the Friends of Beaconsfield Canyon as they restore this riparian area complete with a couple of the few Fremont poplars in the East Bay. (Fremont cottonwoods to some). Street parking is limited, so it is best to scope the area ahead of time. Google maps works, as does the Friends of Beaconsfield contact. Saturday, April 29, 9:30 am, Albany Hill. Join Margot Cunningham and others to weed and replant with natives. RSVP by e-mail to friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com. 4 THE BAY LEAF April 2017 RESTORATION PROJECTS CONTINUED Citizen scientists needed for endangered pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida) crew Are you intrigued by scientific field methods? Do you love being outdoors? Does a gorgeous manzanita stop you in your tracks? Friends of Sausal Creek is excited to be partnering with the California Native Plant Society and the Chabot Space and Science Center on a new citizen science initiative to protect and restore the state listed endangered and federally listed threatened. Helping to protect and restore the endangered pallid manzanita does not require a specialized background, but it does require a desire to learn and a love of the outdoors. Working with the pallid manzanita crew is an opportunity to learn about habitat enhancement activities such as removing invasive and competing species and restoring native plants. Crew members will help gather data to monitor the existing pallid manzanitas for an annual report for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife threatened pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida). Topics covered will include the pallid manzanita life cycle, the conditions where it grows, and threats to its survival. You will learn about the native plant community at the site and gain plant identification skills, including identifying the invasives to remove around pallid manzanita seedlings. Also covered will be habitat restoration techniques, monitoring protocols, and germination experiment design. We are looking for a few good volunteers to help preserve this iconic local species. Pallid manzanita: an endangered chaparral beauty Pallid manzanita is a rare species found in the maritime chap¬ arral habitat of western Alameda and Contra Costa counties. This graceful woody shrub has smooth red bark, urn-shaped flowers, and berries reminiscent of little apples or manzanitas, but it is distinguished from closely related species by a pale white or "pallid" bloom on young leaves. For thousands of years the fire-adapted pallid manzanita thrived in the East Bay hills, but today the species is on the brink of extinction. One of the last remaining populations of pallid manzanita is found in the Sausal Creek watershed adjacent to the Chabot Space and Science Center (CSSC) in Joaquin Miller Park. In 1995, there were 21 pallid manzanita individuals found at CSSC; today there is just one surviving member of that group. Workdays: a year commitment to pallid manzanita Workdays are from 9 am-noon on the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Chabot Space and Science Center, located at 10000 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland. We are asking for a six- day commitment over the course of a year so we can train and retain volunteers who will be knowledgeable about working with this vulnerable species. Our first workday will be Saturday, April 8th. RSVP or direct questions to Jill Miller education@sausalcreek.org or (510) 853-3533. Space is limited as we want to keep this program small and successful. CALSCAPE: FINDING THE RIGHT PLANT We all look at the world through various filters. For plant enthusiasts like readers of this newsletter, our filters tend to make plants jump out as the main feature when we look around. Our filters may further refine our perception to emphasize local native plants or rare plants or weeds or, worst case scenario, only the most terrible invasive weeds. Whatever your plant filter helps you notice, you likely share the CNPS interest in restoring nature. Native plant garden¬ ers' goals include helping to provide habitat for the plants themselves as well as the myriad associated fauna. As we get our hands dirty and begin to see what works and what doesn't we often end up with more questions about how to initiate and sustain thriving local ecosystems. The scale of our efforts can vary from trying plants out in pots on a balcony, in a vacant lot or small urban garden all the way up to large scale restoration efforts. Getting the right plants for any situation can be tricky busi¬ ness. Our climate here is considered Mediterranean, meaning we have warm moist winters and cool summers, but that is not the long and short of it. Within that general description we have many variables, each garden may have different condi¬ tions and each part of each garden may again have different conditions. How to filter all those aspects? In answer to the sometimes confusing and possibly overwhelming question of what to plant, a wondrous (fairly) new online tool called Calscape has been launched. Calscape cleverly uses the data from several online resources to provide anyone interested the ability to build plant lists appropriate to their specific situations. The tool is a database with thousands of plants. You put it to work by filtering ac¬ cording to your location and the specifics of each sub-location within your project. The goal is to help gardeners and resto- rationists become more successful. You can use a broad filter for location only or you can add finer filters for soil, sun, water and temperature conditions. To learn more about Calscape I recommend reading the description and then playing around a bit with the filters http:/ / calscape.org/about.php . For large-scale garden inspiration, there is a great article about Dennis Mudd, a San Diego gardener who invented the tool. The article includes before and after pictures, https:// grownatives.cnps.org/2016/12/12/san-diego-garden-tour- with-calscape-creator-dennis-mudd/ Happy filtering! Kristen Hopper Oaktown Native Plant Nursery THE BAY LEAF April 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION IN MARCH 2017 This Point Isabel Restoration Project article is dedicated to all our volunteers, both current and past, without whom we could never have accomplished much nor could we have been able to maintain our own commitment to making Hoffman Marsh the best habitat possible. Since getting under way nearly a decade ago we have had thousands of volunteers participate in the restoration effort. In the early years volunteers pulled out hundreds of tall, invasive French broom shrubs, moved mulch, eliminated Cape Ivy, ice plant (well, as long as you don't look at the 1-580 embankment), thistle, radish, mustard and more. Daisy Scouts, Eagle Scouts, schools, churches and synagogues, office workers, and more are taking part. Just this month we welcomed 30 volunteers at the work party on March 4. English Studies Institute (ESI) students from Japan, CorePower Yoga teachers-in-training from the Bay Area, Point Isabel Stewards and Core Volunteers. We mixed up the groups to help the ESI students learn many new English words. Pulling oat grass and oxalis, sheltering beetle cocoons and spiders. Learning how to say to the little creatures "See You Later, Alligator" and learning the correct response of "After a While, Crocodile". Inspecting the Cali¬ fornia native plants - poppies, toyon, California sage brush, lizard tail, monkey flowers and bunch grasses. Shore birds fed everywhere, including great blue heron, egrets large and small, willets, ducks, buffleheads and geese. Both groups did a tremendous weed removal job and CorePower Yoga teachers-in-training stepped up and helped an ESI student stretch to relieve a leg cramp. On March 6 we worked with Steward Margot to start replant¬ ing the Adopt-a-Spot that had been erroneously mowed by Caltrans. We settled in a five-gallon buckeye ( Aesculus califomica) as well as pink flowering currant ( Ribes sanguineum v. glutinosum), red willow ( Salix laevigata), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), big saltbush ( Atriplex lentiformis), California phac- elia (Phacelia califomica), and sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus). Margot found the young buckeye that had been mowed to the ground but that is beginning to grow again. At the end of March Margot will supervise an Eagle Scout candidate who will remove invasive grass and complete the replanting of this site. On March 9 we planted six more yampah (Perideridia kcllog- gii) on Steward Tom's site to create a good patch for the anise swallowtail caterpillars. On March 18 we had our 2 nd work party with Stewards, Core Volunteers, and new volunteers Matt and Charlotte and spent a serene and very productive day removing oat grass, oxalis, thistle, dandelion and California burclover (not native, despite its common name). Core Volunteer Rob Kirby picked up all the trash along the trail preventing any of it from reaching the marsh. Thanks to EBRPD Recreation Supervisor Jeremy Saito for the bandanas and hats. Thanks as always to our District Ranger, Bruce Adams. Jane and Tom Kelly 6 THE BAY LEAF April 2017 March 4 crew (previous page), Core Yoga volunteers (upper left), Berkeley High volunteer Charlotte (upper right), Gudrun with ESI students (below). Photos by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF April 2017 7 NATIVE HERE WATERING TEAM NEEDED Join the watering team and save lives — plant lives! Native Here Nursery (shown below) is in need of a few more watering team members. We have watering slots available on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. If you like solitude you can water when the nursery is closed. If you prefer the fellowship of volunteers doing a variety of activities, we have slots to fill while the nursery is open. We depend entirely on volunteers to keep the nursery going, and there are ways for volunteers with many backgrounds and skills to be involved. For more details on how you may become involved with the nurserysee http://nativeherenursery.org/volunteer-opportunities/ or email the Volunteer Coordinator at rapearsonsl@mac.com. East Bay CNPS Native Here Nursery. GOLDEN HOUR INSTITUTE EVENTS On April 10, the Golden Hour Institute is having a workshop for five people to learn QGIS - a fantastic free GIS platform. This workshop is intended for beginners who want to find out how to set up open source Geographic Information Systems software and some basic functions around using it. Note, space is limited to five - you must buy a ticket here: https:// introtoqgis-goldenhour.eventbrite.com This workshop will be conducted indoors at the David Brower Center - 2nd Floor conference room - 2150 Allston Way Berkeley, CA. Cost: $35, light evening snacks provided. In April the Institute plans to have a rare plant workshop on taking a census of an endangered annual plant. Lech Naumovich Executive Director Golden Hour Restoration Institute David Brower Center 2150 Allston Way - Suite 32 Berkeley, CA 94704 510 495 5885 www.goldenhour.org 8 THE BAY LEAF April 2017 FIELD TRIPS April 1-6 Death Valley, Amarogosa and Panamint Ranges botany trip April 8 Toy on Canyon April 8 https: / / www.meetup.com/ebcnps/ events/235194203/ April 15-20 loshua Tree National Park Botany trip April 29-May 5 Mojave National Preserve 8 day trip As part of the year-long celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy's work, the Conservancy and East Bay Regional Park District are host¬ ing a series of hikes on properties that have been acquired and have not yet opened to the public. Save Mount Diablo, Nomad Ecology, and the California Native Plant Society-East Bay are partnering with the Conservancy and EBRPD to lead hikes. The hikes for April and May are listed below. Explore Horse Valley (Roddy Ranch) - South Antioch Area Sunday, April 9, 9:30-noon Monday, April 10, 9:30-noon Participants must register in advance. The registration link to the hike is here: https:/ /www.eventbrite.com/e/explore- horse-vallev-roddy-ranch-tickets-32179453612 Hosted by the Conservancy and Nomad Ecology. Exclusive Irish Canyon Property Tour - Clayton Area Saturday, May 13, 9 am-lpm Participants must register in advance at: https: / / irish-canyon-property-hike.eventbrite.com Hosted by Save Mount Diablo, this docent-led hike will be on: Abigail Fateman Phone: (925) 674-7820 Email: Abigail.Fateman@dcd.cccounty.us Sunday. April 23,9:30 am, field trip to Richmond Hills Join Dick Schneider and Janet Gawthrop for this beginner-level walk into the Richmond Hills, starting from the Clark-Boas trailhead. This trip will focus on the mixed grasslands and conservation election victory last year, in which voters saved this open space adjoining East Bay Regional Parks. If you have a grass key that you want to learn to use, bring it along. This is a good place to learn keying grasses in the field, if you don't mind staying on in the middle of the day. You can RSVP either by e-mail janetgawthrop47@gmail.com or go to www. meetup.com/ebcnps/ . WORKSHOPS BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Workshops at the Ruth Bancroft Garden The Garden will host monthly free all-day events featur¬ ing different themes that relate to sustainable gardening practices. Here are the themes for upcoming Waterwise Wednesdays: Wednesday, April 12: Expert Advice for Drought Tolerant Garden. Learn the best practices and "how to's" of convert¬ ing a traditional lawn to a vibrant drought tolerant garden Wednesday, May 10: Making and Using Compost. In conjunction with International Compost Awareness Week, come learn how to make and use compost—the secret ingre¬ dient for improving your soil and invigorating your plants. Wednesday, June 14: Birds, Bats and Other Pollinators. Welcome birds, bats and other important pollinators into your garden. Find out how to choose plants that will pro¬ vide food and habitats for wildlife. Wednesday, July 12: Insect Friends and Foes. Learn about organic methods of pest control including how to cultivate beneficial insects and identify garden pests. Wednesday, August 9: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Water in the Garden. Learn how to set up water conserving drip irrigation systems, harvest rainwater or set up a grey water recycling system in your garden. Wednesday, September 13: Native Plants. Plants that are adapted to our climate and soils thrive in garden settings and require much less supplemental watering. Fall is the perfect time for planting native plants! Learn from experts about designing and choosing plants for your water-wise garden. Anna Halverson Ruth Bancroft Garden 1552 Bancroft Road Walnut Creek, CA 94598 925-944-9352 Mono Lake Workshop on High Country Plants and Habi¬ tats July 28-30, Friday-Sunday, 2017 Instructor: Ann Howald Cost: $165 per person, $150 for Mono Lake Committee members, limited to 15 participants Taught in the Tioga Pass region of the Sierra Nevada, this field seminar visits subalpine meadows, forests, lakeshores, streams, and natural rock gardens. Field identification of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns, resident birds, insects and other wildlife combines with discussions of how these plants and animals rely on each other for food, seed distri¬ bution, nesting sites, and other necessities. A special focus is how high elevation plants and animals are being affected by climate change, and how they are coping with "weird weather" and other new realities. For detailed information, please visit: http://www.mono- lake.org/ visit/ seminars THE BAY LEAF April 2017 9 Sunday, April 30. 2017 1:00 4:00 PM l*f9f trimmee* *♦ f\*» acrhrttm H* ft* i«j KMn • •w from to* * 1 ^ cw «cp*o «jO» « corwpowir^ k>4 • mtum qwMMy **S («wn««o», t w Wiv * ^ f i lm |»4Mu v arc! wMtnBito* |4aN\ 0 U» m In* Uu ai iS* |«itm M uf C^lfunU Mariw Curd*** thnl* dm ff x* r i *Mlrr4 MtakuNa *nrk*tv^| C^l t aw t i Mm tv* Km W*my fMt4 CutitC cmu Wn*. DMUML WnmUr Conti* CuiU. w»W6vdvUtaiiimJ. CrvC HylKvlUr* CkA. «0» »V*wH >•« lea*. *4 »w # vK/ mfflplto'* or tfontc for •*». V'toetcttw |vnn * tNe Careen tncV4*« iNMk#MHl apfr OWM fry ts* CMtfcf*M tx ilawy o« lOMCW 9 *' .Z^K ISrCT Pallid manzanita berries (photo by Gudrun Kleist) 10 THE BAY LEAF April 2017 DIRECTORY OF CHAPTER LEADERS Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice-President David Bigham david@hiuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding- secretary@ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 iohngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation- chair@ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair ianetgawthrop47@gmail.com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds- development- chair@ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra- comm-chair@ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps- membership@ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby p I a ntfa i r@ e ben ps. o rg Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakev@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants- admin@ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc-tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Saige White, Nursery as¬ sistant swhite@cnps.com Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo-tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader Janetgawthrop47@gmail.com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology.com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead-ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps.org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Committee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 MEMBERS’ MEETING Pacific Coast Native Irises and Their Beautiful Love Children Speaker: Ted Kipping Wednesday, May 24, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) California's rich flora includes 11 species (or 10 or 12, depend¬ ing on whom you ask!) of native Pacific Coast irises. These tough plants inhabit meadows and woodlands along the coast and in the Coast Ranges from Washington to Santa Barbara, with a few species also found in the Sierra Nevada. The genus name Iris is from the Greek word for rainbow, and true to their name, the elegant Pacific Coast iris flowers fill in swaths of the color wheel with whites, yellows, blues, purples, maroons, rusts, and more. Within each species there's a range of color and pattern thanks the tendency of Pacific Coast irises to mix it up genetically (cross pollinate) where their ranges overlap in the wild. Join Ted Kipping for a beautiful photographic tour of our Pacific Coast native irises along with commen¬ tary about their love lives and their lives in our gardens. Ted Kipping is a Life Member of CNPS and many other bo¬ tanical, horticultural, and natural history groups. He studied natural history at Columbia University in New York City, worked at the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, and 38 years ago started his own arboriculture firm. Tree Shapers, LLC, serving the Bay Area. Ted has traveled all over the West as well as to wild places in many other parts of the world. His photography has been extensively published. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Email programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way: From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Highway 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Iris photo by Ted Kipping CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT Why Support Senate Bill 249? Calling for Statewide Off- Highway Vehicle Reform On April 18, 2017 the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing approved Senate Bill 249 (SB 249), a bill to increase accountability, oversight and enforcement of the Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) program, including much needed reforms in conservation. The bill proposes new protections for cultural and natural resources, including periodic review and updating of standards for ero¬ sion, sedimentation, and water quality, and calls for periodic wildlife inventories, habitat protection plans, and includes requirements for adaptive management and timely online reporting. The mission of California Department of Parks and Recreation as a whole is to preserve natural and cultural resources, while also providing quality recreation. By contrast, its Off- High¬ way Vehicle (OHV) Division is directed to "make the 'fullest public use 7 of recreational opportunities, even to the extent of actually modifying natural and cultural resources to do so." What's not to like? Opposition groups (OHV user groups, manufacturers and retailers) object to almost everything about SB 249. They primarily object to establishment of a Science Advisory Team that would have an important, one-time advi¬ sory role for the first five years after the bill's passage, similar to the Independent Science Advisory panels for developing a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP). Compared with the rest of State Parks, OHMVR is extremely well funded by fuel taxes paid by every Californian, not just OHV user fees. SB249 would broaden the benefits: fuel taxes would flow into the State Parks and Recreation Fund, allowing the funds to pay for road and trail infrastructure improvements and to provide underserved communities with access to parks and other outdoor recreation. Ensuring that the OHMVR program is not getting excess fuel tax transfers may help limit their expansion projects, requiring that they CNPS Legislative Advisor Vern Goehring and Conservation Program Director Greg Suba are working closely with a coali¬ tion of groups supporting SB 249, including Friends of Tesla Park, Center for Biological Diversity, California Wilderness Coalition, The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club California, and many others. Will SB 249 protect Tesla? Conservation reform sections of the bill will strike a chord with our members. If litigation is successful against Carnegie SVRA's General Plan and Environmental Impact Report, SB 249's current provisions could help the next stage of the fight to save Tesla. Final bill negotiations with OHV user groups will also reveal the true strength of the bill both for statewide OHMVR reform and preservation of Tesla. As of April 18, 2017, Friends of Tesla Park and Dr. Sarah Kupferberg have crafted a Scientist Consensus Statement stating that Tesla "has rare ecological value and contains an abundance of highly sensitive natural resources," and should be permanently preserved. EBCNPS Vegetation Committee Co-Chairs Megan Keever and Nicole Jurjavcic signed. Conclusion Another action alert will come in early May when SB 249 will go through the appropiations process and to the floor vote in the Senate. Our timeline for activism will stretch through September 2017, when the bill would arrive on the Gover¬ nor's desk. Meantime, please continue to answer to the calls to support this bill and spread the word. Read SB 249 here: httDs://leainfo.leaislature.ca.aov/faces/billTextClient. xhtml?bill id=2Q172018QSB249 The devastation from off-road vehicles on Carnegie SVRA's hillsides shows why SB 249 is needed. The Tesla Coral Hollow Creek watershed (right photo) is an East Bay Chapter botanical priority protection area and is adjacent to Carnegie SVRA, near Tracy. (Photo credits: Save Tesla Park.) 2 THE BAY LEAF May 2017 CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT CONTINUED Antioch residents and local organizations held a public forum in Antioch (left photo) on resources and history of the Sand Creek Focus Area (Feb 28, 2017), a special planning area at southern city limits, which overlaps completely with Four Valleys Botanical Priority Protection Area. (Photo by Seth Adams, Save Mount Diablo) Signature gatherers for Richmond FHills Initiative (right photo) who in early 2017 successfully preserved 400+ acres in Richmond, land which overlaps partially with El Sobrante Botanical Priority Protection Area. (Photo by Jim Flogan) Other projects: I represented EBCNPS at a public forum in Antioch on the resources and history of the Sand Creek Focus Area on Feb¬ ruary 28, 2017. The Focus Area is a special planning area at southern city limits, which overlaps completely with Four Valleys Botanical Priority Protection Area. In eastern Contra Costa County in March and April, 2017,1 submitted letters on project proposals in the cities of Pittsburg (Faria Annexation) and Brentwood (Cowell Ranch), and con¬ tinue to attend meetings regarding land use policy in Sand Creek Focus Area (Antioch). Closer to the bay, I celebrated with a hike with the Friends of Richmond Hills on passage of their initiative to protect open space in Richmond. The East Bay Regional Park District has still not published its Pallid Manzanita Management Plan, but it has started popu¬ lation surveys. And Oakland started scoping meetings for a fire department-led Vegetation Management Plan. Karen Whitestone, East Bay Chapter Conservation Analyst Dick and Karen Schneider on the Richmond hike. CNPS PLANT ID COURSE Local Beginner's Plant ID CNPS Workshop in May A Beginner's Look at Eight Plant Families, May 17-19, Berkeley This workshop will be taught at a beginner level, and it can be taken in conjunction with or separately from Part II (which will cover nine additional California plant families). Learn the terminology and characteristics of eight of the most com¬ mon California plant families, reducing the amount of time required to key most plants to genus and species. Use of di¬ chotomous keys will be covered. This workshop will include classroom presentations and exercises, and at least half the time will be spent outdoors in the beautiful Regional Parks Botanic Garden identifying plants. Taught by Josie Crawford. $375 CNPS members, $395 non-members. Registration and more information is at http://www.cnps.org/cnps/educa- tion/ workshops/ Sally de Becker East Bay Chapter Membership Committee Chair THE BAY LEAF May 2017 3 RESTORATION PROJECTS Every Wednesday 4 pm to sunset and Sundays 9:30 am-1 pm. Skyline Gardens Project holds 3.5 hour workdays in the Berkeley/Oakland hills on Skyline Trail and its environs. RSVP Skylinegardens@ebcnps.org if interested. The Skyline Gardens Project is a combination botanical survey and restoration project in the Skyline Trail area of the Oak- land-Berkeley Hills. The purpose is to document the native flora and to remove invasive plants to restore the full native diversity of the area. The project is sponsored by the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) in collaboration with East Bay MUD. We hold workdays twice weekly, Wednesday late afternoons (after work) and Sunday mornings for three hours each. Since May 2016,55 volunteer workdays have been held, involving 74 people in some 311 volunteer shifts totaling over 900 hours on site. fRead Morel Saturday, May 6, 2017, 9 am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Join the City of Fremont's Environmental Services to enhance wildlife habitat along Sabercat Creek. We are holding volunteer work days on the first or second Saturday mornings of each month, from 9 am-12 pm. We need a lot of help removing invasive plants and sheet mulching before the invasives bloom and set seed! Our work will help stabilize soils and creek banks, filter pollutants, in¬ crease native plant diversity, and improve food and shelter for wildlife. Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/Sa- bercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont. gov or call 510-494-4570. Sabrina Siebert Special Assistant City of Fremont Environmental Services Division Office phone #: 510-494-458 Mobile phone #: 734-649-3795 www.f remont. gov / SabercatRestoration Saturday, May 6,9:30 am, Pt. Isabel at McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Meet at the end of Rydin Road to pick up tools and find a site in need of weeding. E-mail kyotousa@sbcglobal. net to RSVP and if you have any questions. Sunday, May 7,10:00 am -1:00 pm, the monthly North Basin restoration. Meet at Eastshore State Park, on the bay shoreline south of Tom Bates soccer fields, to continue clearing radish and other invasives from around the native plants. A map of the area can be found https:/goo.gl/rqdZOW . For direc¬ tions to the work site or more information about this project, contact John Kenny ( mailto:johnkenny54@yahoo.comJ . Saturday, May 20,10 am, Garber Park Stewards. E-mail gar- berparkstewards@gmail.com . If it is not a graduation day at Cal, street parking on Claremont Avenue should be available. For more information click on http: / / garberparkstewards. blogspot.com/ Saturday, May 20, 9:30 am, Pt. Isabel at McLaughlin East- shore State Park. Meet at the end of Rydin Road to pick up tools and find a site in need of weeding. E-mail kvotousa@ sbcglobal.net to RSVP and if you have any questions. Sunday, May 21,9 am, Sibley Park. Meet at the Oakland-side entrance off of Skyline, approximately 1/3 mile north of the Huckleberry Park entrance. It's OK to arrive from the north, via the Old Tunnel Road staging area, but please e-mail either janetgawthrop47@gmail.com or sibley@ebparks.org so that we know to expect you. Thanks to the brave souls who stacked up all that flowering French broom in the April showers. Saturday, May 27, 9 am. Friends of Beaconsfield Canyon. Volunteers have been clearing and restoring this 5.5-acre canyon in upper Montclair since 2007. Once slated for devel¬ opment, this city-owned open space harbors four different habitats and a wealth of native plants (some 1,000 that we've planted), including a stand of rare black cottonwood trees. Volunteers meet the last Saturday of most months, 9-12. All are welcome. For information, contact Richard Kauffman at richard@rkcommunications.com . Saturday, May 27, join Friends of Albany Hill for the last Saturday of the month work party, 9:30 to 11:30 am Location to be announced. Gloves and tools provided but bring a favorite weeding tool if you like. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Long pants and long sleeves recommended. For more info: friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com, friendsofalbanyhill. org Janet Gawthrop 4 THE BAY LEAF May 2017 FIELD TRIPS Sunday, May 14,10 am at Ayala Cove or as near thereafter as ferry arrival allows—Angel Island. This is the return field trip promised after our "mad dogs and Englishmen" trip around the perimeter road last fall. This trip will go more uphill than perimeter, the better to scope out the coastal prairie and late spring flowers coming back in the blue gum removal zone. For more information e-mail janetgawthrop47@gmail.com . Sunday, May 21, 2017, 9:45, Briones - Blue Oak and Spengler Trails. Briones, staging area at Gloria Terrace / Reliez Valiev Rd. 1942 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, CA https:/ / www.meetup.com/ebcnps/events 7232812058/ Sunday, May 21, 10 am Hillside Natural Area Festival in El Cerrito-main event next to the city recycling area I will be leading a relatively short hike, starting from the stairs at the Madera Open Space. Saturday, May 27, field trip to Falls Trail—Mount Diablo State Park. Gregg Weber will be starting from the Rialto Drive trailhead at 9:45 am. If you want to carpool from Orinda BART, then please go to www. Meetup.com/ebcnps/ to let us know in advance. Please note the BART will close its tracks between Lake Meritt and Fruitvale stations on the weekends of May 13-14 and May 27-29. Trains still run, but past closures have slowed north-south travel. Janet Gawthrop NATIVE HERE NURSERY Flowering Plants for Sale at Native Here! Native Here is all about celebrating the East Bay's plant diversity, and some of our most colorful and interesting examples are annuals. Several dozen species are for sale in 4" pots. Many are just beginning to flower. At this point you will probably want to keep them in their pots or divide them into just a couple of pots to give them more room while supplying water. Dress them up in a jardiniere (a larger, decorative pot), place them on your deck or porch, and enjoy their full season of glory. We also have some interesting species of perennials for sale, among them onions, brodiaeas, and a few other bulbs. Check out the amazing woodland star (Lithophragma heterophylla), checkerbloom (Sidalcea calycosa), and thimbleberry (Rubus paroifloms). Waterer Training, Saturday, May 6,10:30 am-noon Warmer days are ahead, and a trained watering team is in great demand at Native Here Nursery. We need lots of water- ers, and master waterer Charli Danielsen will offer a training session on Saturday, May 6. Please sign up and be a part of the crew. Watering shifts are about an hour and a half for one watering zone. Come in after work, take a long lunch, or find another time that you can commit to weekly. Alternatively, sign up to be a substitute waterer. Watering at Native Here is a lovely meditation in nature. Each plant needs your attention for a few moments but you can also take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful and tranquil setting—the colors, textures and forms of the plants, the varied bird calls, the hum of the insects, and the occasional scuttling lizard or mouse. For more information contact Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsonsl@mac.com . Power Line Maintenance, April 8 Winter winds blowing through the eucalyptus are exciting in the Berkeley Hills and the first week of April was no ex¬ ception. A tree limb lodged against our power line, causing a (very localized) blackout. On April 8 we were happy to see six PG&E high-voltage specialists and two gigantic cherry pickers pull up. In about an hour they had identified and corrected the tree limb problem, replaced the transformer and cross-bars on our power pole, and had us back up and humming. Thanks, PG&E! Barbara Leitner, Nursery Volunteer Lithophragma heterophylla on sale at Native Here. (Photo by Neal Kramer). PGE works at Native Here Nursery. THE BAY LEAF May 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION IN APRIL 2017 The wildlife at Point Isabel has been spectacular the last few weeks! At 4:55pm on April 13, Lewis Payne, an avid birder who stewards the site under the one stand of eucalyptus trees in the area, spotted a beautiful bald eagle soaring over the Hoffman Marsh and gliding toward the Berkeley hills where these birds have been known to nest. Small worker bumblebees are collecting pollen from the countless blooms of tansy leafed phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and Eschscholzia californica (poppies), other native bees as well as honey bees are visiting the Scrophularia californica (bee plant), and we are beginning to see anise swallowtail butterflies cruising along the entire project - no doubt following the scent of the Peride- ridia kelloggii (yampah) we planted last year. A small group of wild turkeys has managed to cross 1-580 and taken up residence in the areas stewarded by Nina Barton and Ivy Ku. So far they've kept their distance but during mating season the toms have been known to become menacing. We read that the birds were introduced, but apparently, the bones of turkeys have been found in and around the La Brea tar pits. So native? Non-native? A question for another day. On March 25th (under supervision by Steward Margot Cun¬ ningham), an Eagle Scout candidate, Evan Mallah, and his crew planted about 30 herbaceous perennials and grasses. These were some of the plants obtained with Caltrans funds after the agency had mistakenly mowed the Adopt-a-Spot. We planted checkerbloom ( Sidalcea malviflora), poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Delphinium californicum, California Core volunteer Jacob Smith, a bumble bee on tansy-leaf phacelia and a turkey. Photos by Jane Kelly. fuchsia ( Epilobium canum), yarrow ( Achillea millefolium), gold- enrod ( Solidago velutina ssp. californica), California oat grass (Danthonia californica), and potentilla ( Drymocallis glandulosa). The next day Evan and his crew grubbed out much of the bermuda grass infestation, laid down cardboard donated by the City of Richmond on one section of the grass and laid a tarp on another area of the infestation. The crew covered the cardboard and tarp with mulch. We'll monitor the area in the coming months to see how the treatments control the grass. Thanks to Evan and his crew for all of their work. Our special thanks this month go to our fantastic 17-year-old volunteer Jacob Smith, who has been working with us for the past 1.5 years. Jacob, who attends St.Patrick-St.Vincent High School in Vallejo is interested in bioengineering, programming and gaming but, in addition, he wants to "make a difference" and tells us that the Point Isabel project provides him with that opportunity. Jacob does an amazing job gauging who needs help at any point along the trail and cheerfully supporting all of us in our tasks. EBRPD Park Supervisor Scott Possin (also an Eagle Scout) was key to the success of Evan Mallah's project by providing us with all the tools needed to complete the project. The scout troop and all of us very much appreciate Scott's consistent support. Jane and Tom Kelly, Margot Cunningham 6 THE BAY LEAF May 2017 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION PICTURES April 1 crew (above) and the Eagle Scout Project participants (below). Photos by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF May 2017 7 Thirteenth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden l our Sunday, May 7, 2017 Companion Events: Native Plant Sale Extravaganza Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7, 2017 Workshops are held throughout the year Kathy Kramer, (510) 236-9558 mailto:Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting.net Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Thirteenth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour : Registration for the Thirteenth Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will take place on Sunday, May 7, 2017 from 10:00 to 5:00, is now open. This free, award¬ winning tour features forty Alameda and Contra Costa county gardens that are pesticide-free, water conserving, provide habitat for wildlife, and contain 60% or more native plants. This self-drive tour showcases a variety of gardens, from wooded lots in the hills to small parcels in the flats. Native plant sales and talks are offered at select gardens. Bluegrass, blues. Renaissance music and more will be performed at various gardens; children's activities will be offered at two gardens. Pre-registration for the Tour is required. This tour will fill; register early to ensure a place. Volunteers are needed . Companion events: The Native Plant Sale Extravaganza will take throughout the weekend of May 6 and 7. Workshops will take place throughout the year. Registration is now open for the free Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which will take place Sunday, May 7, 2017, from 10:00-5:00 at various locations throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Participants on the thirteenth annual, free, self-guided Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour can visit any of forty showcase native plant gardens. Registrants will have the opportunity to learn how select and care for California native plants, lower their water bills, design a low-maintenance garden, attract butterflies, birds, and bees, and garden without using pesticides. Fifty talks will be offered throughout the day. More than 5,000 people are expected to register for this annual event, which will fill; early registration is suggested to ensure a place. The delightful collection of gardens offered this year range from wooded lots in the hills to small gardens in the flats, and from professionally designed gardens to those designed by homeowners. Garden styles run the gamut—from restoration gardens containing local native plants to the horticulturally available suite of natives from throughout California, and to gardens containing a mixture of natives and Mediterranean climate plants. In the " View the Gardens " section of the website are photographs of each garden, and extensive garden descriptions and plant lists. The website also contains a list of nurseries that sell native plants, as well as a list of landscape designers familiar with designing with native plants . Many of these designers offer discount consultations to tour participants. A companion feature, the Native Plant Sale Extravaganza, will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7. This exclusive sale features a number of native plant nurseries which carry large quantities of hard-to-find California natives, and offers native plant fans both a good selection of native plants and a relaxed shopping experience. Knowledgeable staff will be on hand to help shoppers select the right plants for their gardens, and Saturday shoppers will have time to visit more showcase native plant gardens on Sunday, May 7, during the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. In addition, a series of workshops ($35 per person) will be held between April and June. Participants can learn how to remove and replace their lawns, design native plant gardens for color and interest throughout the year, install a drip irrigation system, and garden sustainably (think chickens, rainwater harvesting, and creating pollinator gardens.) Details can be found on the website. Admission to the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour is free, though donations are requested. This tour will fill; register early to ensure a place. Volunteers are needed. Registration will close on April 29 or when the tour is full, which ever comes first. Register or volunteer at http: / / www. bringingbackthenatives.net/ . For more information, contact Kathy@KathyKramerConsulting. net or call (510) 236-9558 between 9 am and 8 pm. 8 THE BAY LEAF May 2017 The 4th Annual El Cerrito Hillside Festival Events throughout the 100-acre Hillside Natural Area: Hikes, Nature Walks, events for kids and families, metal detecting and geology displays, Dog Scouts, Boy Scouts, Historical Talks, Friends of Five Creeks, Garden Giveaways, music and poetry, more. Plus an early evening hillside meditation. 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, May 21, 2017. Free! Gather on Schmidt Lane by EC Recycling Center. Info, Dave Weinstein, 510-524-1737, davidsweinstein@yahoo.com. Mollie Hazen mollie.hazenPgmail-CQ m www.ectrailtrekkers.org . "Hillside Restoration" in the message line. (ECCF is EC Community Foundation, our fiscal agent.) Send to Pam Austin, 834 Kearney St., EC 94530. Or donate online on our website. El Cerrito Hillside Festival 10 am to 5 pm Sunday May 21, 2017. Free Followed by an early evening meditation All hikes start at the Meadow by Schmidt Lane trailhead near the El Cerrito Recycling Center unless otherwise noted . Demonstrations and displays are at the Meadow, http://www.ectrailtrekkers.org/ All day: Wildlife Bingo. Learn about the animals that inhabit El Cerrito's Hillside and other areas while having fun. Parents enjoy helping their children in this popular annual event. All day: Community Garden Network, plant give-away and discussions about gardening and related topics. All day: Friends of Five Creeks will provide information about wildflowers, and about the creeks and other natural areas of the Berkeley, Albany and El Cerrito areas. All day: Rock display and education. Mark Petrofsky from the Northern California Geological Society will display a wide variety of local rocks, many of them beautiful, and all of them with their own stories. All day: National Park Service ranger Naomi Torres will display material about and discuss the Anza Expedi¬ tion, which passed through this area in 1775-1776 and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Trail. Also on display will be the El Cerrito trail map and way finding signs to El Cerrito paths developed by the Park Service. All day: Environmental Quality Committee Table, discussions of topics concerning the city's environment, material about the 100 for 100 go deep green campaign, Green Teams activities, more. 10 am to 11 am Janet Gawthrop of the California Native Plant Society leads a beginner-general level Plant Walk, focusing on native plant restoration . Meet at Madera Open Space , at the bottom of the stairs between house numbers 1540 and 1560 Madera Circle. Moderate. 10 am to 2 pm: Metal detecting for fun and education. Metal detecting enthusiast Bill Barr will demonstrate how kids and adults can use a metal detector to discover antiques and other treasures, display some of his finds, show off several metal detectors including an antique detector from the '70s, and answer questions. Easy. 10 am to noon. Boy Scout Troop 104 will lead an all-ages nature hike and work party to remove invasive plants. Learn about native plants while improving the Hillside. Moderate 11 am to noon. A Poetry Hike for all ages. Poetry is hidden all over El Cerrito! Join Jenny Hammer for a literary trea¬ sure hunt as we ramble through nature and search for some of these hidden poems. Moderate. 11 am to 3 pm Dog Scouts of America: an organization dedicated to improving the lives of our canine companions. Come and meet a Therapy Dog. And, does your dog have a super-nose? Scent work is a slam-dunk for most dogs, but some training is required. Sherlock Dogs .. or wanna-bes...come and try your sniffing skills. Noontime is for relaxing with a light lunch. We will have snacks. Bring your own sandwiches - while listening to poet and performer Kirk Lumpkin celebrate the city's open spaces, and Ken Hayes and his Imaginary Friends, a trio with Tom Cline and Ann Wright, performing superb renditions of roots and Americana tunes. 1 pm to 2 pm Ranger Naomi Torres of the National Park Service will lead a walk and talk about the Juan Bautista de Anza National Trail, focusing on the Anza expedition from Mexico to the Bay Area in 1775-1776. Meet at the meadow above the Schmidt Trail head. Moderate. 1 pm to 2:30 pm Wildflower Hike, Susan Schwartz of Friends of Five Creeks will lead an easy one-hour walk along the ridge, offering fabulous views as well as a chance to learn about native flowers, grasslands, oak forests, and coastal scrub. Meet at the Kina Court trailhead . Moderate. Hike ends at the Regency Court trailhead, where you can join the 2:30 pm Tree Hike, or return to the starting point with a car shuttle. 2 pm to 3 pm The Northern California Geological Society will lead a Short Geology Walk to get a close-up look at the former Hutchinson Quarry (the present day Recycling Center), whose stone face reveals much that is surprising about the Bay Area's bumptious geological past. 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Tree Hike. Ralph Boniello of the Tree Commission leads a family-friendly tour of the Hillside Area's trees, from live oaks to exotics. Meet at Regency Court trailhead. Hike ends at the Meadow . Moderate. 3 pm to 4:30 pm Dave Weinstein of the El Cerrito Historical Society will lead a hike focusing on the History of the Hillside Natural Area from the early 1900s to today. Strenuous. THE BAY LEAF May 2017 9 MAY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 1. Trail Use Surveys at Bair Island, Redwood City for May The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is in need of volunteers to tally trail users at the Bair Island Trail in Redwood City in May. These data are used to determine the number of visitors who recreate on the refuge. All you have to do is tally the number of people coming and going. If interested, please contact Carmen Minch at car¬ men leong-minch@fws.gov Of call 510-792-0222 ext, 476 . Below are the dates and times: Saturdays 1-3 p.m. May 6,13, 20 and 27 Sundays 9-11 a.m . May 7,14, 21, 28 Tuesdays 11 a.m. -1 p.m . May 2, 9,16, 23, 30 Thursdays 3-5 p.m. May 4,11,18, 25 2. Visitor Center Training (two sessions): Sunday June 25 and Tuesday June 27 We are looking for volunteers to staff the visitor center desk in Fremont, Wednesday through Saturday for 2.5-3.5 hour shifts. Save the dates for upcoming training on Sunday morn¬ ing, June 25 and the evening of Tuesday, June 27. You must be able to attend both days. Registration is required. Current visitor center volunteers are welcome to attend this training as well. There will be more information to come in the June Sloughs News. For inquiries call or email Jackie at 510-792- 0222 ext. 362 OF Jacquelyn Warren@fws.gov . As always, thank you for volunteering! Paul Mueller, Volunteer Coordinator San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex 1 Marshlands Road Fremont, CA 94555 15101 792-0222, ext. 361 Iris closeup (see Members Meeting announcement on page 1). Photo by Ted Kipping. 10 THE BAY LEAF May 2017 DIRECTORY OF CHAPTER LEADERS Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby plantfair@ebcnps.org Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Saige White, Nursery as¬ sistant swhite@cnps.com Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 MEMBERS’ MEETING: ON HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27 Members' meetings are on hiatus for the Summer. The next usual places: the Bay Leaf, ebcnps.org, meetup.com/ ebcnps, meeting will be on September 27, at the Orinda Library Gar- and the chapter mailing list, den Room. The topic and speaker will be announced in the NATIVE ANNUALS ON SALE AT NATIVE HERE! If you visit Native Here Nursery soon you will be treated to a tiny botanical version of a fireworks display — spring annu¬ als! We can't resist collecting and growing seeds from these delightful members of our local flora. I bought a few 4-inch pots for myself this spring, so I can tell you how it worked. If you buy these little chia pets as soon as they are put on the floor, say late March or April, you can divide them and let them get larger in a sunny, warm spot. From a handful of 4-inch pots I must have made two dozen little divisions in as many 4-inch pots, and when they looked strong I planted them out all over my meadow-like garden—clarkias, Chinese houses, agoseris, lupine. They've been flowering for a couple of weeks now, and some will keep on going for several more, providing cheery color now that the grasses are finished flowering. But it's not too late to have some fun. By now they are too big to divide, but you can group some pots in a colorful jardiniere and enjoy them close up. Best of all you can collect the result¬ ing seed and sprinkle them around your garden to see what happens next spring. I'm going to keep trying new species until I find ones that sustain themselves in my garden, and will still come back for the ones that are just too cute to miss. Four-inch pots of annuals will be half-price at Native Here while they last. There are Chinese houses, wind poppies, blow wives, lupines, goldfields, Clarkia, Madia, Castilleja, lotus, and more! Barbara Leitner BECOME A NATIVE HERE DOCENT This is a great opportunity to learn about growing locally native plants from the people who know them best. We are starting a docent/ salesperson training program at Native Here Nursery. Learn the basics of how the Nursery is organized and operates, informational resources, and the cultural characteristics of the most popular species grown at Native Here. Registration is $20 for a six-class series—June 10, July 8, July 30, August 20 and September 16, plus a one-on-one training meeting on sales procedures. The classes are from 10:30 am to noon. The Saturday scheduled dates will include special behind the scenes tours of the Nursery led by John and Charli Danielsen. On the two Sundays (July 30 and August 20), we will visit Alameda County and Contra Costa County gardens featuring local native plants. You must attend at least 4 sessions. Your commitment to the Nursery is to help with sales once monthly on Saturdays during open hours (10 am-2 pm) for six months. Timing is flexible. When you complete 12 volunteer hours you will receive a gift certificate for $20 to be used at Native Here. To start, all you need is a willingness to learn and a desire to help customers with their native plant needs. Even when trained, you can always get help from other people at Native Here. Native Here Nursery is located in Tilden Regional Park at 101 Golf Course Drive. To sign up or get more information, contact Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsonsl@mac.com . Barbara Leitner EAST BAY CHAPTER BOARD MEETINGS The Board of the East Bay Chapter of the CNPS meets monthly to CNPS members. If you are interested in attending, please (except August and December) on the third Tuesday of the contact corresponding-secretary@ebcnps.org for location month, generally from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Meetings are open information. CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT Pallid Manzanita Management Plan Recommendations Submitted In early May the East Bay Chapter conservation committee sent a letter to East Bay Regional Parks District stewardship staff concerning the Pallid Manzanita Management Plan (PMMP). We recommended that the PMMP be integrated with existing Park District documents containing broadly applicable policies for fuel load reductions. Our suggestions strengthen the possibility this scrappy but delicate native shrub will make a turnaround recovery to survive and thrive in our East Bay hills. The current PMMP provides excellent background to the com¬ plexity of the needs of pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida , CNPS Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state- endangered and federal- threatened). These were our additional recommendations: Identify and secure funding for species regeneration Craft site-specific plans for phased fuel reduction work around pallid manzanita stands Explain protocol for population surveys and measur¬ ing effect of management over time Integrate mentions of protection and mitigation measures, in all discussion of vegetation removal. The largest stands of pallid manzanita are in Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve and Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. December to March blooming times have already passed, but their peeling red bark is an identifying feature. Most individuals are as tall as typical hikers, indicating old age and a long overdue fire regime, and resulting in succes- sional shifts. When visiting the sites please take care to stay on trail to avoid spread of Phytophthora, which is damaging the pallid manzanitas. Ths letter and the East Bay Chapter's interaction on pallid manzanita with the Park District staff would not be possible without the members of the East Bay Chapter conservation committee and other volunteers who have read and analyzed Park District documents, removed invasives at pallid manza¬ nita sites, documented pallid manazita occurrences, attended meetings with Park District staff, and sent them thoughtful emails. We have received acknowledgement of our letter and look forward to seeing how recommendations are addressed in the final Pallid Manzanita Management Plan. Senate Bill 249 (statewide): Off-Highway Vehicle Reform Bill For those of you following my recent urgent action alerts, I have some good news. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on May 25 to approve moving the bill to a full Senate vote in the first week of June. The OHV lobby has continued contacting many legislators. We will be back in touch about asking local Senators for their support of SB 249 when it reaches the Senate floor. Unfortunately the chance is still high that this bill will not continue to Assembly consideration and the governor's desk later this year. SB 249 is important because it will address OHV enforcement issues and distribute state fuel tax money more equitably between motorized and non-motorized recreational uses. For example, did you know that a large portion of fuel taxes paid by every Californian, goes straight to the off- highway vehicle recreation division of State Parks? Every time we pump gas into our vehicles we pay for the expansion and maintenance of off-road motorized recreation even if we don't participate in this type of activity. Left: OHV use causes ongoing and severe environmental degradation like the erosion gullies seen here at Carnegie SVRA (Alameda & San Joaquin Counties). Vertical hill climbs create dangerous instability and per¬ manent environmental degradation. Damage from OHV use is an example of the type of enforcement and conservation issues addressed in SB 249. Right: Mitchell Ravine in Tesla park expansion area. All of Carnegie SVRA is part of EBCNPS' Corral Hollow Botanical Priority Protection Area. Photo credits: Friends of Tesla Park. 2 THE BAY LEAF June 2017 CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT CONTINUED Other bill reforms add important requirements and transpar¬ ency to conservation and wildlife protection measures. That State Parks off-highway vehicle program needs reform has become evident from our Chapter's work to protect the Tesla wildlands near Livermore from expanded off-road vehicle use by the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). For more information please email me or view the State CNPS web page dedicated to this effort: http://www.cnps.org/ cnps/conservation/actions/ohv reform/index.php Newly Released: Oak Knoll Final Supplemental EIR (Oak¬ land) In October 2016, we provided comments on the Oak Knoll Draft Supplemental EIR, which proposes to remove hundreds of native atrees, impact acres of purple needlegrass grasslands and maritime chaparral, and to build over the location of one of the largest populations of Oakland star tulip in the East Bay. We especially advocated for protection of Oakland star tulip (Colochortus umbellatus, CNPS Rare Plant Rank 4.2). In this newest proposal for redevelopment of the Navy's Oak Knoll Hospital site positive benefits include daylighting and restoring Rifle Range Creek, protecting most acres of purple needlegrass grasslands, and planting many more native trees than the project proposes to remove. We are encouraging better protections for mature oak woodlands and maritime chaparral (both sensitive natural communities), and enhance¬ ment of purple needlegrass grasslands protected by the project but starting to be impacted by invasive plant species. We also continue to insist on more specific mitigation plans for a population of 723 Oakland star tulips on the property. Commitments to mitigation are not yet strong enough to avoid tipping the balance towards losing this Oakland star tulip population entirely. The next public meeting will be a June 21 convening of the city's planning commission. June 21 is also the closing date for public comment. Commission will give recommendation to City Council on whether to approve the EIR. Please email me if you are interested in updates or collaboration regarding this project, and consider attending the meeting. CNPS East Bay Chapter Conservation Chair Jean Robertson checking out a purple needlegrass grassland on the Oak Knoll proposed project site. Old roads and infrastructure still exist. (Note the hydrant.) Some inva¬ sive plant populations have taken hold within the swaths of vegetation remaining. A lone Oakland star tulip in nearby Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve. Coloration of star tulips can vary with gradations of white and purple. The flower is typically no bigger than a thumbnail. Photos by Karen Whitestone (2016). ERRATUM The caption "Dick and Karen Schneider on the Richmond hike" for the photo toward the bottom of page 3 of the May 2017 Bay Leaf is incorrect. It should read "Dick Schneider and Karen Whitestone". Dick and Karen are not husband and wife. THE BAY LEAF June 2017 3 RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, June 3, 2017, 9am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site TBA. Join the City of Fremont's Environmental Services to enhance wildlife habitat along Sabercat Creek. We are holding volun¬ teer work days on the first or second Saturday mornings of each month, from 9 am-12 pm. We need a lot of help removing invasive plants and sheet mulching before the invasives bloom and set seed! Our work will help stabilize soils and creek banks, filter pollutants, in¬ crease native plant diversity, and improve food and shelter for wildlife Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/Sa- bercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, long-sleeved shirt, and tick/ mosquito repellant recommend¬ ed). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Carolyn, Einiro and Joanna weeding ivy. Picture by Sabrina Siebert. Saturday, June 3, 9:00 am, Trudeau Training Center at Redwood Regional Park The California Invasive Plant Council will hold a training session aimed at volunteers who weed invasive plants. If you did not already sign up through the previous e-mail you may want to contact the website to see if space is still available at www.cal-ipc.org. Sunday, June 4,10 am. North Basin at the mouth of Schoolhouse Creek in Eastshore State Park John Kenny and other volunteers will mostly be weeding this month as temperatures increase and the ground dries. It is OK to just show up—pre-registration is not required. Sunday, June 4th from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. Crab Cove Visitors' Center, 1252 McKay Avenue, Alameda Help keep our wildlife-friendly gardens beautiful by prun¬ ing, weeding, watering, and mulching around the visitor center. Choose the work that inspires you. Community Ser¬ vice hours available for students. Snacks and refreshments served, tools provided. There are 1,600 species of bees native to California! Most are solitary ground nesters and do not sting, and many are color¬ ful. Come see which plants attract native bees and butterflies at Crab Cove. To register go to: https://apm.activecommunities.com/ ebparks/Activity_Search/16824. If you decide to come at the last minute, please do. Volunteers under 18 must have a parent/ guardian sign a volunteer form, so please email me to be sent one. For questions call 510-544-3187 or call Michael directly at 510- 544-3183, or email mcharnofsky@ebparks.org. Michael Charnofsky Naturalist | Operations East Bay Regional Park District 1252 McKay Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501 Tel: 510-544-3183 | Fax: 510-521-0376 mcharnofsky@ebparks.org | www.ebparks.org Saturday, June 10, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Park Meet Janet, Marcia and park staff at the parking lot off Sky¬ line. You do not have to register in advance, but you can RSVP and look through the project description at the chapter Meetup page. Unless the fog moves in we are likely to head into the park and deep shade this month. Bagging Vinca or Cape ivy, anyone? For more information visit https://www.meetup.com/ebc- nps / events /236866928/. 4 THE BAY LEAF June 2017 Sunday, June 11,9:30 am. Redwood Park French broom pull You need to register with the park ranger in advance because this restoration site moves from month-to-month within the park. You can call (510) 544-327-2757, option 3, ext. 4553. Tools will be provided and you will not be charged for parking. So many Genista sprouts, so little time. Saturday, June 17, 10:00 am-noon, Garber Park Stewards Meet Shelagh at the Claremont Avenue trailhead and help uncover the large population of native plants waiting below the Algerian ivy. You are not required to RSVP, but you can make contact if you want at their new Meetup page https:/ / www.meetup.com/ en-AU/garberpark/ Join Shelagh and the other volunteers in the cool shade of Gar¬ ber's native Oak woodland where the focus will be chopping and pulling the usual invasive weeds. There are many activi¬ ties to choose from: light and level at selected spots along the trails where we will be pruning and pushing back the weeds and freeing the natives - especially the ferns (Garber has seven native ferns) to the tough tasks in Horsetail Meadow where the poison hemlock and spurge are in bloom and need to be removed. We provide tools, gloves, drinks and snacks. Wear long sleeves and pants and shoes with good tread. Saturday, June 17, 9:30 am. Point Isabel restoration Meet at the end of Rydin Road to pick up tools and find a site in need of weeding, e-mail kyotousa@sbcglobal.net to RSVP and if you have any questions. Sunday, June 18, 9:00 am, Sibley Regional Park Join us at the Oakland-side parking lot, where you can pick up water and snacks. Depending on the weather and volunteer interest we may head back towards Old Tunnel Road and the nearby wall of broom, but we may also slice poison hemlock and teasel in the shade. Saturday June 24, 9:30 am. Friends of Albany Hill E-mail friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com for the location of this conclusion to June restoration. Hope to see you in the field. Janet Gawthrop Volunteers pulling thistles at Sabercat Creek. Picture by Sabrina Siebert. THE BAY LEAF June 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION IN MAY 2017 One of the reasons we are so enthusiastic about doing reveg¬ etation activities along the Bay Trail at Point Isabel is that the work attracts so much interest from the public. There are days - especially at this time of year - when our weeding and irrigating are frequently interrupted by people who are curi¬ ous about whether our work is all volunteer (it is!) or who are stunned by the transformation over the years from a French broom and trash infested shoreline to a "daylighted" Hoffman Marsh, or those who love the look of the multicolor poppies mixed with the tansy-leafed phacelia ( Phacelia tanacetifolia), bee plant ( Scrophularia califomica), and yarrow (Achillea mille¬ folium). For us the rewards of the work are to see the plants visited by pollinators, the birds nesting in the nearby trees, the galls in the marsh-side willows, the monarch butterfly larvae on the milkweed ( Asclepias fascicularis ) and the yampah (Perideridia kelloggii). We are delighted that Point Isabel has become a "destination" for so many species. One of our visitors (Doug Donaldson) is a hobby photogra¬ pher who took the stunning photo of the bumblebee on the bee plant when he walked by one day and saw Jane pulling weeds. Does anyone need to ask why Scrophularia califomica has the common name "bee plant"? Recent work was done by Boy Scout Troop 888 from San Ramon. We were greatly impressed by the young scouts, their sisters, and their parents, all of whom worked enthu¬ siastically removing invasive oat grass and some lingering radish sprouts. At the midday break everyone introduced themselves and we were struck by the confidence and elo¬ quence of the young crew. Our thanks go to Boy Scout Aniketh for organizing the event. Congratulations go to the parents and to the Boy Scouts organization for guiding a wonderful group of young people. Thanks also go to all the Stewards, Core Volunteers, and other volunteers who joined us in May, including Amber who came out for the first time and thor¬ oughly enjoyed herself. News for this month is that Luciano Cortes and Nancy Lei- bowitz agreed to assume Co-Stewardship roles of the site planted a few years ago by Eagle Scout candidate Jason. Lu¬ ciano, and Nancy have been taking extraordinary care of this area and will continue to do so in their Co-Stewardship roles. Restoration takes place each month on the first and third Saturdays at 9:30 am, except we will not meet on June 3, just on June 17 this month only. Jane and Tom Kelly A bumble bee on a bee plant (above). The May crew at the end of the day (above on next page). The scouts get ready (below on next page). Pictures by Jane Kelly. 6 THE BAY LEAF June 2017 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION PICTURES THE BAY LEAF June 2017 7 FIELD TRIPS Saturday June 10, 9:45 am. Redwood Park, sedges, ferns, manzanita and violets Join Gregg Weber at the parking lot for Chabot Space and Science Center for this trip through chaparral and redwood forest communities that border Oakland. For a more complete description and to RSVP go to our chapter's Meetup page https:/ / www.meetup.com/ ebcnps/ events/232853813/ . Sunday, June 11,2 pm, field trip to the Mary Bowerman Trail near the top of Mount Diablo Meet at the large parking lot just below the summit (do not go to the suat mmit lot where parking is limited and time restricted). We will hike the Mary Bowerman Trail (previ¬ ously called the Fire Interpretive Trail), which circles round the summit a few hundred feet down. Since blooms are later at the summit there should be many flowers. The trail is fairly level and about one mile long. David Margolies will lead. See www.meetup.com.ebcnps. THE KELLYS BRING RESTORATION TO NATIVE HERE Big Thanks to Jane and Tom Kelly. As if the Kellys don't already do enough to earn our gratitude for all their restora¬ tion work, they've come to clean up Native Here Nursery! The intrepid power couple arrived last weekend, weed wrenches in hand, and took on a big patch of broom just outside the Native Here boundary fence. Broom is no respecter of boundaries, with explosive pods that catapult seeds up to 13 feet from the mother plant. We don't want those seeds hitching a ride on our nursery stock, so Tom and Jane created a safe zone around the nursery. Thanks you two, keep up the great work. To see Jane and Tom in action, and to learn the finer points of restoration ecology go to their Point Isabel restoration report, featured here in the Bay Leaf. Barbara Leitner Back at Point Isabel, the scout's last load. (See the scouts starting out on page 7.) Picture by Jane Kelly. 8 THE BAY LEAF June 2017 DIRECTORY OF CHAPTER LEADERS Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby plantfair@ebcnps.org Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Saige White, Nursery as¬ sistant swhite@cnps.com Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 THE BAY LEAF June 2017 9 MEMBERS’ MEETING: ON HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27 Members' meetings are on hiatus for the Summer. The next meeting will be on September 27, at the Orinda Library Gar¬ den Room. The topic and speaker will be announced in the EAST BAY CHAPTER BOARD The Board of the East Bay Chapter of the CNPS meets monthly (except August and December) on the third Tuesday of the month, generally from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Meetings are open usual places: the Bay Leaf, ebcnps.org, meetup.com/ ebcnps, and the chapter mailing list. MEETINGS to CNPS members. If you are interested in attending, please contact corresponding-secretary@ebcnps.org for location information. CONSERVATION ANALYST REPORT Comment letter submitted for Oak Knoll (Oakland) The Oak Knoll Mixed Use Community is proposed for the for¬ mer Oak Knoll Naval Hospital grounds in Oakland (between Knowland Park and the Leona Canyon Regional Preserve). The US Navy formerly owned most of the 190 acre site, but when the Naval Medical Center closed in 1996 the City of Oakland and the Navy prepared a list of alternatives for local community reuse of the property. This analysis was the first Environmental Impact Report (EIR). In 2016 the Conservation Committee submitted comments on the project's Draft Supplemental EIR, and earlier this month we submitted a comment letter on the Final Supplemental EIR. We decided to focus our letter on improved protections and mitigations for these native plant resources: Oakland star tulip ( Calochortus umbellatus), an Arctostaphylos ( Crustacea , tomentosa) Shrubland Alliance, and purple needlegrass ( Stipa pulchra) grasslands. The project proposes to remove all 723 Oakland star tulip bulbs from the site and to mitigate this action by replanting and monitoring the bulbs. On June 21st we attended a City of Oakland Planning Com¬ mission meeting about Oak Knoll. We urged protection of the Oakland star tulip in open space areas, and long-term monitoring of replanted bulbs. There were more than 50 speakers. Many expressed concerns about traffic safety and lack of affordable housing. City staff advised the commission¬ ers to delay making a recommendation on whether to certify the Final Supplemental EIR. We will stay in touch with the City of Oakland to learn when the Planning Commission and City Council make final rec¬ ommendations for certifying the Final Supplemental EIR. This may happen soon, and we will inform our membership when we know more. PG&E's SF Bay Area Habitat Conservation Plan The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) prepared a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (draft HCP) which covers routine operations and maintenance (O&M) plus minor new construction projects and natural gas transmission system maintenance. This particular draft HCP covers current and future O&M activities across the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, or about 402,000 acres. The purpose of the draft HCP is to work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife (US- FWS) to permit some impacts to federally threatened and endangered species over a period of 30 years. The plan also provides guidance for "avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on threatened and endangered species that could result" from covered activities (Ch 1, executive summary). This draft HCP is a 30-year "incidental take permit" for some federally-listed species in the Bay Area. This type of permit is a streamlined process which takes a comprehensive look CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT (CONTINUED) at impacts and identifies measures to avoid and minimizetake and compensate, where necessary, in a more meaningful way. HCPs are not written or implemented expressly for plants because federally-listed plants are not protected from take or destruction on private land, although these species are typically incorporated into the planning process. This draft HCP covers 19 animal species and 13 plant species, of which the five listed below are located in the East Bay: pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida), coyote ceanothus (Ceanothus ferrisiae), Contra Costa goldfields (Lasthenia con- jugens), Contra Costa wallflower (Erysimum capitatum var. angustatum), and Antioch Dunes evening primrose ( Oenothera deltoides ssp. h.owellii).We acknowledge PG&E's forward- looking efforts to design a comprehensive permitting and mitigation process for federally-listed species, but hope they will be more inclusive in scope to ensure appropriate protec¬ tions for the many near-critically endangered plants in the Bay Area. We recommended expanding the list of covered species beyond currently-listed plants, to include species that could be listed in the future. The next steps in the process are public notice of the HCP's approval and/ or a response to our comments from USFWS, which will likely happen no sooner than September 2017. We will update our membership when we know more. Many thanks to the Conservation Committee for thoughtful discussion; to Jim Hanson, Barbara Leitner, Jean Robertson, and Janet Gawthrop for help in producing this report; and to Vegetation Co-Chairs Nicole Jurjavcic and Megan Keever for information on sensitive natural communities. CHAPTER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES Spring, especially April, is always the busiest season for five plants in gardening, but at Sunol there was also interest outreach activities. This year we have done events in Sunol, in Tesla followed by concern for its future. Most field trip Walnut Creek (2), Pleasant Hill, and Coyote Hills Regional leaders do outreach at the beginning of a walk. Park. In most cases conversation centered on the role of na- Lesley Hunt Outreach Chair Lesley Hunt gives a talk at the Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden. 2 THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 NATIVE HERE NURSERY This Month at the Nursery Saige White, our Nursery Assistant, has decided to resign. She has done a great job keeping tabs on our inventory, posting up to date listings, moving new stock onto the floor, and helping customers, all with efficiency and a sunny attitude. She will be hard to replace. Usually at this point we would say how much weTl miss her, but fortunately we don't have to. She's staying on as a volunteer to head up publicity for the nursery and do other tasks she enjoys. We are very pleased that she cares about the nursery and native plants enough to want to stay involved. We will post a job announcement for a new nursery assistant soon. Docent training is underway with seven people attending the second session on June 10th. Most of them are new to the nursery. Charli led a very informative discussion about plants that grow in the Bay Hills. The next meeting is Saturday, July 8 and the subject will be Mt. Diablo plants. This is a great way to learn about plants and help the nursery and chapter at the same time - profits from Native Here go to finance our chapter activities. Contact Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsonsl@mac.com or see last month's Bay Leaf for more information. The nursery still needs summer waterers. Whether you like quiet time alone in a peaceful setting or a chance to interact with other volunteers, this is a great way to help the nursery. You can sign up to water a section regularly or substitute when your schedule allows. Get in touch with Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsonsl@mac.com to sign up. Native Here Nursery and Phytophthora ramorum On June 15 the Contra Costa County Agriculture Department informed Native Here Nursery that during a routine inspection three of our large display manzanitas tested positive for Phytophthora ramorum, the organism that causes sudden oak death. Native Here Nursery is working closely with the agriculture department to remedy the situation, removing the three infested plants as well as those nearby and testing extensively. To date no stock offered for sale has tested positive for this organism. In addition. Native Here is implementing recommended best practices for phytosanitation (prevention and control of plant diseases), an effort we began two to three years ago as information became available. A small section of the nursery will be closed to the public during testing, but Native Here remains open during our usual hours. The nursery and the agriculture department are working hard to ensure that the plants offered for sale are healthy. If you would like to follow our efforts check for updates on the Native Here Nursery website (http: //nativeherenursery.org t. If you have questions feel free to contact us at nativehere@ ebcnps.org . The Native Here Nursery Committee THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 3 MORE NATIVE HERE PICTURES A load of "playground chips" is delivered to the nursery. These particular chips minimize splash and thus help to protect against Phytophthora. We've been using them for a couple of years or so now. On their last day of work before summer vacation Lamorinda high school volunteers spread the chips. Many of these students helped us multiple times through the school year and we thank them for their dedication. 4 THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, July 1 and Saturday, August 5, 9 am French broom rip at Redwood Regional Park Pre-registration strongly encouraged because the worksite moves within the park. You can e-mail redwood@ebparks.org to register or for more information. Saturday, July 1, and Saturday, August 5, 9:30 am. Point Isabel at Eastshore State Park This group starts across from the parking lot at the end of Rydin Road. You can e-mail kyotousa@sbcglobal.net to RSVP. Sunday, July 2 and Sunday, August 6,10:00 am - 1:00 pm, the monthly North Basin restoration meets at Eastshore State Park in Berkeley, on the bay shoreline south of Tom Bates soc¬ cer fields, to continue clearing radish and other invasives from around the native plants and prepare for next year's plantings. A map of the area can be found at https:// goo.gl/rqdZQW. For directions to the work site or more information about this project, contact John Kenny f johnkenny54@yahoo.comJ . Saturday, July 8, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve You do not have to pre-register. Just be at the Huckleberry parking lot at 9:30 am. when we discuss our worksite before collecting water and tools from the ranger and heading to work somewhere shady. We'll be back on August 12, also at 9:30. For more information, see the description at www. meetup.com/ ebcnps/ ore-mailjanetgawthrop47@gmail.com. Saturday, July 8, 9 am-noon Sabercat Creek Habitat Res¬ toration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Saturday, August 5, 9 am-noon, Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 5 (Becado Place) Join the City of Fremont's Environmental Services to enhance wildlife habitat along Sabercat Creek. We are holding volun¬ teer work days on the first or second Saturday mornings of each month, from 9 am-12 pm. For July, we'll have the work day on the second Saturday of the month, instead of the first. We will be caring for native trees and shrubs, removing in¬ vasives, and sheet mulching! Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/SabercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty FIELD TRIPS Saturday, August 5,10:00 am (or as soon after as the MUNI 76X bus arrives), field trip to Golden Gate National Recreation Area We will hike the Coastal Trail from Fort Cronkhite to Ten¬ nessee Valley and back, starting from the SFMUNI bus stop/ public shower area by the parking lot. Meet Janet Gawthrop at the whale skeleton by the parking area if you do not take the bus. Bring lunch, water, maybe a jacket, and a Flora of Marin County. You can RSVP to www.Meetup.com/ebcnps/, which has a Google map of the area. (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. We'll provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them. For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Sunday, July 9 and Sunday, August 13, Sunday at 9 am, rip out more French broom at Redwood Park Pre-registration also required for this volunteer crew—it helps the ranger to bring enough tools and water for all. E-mail redwood@ebparks.org to pre-register or call (510) 544-3127. Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, August 19, 10 am- noon, Garber Park Habitat Restoration Workdays Join us as we continue removing fire prone invasive weeds in Garber Park. Meet at the Claremont Avenue entrance to Garber Park, where we will continue our push to clear Algerian ivy from the parking area, along the trail, and in Fern Glade. For those who enjoy working on steep slopes the Evergreen Restoration Site needs your help in removing poison hemlock and erharta grass. Wear long sleeves and pants, shoes with good tread, and bring a water bottle. We provide water, snacks, tools, and gloves. For directions (public transportation and car), maps and further information visit www.garberparkstewards.org or contact Shelagh at garber- parkstewards@gmail.com. Shelagh Brodersen Volunteer Coordinator, Garber Park Stewards garberparkstewards@gmail.com 510-517-1918 www. garberparkste wards, org Sunday, July 16 and Sunday, August 20 at 9:00 am, Sibley Park We will touch base for signups and water at the Oakland-side entrance off of Skyline Boulevard, but you can also go directly to the Old Tunnel Road staging area—just be sure to e-mail sibley@ebparks.org or janetgawthrop47@gmail.com to let us know to look for you. Saturday, July 29 and Saturday, August26,9:30 am Albany Hill This crew mostly removes invasive weeds, with the expec¬ tation that the hills unique flora will fill in the bare spots soon. Best to pre-register. E-mail friendsalbanyhill@gmail. Sunday, September 3,10:00 am. September plants in Brio¬ nes. Meet Gregg Weber at the Briones Rd. Trailhead. RSVP and further details at https://www.meetup.com/ebcnps/ events/238733052/. Sunday, September 17, 10:00 am. Wonderful Delta and Marsh plants in Martinez. Meet Gregg Weber at Waterfront Road in Martinez. Further details and RSVP at https://www.meetup.com/ebcnps/ events/238733065/. THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION JUNE 2017 Scotland and Ireland took us away from our regularly scheduled work party dates in June. We visited the Scottish highlands, admiring the mountains, the lochs, and the fields of bluebells, heather, gorse, and ferns. In Ireland, we spent two days in the Burren in County Clare and were astounded at the profusion of beautiful plants from four continents that grow happily together in this distinctive area of limestone pavement, woods, and small mountains. We learned that over 700 different species of flowering plants, conifers and ferns are growing in the Burren and on the Aran Islands. We walked the Slieve Carran loop in the Burren National Park with Tony Kirby, an author and truly fantastic guide who led us across the limestone ending at a hermitage in a wooded area where Saint Colman mac Duagh was said to have lived in the 6th century. Tony pointed out eightpetal mountain avens ( Dryas o dope tala), an Arctic-alpine flower¬ ing plant, growing next to pink flowering bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum) which we see growing in Europe by the Mediterranean. Numerous lovely and interesting orchids were in bloom including fly orchid ( Ophrys insectifera) whose flowers resemble flies and whose scent attracts male wasps and bees that pollinate the flowers as they attempt to mate. For anyone traveling to Ireland who is interested in plants, history, archeology and poetry, we highly recommend tak¬ ing a guided tour of the Burren with Tony Kirby of Heart of Burren Walks. It was a delight to host these students, who helped us remove Bermuda grass and bindweed from two different sites. It's fun to learn about each student when we take our break and we very much appreciate ESTs continued support for the project. Many thanks to Stewards Margot and Tom, Core Volunteer Miriam, and new volunteer Nora for laying down another tarp on Margot's Adopt-a-Spot and covering it with mulch. It's our latest effort to control our greatest challenge to date - Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). This crew did so much great work at our work party on June 17 that we cut short due to the heat wave. Thanks also to all the Stewards and to Core Volunteers John Kenny and Rob Kirby for their continu¬ ous efforts this month in weeding, irrigating new plantings, removing trash, and keeping Hoffman Marsh clean. June was a fun wildlife month. We spotted a Cooper's hawk, a skunk, a great blue heron, and black-necked stilts. We send our thanks as always to our Ranger Bruce and to the EBRPD for all their support. One work day in July: July 1 st and one in August: August 5 th , both 9:30 am as usual. Jane and Tom Kelly On June 10 we held a special work party and welcomed the new group of English Studies Institute (ESI) students from Japan to Point Isabel along with their new chaperone, Evka. Correction from last issue: The photo of a bee on a bee plant at Point Isabel on page 6 of the June 2017 Bay Leaf was taken by Doug Donaldson. The caption incorrectly attributed all Point Isabel photos to Jane Kelly. June 17 crew with Ranger Bruce. Photo by Jane Kelly. 6 THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION PICTURES ESI students at the end of the day (above), photo by Jane Kelly. Skunk at Point Isabel, photo by Lewis Payne (left below). Great blue heron at Point Isabel, photo by Jane Kelly (right below). THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 7 NATIVE PLANT WEEK CELEBRATION This year CNPS celebrated the Sev¬ enth Annual California Native Plant Week, April 15 - April 23, 2017. At the annual John Muir Earth Day Birthday celebration on April 22nd the East Bay Chapter distributed cards that read "Why I love Na¬ tive Plants" to celebrate the event. Visitors were happy to share their thoughts on the cards. If you would like to help out at this event next year please let me know. Also our East Bay Chapter will again be having a table at the 10th annual Martinez Beaver Festival on Saturday August 5th, 2017 from 11 am to 4 pm. We volunteer in coor¬ dination with Friends of Alhambra Creek. Come join us if you can. Elaine Jackson STINKWORT SEASON: YOU CAN HELP! Readers of the Bay Leaf may recognize this scourge of the workdays on Highway 24; weekend mornings in East Bay —stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens). Toxic to several types of livestock, worthless as wildlife habitat, a Cal-IPC "red alert" invasive, and — it produces a skin rash. What's to like? Not much. But don't despair: it gives up reasonably easily—if one re¬ moves every single plant. Stinkwort has a limited seed bank, so if you remove all plants you can make it disappear in a year or two. It's mighty satisfying to make a site go from A to B in just an hour or two (see photos), and to come back the next year and find just a few stragglers — or none. Want to make the East Bay a better place by reducing stink¬ wort? Here are some possibilities: • Join me on my "highway patrols" — to-be-scheduled Stinkwort before (left - A) and after (right B) August and September • Join me on evening walks on surface streets in Lam- orinda, same idea but casual and brief • If you see patches on public land, we can strategize about whom to contact • If you have stinkwort in your neighborhood. I'll join you for a stinkwort-pulling session to get started • I can provide you with customizable flyers to educate your neighbors Write to me if you are interested in working with me, would like some help on your own project, or would like more in¬ formation. Let the season begin! Barbara Leitner bleitner@pacbell.net 8 THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 DIRECTORY Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jean Robertson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liai¬ son Steve Toby stevetoby@comcast.net Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events List manager-Martha Booz mlbooz@calnatives.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture Gudrun Kleist, bulbs John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net Restoration Projects Leaders: Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 THE BAY LEAF July-August 2017 9 MEMBERS’ MEETING: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 Carrizo Plain in the 2017 superbloom. Photo by Dagmar Collins. Save the Superbloom: How extraordinary years can help us to save extraordinary places Speaker: Dan Gluesenkamp, PhD Wednesday, September 27, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) This past spring Californians were treated to a spectacular season of wildflowers. While not every part of California experienced a Superbloom, many were blessed with flow¬ ers that drew the attention of the world. Newspapers across the nation featured stories about the bloom. Broadcasters ranging from Korean television to Netflix made trips to out- of-the-way California wildflower destinations to document them for their viewers. This excitement was driven by a confluence of events; climatic conditions provided California some beautiful blooms, and political circumstances gave all of us the need to see beauty, resilience, resistance, and hope. This talk will focus on the 2017 Superbloom, its flowers, the frenzy, and the broader significance. Yes, there will be photos of incredibly beautiful flowers. There will also be pictures of industrial-scale solar farms and pot-growing fields, where flowers once flourished. Finally, there will be a discussion of the CNPS Important Plant Areas (IPAs) project, an ambitious endeavor that deploys scientific data and citizen science to identify the most important parts of California and ensure that we do everything possible to save them for the future. Dan Gluesenkamp (shown in the photo below) is Executive Director of the California Native Plant Society and works with CNPS staff and chapters to protect, understand, and celebrate California's native flora. Dan earned his PhD at UC Berkeley, and previously worked as Executive Director of Calflora and as Director of Habitat Protection for Audubon Canyon Ranch's 30 preserves. A co-founder of the California Invasive Plant Council and of the Bay Area Early Detection Network (BAEDN), in 2009 Dan discovered a presumed- extinct Franciscan manzanita plant growing on a traffic island at the Golden Gate Bridge. East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Email programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the MEMBER’S MEETING cconto BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. Next Month's Program Heath Bartosh—Northern California Black Walnut: A tree with many stories October 24, 7:30 pm. Garden Room, Orinda Public Library STERILIZING POTS FOR REUSE AT NATIVE HERE NURSERY Re-using nursery containers used to be a simple matter at Native Here Nursery. In fact, in the old days we encouraged recycling and re-use by having a place near the entrance where people could bring their used pots and others could use them. With the realization that most of the invasive Phytophthora, such as Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum), probably are moved around in the nursery trade via infested soil. Native Here Nursery stopped accepting used containers and began special procedures for sanitizing pots for re-use within the nursery. Two methods work for killing Phytophthora pathogens. One is chemical—immersing the containers in a chlorine or quaternary ammonium bath—and one is heat treatment. We currently soak some odd-sized containers in a chlorine bath; most of our containers are cleaned by dry-brushing, then moistening and heat-treating in a method called "solarizing". To solarize, the pots are stacked and wrapped in plastic, then set out in the sunniest, warmest place at the Nursery. A data logger documents that the heat reaches the required temperature and duration before the containers are put back in service. Cleaning pots is an extra step in Nursery production; thou¬ sands of pots are sanitized each year. We have held several "pot parties" —complete with munchies—to make the job fast and fun. Want to help out? Our next party will be on Saturday, September 9,10 am to 2 pm. Barbara Leitner Beth Wurzburg, Matthew Arnstein, and Lesley Hunt with a stack of pots about to be solarized. Photo by Barbara Leitner. MORE ON ERADICATING STINKWORT Labor Day is just about the start of flowering for stinkwort, that "red alert" invasive that has spread like wildfire through¬ out the East Bay. It grows on the edges of trails, roads, and in areas with persistent soil moisture, competing with habitat- friendly plants and causing rashes on unsuspecting humans. Stinkwort is continuing to spread, and new colonies pop up where seeds are spread by tires, shoes, the wind, and move¬ ment of contaminated soil and gravel. It doesn't have to be this way—diligent pulling can greatly re¬ duce or even eliminate stinkwort, especially before it flowers. Once it flowers, you have to bag and dispose of the material, 2 THE BAY LEAF September 2017 or at least pile it up to limit seed dispersal. In my part of the Chapter, quaintly known as Lamorinda, I'm seeing much less stinkwort this year, probably the result of several years' efforts to contain it. If you would like some advice, coaching on methods (includ¬ ing how to prevent rashes), or even a site visit, let me know. If we all take ownership of a portion of our world, we can really make a difference. Barbara Leitner bleitner@pacbell.net NATIVE HERE NURSERY SEPTEMBER 2017 All Plants Have Been Cleared for Sale! The big news at Native Here is that soil, wood chips and plants sampled by California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) all tested negative for Phytopthora ramorum. All nursery stock was cleared for sale, and those that were on hold are now in place and listed on our online list of available plants. will be working on Saturdays. She is a student at Miramonte High School in Orinda. A midweek assistant will join the staff soon. We still need volunteers to water, especially on weekends. If you can help with this task, either regularly or occasionally, please contact Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsonsl@mac.com or show up during Saturday open hours to help as needed. Some desirable species that have just become available: Indian pink (Silene laciniata ssp. califomica) in Bay Hills; chaparral currant (Ribes malvaceum), pitcher sage (Lepichinia calycina), and scarlet bugler ( Penstemon centranthifolius) in the Diablo section. As plants become ready, the list of available plants is updated and available in the nursery office and it is posted to the nursery website about once a month. If the date is not very recent, a call can confirm whether a plant is currently available. The nursery continues to implement phyto-sanitation measures to halt the spread of Phytophthora ramorum. We will be tested for all pathogens annually by the County. The nursery's mission is to promote the use of local native plants within Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Movement of plants beyond those two counties and a few adjacent coastal counties is restricted by CDF A. A list of plant species that host P. ramorum (and the inspectors remind us that soil is also a regulated article) is available: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/ plant_pest_ info/pram/ downloads/ pdf_files/usdaprlist.pdf We are not permitted to ship plants out of state or into parts of the state that are not already infested with P. ramorum. Gina Bizjak has been hired to replace Saige as our inventory assistant. Gina has volunteered at NHN since last winter and Manzanita Day at Native Here- September 23 "When will the manzanitas be available?" The answer is: Saturday, September 23 at 10 am! We have Arctostaphylos auriculata (Mount Diablo manzanita), Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita (common manzanita), Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. laevigata (Contra Costa manzanita), and Arctostaphylos glauca (big-berry manzanita) from the Diablo area, and Arctostaphylos Crustacea ssp. Crustacea (brittleleaf manzanita) from the Bay Hills area. Bert Johnson will talk at 11 am about caring for our local manzanitas, followed by a question period. Bert has been fascinated by manzanitas, their evolution, habits and habitats, for decades. He worked at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden with Jim Roof, Wayne Roderick and Steve Edwards. If you have heard him talk about manzanitas, you will want to hear him again. If you have not, you are in for a treat on Native Here Manzanita Day, September 23. We will need an extra person or two to help with sales that day. Contact Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl@mac.com. If you have had success growing manzanitas, your help would be especially welcome. Charli Danielsen Arctostaphylos auriculata in Lime Ridge with hummingbird. Manzanitas will be on sale at Native Here nursery starting September 23. Photo by Brad Heckman. THE BAY LEAF September 2017 3 SKYLINE GARDENS AND THE GRIZZLY PEAK FIRE We had some big excitement last week. Because of the Griz¬ zly Peak Fire on Wednesday afternoon, we had to cancel our workday. We did get back to Skyline on Sunday and almost finished with scattergrass in the Bay Grove. Perhaps one more good session will finish that off. We'll be out at regular times this week: Wednesday at 4 pm and Sunday at 9:30 am. Please let me know if you can make it. On Wednesday, August 2 the Grizzly Peak Fire burned about 20 acres on the west slope of Grizzly Peak (the peak itself), below the road. The fire site was about a mile north of Siesta Gate. The fire started about 1 pm and spread across and upslope for about 4 hours until it was stopped at Grizzly Peak Road. This was on UC property in upper Strawberry Canyon. In several places the fire jumped over Grizzly Peak Road and started smaller spot fires on the north slope, in Tilden Park territory. At its peak, over 200 firefighters responded from 9 different local agencies. Calf ire brought in crews, two fire retardant dropping airplanes, and two helicopters that scooped up water from Lake Anza and dropped it on the fire. No struc¬ tures were lost, and one firefighter had minor injuries when he uncovered a hornets nest and slipped down a slope. They all did a great job of preventing a larger disaster. A couple of us visited the fire area on Sunday after our work¬ day. To help orient you, above is Cynthia's photo of the fire's aftermath. This photo looks north from the South Park Drive intersection with Grizzly Peak Boulevard. At the top right, you can see the tower atop Grizzly Peak. The main burn area is on the west slope, below the road. Here is an aerial view of the fire. This is a screenshot I made from KTVU helicopter footage. I believe this is about an hour after the fire started, about 2 pm. This photo is looking east, with Grizzly Peak itself hidden above the smoke plume. The trail at the base is the Frowning Ridge Trail, which zig-zags across this photo. Just above the trail is an ash-colored burned area. This was mostly coyote bush. The burned section above the trail is about 150 feet wide. If you look carefully at the lower center where the trail goes under trees you can see a smaller triangular flame area. This small fire section is sepa¬ rate from the main burn and spontaneously ignited about ten minutes into the footage. This is known as 'spotting' - where embers jump from one part of the fire and start new fires. Further up the ridge the fire has burned under a grove of Monterey pines and Eucalyptus, and one large tree there is erupting in fire clear up to the crown. This KTVU footage is still posted on line. It is over an hour long, but the first 15 minutes show the progress of this sec¬ tion of fire as it burns from a small patch above the trail - to across the slope and up under the trees. The footage is fasci¬ nating to watch, and here is the link: http:/ / www.ktvu.com/ news /271737990-story. Here is a close up photo of the fire from Berkeleyside as it approached Grizzly Peak Boulevard: This is a eucalyptus tree in flames. The photo is looking south from the shoulder of Grizzly Peak Boulevard. While some pines and eucs did fully torch, luckily the fire burned mostly grass and brush under the trees. It never reached the stage of a full 'crown fire' where the fire burns from treetop to treetop and is completely uncontrollable. The Tunnel Fire in 1991 was a huge crown fire that jumped Highway 24 three times, in hot parched October, with 60 plus mph Diablo winds blowing the fire downhill. Although the weather was warm last week the wind was manageable, the trees were still somewhat hydrated from our record rains, and it was August and not October, so the fire stayed low and small enough to be contained by a massive response. Next are a couple of close ups of the fire damage. This first picture looks uphill from the Frowning Ridge Trail, from the bottom of the helicopter photo. 4 THE BAY LEAF September 2017 SKYLINE GARDENS AND THE GRIZZLY PEAK FIRE ccontj The fire was hot enough here to completely burn the coyote bush and broom; what you see are just stumps and base branches. Further upslope, you can see the grove of trees that the fire burned through. Some are still quite green and others look very roasted from the heat, but did not fully burn. This area will be just fascinating to revisit in the spring, to see what kinds of plants emerge from dormant seeds. This picture is from above the tree grove in the previous shot: Now we are looking west (downhill) along the Frowning Ridge trail. Here you can see two big trees that did completely torch; around the edges you can see coyote bushes that roasted from the heat but did not completely burn. Next is a shot looking west (downhill) along this same ridge from Grizzly Peak Boulevard. In the lower left center, there is a 20 ft. bay tree, green on top and roasted on the sides. In the mid-center, there's a grove of live oaks that got roasted brown, but did not burn. Live oaks rarely burn from this kind of fire. My prediction is that all the native trees in this shot will leaf out healthy and green in the spring; I've seen this many times. I've included many shots from different angles to show the many faces of one fire. A fire doesn't just burn up everything; it is as particular in its details as any landscape: fire burns everything to the tops in some spots, but right next door just burns the grass and singes the shrubs. It all has to do with placement, fuel, wind, slope, and many particulars. Botanists tend to love a fire, because the aftermath is so fas¬ cinating. Seeds not seen in decades may sprout. In the early days of California botany, when Jepson was at Cal in the early 1900's, he and others found scores of interesting natives on the slopes of Grizzly Peak. Will they return? How will UC manage the burn area (let's hope they do nothing besides remove the eucs and pines)? I have already volunteered to lead a CNPS field trip to the area next April. But please don't wait for that. Gophers are already pushing up fresh mounds of dirt and heat seeking beetles will be laying eggs in the burned trees. Unfolding before us is a new chapter in the ecology of the High Ridge Volcanic Area that extends from Tilden to Sibley. Come see for yourself. Glen Schneider THE BAY LEAF September 2017 5 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION SUMMER 2017 Point Isabel Restoration Project - July and August 2017 Restoration work tends to slow down a tad in the summer. At least that's the theory. The weeds have either been removed or gone to seed before we could get to them and are now basically chaff. And the planting is mostly done in winter when the rains return (we hope). Nevertheless, in looking at our work parties and the efforts of our amazing stewards, and stewards-in-everything-but-name, we accomplished an amazing number of tasks. At the work party on July 1, we planted eight California fuchsia ( Epilobium canum ) grown from Pt. Isabel seed. We spread mulch over a new area. Moved all the weed piles - large and small - to the compost pile. We found three anise swallowtail caterpillars on the yampah (Perideridia kelloggii) planted last winter. • The City of Richmond installed two signs at the Adopt-a- Spot; picked up weed piles; picked up mattresses and tires along Rydin; dropped mulch piles at the Adopt-a-Spot and also all along the medians on Rydin after mowing down the invasive weeds. Enthusiastic thanks go to Greg Hardesty, Shannon Elliott, Israel, and Noe from the City of Richmond for always being so responsive. • On July 22, a super volunteer crew (including Steve Young who came for the third time all the way from Kokomo, Indiana!) spread the mulch along each median. Rydin Road has never looked so good and we should not have to deal anymore with invasive weeds drifting over from those medians. • Karen and Jane removed large patches of bindweed from around native shrubs. • EBRPD provided a stipend of ($1,000) for plants! Many thanks go to District staff Jeremy Saito and Scott Possin for making that possible. UIV OF RICHMOND City of Richmond adopt-a-spot sign, an anise swallow¬ tail caterpillar on a yampah, and (opposite page) the July crew. Photo by Jane Kelly. • We purchased watering cans, a cart, tools, gloves, and soil. Our most sincere thanks to the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee for making those purchases possible. • Gudrun Kleist donated narrow leaf milkweed ( [Asclepias fascicularis) to the project. • Stewards irrigated all the new plantings. • At low tide on August 3 and 4, Nancy, Jane, and Tom removed Algerian lavender from within Hoffman Marsh. The native lavender (Limonium califomicum) is prevalent since our removal work in 2016 and is blooming colorfully throughout the marsh. • On August 5, a fantastic CorePower Yoga crew joined our work party and helped us remove copious tall stands of oat grass that were obscuring California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), California wax myrtle ( Morelia californica ), and lizard tail (Eriophyllum staechadifolium) and they spread mulch on the cleared sections. • Stewards Nancy and Luciano tackled the pepperweed problem in their area by spreading tarps and covering the tough-to-eradicate pepper weed infestation with mulch. • We tarped and mulched Bermuda grass on the Adopt- a-Spot and weed-whacked the remaining oat grass and dandelions. • During these two months, we spotted egrets, willets, long-billed curlews, two flocks of white pelicans, and a beautiful little skunk. We send our thanks as always to our Ranger Bruce, who is always there when we need him. Jane and Tom Kelly 6 THE BAY LEAF September 2017 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION CREW Core Power Yoga and us. Photo by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF September 2017 7 CONSERVATION ANALYST REPORT Successful Advocacy Leads to Improvements in Pallid Manzanita Management Plan (PMMP) On July 12, 2017, East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) employees met with members of the East Bay CNPS Conser¬ vation Committee at Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve for a walk and talk discussion about fuel management, pallid manzanita, and maritime chaparral protection. Our goals were to learn the status of the highly anticipated PMMP and to hear the results from recent EBRPD manzanita and Phytophthora surveys. We also discussed the fuel removal treatments EBRPD is eager to carry out. We learned that surveys for pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida, listed as federal threatened and state endangered) were conducted using new methods counting every individual plant. We hope this approach will contribute to an accurate picture of current species and stand health. We also learned that the Park District will not conduct fuel management at Huckleberry (or other areas with pallid manzanita) until their Phytophthora assessment is completed. Importantly, EBRPD assured us that fuel management actions will not create "shrub islands", will avoid maritime chapar¬ ral, and will leave canopy vegetation in place where needed to provide shade for pallid manzanitas and to reduce risk of spreading Phytophthora. Let's step back for a moment. These statements show that our chapter has achieved dramatic improvement and clarity from EBRPD regarding protections for pallid manzanita and maritime chaparral. Nearly a year ago, we submitted pages of comments for improving the draft PMMP and spent many hours communicating with EBRPD on these points. Our chap¬ ter has successfully influenced policy before drastic, harmful management actions could start. Many thanks to the astounding commitment and effort to¬ wards this rewarding outcome to active members of our East Bay Chapter's Conservation Committee, including Rare Plant Monitor for Pallid Manzanitas Judy Schwartz, as well as Mar¬ cia Kolb, Jim Hansen, Peter Rauch, David Bigham, and Jean Robertson. Thank you also to the contributors to the Conser¬ vation Analyst position. Additionally, we appreciate EBRPD staff Michele Hammond, Aileen Thiele, Kristen Van Damm, and Matt Graul as well as PMMP author Lech Naumovich. The PMMP is now complete and approved. Many improvements are a direct result of our recommendations. EBRPD is steward of most pallid manzanitas in existence today. The District is tasked with dual responsibility for managing this protected special status species, and for fire hazard reduction in the same areas. Over many years pallid manzanitas have suf¬ fered. The PMMP should contribute guidance for halting the species' decline and will, we all hope, lead the way towards its recovery, in parallel with the other management actions. We still have outstanding concerns about implementation. We will continue communicating with EBRPD and independently monitoring all activities potentially impacting the beautiful, delicate pallid manzanita and its maritime chaparral home in our East Bay Hills. Karen Whitestone, Conservation Analyst A vista from Huckleberry Preserve. 8 THE BAY LEAF September 2017 $ MVSD McNabney Marsh •• CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEANUP DAY 2017 INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL September 16 9:30am to 11:30am Please join us to remove invasive stinkwort from the edges of McNabney Marsh! IF VOt ARE UP FOR a LITTLE WORK, YOU CAN HELP US MAKE A RIG DIFFERENCE IN THE SPREAD OF THIS INVASIVE PLANTS RESEKVATIONS ANDSOEDLIABILITY ROMS AJtT KEQL J RED SPACE 15mitTED! TE tTXL JJW’TDS QLQ' "E4, FLA5TTC BA&S, TCaTE*. AM3 a ? £££ PJZJ.a LL"NCH AT THE FND OF THF DAY FAXTXTCANT* MU*3» TnORKOLOVEf, A HAT, AKD ItrS^dtESW A>T5 WEAR T CNCi FAST* *ND CLCAFOTOFD 'HOfl A ' |,4T OS KNTF FAD* A'HF PFfttLTSTiFD’ Location: East Bay Regional Parks Dist, Staging area Waterfront Road And Watekbikd Way, Martinez, CA (see Map on Back) F&x mo« uirc-xfiUQOrt oi raRSVP cenuct Heidi Penr az fcp* rev®eatd THE BAY LEAF September 2017 9 MARTINEZ POG4.M4 fcOT H IH V,‘AHW#Ci MfttOM-l WEMBV! %x m \ , v LEG zm A f »t|itk-i pj v Programs > Native Plant Nursery (at bottom of page under "Native Plant Sale"). pollinator/plant interactions, needs of specific plants, habitat enhancement, and garden design for year-round beauty and minimal maintenance. Activities include weeding, pruning, mulching, planting, watering, and lively conversation. For more info, contact Jill Miller at field@sausalcreek.org or (510) 853-3533. THE BAY LEAF October 2017 3 SKYLINE GARDENS REPORT, SEPTEMBER 2017 We'll be out regular days this fall - Wednesday at 4 and Sunday at 9:30. Please let us know if your can make it at skylinegardens@ebcnps.org. We have selected six areas at Skyline Gardens in the Oakland Hills to expand restoration efforts in the coming year. All of these are open, grassy areas. I want to take you through the process, step by step. As an overview, these areas are all rich in native grasses and forbs (leafy plants), nearly all of them perennial. These include soap root, blue dicks, mule's ears, lomatium, California pop¬ pies, coyote mint, California fuchsia and a number of bunch grasses. These areas are also being hammered by invasive grasses (wild oats, bromes and such) and rose clover. These aggressive exotics tend to smother the natives and choke out the native annuals. The challenge, then, is to eliminate the seed bank of the invasive annuals while preserving the natives. Here's the method: first, we clear off last year's herbage. Then, when the rains come and the invasives sprout up (mostly thistles and grasses), we will spray them with vinegar. At this time, the native perennials are still dormant, so we can be very thorough in the vinegar spray and not worry about burning them. Later, we will plan a second vinegar spray in these areas, but more carefully. From then on, it will be hand weeding. The following spring, the perennials will flourish with competition removed. We will make sure that none of the invasives make seeds. We will need to continue this program in each area for at least two seasons, for that is how long most of the invasive seeds can last in the soil. Once we have eliminated the seed bank of invasives, we can begin to sow back in native annuals from seeds collected nearby in the watershed. Let's go through the process we used last Sunday. We've got some good pictures, thanks to Vijay and Bob. The first photo shows one of the new target areas on Barberry Ridge (looking south, the peak is just beyond). This is the 'before' picture. In this shot, most of the herbage is dead invasive annual grasses. The natives are now sleeping. So first we cut this all down to the ground level with a weed- eater (string trimmer). We use a battery powered unit for fire safety. In the photo above, a section is being mowed. Then we remove the dead grass. We rake it up, making big piles. We gather the piles on to a tarp for removal. Where do we put all this? We stuff it under groves of coyote brush, where it will feed the rabbits. 4 THE BAY LEAF October 2017 Here is the 'after' picture. Compare it with the first photo above: Here the grass has all been cut at ground level. Now, you can see a bunch of rocks and stones that were buried in the grass. We leave a thin coat of grass bits to protect the soil and encourage seeds to sprout. The new invasive seedings will be easy to find and spray; they have no place to hide! This section is now ready for rain. In the coming weeks, we will clear and prep the other 'expansion areas' in the same way. A couple of the crew got the wind in their sails and went over the peak and started clearing down the south slope, below the cap of the peak, below where we weeded so carefully ast year. Here they are with the Caldecott way down below: They said that with luck, they could probably clear all the way down to the Tunnel by morning. Maybe someone should go out and check on them. Happy Trails, Glen Schneider P.S. Skyline Gardens is now on Facebook - don't forget to 'like' us. Quotations from the great naturalist and conservationist John Muir (1838-1914) Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another. Going to the woods is going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally. But in some of nature's forests, the adventurous traveler seems a feeble, unwelcome crea¬ ture; wild beasts and the weather trying to kill him, the rank, tangled vegetation, armed with spears and stinging needles, barring his way and making life a hard struggle. The more I see of deer, the more I admire them as moun¬ taineers. They make their way into the heart of the roughest solitudes with smooth reserve of strength, through dense belts of brush and forest encumbered with fallen trees and boulder piles, across canons, roaring streams, and snow-fields, ever showing forth beauty and courage. enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. The coniferous forests of the Yosemite Park, and of the Sierra in general, surpass all others of their kind in America, or in¬ deed the world, not only in the size and beauty of the trees, but in the number of species assembled together, and the grandeur of the mountains they are growing on. The redwood is the glory of the Coast Range. It extends along the western slope, in a nearly continuous belt about ten miles wide, from beyond the Oregon boundary to the south of Santa Cruz, a distance of nearly four hundred miles, and in massive, sustained grandeur and closeness of growth surpasses all the other timber woods of the world. When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty. I care to live only to entice people to look at Nature's loveli¬ ness. Heaven knows that John the Baptist was not more eager to get all his fellow sinners into the Jordan than I to baptize all of mine in the beauty of God's mountains. A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roar¬ ing storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious THE BAY LEAF October 2017 5 NATIVE HERE Nursery Activities Barbara Leitner and Beth Wurzburg have been talking with the park district and the County Ag department about the requirements for phytosanitation foot baths and have found that it will be considerably easier to meet the requirements than we had thought. We are adding a new feature to our online inventory. Species that are appearing for the first time this growing season will be marked as new. The nursery is switching over to winter activities. Seed sowing and potting up seedlings and cuttings will be the major focus for the next few months. The need for waterers continues - if you can help once or twice until the rains come, we would greatly appreciate it. Get in touch with Ruth Ann Pearsons at rapearsons 1 @mac. com to volunteer. Winter Plant Sales Native Here is open three days every week for plant sales, and the upcoming rainy season is the best time of year to buy plants and get them in the ground. In addition to our successful September Manzanita Day, we will have five additional focused events this winter: • October 28 - ferns and friends: what to plant under your trees • November 18 - riparian focus with some special discounts on water-loving trees • December 9 - trees (conifers, oaks and others) • January 20 - grasslands (including annuals and bulbs) • February TBD - Trillium time We are looking for speakers. If you know of anyone who would be appropriate, please write to Lesley Hunt at ldhunt@astound.net and let her know. Lesley Hunt COAST CLEANUP The 2017 Coast Cleanup at McNabney Marsh was a big success. Twenty-four volunteers showed up to remove the invasive stinkwort and pick up trash. We removed all of the stinkwort at the staging area at Waterbird Regional Preserve and adjacent areas along Waterbird Way and part of Wa¬ terfront Road. Twelve bags of garbage were removed and a pickup truck bed of stinkwort was eliminated from the area. The program was a joint effort between the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District, Mt. View Sanitary District, the California Native Plant Society, and Friends of Alhambra Creek. Special thanks to Lisa Anich, Heidi Petty, and Elaine Jackson for all of the prep work. A very special thank you to Bert Johnson, local manzanita expert, gave a talk on growing manzanitas at our first focused sales event of the season. The event was well attended and af¬ terward many in the audience purchased manzanitas and other plants. Jesus Diaz for loading and transporting the removed plants and helping with the logistics. The weather was perfect and all the volunteers worked very hard to improve this important wetland habitat in Contra Costa County. We couldn't have done it without you! Kelly Davidson District Biologist Mt. View Sanitary District 925-228-5635 x!9 6 THE BAY LEAF October 2017 RESTORATION PROJECTS Every Wednesday 4 pm to sunset and Sundays 9:30 am-1 pm. Skyline Gardens Project holds 3.5 hour workdays in the Berkeley/Oakland hills on Skyline Trail and its environs. RSVP Skylinegardens@ebcnps.org if interested. The Skyline Gardens Project is a combination botanical survey and restoration project in the Skyline Trail area of the Oak- land-Berkeley Hills. The purpose is to document the native flora and to remove invasive plants to restore the full native diversity of the area. The project is sponsored by the East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) in collaboration with East Bay MUD. We hold workdays twice weekly, Wednesday late afternoons (after work) and Sunday mornings for three hours each. See the Skyline Gardens Report page 4 for more information. We will be having our broom pulls in October as follows: Saturday, October 7th, 9-1 and Sunday, October, 8th, 9:30- 1:30. No registration necessary. We are meeting both days at Canyon Meadow and pulling on Eastridge. Monica Redwood Operations Operations staff | Park Operations East Bay Regional Park District 7867 Redwood Road, Oakland, CA 94619 510-544-3127 redwood@ebparks.org | www.ebparks.org Saturday, October 14, 2017, 9 am-noon, Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration, Site 4. Enter at the trailhead at Quema Drive and Paseo Padre Pkwy, go down the slope to the main trail and turn left (head east) through the cattle gate. Look for browse protection cages to your right. Saturday, October 28, 2017, 9 am-noon, Sabercat Creek Habitat Restoration for Make a Difference Day, Site 5, Becado Place. Registration is required. Please visit www.fremont.gov/ SabercatRestoration. Click on the "Eventbrite" hyperlink to find the pages for upcoming events. Heavy rain cancels the event. No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome, but children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to get dirty (sturdy closed-toe shoes/boots, long pants, hat, sunscreen, and long-sleeved shirt recommended). Bring a signed waiver form, a reusable water bottle, and community service hours forms, if applicable. WeTl provide tools, some gloves, and water to refill bottles. If you wish to bring your own gloves or tools, please label them For more questions or comments, please contact Sabrina Siebert at ssiebert@fremont.gov or call 510-494-4570. Saturday, October 7,9:30 am. Point Isabel restoration. East- shore State Park. Our group starts across from the parking lot at the end of Rydin Road. You can e-mail kyotousa@ sbcglobal.net to RSVP. Saturday, October 21, 9:30 am. Point Isabel restoration, Eastshore State Park. Our group starts across from the park¬ ing lot at the end of Rydin Road. You can e-mail kyotousa@ sbcglobal.net to RSVP. FIELD TRIP Sunday, October 15, 9:45 am. Mount Diablo, Back Can¬ yon, End of Regency Drive - 117 Regency Drive, Clayton, Mount Diablo: Back Canyon, Meridian Point, Merid¬ ian Ridge Road. Let's carpool from Orinda Bart. Leave Orinda bart at 9:20. This is a moderate round trip of 5 miles. Hosted by: Gregg W. (Co-Organizer) For more information click on this link: httos://www.meetup. com/ebcnps/events/241327255/ McNabney marsh after the cleanup. (See article on page 6.) THE BAY LEAF October 2017 7 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION SUMMERS IN OREGON Nine of us went on the 2017 voluntourism trip to central Or¬ egon in August to volunteer with the Deschutes Land Trust and to view the solar eclipse. The Land Trust's Volunteer Coordinator, Ginny Elliot, and their botanist Pat Green, took us first to Whychus Creek, a 41-mile long stream of which the Land Trust currently pro¬ tects 8 miles. We removed mullein ( Verbascum thapsus) and spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) in this beautiful area while admiring the newly planted native trees, shrubs, and grasses. We heard and spotted many birds including a king¬ fisher. The second work party was held at Metolius Preserve, another beautiful site where Lake Creek provides habitat for trout and salmon. We removed invasive mullein and yellow salsify aka goat's beard ( Tragopogon dubius) and were delighted to see for the first time the lovely native fewleaf thistle (Cirsium remoti- folium) as well as a blooming specimen of the rare Peck's penstemon ( [Penstemon peckii). Kudos to the fantastic Deschutes Land Trust for their great care of these lands and our sincere thanks to them for hosting us on this amazing voluntourism trip. While in Oregon, Gudrun Kleist led a hike to the top of Black Butte Mountain where we admired the ponderosa pines ( Pinus ponderosa), greenleaf and pine mat manzanitas (Arctostaphylos patula and Arctostaphylos nevadensis), golden (giant) chinquapin (Chrysolepsis chrysophylla), Washington Lily (Lilium washingtonianum) and more. We snacked on delicious ripe service berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) all the way to the top. From the 6,358 ft peak, and notwithstanding the wildfires, one could see Mount Washington and Three Fingered Jack as well as the snowcapped North Sister, Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood and even Mount Adams in Washington State. We also hiked from the Metolius Preserve to Suttle Lake, a great trail with native plants abounding and where we found only three invasive mullein plants in the entire seven mile round trip. It was such a rare pleasure to hike through extensive natural lands with barely an invasive plant in sight. On August 21 st , we awoke to clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine and walked from our house at Black Butte Ranch (within the path of totality) to a meadow just down the road. There we experienced the dazzling total eclipse (et obscuratus solis) - a breathtaking finale to this trip. Jane and Tom Kelly (for the Voluntourism Crew: Lou Demat- teis, Miriam Joscelyn, Rob Kirby, Gudrun Kleist, Lewis Payne, Julian Pelzner, Sue Schoening) 8 THE BAY LEAF October 2017 POINT ISABEL OREGON PICTURES Work party at Metolius Preserve (previous page) and work party at Whychus Creek (photos at Jane Kelly). Pecks penstemon (left, photo by Gudrun Kleist) and a total eclipse of the sun! (Right, photo by Lou Demat- teis.) THE BAY LEAF October 2017 9 DIRECTORY Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jim Hanson, Acting Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone 510-734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liaison Steve Toby stevetoby@comcast.net Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events Robin Mitchell eccommunitygarden@ gmail.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture 510-549-0211 Gudrun Kleist, bulbs 510-549-0211 John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net 510-549-0211 Restoration Projects Leaders Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 10 THE BAY LEAF October 2017 MEMBERS’ MEETING Plants, Bugs, and Molecules Speaker: Greti Sequin Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 pm Location: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (directions below) Plants and insects communicate in numerous ways, and chemistry plays a key role in these communications. Natural compounds determine whether a plant is consumed by insects or avoided by them, or which insects may pollinate its flowers. Some insects have learned to use plant compounds as their own defenses, and some plants digest insects as nutritional supplements. Plant-insect interactions are vital for our food supply, for pollination of orchards, and for the production of honey and silk. They can also be destructive in insect infestations of crops. Greti Sequin (shown collecting in the photo above) will introduce the subject of her new book. The Chemistry of Plants and Insects: Plants, Bugs, and Molecules. With her enthusiastic and accessible way of connecting chemistry with plants and insects, she presents organic compounds in a motivating, understandable context that captures the interest of people who would like a deeper understanding of the natural world. Her presentation and book are aimed at non-chemists who enjoy observing plants and insects during walks in the outdoors or while visiting botanical gardens and other nature areas. There will be a few copies of The Chemistry of Plants and Insects: Plants, Bugs, and Molecules available for purchase after the presentation ($35, cash or check only). Greti (Margareta) Sequin has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, with emphasis on natural products, from the University of Basel, Switzerland. After postdoctoral work at Princeton University she has been teaching organic chemistry, natural products chemistry, and chemistry for non-majors at San Francisco State University for more than 20 years. As a plant enthusiast, with great interest in the insect world as well, she has been a docent at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley, California, for the last 20 years. She has led numerous field seminars at botanical gardens and at nature preserves, teaching about plant chemistry. She is dedicated to making organic chemistry accessible by combining it with the natural world. Greti Sequin is the author of The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons, published by RSC (Cambridge, UK) in 2012, and The Chemistry of Plants and Insects: Plants, Bugs, and Molecules, (RSC, 2017). East Bay CNPS membership meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. This month's meeting takes place in the Garden Room of the Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way (in Orinda Village). The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Garden Room opens at 7 pm; the meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Email programs@ebcnps.org or call 510-496-6016 if you have questions. Directions to Orinda Public Library at 26 Orinda Way From the west, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda/Moraga exit. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on Camino Pablo (toward Orinda Village), right on Santa Maria Way (the signal after the BART station and freeway entrance), and left on Orinda Way. From the east, take Hwy 24 to the Orinda exit. Follow the ramp to Orinda Village. Turn right on Santa Maria way (the first signal) and left on Orinda Way. Once on Orinda Way, go 1 short block to the parking lot on the southeast side of the two-story building on your right. There is additional free parking beneath the building as well as on the street. From BART (4 blocks): Exit the Orinda station, turn right and cross a pedestrian bridge, then cross a second pedestrian bridge on the left. Go 1 short block on the sidewalk to the third pedestrian bridge. Go 2 blocks on Orinda Way to the Orinda Library. MEMBERS MEETING (CONT.) Upcoming Programs: December: No meeting (happy holidays!) January 24, 2018, 7:30 pm, Orinda Library Garden Room Photo Sharing Night Gardens, landscapes, flora, fauna, plant art, you name it! Come to share your images or just to enjoy the photos that others bring (nonmembers are most welcome to present and/ or enjoy). Pro and amateur photographers are all invited and appreciated. VERY IMPORTANT: Please contact Sue (programs@ebcnps. org or 510-496-6016) by January 22 if you want to show photos. YouTl receive a reply with information about photo format (digital images, old-fashioned slides, and prints are all welcome) and how to upload photos prior to the meeting. HOSPITALITY HELPERS NEEDED Do you enjoy learning about native plants and seeing beau¬ tiful photos of them and their habitats? Meeting friendly, like-minded native plant enthusiasts? Volunteering? Food? We're looking for a few people to share the all-important volunteer job of bringing refreshments to our East Bay CNPS Members' Meetings. With a few rotating volunteers, each person will only be responsible for refreshments at two or three meetings a year. East Bay CNPS pays for the refresh¬ ments and provides the dishes, utensils, etc. When: Fourth Wednesday of January-May, September, Oc¬ tober; third Wednesday of November, 7-9:30 pm Where: Garden Room, Orinda Public Library (26 Orinda Way) What's involved: • shopping for refreshments before meeting • bringing refreshments to meeting venue at 7 pm (someone else will bring dishes, utensils, tablecloth) • setting up refreshments • helping clean up refreshments when meeting ends If you would like to help, please contact Sue: programs@ ebcnps.org or 510-496-6016. FIELD TRIPS IN NOVEMBER Sunday, November 12, 9:45 am. Mount Diablo, Back Can¬ yon, end of Regency Drive, 117 Regency Drive, Clayton You can RSVP and get more information on this field trip at www.meetup.com/ ebcnps/. Friday, November 24, 10 am, Buy-Nothing Day trip with Janet Gawthrop to Pt. Pinole Regional Park, 3000 Atlas Road Join us at the parking lot. If the rain holds off, we will se what late salt marsh plants are still flowering along the Dotson Family Marsh Trail. If it is raining or the ground is muddy, then we may re-route to the Bay View trail. Birds and maybe butterflies are also fair game on this beginner-level trip, with a view to plant communities and their resident wildlife. Directions: From 1-80, take the Richmond Parkway exit and follow it to the Giant Highway. Follow the improved signage at the Giant Highway to Pt. Pinole Park, which will guide you to the lot. There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature. Henry David Thoreau How novel and original must be each new mans view of the universe -for though the world is so old - and so many books have been written - each object appears wholly undescribed to our experience - each field of thought wholly unexplored - The whole. Henry David Thoreau We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be myste¬ rious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature. Henry David Thoreau 2 THE BAY LEAF November 2017 SKYLINE GARDENS REPORT, OCTOBER 2017 Last week was the week of the new benches at Skyline. It was lots of work, involving Berkeley Path Wanderers, Head to the Hills, Skyline Gardens and family. We set the benches in place on Wednesday, finished the platform wall Thursday, and opened them up for use on Saturday. There's a bunch of photos below. And in between we mowed and raked two more sections of Barberry Ridge. Special thanks to carpenter Jim, welder John, photographers Francesca, Steve, and Cyn¬ thia, and stonemover Matt. The Cal Rotaract day on Saturday was cancelled on account of bad air and high winds. Thanks to Bob and Berkeley Rotary for putting it together - we hope to reschedule soon. Here's the first bench going in at Diablo Bend. We dug the post holes with a rock bar and post-hole digger. It was tough going. You can see it's not quite set in this shot. The wood for this bench came from the old sideboards of my daughters' sand box. Soon, we mixed and poured concrete around the posts and braced and all wrapped up in yellow tape. It was so smoky there that we couldn't even see Mt. Diablo but we got the perfect placement anyway! The next photo shows the proud and happy crew after the first bench was set: Here is Matt with that part all done, the bench still braced and taped to let the concrete cure. This bench is made of old-growth redwood 4x4's that we pulled from a collapsed structure right below the road shoul¬ der on Grizzly Peak where we park our cars. You have to see them up close to admire the tight grain and beautiful sheen. There are about 60 rings of growth in some of them. They even have some old bolt holes here and there; good places for hiding secret notes if you're into that. We'll be back to regular days this week: Wednesday at 4 pm and Sunday at 9:30 am. Please let me know if you can make it. Now on to the benches: We first got permission from EBMUD Watershed to install one bench at Siesta Gate and another at Diablo Bend. Then we started looking for recycled wood. We located some beautiful old growth redwood timbers that we harvested for free. Carpenter Jim took them to his shop in West Berkeley and planed and smoothed them up. He got recycled metal from Urban Ore and got his welder friend John to weld the frames. Then Jim assembled both benches at his shop and brought them up to Skyline in his van on Wednesday. Five other workers met him there. Then we moved down to Siesta Gate where we did the same. The digging here was much easier. We needed a couple more rocks to complete the wall, so we moved them into place and called it a day. On Thursday I snagged my son-in-law Matt, who was staying with us because he and my daughter were evacuated from their farm in Suisun Valley because of the fire. He's built like a bull and helped move the final two rocks into place (next to the stump) and we re-graded the area. THE BAY LEAF November 2017 3 SKYLINE GARDEN ccontj So now we go to Saturday, when Cynthia and I removed all t he tape and the braces, and opene d them up for busine ss. Here's the view from behind the Siesta bench with good old Mt. Diablo in the distance. And lookie here, somebody already found a place to sit. Down the trail, here's the bench at Diablo Bend. We were especially happy with how we were able to set the bench in an existing trail pocket right close to the trail shoulder, so the line of the back rest just aligns with the slope. If you look towards the right end of the middle back rest, just before the bolt, you might see a couple of yellow hammer dimples. These boards were painted yellow when they were the sandbox. A bit of history is embedded there. And here's one of the locals enjoying the view. So to sum up, the redwood for the benches was all recycled and free for the hauling. The metal frames came from Urban Ore at a cost of $10. The carpentry, welding, and installa¬ tion were all donated by volunteeers. EBMUD provided the concrete. The bolts and hardware cost $22. So for a total cash outlay of $32 and many hours of loving work we now have two beautiful benches. Come on out and try one. Happy Trails, Glen Schneider 4 THE BAY LEAF November 2017 NATIVE HERE "When will the Special Sale of plants for creeks and wet spots take place?" The answer is Saturday November 18 at 10 am. Following our special events in September and October, highlighting manzanitas and ferns, there will be discounts on selected riparian and other wet-growing plants on No¬ vember 18 th . Look for willows ( Salix spp.), many Carex and such creek lov¬ ing plants as Physocarpus capitatus, and Populus species with special half price flagging. Carol Maxwell will talk at 11 am about wetland plants, their uses and needs. Carol has a distinguished background in wetland systems, beginning with daily childhood ventures to the magic of a vernal pool in her backwoods. Carol has over 15 years experience working with clients to develop their artistic garden visions. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Ecological Restoration International and RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, November 4 at 9:30 am, Pt Isabel Join Tom & Jane Kelly at this regular work date. You do not have to RSVP, but it helps planning if you e-mail to kyotousa@ sbcglobal.net. Saturday, November 4, 9 am, restoration at Redwood Re¬ gional Park, Canyon Meadow staging area, sponsored by the East Bay Regional Park District For more information contact Jeremy Saito jsaito@ebparks. org. Sunday, November 5 at 10 am. North Basin, mouth of Schoolhouse Creek, at Eastshore State Park. Saturday, November 11 at 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve Join us at the parking lot, where we will decide on the worksite for the month. To RSVP, and for more information on this botanic preserve, go to www.meetup.com/ebcnps/. Saturday, November 18 at 10 am, Garber Park Stewards Meet at the Claremont Avenue trailhead above the Claremont has developed restoration plans for tidal wetlands, vernal pools, and bogs in various areas of the country. She has trav¬ eled to many parts of the world speaking on the overlap of landscape architecture and ecological restoration. She enjoys introducing folks to the endless possibilities of working with plants and will be highlighting some of Native Here's wetland gems in her talk. Come and bring your lunch to enjoy while listening to Carol's talk, then continue shopping for plants. If you are not looking for plants for wet spots, we will be of¬ fering over 200 species of other local native plants for your delight. For more information see www.nativeherenursery.org. Native Here Nursery Hotel. This regular monthly crew has its own Meetup page to RSVP and for information, maps, photos, etc. Sunday, November 19, 9 am Sibley Regional Park We'll keep meeting at the Old Tunnel Road staging area, but let us know if you'd rather start from the Skyline Gate and hike Sibley-to-Tilden Trail to the wall of broom. It's a nice early walk so long as the trail is not muddy. You do not have to RSVP, but for information or directions you can e-mail janetgawthrop47@gmail.com or sibley@ebparks.org. Saturday, November 25, 9:30-11:30 am, join Friends of Albany Hill for the last Saturday of the month restoration work party. We'll be weeding invasives and planting natives. Location to be announced. Gloves and tools provided but bring a favorite weeding tool if you like. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Long pants and long sleeves recommended. Heavy rain cancels. For more informa¬ tion: friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com, friendsofalbanyhill.org. Margot Cunningham Friends of Albany Hill THE BAY LEAF November 2017 5 CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT CNPS advocates for protection of botanicallv-important trails in EBMUD Watershed Plan For decades the East Bay Municipal Utility District has al¬ lowed hiking and equestrian use on only some watershed trails out of concern for protection of the water supply and watershed biodiversity. However, release of a Watershed Master Plan update in June 2016 included draft language to open four trails in the EBMUD watershed to mountain biking: Pinole Valley, the "Eagle's Nest" trail above the San Pablo Reservoir, the Skyline Trail in the Oakland Hills, and a narrow trail link between Redwood Regional Park and the Huckleberry Preserve. Concerned with impacts to flora and trail use, the East Bay CNPS conservation committee became an active participant in the Safe Trails, Environmental Protection alliance (STEP). In addition to CNPS, the STEP alliance includes the Sierra Club, Audubon, Regional Parks Association, Metropolitan Horseman's Association, and Claremont Canyon Conser¬ vancy and is coordinated by former EBMUD Board Member Helen Burke. One of the guiding principles of the alliance is to keep narrow hiking trails in the EBMUD watershed safe and enjoyable for hiking and equestrians. EBCNPS was concerned with the proposed opening to moun¬ tain biking of the narrow, and occasionally steep, serpentine path through the botanically rich Skyline Trail on EBMUD land. It lies between Tilden's Steam Trains and the Caldecott Tunnel (Hwy 24) and is also the location of the Skyline Gar¬ den's Project. Glen Schneider of EBCNPS leads restoration weeding workdays in this botanically diverse trail area. They have documented a remarkable 237 native species in the area. Even limited mountain biking from occasional illegal biking was leading to damage to trail edge plants and gullying. Other EBMUD proposed trail openings of concern included opening a narrow Redwood Park trail link that would take mountain bikes to the entrance to Huckleberry Preserve, as well as a Pinole Valley Trail that would take bikes to the entrance of Sobrante Ridge Preserve. Both preserves have the rare pallid manzanita and narrow walking trails where biking is prohibited. With support from the Bay Ridge Trail Project, the Bicycle Trails Council, and an EBMUD Board member advocate, all four trails would be opened to mountain biking as a "pilot project" over two years upon adoption of the Master Plan. CNPS members, other STEP organization members, and members of the biking community filled the downtown Oakland EBMUD hearing room in August 2016 to comment on the proposed Master Plan trail changes. Articles appeared in local papers. CNPS and other STEP members spoke at an EBMUD Board Meeting on needed changes to the plan. This summer we joined mountain biking representatives in a EBMUD-sponsored tour to evaluate possible low-impact fire road trail configurations on EBMUD land in the Pinole Valley. Finally, in early October, EBMUD staff returned with a set of trail use recommendations that they will be bringing to the Board. The recommendations are different from the trail openings first proposed in the draft Watershed Plan over a year ago. First, EBMUD staff will be recommending long term protec¬ tion of watershed trails of CNPS and STEP alliance concern. The narrow Skyline Trail where the Skyline Gardens Project is located, a Pinole Valley "apdage" trail going directly to Sobrante Ridge Reserve, and a narrow trail linking Redwood Park to the entrance of the Huckleberry Preserve will remain dedicated to hiking and equestrian use only. Second, the wording on trail uses in the draft Master Plan has been revised to state that only two watershed trails. Eagles Nest and Pinole Valley, can be opened for biking. Both are wide fire and service roads. The Eagle's nest trail is a short fire road that connects San Pablo Dam Road (across from the reservoir) with the Nimitz Trail in Tilden Park, a wide and paved trail that is open to both hikers and bikes. The Pinole Valley trail is also a fire road that connects the Crockett Hills Regional Park and Fernandez Ranch to the Castro Ranch Road in Pinole and to San Pablo Dam Road. Third, EBMUD will be looking into enforcement measures such as: rules of the road posted at the Eagle's Nest and Pinole Valley trailheads, bikes will need to have trail per¬ mits just like hikers and equestrians (however the District agreed to look into a more convenient way to sign up for trail access in the watershed), signs should educate us¬ ers about threatened or endangered species so users can avoid injuring them, and EBMUD will provide a simple online way to file a complaint over inappropriate trail use. The EBMUD Board of Directors can also revoke bi¬ cycle access on these trails at any time and for any reason. One of the positive outcomes from our meetings with District watershed staff has been their growing appreciation of the unique biodiversity of the Skyline Trail. Glen was invited to give native plant talks at the District offices. Also, an amazing and skilled volunteer group called the "Trail Dogs" donated several days this year to repairing sections of the Skyline Trail. Log "water bars" and gravel switchbacks were built for the steep and eroding portions of the trail near the Steam Train entrance. The revised EBMUD staff recommendations on trail use for the long-range Watershed Plan will go to the Board for ap¬ proval, likely in the beginning of the new year. Stay tuned. Jim Hansen East Bay Chapter Conservation Chair 6 THE BAY LEAF November 2017 Hiking path in Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve. Photo by Jim Hansen. PT. ISABEL RESTORATION The reason we do what we do - at Point Isabel and else¬ where - is because of the overwhelming awe we experi¬ ence at the beauty and complexity of Nature. That life evolved over billions of years on this tiny planet spin¬ ning on the edge of an unremarkable galaxy inspires us to do as much as we can to preserve and support its continued health. Our efforts are modest at best but we do realize the incred¬ ible potential we humans have to learn from our mistakes and then work together to overcome the barriers that impede our collective efforts to bring about positive, substantive changes. We believe that current policies are causing changes to the climate which will have deleterious consequences to the environment and life on earth and that those poli¬ cies should change. We feel everyone must begin work¬ ing together like we never have before to address these issues. We must stop destroying our forests and natural areas. People do ask "what difference can one person make?" because it is so hard to imagine how small changes can have any meaningful effect. We remind ourselves that the Sahara Desert is made up of grains of sand that have an average diameter of .02mm. IPs a big desert. The small project at Pt. Isabel is a grain of sand but we do it knowing from experience that collective action fosters the kinds of changes that we must make. On Sunday, October 1, we held a special work party with six delightful volunteers from Circle K led by Gavin Li. This small crew accomplished the work of a dozen - removing oat grass and fennel and spreading mulch over all of the newly cleared area. Circle K's work inspired us to continue clearing and mulching the adjacent area with the help of ten energetic volunteers who came out to our scheduled October 7 work party. With many thanks to all these stellar volunteers, the connection to the southern part of the restored trail is now in sight. The toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries are ripening. A Northern Mockingbird showed up to check them out and we expect the flocks of Cedar Waxwings and American Robins to arrive soon to enjoy the repast. A new volunteer, Mayu, a recent Cal grad, took a photo of the mockingbird (page 9). Thanks to Park Supervisor Scott Possin, Ranger Bruce Adams, and to all Scott's EBRPD crew for their on-going support. Jane and Tom Kelly THE BAY LEAF November 2017 7 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION PICTURES The October work party (top); two from the Circle-K group (left middle); Karen nixes bindweed (left bottom); and a job well done (right). Photos by Jane Kelly. 8 THE BAY LEAF November 2017 Northern Mockingbird. Photo by Mayu Hana- busa. THE BAY LEAF November 2017 9 DIRECTORY Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jim Hanson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone 510-734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liaison Steve Toby stevetoby@comcast.net Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events Robin Mitchell eccommunitygarden@ gmail.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture 510-549-0211 Gudrun Kleist, bulbs 510-549-0211 John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net 510-549-0211 Restoration Projects Leaders Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 10 THE BAY LEAF November 2017 JANUARY MEMBERS’ MEETING (NO DEC. MEETING) East Bay CNPS Members 7 Meetings are great for: • Learning about native plants (and wildlife) and their habitats • Virtually visiting beautiful and interesting places • Being inspired by conservation challenges and suc¬ cess stories • Meeting nice people who share your interests Our meetings are always free and open to everyone, mem¬ bers and nonmembers alike. We meet at 7:30 pm on the fourth Wednesday evening of the month in January-May and September-November, with a slight adjustment in the schedule to avoid Thanksgiving week. Most of our meetings take place at the Orinda Library, which is centrally located in our big, two-county chapter area. We welcome your ideas for topics or speakers (some of our best programs have come from members' suggestions), so please feel free to contact Programs chair Sue Rosenthal with your ideas fprograms@ebcnps.org or 510-496-6016). Here's what's coming up in the next few months: December: No meeting (happy holidays!) January 24, 7:30 pm Orinda Library Garden Room: Photo Sharing Night! East Bay CNPS photo sharing nights are eye-popping, educa¬ tional, and fun. Everyone is invited to share photos or video of hikes, trips and adventures, gardens, landscapes, work par¬ ties, flora, fauna, plant art, you name it! Come to share your images or just to enjoy those that others bring. Nonmembers are welcome to present and/or enjoy, and both amateur and pro photographers are invited and appreciated. Guidelines: 1. IMPORT ANT: Please contact Sue at programs@ebc- nps.org or 510-496-6016 by January 17 if you want to show photos or video. 2. Each presenter will have time for up to 25 images (or up to 7 minutes of video). Bring photos you think will appeal to native plant and nature lovers. 3. Provide your images in advance so we can save time during the meeting: when you contact Sue, you'll get detailed instructions about how to do this. 4. Prints are also welcome: We'll have a table on which you can display them. February 28, 7:30 pm, Orinda Library Garden Room Leslie Buck: Cutting Back —Garden Memoir Reading and Pruning Demonstration NATIVE HERE NURSERY SPECIAL SALES: TREES 12/9 Have you been thinking about planting a local native tree? Now is a great time to do so. Come and learn about our local native trees, some of which will be on special price sale at Native Here Nursery. Look for oaks (Quercus spp.), madrone (Arbutus), redwood (Sequoia) and many other trees. Trees that really need to get in the ground soon will on special price sale. Charli Danielsen will talk at 11 am about our local native trees, including criteria for selecting and caring for them. Charli has a distinguished background with local native plants, having founded Native Here Nursery over twenty years ago. She is past president of the board of directors of CNPS as well as a fellow of the organization. And Charli has served several times as chapter president. Come and bring your lunch to enjoy while listening to Charli's talk, then continue shopping for plants. Even if you are not looking to plant local native trees just now, we will be offering over 200 species of other local native plants for your delight, including a selection of manzanitas and ferns featured dur¬ ing our previous fall Special Events. Also our special half price sale on selected riparian and wetland plants continues. Upcoming Special Events at Native Here Grasslands Day --January 20,10-2 Trillium and other Treasures -- February 24,10-2 For more information and updates on our plant inventory please see http://nativeherenursery.org/ plant-inventory/ Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive,Tilden Park, Berkeley, 94708 REMEMBERING JEAN ROBERTSON, CONSERVATION CHAIR Long time CNPS stalwart Jean Robertson has died. Jean, as she put it, had been living with cancer for many years. By profession Jean was a landscape contractor and the creator of many beautiful gardens. She was also a loving partner and parent. She delighted in music and sang in choruses and played musical instruments including the ukulele. It was her life long dedication to community public service work that brought her to the California Native Plant Society. She had long been active in her North Oakland and Emeryville neighborhood. She helped organize California native plant¬ ings in her local public spaces and helped start community food gardens. She was crucial in transforming a proposed expressway in her neighborhood into a parkway with an emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian use. She came to East Bay CNPS because she wanted to affect a broader community with her public service and help protect and publicize California's native plants, which she so de¬ lighted in. She became East Bay Chapter Conservation Chair, a role she served in for many years until very recently. She also served at State CNPS, first on the Chapter Council, then on the State Board of Directors until recently. Jean was thorough, careful, and passionate in perform¬ ing her responsibilities. Her honest, engaged style was uniquely her own. She knew how to listen and even when in difficult situations, she maintained a respect¬ ful presence to all around her. She will be missed, but as the following tributes show, her work will con¬ tinue to inspire others to help in making a better world. David Bigham I am so sorry to hear of this. Jean was a great asset to CNPS and, although I never knew her well, I always enjoyed talking to her when I saw her and thought she was an intelligent, interesting, and genuinely nice person. The world is losing far too many wonderful people these days. Dianne Lake, EBCNPS Unusual Plants Chair Thank you for sharing the sad news. It's hard to think of Jean as not being here any longer, but she will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life. I'm involved in a three day environmental negotiation workshop this week, which is coincidental but perfect timing. It seems like a very fitting thing to be doing in memory of Jean's passion, integrity, and commitment. Sue Rosenthal, EBCNPS Programs Chair I only knew Jean for a short time but I loved her and I know she was very dear to you. Please accept my condolences and keep me informed of any plans for a memorial. Marcia Kolb, Huckleberry Preserve exotics remover I've been thinking about her. I'm very sad. Delia Taylor, EBCNPS longtime Board member I'm terribly sorry to hear that. A remarkable woman I felt lucky to meet. Roy West, long time, CNPS and CalFlora activist She was such a great heart. Barbara Leitner, Past Chapter Board President It is always good to share gratitude for the joy a person has brought into our lives, even if only for the few minutes we shared with them, and to recognize all we admire in them. I have come to understand that when a person dies, a person that has touched us even in a small way, they have lessons to teach and we lose something valuable when we don't recog¬ nize them. Jean's lesson for me, even after only a few minutes with her, was that she brought acceptance of her limitations, joy and commitment to all she did that day. She reached out to me with welcoming interest, and I saw her absolute atten¬ tion to the present moment and what she was experiencing in that moment. And, she did this faced with a very short time horizon and a great deal of discomfort. Seeing Jean live so completely in the face of loss, discomfort and impending death is a huge lesson. It is always worth taking notes since the longer each of us lives, the more likely we will have to face deep personal loss, and we can only learn from others how to best live those moments completely with grace, ease and interest in each nano-second of the life we have left. Gratitude to all Jean gave to every person she touched. Hilary Lorraine, hiker and outdoorswoman 2 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 Photos of Jean Robertson. With Judy Schwartz (previous page). With Bill Hunt (above). At Point Reyes (right top, photo by Alissa Shethar). Jean looking closely at a fiddleneck (right). RESTORATION PROJECTS Saturday, December 2, 9:30 am. Point Isabel restoration Join Greens at Work near the parking lot at the end of Rydin Road, on the side next to the salt marsh. This crew now carries into the afternoon, with a break at noon if you need to leave for Saturday errands. Redwood Park Broom Pull. We will meet at the Canyon Meadow staging area of Redwood Regional Park and hike up to Eastridge to continue pulling broom. We will meet on Saturday, December 2 nd at 9:00 and work until 1:00. On Sunday the 10 th we will meet at 9:30 and work until 1:30. As usual, we will enjoy delicious snacks. There is no registration necessary. If you are under 18 you will need to have an adult sign a work waiver before we start. Ranger Monica Sunday, December 3,10 am. North Basin at the mouth of Schoolhouse Creek. Meet John Kenny at the bend in the shoreline, maybe a 10 meter walk from the paved Bay Trail to the waterfront. Volunteers will be weeding, planting and maybe watering new plants until early afternoon. weather and soil to decide the best worksite for the month. We had enough volunteers this month to split and work on two locations. With luck, there may be early flowers on the pallid manzanita. Heavy rain will cancel (soil erosion on slopes). Saturday, December 16, 10 am, Garber Park (Oakland) This group starts from the trailhead on Claremont Avenue, but best to e-mail garberparkstewards@gmail.com to let them know you plan to attend. Sunday, December 17, 9 am, Sibley Regional Park Meet at the Old Tunnel Road staging area. If the Bay Ridge trail is muddy then we will start in from the paved road above the wall of broom. If you have questions e-mail janet- gawthrop47@gmail.com or sibley@ebparks.org. Saturday, December 30, join Friends of Albany Hill for the last Saturday of the month work party, 9:30-11:30 am. Email for location (email address below). Gloves and tools provided but bring a favorite weeding tool if you like. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and clothes that can get dirty. Long pants and long sleeves recommended. For more info: friendsalbanyhill@gmail.com, friendsofalbanyhill.org. Saturday, December 9, 9:30 am. Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve. Meet at the parking lot, where we look at THE BAY LEAF December 2017 3 SKYLINE GARDEN REPORT We are definitely in the rainy season, with good amounts fore¬ cast this week. We've already had over two inches at Skyline. Last week we finished our last cut and rake section at the Siesta Nose above the old bench on the Steam Trains leg of the trail. On Sunday Bob led the attack on Euphorbia above the Water Tank. Thanks Bob, I saw the piles. We'll be working on that for several more outings. We'll have regular days out this week, but we may get rain. Please let me know if you can make it. If it looks like we need to cancel I'll let those folks know by 8 am of the target day. This week I wanted to show in more detail our efforts to protect young live oaks. This is part of our overall restora¬ tion strategy of encouraging the return of oak woodland at Skyline in appropriate places. This is important in itself, as oak woodlands are the most diverse ecosystems in California. All those leaves, branches and acorns house and feed mul¬ titudes of lichen, moss, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals large and small. Live oak woodland also plays an important role in wildfire control, as they rarely burn and act as dependable fire breaks. They shade out flammable annual grasses and shrubs. The leaves are not full of oil like pines and eucalyptus, and very little litter (read branches, needles, and bark for fuel) gathers in the woods underneath them. They can get singed by nearby flames, but they almost always bounce right back. Up at Skyline there are scores of young live oak seedlings and saplings that all want to become big trees. But they are heavily browsed by deer and kept small. We have all seen the topiary oaks that the deer keep in that mushroom shape for decades. Our strategy is to ID the most promising of these and put wire cages around them so they can get a leader above the 'browse line.' Once they get a branch above the browse line they are on their way to becoming a tree. The first step is to mark or flag the best ones. Here is a picture of one that has been flagged (white): Notice how at this browsed stage the oak looks a lot like the surrounding Coyote Bush. The next thing we do is drive a T-stake at the edge of the oak. This will support the wire cage: The oak to be caged is to the right of the stake. Just to show you the age of this browsed one, here's a shot of the trunk at ground level: Look at the size of that trunk! The blue is one of our nitrile gloves for comparison. This trunk is about five inches in di¬ ameter. This oak may be 20 or more years old, but the deer have kept it low by diligent browsing. Next step is to put a wire cage around the oak. This is the same tree: The wire will prevent the deer from reaching in and nibbling the new growth. Next spring, this oak will shoot up a leader perhaps four feet or more. This tree has a huge root system and will just shoot up with protection. Shall we form another friendly betting pool on how tall this one will be next year? 4 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 SKYLINE GARDENS REPORT ccont.) Here's what the growth of a live oak looks like once the leader climbs above the browse line: In the photo above you can see three year's growth (look for a straight shoot and then a cluster of spreading branches). In this case, there's about six feet of growth, or two feet a year. At NATIVE HERE REPORT Fall has been busy at Native Here Nursery. CNPS member volunteers have been joined by several student volunteers. Many of them are from other countries and enrolled in a UC Extension program to introduce them to American university life. Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers and two paid as¬ sistants, a steady stream of plants has been produced and sold. People ask "When is the plant sale?" The nursery actually has three per week year round —Tuesdays noon-three, Fridays nine-noon, and Saturdays ten-two. This fall and winter, instead of one big fall fair or sale, we have held special focused events. So far September's Manzanita Day, October's Ferns and Other Shady Friends, and November's Special Sale of Plants for Creeks and Wet Spots have drawn enthusiastic customers. The series continues with Trees of the East Bay Day on December 9, Grasslands Day on January 20, and Trillium and Other Treasures on February 24. this rate, a ten year old live oak would be twenty feet tall and nearly as wide. They grow really fast; I've seen it many times. To close out, the rain means seeds are sprouting. Here's a shot from today along the trail: The yellow-green duo in the middle are fiddlenecks; their seed leaves are forked and bristly. I see some Geranium and clover there too, exotics. We've been waiting for this all summer and we are ready. Like Grant at Richmond, we know where they are and we've got them surrounded, and when they make their move we will pounce. Get the vinegar ready. Happy Trails, Glen Schneider Available plants are listed on the nursery website www.na- tiveherenursery.org, in an inventory updated around mid¬ month. Details of events are also posted on that website. Now the rains have begun, plants may not need as much water delivered by volunteers as in summer and early fall, but there is still a need for continued attention: winds and cold temperature can dry plant tissue and soil, leaves and debris need to be kept off the surfaces, newly divided plants need special care, and many seeds collected through the previous year need to be sown between November and March. Volunteers also help with selling plants, writing up and recording sales, keeping signage current, helping with efforts to keep the nursery Phytophthora- free, repairing and improving structures, pruning and weeding. If you would like to become a regular volunteer, or just have a few ran¬ dom hours to pitch in, please come to the nursery when it is open, or contact Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl@mac. com . Charli Danielsen, production leader THE BAY LEAF December 2017 5 CONSERVATION ANALYST’S REPORT An Update of Conservation Success and Progress in 2017 Our beloved pallid manzanita (Arctostaphylos pallida) received some overdue attention this year at its home in the East Bay Hills. The long-awaited Pallid Manzanita Management Plan was finally approved midway through this year to help guide East Bay Regional Park District conservation efforts. The District counted all the individual plants in populations on Park property, evaluated the health of pallid manzanita stands, and has begun to implement several "best manage¬ ment practices" documents regarding Phytophthora sanitation. Several dedicated Conservation Committee members gave extensive feedback on the plan. Our advocacy achieved many positive changes to the plan. One example is a commitment to developing individual treatment plans for areas with maritime chaparral. Even with progress, several outstanding concerns remain unadressed, including long term funding. Several funding sources (including 2018 , s Measure CC) may hold the answer for assuring plan implementation and suc¬ cess for years to come. Go see pallid manzanita for yourself in bloom this winter on a trail hike at one of its primary lo¬ cations, Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve. Thank you: Judy Schwartz, Marcia Kolb, Peter Rauch, David Bigham, Jean Robertson, Jim Hanson Pallid manzanita at Huckleberry Regional Botanic Preserve. © 2004 Steve Matson. Antioch officially tabled its plan to rezone the Sand Creek Focus Area in October. The City Council did not approve the General Plan EIR Addendum prepared by City staff. A few Councilmembers expressed concern that stakeholders and community members should have been consulted earlier in that process. Also, staff noted that Antioch's recent commit¬ ment to creating a Habitat Conservation Plan is a lengthy process that may be complicated by a change in zoning. Lesley Hunt and I continue to represent our chapter within the group called Antioch Community to Save Sand Creek. We continue to engage the local community with educational hikes and some coffee get-togethers. Keep an eye out in early 2018 for more exciting news and opportunity to get involved in Antioch. Thank you: Lesley Hunt, Dianne Lake, Nicole Jurjavic, Megan Keever At the early November meeting of Oakland City Council on the Oak Knoll Mixed Use Community, CNPS advocated for 6 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 improved mitigation for the Rank 4 Oakland star-tulip ( Calo- chortus umbellatus) and native purple needlegrass grasslands Conservation analyst Karen Whitestone speaking about the Oak Knoll project. within the proposed 900 unit housing development at the site of the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in the Oakland hills. CNPS delivered comments. Support letters also were sent to Council from Sierra Club's Northern Alameda County Group and the California Native Grasslands Association. Since this project has been under consideration for many years, our recommendations focused on a few critical and sensible protections for the star tulip and native grassland in the project's "conditions of approval." The project was approved to move forward and we are following up on with Council staff on specific protections for this sensitive plant community and Oakland namesake rare bulb. Thank you: Jim Hanson, Jean Robertson One week later in November, the FEIR for the Mountain View Cemetery expansion was approved by the Oakland Planning Commission. The Mountain View Cemetery in North Oak¬ land is home to hundreds of majestic coast live oaks and is a favored urban walking spot for Oaklanders. Although the Planning Commission recommended a number of additional protections and assurances, these were vague and insufficient. With the assistance of attorney Martin Bern, CNPS appealed the Planning Commission's decision. The appeal will be heard by Oakland City Council in early 2018. This project was close to Jean Robertson's heart, and one of last projects where I had the honor to co-sign a project comment letter with her. Thank you: Judy Schwartz, Jean Robertson, Barbara Leitner, Jim Hansonln a flurry over a couple weeks this fall, our Jean Robertson at Mountain View Cemetery. CONSERVATION ANALYST REPORT ccont.) chapter cranked out comments on four of the Park District's anticipated Land Use Plans (LUP) for Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, Concord Hills Regional Park, Black Dia¬ mond Mines Regional Preserve, and Miller/ Knox Regional Shoreline. CNPS wrote in to ask the district to fully inven¬ tory all rare native plant resources and outline management plans for their protection. We also provided input on habitat conservation projects in Measure CC, a Park improvements bond measure for 2018. Thank you: David Bigham, Peter Rauch, Lesley Hunt, Jim Hanson The public transit agency BART released their Livermore expansion project proposal . We found that significant impacts are likely to occur on hundreds of acres of special-status spe¬ cies, critical habitats, and sensitive natural communities from the proposed project. We submitted a letter on the basic need for more surveys and analysis so that impacts from the project can be realistically understood and avoided or mitigated. Thank you: Barbara Leitner, Jim Hanson The end of year 2017 is approaching but conservation work marches on. I continue to feel honored to serve the East Bay Chapter in the position of Conservation Analyst. Thank you for the unmatched opportunity to connect with native plant experts such as yourselves. Thank you as well for additional opportunities for my education and professional develop¬ ment. I attended a workshop for biologists who work with local governments and I will attend the 2018 CNPS Conserva¬ tion Conference in Los Angeles in February. As many of you know. Conservation Committee Chair Jean Robertson passed away on November 7, 2017. Jean was my supervisor for my initial year working for our chapter. She played an important role in my professional development. But besides that, I had a special spot in my heart for her. I admired her particular brand of zeal in conserving our natural world. My experience of Jean was of a person for whom passionate, whole-hearted environmentalism was a core life philosophy. I have been bid to "remember Jean when you are in nature," and I shall. Karen Whitestone, East Bay Chapter Conservation Analyst DONORS TO THE CONSERVATION ANALYST FUND Conservation Appeal for 2018 - Great progress toward our goal. Thanks to our generous members and friends, we are making great progress toward our 2018 goal of $40,000, to sustain our Conservation Analyst and conservation activities. We also received donations specified to support Chapter activities which are very much appreciated and needed. Heartfelt thanks to all below for your donations received this fiscal year: John Alcorn, George Ayala, Elly Bade, Ronald Barklow and Viola Saima-Barklow, Robert Berman, David Bigham and Howard Arendtson, Terry Blair, Susan Blanc, Peter Boffey, Barbara and Robert Brandriff, Zelda Bronstein, Margaret Brostrom, Robert Case, Carmen Castain, Sheila Castilla, Al¬ bert Chung, Patricia Coffey, Carol and Robert Coon, Margot Cunningham, Charli and John Danielsen, Jessica Davenport, Elizabeth Davidson, William Davis, Sally de Becker, Mark Detterman, Tri Do, Julie Dobson, John and Lisa Doyen, Sue Duckies, Chris Erickson, Nada and Bruce Ferris, Mary Fisher, Judith Frank, Gordon and Jutta Frankie, Linda Gavenda, Clara Gerdes, Sara Goolsby, Greenberg Family Trust, Sandy Pearson Greenwald, Ann Gurbaxani, Marguerite Harrell, Christie and John V. Hastings, Barry and Ellen Hecht, Hillside Gardeners of Montclair, Mike and Karen Ivankovich, Ashok Jethanandani and Arvind Kumar, Robert Jolda, Nicole Jurja- vcic, Jane and Tom Kelly, John Kenny, Caroline Kim, Marian Kirch and Cindy Siegel, Gudrun Kleist, Marcia Kolb, Eve Lednicky, Elizabeth Leite, Nancy Leite, Barbara and Philip Leitner, David and Evelyne Lennette, Ed Leong, Arthur Levy, Patricia Litton and Peter J. Ralston, David Loeb, Barbara Lyss, Matthew Madison, Ruth Malone, Tamia Marg, Jean McKenzie, Shirley McPheeters, Christina McWhorter, Jamie Menasco, Jon Merkle, Louise Miller, Brian Napolitan, Linda Newton, Roberta O'Grady, Charles and Anne Olsen, Sharon Ordeman, Elizabeth O'Shea, Ellen Pearce and Linda Aurichio, John Roberts, Cecelia Ronis and Sandy Steinman, Rose Foun¬ dation, San Leandro Garden Club, Carol Schneider, Judy Schwartz, Pamela Seifert, Brenda Senturia, Greti and Carlo Sequin, Mardi Sicular-Mertens, Jake Sigg, Shirleymae and Igor Skaredoff, Suzanne Skrivanich, Elizabeth Sojourner, Lionel Sorenson, Robert Sorenson, Douglas Stinson and Joy Barnitz, Ruth and Donald Stiver, Aaron Sunshine, Mary Jo Sutton, Ted Tawshunsky, Delia and John Taylor, Laurie Umeh, Liz Varnhagen, Linda Vida-Sunnen, Elizabeth and Craig Wahl, Jeanne Walpole, Stephen Walsh and Brenda Buxton, Karen Wetherell, Shirley White, Susan Wickham, Joe and Doris Willingham, Christina Wistrom, Jessica Woodard, Elaine Worthington-Jackson, David Zippin, Roberta Zorzynski Clara Gerdes THE BAY LEAF December 2017 7 POINT ISABEL RESTORATION NOVEMBER 2017 We are deeply heartened by the volunteers who come out to work with us at Pt. Isabel. Volunteers come from all walks of life and demonstrate that it is possible to transform a short, degraded stretch of the Bay Trail into an area that teems with life. They accomplish this by pulling out one invasive plant after another, planting California native plants grown from seed from the watershed, and picking up all the trash along that stretch of the trail to ensure Hoffman Marsh remains an inviting habitat. At our first work party this month we were surprised and delighted when an endangered species Ridgway's Rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) appeared in the marsh close to our rest area. We saw a good example of volunteerism this past month when we were joined by Andrew from St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda and by a small and very dedicated crew from the Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environ¬ mental Sciences. Together with our stewards and regular volunteers, Andrew and the Stanford team, led by Becky (whose focus is on conservation psychology) we removed fields of fennel before they dropped their seeds, acacias were cut down revealing several toy on ( Heteromeles arbutifolia) that were seeking the sun to ripen their berries, and the year's remaining pepper weed, Russian thistle, old oat grass and Algerian lavender were removed. Becky tells us that conserva¬ tion psychology looks into why people do conservation work. We asked her to let us know when she finds out. Kudos to Andrew and to Stanford! We were all impressed. Many thanks to Martha, Mayu, and Sankofa for helping to transplant plants and weed Bermuda grass on the Adopt-a- Spot. And thanks to Core Volunteer John Kenny, who works month after month all along the 1/3 mile at the marsh edge removing several kinds of invasive weeds and allowing the salt grass (Distichlis spicata) to establish itself up slope. The results are terrific. Our thanks as always to our EBRPD Ranger Bruce Adams for bringing us all the tools and good cheer we need to complete the work and to Mariko, Dick, and Rob for their generous donations. Jane and Tom Kelly The November crew at Point Isabel. Photo by Jane Kelly. 8 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 The crew with the people from Stanford (above). The crew with a pile of fennel and acacia (below). Both at Point Isabel. Photo by Jane Kelly. THE BAY LEAF December 201 7 9 ELECTIONS FOR CHAPTER OFFICERS FOR 2018 There are five elected officers on the Board of Directors: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary. As often happens, there is just one candidate for each position but please do vote! Voting indicates your support for the direction and efforts of the Chapter. (You may also write in other candidates.) The candidates are listed below, along with brief biographies. Beth Wurzburg, candidate for Chapter President, is the cur¬ rent President. As a child Beth Wurzburg fell in love with nature and decided that the best way to study it was to become a scientist. After a career in basic research, she is delighted to be spending more time in the outdoors again, exploring California's wild places. She moved to California and became a member of CNPS in 2008, and started doing conservation work in East Bay parks. She was active in the effort to save Knowland Park and continues to advocate for saving our wild places. She has served as President for the past year and previously was Vice President for two years. Judy Schwartz, candidate for Chapter Vice President, gives this biographical sketch: "I grew up in the East Bay and have been passionate about plants most of my life. Three years ago I became involved in monitoring pallid manzanitas in the East Bay and restoring habitat for them at the Chabot Space and Science Center. As a member of the Conservation Committee I helped to increase protections for the coast live oaks that would be impacted by the new development plan at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. If I become Vice President of our chapter, I will look forward to becoming involved in more of our chapter's conservation projects." David Margolies, candidate for Chapter Treasurer, was born in Washington DC and moved to California in 1970 to attend FIELD TRIPS Monday, December 25,2017,10:00 am to 2:00 pm, manzani¬ tas, toyon, at Mt. Diablo, end of Regency Drive, 117 Regency Drive, Clayton. At Mount Diablo, Hetherington Loop is gor¬ geous this time of year. We should see big berry manzanita in flower, and toyon in fruit. If we are lucky, we might get to see crystal clear Donner Creek during a high flow. We will take Donner Canyon Road, and Hetherington loop trail. Round trip distance is 3 miles, elevation gain is 350 ft. If there has been a lot of rain wear appropriate footwear, since it can get very muddy on this walk. Bring lunch and water. Meet at the end of Regency Drive in Clayton. Directions: Take 24 or 680 to Ygnacio Valley Road. Continue on Ygnacio Valley Road into the city of Clayton and turn right onto Clayton Road. Take Clayton Road past the first inter¬ section with Marsh Creek Road. In about a mile it becomes Marsh Creek Road. Continue straight on Marsh Creek Road. Turn right on Regency Drive. Go to the end of Regency. Do not turn onto Rialto Drive; that is for a different trail. Gregg Weber Co-organizer graduate school at UC Berkeley, where he was awarded a PhD in Mathematics in 1977. After working at a government lab for some years, in 1985 he joined Franz Inc., a local soft¬ ware company, where he has worked ever since. He became interested in plants as an adult and learned about them from Glenn Keator, taking courses at the California Academy of Sciences. He is an active volunteer at the Jepson/UC Herbaria and regularly takes Jepson courses. He joined CNPS in the 1990s, and soon started giving field trips for the chapter. He has been assistant editor of the Bay Leaf for some years and treasurer of the chapter since 2010. He lives in Oakland. Sue Duckies, candidate for Chapter Recording Secretary, a biomedical scientist, grew up in Oakland, close to Redwood Park, where she developed a life-long love of wild places. After a career as a medical school Professor, Sue and her husband returned to Oakland, where she spends her time maintaining a large native plant garden reclaimed from an ivy covered hillside, volunteering at Native Here Nursery, with Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, and as a Weed Warrior in Regional Parks. Sue has served as EBCNPS Recording Secretary for the last three years. Clara Gerdes, candidate for Chapter Corresponding Secretary, has been a member of the California Native Plant Society for a number of years and the Corresponding Secretary since 2014. Clara has been a dedicated volunteer for restoration projects in Redwood Regional, Huckleberry and Sibley regional parks, where she wields her weed wrench with enthusiasm. Clara gained her appreciation for the outdoors and the environ¬ ment from her mother, taking long walks along the paths and woodlands of western Michigan. Sunday, January 7, 2018, 2:00 pm, field trip to Huddart County Park to see fetid adder's tongue Location: Huddart County Park, 1100 Kings Mountain Road, Woodside (San Mateo County) California Meet in the parking lot just past the pay station. David Mar¬ golies (510-393-1858 cell, divaricatum@gmail.comJ will lead a hike on the Crystal Springs Trail where fetid adder's tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii, Liliaceae) usually blooms in early January. (In most locations outside botanical gardens it blooms in late January or early February. We have seen it here almost every year except 2013 and 2016.) This is a gentle trail, losing about 200 feet over about 1/2 mile to the creek. We will walk to the creek and then return the same way. It is unlikely that there will be any other flowers out this early, but the fetid adder's tongue's presence tells us that the new flower season has started. Plants out of flower will also be identified. The area is second growth redwood and mixed evergreen forest. David Margolies 10 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 DIRECTORY Officers President Beth Wurzburg president@ebcnps.org Vice President David Bigham david@hjuliendesigns.com Recording Secretary Sue Duckies spduckle@uci.edu Corresponding Secretary Clara Gerdes corresponding-secretary@ ebcnps.org Treasurer David Margolies 510-654-0283 treasurer@ebcnps.com Committees Bay Leaf Newsletter Bay Leaf Editor and Web¬ master Joe Willingham 510-705-1798 bayleaf@ebcnps.org webmaster@ebcnps.org Bay Leaf Assistant Editor David Margolies 510-654-0283 dm@franz.com Bay Leaf Mailing Holly Forbes 510-234-2913 h 510-643-8040 w Bryophytes John Game, Bryophyte Liaison 510-527-7855 johngame34@gmail.com Conservation Jim Hanson, Chair conservation-chair@ ebcnps.org Conservation Analyst Karen Whitestone 510-734-0335 conservation@ebcnps.org Field Trips Janet Gawthrop, Chair janetgawthrop47@gmail. com Funds Development Delia Taylor, Chair funds-development-chair@ ebcnps.org Hospitality Marilyn Catterton. Chair mtcatt@gmail.com Information Infrastructure Peter Rauch, Chair info-infra-comm-chair@ ebcnps.org Membership Sally de Becker ebcnps-membership@ ebcnps.org Native Here Nursery Liaison Steve Toby stevetoby@comcast.net Outreach Lesley Hunt ldhunt@astound.net Programs Sue Rosenthal, Chair 510-496-6016 programs@ebcnps.org Publicity Vacant Rare Plants Danny Slakey dslakey@cnps.org Restoration Chair Vacant Unusual Plants Dianne Lake, Chair 510-691-1428 unusual-plants-admin@ ebcnps.org Vegetation Megan Keever, Co-Chair megan@stillwatersci.com Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair nicole@stillwatersci.com EBCNPS spon¬ sored activities East Bay Chapter News list Emailed announcements of upcoming EBCNPS events Robin Mitchell eccommunitygarden@ gmail.com Native Here Nursery 510-549-0211 nativehere@ebcnps.org Charli Danielsen, produc¬ tion manager charlid@pacbell.net Volunteeer Coordinator Ruth Ann Pearsons rapearsonsl @mac.com Penny Spear, infrastruture 510-549-0211 Gudrun Kleist, bulbs 510-549-0211 John Danielsen, propagule collection dnlsen@pacbell.net 510-549-0211 Restoration Projects Leaders Huckleberry Regional Bo¬ tanic Preserve Janet Gawthrop, leader janetgawthrop47@gmail. com John Muir NHS (Martinez) Elaine Jackson, leader 925-372-0687 elainejx@att.net Marsh Creek Heath Bartosh, leader 925-957-0069 hbartosh@nomadecology. com Point Isabel Strawberry Creek Tom and Jane Kelly, lead¬ ers 510-704-8628 (w) 510-684-6484 (c) kyotousa@sbcglobal.net Skyline Gardens Glen Schneider, leader skylinegardens@ebcnps. org Walnut Creek Lesley Hunt, leader 925-937-6791 ldhunt@astound.net Officers and Commit¬ tee Chairs serve on the Board Committees are formed based on chapter needs and the interests of vol¬ unteers. Proposals for committees and projects are welcome and will be considered by the Board California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter PO Box 5597 Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 THE BAY LEAF December 2017 11 California Native Plant Society East Bay Chapter P.O. Box 5597, Elmwood Station Berkeley CA 94705 Address Service Requested Nonprofit org U.S. Postage Paid Oakland CA Permit No. 2018 Time Value December 2017 issue