Mimulus memo

imu

California

tive
Plant
Society

KERN CHAPTER

MARCH 2013

CONTENTS

Native Gardening - 1
Field Trip Descriptions - 3
Program Topics - 9
Related Events - 10

EVENTS

MARCH

9 — Field Trip: Tejon Ranch
21 — Meeting: Plant ID, 6 pm
Program, 7 pm
23 — Field Trip: Red Rock Cyn.
30 — Field Trip: Sand Ridge

APRIL

6 — Field Trip: Shell Creek Rd.
14-21 — Calif. Native Plant Week
13 — Field Trip: Carrizo Plain
18 — Meeting: Plant ID, 6 pm
Program, 7 pm
20 — Field Trip: San Joaquin
River Gorge
27 — Field Trip: Trees & Shrubs

MAY

4 — Field Trip: Cedar Creek
11 — Field Trip: Wind Wolves
16 — Meeting: Plant ID, 6 pm
Program, 7 pm
25 — Field Trip: Rancheria Rd.

JUNE

1 — Field Trip: Saddle Springs
20 — Meeting: Plant ID, 6 pm
Program, 7 pm

Native-Plant Gardening

The Learning Curve

by Monica Tudor

L ooking at my garden now, you'd never suspect that

I am really a plant-killer, somewhat reformed. My California garden
is now even overgrown in some areas - hiding the painful memories of
dozens and dozens of plants that met their demise at my hands. I could

probably supply a small nursery
with a year's worth of plastic pots,
except that I make a point of recy-
cling them to hide the evidence.

Remember, the garden started out
as a horse corral. Horse manure and
vegetables do marvelous things to-
gether. Horse manure and California
native plants do not. Perhaps a more
science-minded person could tell me
if it was the manure or the urine or
the alkali that did the natives in. In
any case, some of the fatalities were
certainly caused by over- or under-watering the plants. Although I tried
to place the plants in a suitable site, some were simply doomed by being
selected for the wrong garden. "Full sun" on a plant label does not always
mean full sun in Bakersfield, even for a native.

The casualty
rate during the
first summer
was about
90%. First to
die were the
toyons and
manzanitas.

The blue oak
hung in for a
year and then
croaked too.

Half of the
sages clung
to life but
were looking

The happy survivors.

Through trial and error,
observation and experi-
mentation, I've learned
what will (usually) grow
and what won't, how to
water and where to plant.

The California Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of California native plants and
their natural habitats , and to increasing the understanding , appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants.

Photo: Monica Tudor

Photo: Monica Tudor Photo: Monica Tudor

2

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

The Learning Curve ( Continued)

around desperately for
someone who would
rescue them. Well, you
get the idea. My learn-
ing curve was a wild
looking roller coaster.
The second winter after
I planted the garden,
Bakersfield was blessed
with an exceptional
amount of rain, which
probably leached out
the ground. The garden
began to improve every
year. At this point, any
new plants have a pretty
good chance of survival,
but I'd be lying if I
said I had it all figured
out, even now, com-
ing through the fourth
winter.

Cheerful color combos: Salvia
chamaedryoides (Germander
sage); an annual re-seeding red
salvia and Achillea millefolium
(common yarrow)

But enough of the lamen-
tations. The point is that
a garden can grow any-
where; it is a matter of dirt, selecting the right plants
and learning how to care for them. Through trial and
error, observation and experimentation. I've learned
what will (usually) grow and what won't, how to
water and where to plant. Most of the garden's plants
look pretty happy; some are exuberant! Even though
this year's colder winter has caused some die-back,
every event teaches me more about the plants in my
garden.

I'm still trying to grow manzanitas. I'll keep you
posted.

Baileya multiradiata (desert marigold)

helpZ th^Fej Z % k ^™ truction and

for an

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task to ke^KerSps m° ffered f ° take on a
NPS moving forward.

Visit our new website at kern.cnps.org

There you can find:

■ Plant Lists

■ Field Trips

■ Events

■ Contacts

■ Wildflower information

■ Plant Sales

■ Upcoming events

■ Photos

■ Newsletter archive

■ : morel

Photo: Rich Spjut

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

3

FIELD TRIPS

K ERN CNPS FIELD TRIPS are open to all. Occa-
sionally, numbers will be limited by the land
owners or agencies. We welcome you to join us to see
and learn about our native plants and their habitats,
to learn to identify plants, or to photograph them. If
you are skilled in plant identification, you can help us
all learn.

Please always dress in layers, wear boots or shoes
you can hike in and bring food and water. You may
also want to bring a hat, sunscreen, binoculars, camera,
plant lists and useful references such as Kern County
Flora and the Jepson Manual , or any book you like. We
try to meet at a spot where we can park some cars and
carpool to our location to save the air, the gas, the mon-
ey and make sure that on a "roadside" trip that we will
have adequate space to park. CNPS does not arrange
car pools; each person does so at the meeting place.

All trips are by reservation only, so we know whom
to expect, and how many will be attending each field
trip. Each trip will have the contact person listed.

Please e-mail the contact person by two days before
the field trip and indicate the names of those who
will attend.

IMPORTANT: If your or your party's plans change
and you will not he attending, it is critical -for
both safety, planning and courtesy reasons - that
you call or e-mail the contact person and let him /
her know you will not be there.

Tejon Ranch, March, 2012 — in a field of
Plagiobothryus nothojulvus (rusty popcorn flower).

March 9, Saturday, 7:30 am

TEJON RANCH, COMANCHE POINT
Contact: Lucy Clark - lucyg391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, March 7, 2013

The Tejon Ranch Conservancy has invited us back
to the Ranch for what we hope will be an outstand-
ing spring b loom on March 9 to Comanche Point
(600'- 1,200' elevation). We'll work on creating a
plant list during the field trip , so come prepared
to key. Or just view! Pets and smoking are not
allowed on Tejon Ranch. You may want to bring
along the Tejon Ranch Plant List available on our
chapter web site: kern.cnps.org. as well as your Kern
County Flora, Jepson Manual, and any other refer-
ences that may be appropriate. We might have the
opportunity to see Bakers field cactus in bloom,
Comanche Point layia , cottony buckwheat, striped
adobe lily , gypsum-loving larkspur, possibly Tejon
poppy and Kern mallow, all listed plants.

Road conditions may cancel this trip; but we are
hoping not. If you have a four-wheel drive or
AWD, please bring it to help fellow members.
Please notify Lucy at lucyg391 @gmail.com if you
plan to attend, by 8 pm the previous Thursday, the
7th. We have to inform them of numbers.

Meet at the Park & Ride lot at the corner of Real
Road and Stockdale Highway, at 7:30 am to car-
pool. If coming from the east, meet at 8:45 am at
the gate of the Tejon Ranch for the Comanche Point
trip. Please be prompt, as the gates must be locked
once everyone arrives, for the group to start.

DIRECTIONS:

To get there from Bakersfield, we will take HWY 99
south to HWY 223, turn east to Arvin, and then turn
south on South Derby Road /Tejon Highway. Tejon
Highway dead ends into Herring Road / Comanche
Point Road. Turn left (east) on Comanche Point Road
and follow it around to the Tejon Ranch gate. Please
be there at 8:45 am.

From points east, go west on HWY 58 and exit at
HWY 223. At South Derby Road/ Tejon Highway,
turn south (left) and go through Arvin to the dead
end at Herring Road/ Comanche Point Road. Turn
east (left again) on Comanche Point Road, and
follow it around to the Tejon Ranch gate. Please be
there at 8:45 am.

4

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

March 23rd, Saturday, 7:45 am

RED ROCK CANYON STATE PARK
with Mark Fault

Contact: Lucy Clark - lucug391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, March 21, 2013

Come to see what this lovely desert park has for
us this spring! Mark Fault, now retired, was the
longtime ranger there and he compiled a plant
list during his tenure. He has expertise on many
of the resources in the park including archeology
and paleontology. He will lead us on a walk to
the treasures of RRCSP! Depending on the rains
between now and then, we may see: Deinandra
arida (Red Rock tarplant), endemic to the state
park, Eschscholzia minutiflora twisselmannii (the Red
Rock poppy), endemic to the El Paso and Rand
mountains, Phacelia nashiana (Charlotte's phacelia),
a beautiful blue limited-range watch plant, and a
new, yet unnamed species of monkey flower (we
used to think of it as Mimulus palmeri). There are
restrooms at the Visitors' Center.

NOTE: As of Feb. 6, 2013, Mark Faull reports there
has been little rainfall in the desert and the plant
displays may well be sparse. However, the field
trip WILL STILL take place as there is much inter-
esting geology to see at Red Rock Canyon State
Park and Mark is also familiar with the archaeol-
ogy and paleontology of the area.

Please meet at Taco Bell at the SE corner of Hwy's
58 and 184 (Weedpatch Hwy) at 7:45 am for car-
pooling. After checking maps and choosing car-
pools, we will leave promptly at 8:00 am. This
will be a full-day trip. Please RSVP by deadline to
contact listed above.

March 30 th , Saturday, 8:30 am
SAND RIDGE PRESERVE
Contact: Lucy Clark - lucyg391 @ email. corn
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, March 28, 2013

This preserve was saved by the first president of
Kern CNPS, Jack Zaninovich, of Delano. It is now
cared for by the Center for Land Management;
see the website http://www.culm.org/cms/index.
php ?option=com content &task=view&id=6 8 &Item
id=214 . Sand Ridge is an island of desert plants in
the southern San Joaquin Valley. Some of the plants
we hope to see are the Opuntia basilaris var treleasei
(Bakersfield cactus), among the blooming annuals,
Caulanthus coulteri (Coulter's jewelflower), Chaenac-
tis glabriuscula (yellow pincushion, golden girls),
Malacothrix glabrata (desert dandelion), Nicotiana
quadrivalvis (Indian tobacco), and the beautiful
Salvia carduacea (thistle sage). Ellen Cypher's Plant
List is on our website.

Please meet at the Taco Bell at the SE corner of
Hwy's 58 and 184 (Weedpatch Hwy) at 8:30 am
for carpooling. We will leave promptly at 8:45 am.
If you know the Preserve, you may meet us at
the entrance at 9:00 am. We plan a 3-hour (plus or
minus) visit, although if you want to stay longer,
bring a lunch. There are no restrooms. The trail
is gradual, and is appropriate for children or
seniors, and short enough that you could leave
early if you get tired. Please RSVP by deadline to
contact listed above.

Red Rock Canyon State Park

m

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

5

April 6 th , Saturday, 7:15 am
SHELL CREEK ROAD AREA
with the San Luis Obispo Chapter

Contact: Patty Gradek - patty gradek@gmail. com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, April 4, 2013

This area is to the northwest of the Carrizo Plain
National Monument and has a spectacular abun-
dance and variety of wildflowers in a good rain-
fall year. We are joining members of the San Luis
Obispo Chapter on their annual visit to this site.

Please RSVP by deadline to contact listed above.
Meet at the parking lot of the BLM office at 3801
Pegasus Drive at 7:15 am for carpooling. We will
leave promptly at 7:30 am. This will be a full-day
trip since the drive to the site is at least two hours.

April 13 th , Saturday, 8:30 am

CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT
with Denis Kearns

Contact: Patty Gradek - patty gradek@gmail. com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, April 11, 2013

Denis Kearns, BLM Botanist, will lead us on the
trip to the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

This trip will be limited to 20 people due to limits
prescribed for such tours in the BLM Management
Plan. Therefore, if you want to attend we suggest
you contact Patty Gradek at pattygradek@gmaU.com
early, because no more than 20 will be allowed to
participate.

The Carrizo Plain is a magical, beautiful place -
especially in the spring. We may see fiddleneck,
filaree, tidy tips, thistle sage, owl's clover, encelia,
eriophyllum. Parry's mallow and larkspur. Denis
may have us assist with plant monitoring for a por-
tion of the day.

Please meet at the parking lot of the BLM office at
3801 Pegasus Drive at 8:30 am for carpooling. It will
be best to use four-wheel drive or high-clearance
vehicles to get to some of the special sites. We will
leave promptly at 8:45 am. This will be a full-day
field trip. There are restrooms at the Visitor Center.

April 20th, Saturday, 7:45 am
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER GORGE
with Denis Kearns

Contact: Denis Kearns - dkearns@blm.gov

RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, April 1, 2013

Denis Kearns, BLM Botanist, will be leading a
"Bioblitz" to generate a vouchered species list for
BLM's San Joaquin River Gorge in Fresno County.
This is a beautiful BLM area above Millerton Lake.

It is an approxi-
mately 3-hour
drive to reach
the area, so this
will be a full day
field trip. There
are BLM camp-
ing facilities in
the area so par-
ticipants might
wish to camp
overnight on
their own. Field
trip participants
need to regis-
ter with Denis
( dkearns@blm .
gov) by April 1st.

This year the
"Bioblitz" fo-
cuses on plants,
but entomolo-
gists are also
welcome. CNPS members, professional botanists
and other scientists are invited. For information
on the Gorge s ee www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/
Programs/Recreation opportunities/ SJRG SRMA.html.
This will be a great opportunity to learn and to see
an area that many of us are not familiar with.

Please meet at the parking lot at the BLM office at
3801 Pegasus Drive at 7:45 am for carpooling. We
will leave promptly at 8:00 am. The drive to the
Gorge is 3 hours. There are restrooms at the area.

April 27th, Saturday, 8:15 am

DESERT AND WOODLAND TREES AND SHRUBS
with Richard Spjut

Contact: Patty Gradek - patty gradek@gmail. com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, April 25, 2013

Richard Spjut, who has extensive field experience
in East Africa, Western Australia and the southwest-
ern US and Mexico in collecting common plants for
pharmaceutical screening programs, will lead a tour
within Kern County that will focus on identifying
characteristics of common trees and shrubs.

This will be an auto-tour type of field trip with
frequent stops to see examples of woody plants as-
sociated with the blue oak woodland, bladderpod
scrub, tentatively Tucker woodland and ephedra
(E. viridis) scrub, scale broom scrub, creosote scrub,
salt scrub, pinyon-juniper woodland, and Joshua
Tree woodland. The trip will travel east on High-
way 58, then north along a portion of Highway 14,

San Joaquin River Gorge

Photo: BLM

6

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

and then return to Bakersfield on Highway 178,
traveling over Walker Pass and through the Kern
River Canyon. This will be a full-day trip and it
will be important to avoid the temptation of iden-
tifying flowering herbs in order to see more variety
of trees and shrubs. There will be two or three
stops for restrooms.

Richard has prepared a draft of the trees and
shrubs of Kern County. Examples for some families
with keys to genera, and with links to keys to spe-
cies on other pages, are presented at www.worldbo-
tanical.com/trees and shrubs of kern county.htm . You
may also want to consult Nature Alley's images
of Trees of Kern County by Alison Sheehey at
www. natureali.org/guides/KC trees.htm.

Please meet at the parking lot at the BLM office
at 3801 Pegasus Drive at 8:15 am for carpool-
ing. We will leave promptly at 8:30 am and will
return by approximately 5:00 pm. Please RSVP
by deadline to contact listed above. .

May 4, Saturday, 8am

ANNUAL VISIT TO CEDAR CREEK &

THE GREENHORN FRETILLARY
Contact: Lucy Clark - lucyg391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm. May 2, 2013

Join us for a walk along a favorite trail with Pink
Fairy Lanterns, Calochortus amoenus, 5 species of
Nemophila, the only barberry native to Kern, Berberis
acjuafolium, and many other beautiful taxa on this
level and lovely trail in the Sequoia Forest. We will
look for the Rare to Endangered (in CA) Fritillaria
brandegei (Greenhorn fritillary), although no guar-
antees, as its life is short,
due to grazing. There is
a possible creek crossing
at the first part of the
trail, but we will get you
across! The up-dated
plant list is available at
kern.cnps.org l

Meet at the Denny's/
Starbucks on the corner
of Merle Haggard and
HWY 65, at 8 am for
carpooling, leaving at
8:10 am, at the latest.
Please park away from
their doors. We drive up
Granite Road to HWY
155 at Glennville, then
farther on, park at the

(pink fairy lanterns)

sign for Cedar Creek Campground. We will start
walking about 9:30, or when all who have RSVP-
ed arrive. Please RSVP to Lucy Clark at lucyg391@
gmail.com by 8 pm on Thursday, May 2nd, if you
plan to attend this most pleasant of springtime
trips!

Because this is a straight in and out trail, you
would be free to leave when you need to, after
alerting the leaders. All those interested in pro-
longing the day in the foothills could stop on the
way home and eat an early dinner in Glennville
together.

Wind Wolves Preserve - San Emigdio Canyon

May 11, Saturday, 7:30 am
WIND WOLVES PRESERVE
with Dave Clendenen
Contact: Lucy Clark - lucyg391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm. May 9, 2013

Dave Clendenen, Wind Wolves Ecologist, will
lead us on a driving tour of another favorite Kern
County native plant location. We may also enjoy
the native critters always seen at Wind Wolves.
Wind Wolves is a privately owned nature preserve
of almost 100,000 acres, and rises from the valley
floor to the top of the Transverse Range. See the
website at http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/pre-
serve_windwolves.html

We will meet Dave at the headquarters/ admin
building at 9 am for a brief introduction. For people
from Bakersfield, we will carpool from the Park
and Drive at Stockdale and Real Road, next to
Kaiser Medical Center. Plan to be there at 7:30 am,
as we will leave by carpool at 7:45 am. No pets and
no smoking are allowed on this trip. We will have
lunch along the road, and plan to leave around
3 pm.

Dave will drive the WW 15-passenger van for us. If
more than 15 people RSVP, we will need help from
those of you with high-clearance 4X4, SUV type
vehicles, who are experienced in, and expecting

Photo: Wildlands Conservancy

Photo: courtesy Clyde Golden

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

7

to be on dirt roads in steep mountainous terrain.

We want to be able to get to the higher elevations
where things will be blooming.

Please RSVP by deadline to contact listed above
for this wonderful trip. When you RSVP, Lucy will
send you an attachment of the Wind Wolves Plant
List and an Application to Enter. Everyone is re-
sponsible for printing the application and submit-
ting their signed Application to Enter at headquar-
ters before we begin our tour. Anyone under the
age of 18 years must have one signed by a parent
or legal guardian. Please join us for this natural
history trip!

May 25, Saturday, 8 AM
TOP OF RANCHERIA ROAD
with Clyde Golden

Contact: Lucy Clark - lucyg391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm. May 23, 2013

Clyde Golden, our chapter's Rare-Plant Chair, will
lead us on a search for new populations of rare
plants to report to CA Fish and Wildlife and CNPS.
Several rare / endemic plants are found along the
road, between HWY 155 and Evans Flat. Possible
plants we may see as we drive and search are: Calo-
chortus westoni (Shirley Meadows star tulip); Fritil-
laria pinetorum (Pine fritillary); Gilia leptantlia ssp.
pinetorum (Pine gilia); and maybe the F. brandegei
(Greenhorn fritillary). Other interesting plants are
Viola Sheltonii with its cut leaves and Sidalcea ranun-
culacea (Greenhorn checkerbloom), an endemic.

If the rain was
sufficient,
we will also
drive down
Sawmill Road
toward Lake
Isabella to
see Eriastium
tracyi (Tracy's
eriastrum)
and Ceanothus
diversifolius
(pine mat).

We will meet
at Starbucks/
Denny's
parking lot
on the corner
of HWY 65
and Merle
Haggard/ 7th
Standard

Calochortus westonii
(Shirley Meadows star tulip)

Road at 8 am to arrange carpools and leave at 8:15.
We will drive up Granite Road to join HWY 155 at
Hassan O's, then continue to the top of Greenhorn
Mountain. Here we begin our search for rare plants
of the area. We will have lunch along the way, and
start back at 4 pm.

Please RSVP by deadline to contact listed above if
you plan to come to see these special plants (and
breathe fresh air). A Rancheria Road Plant List is
available on our web site kern.cnps.org .

June 1, Saturday, 7:45 am
SADDLE SPRINGS RD. -
PIUTE MOUNTAINS
with Alison Sheehey
Contact: Lucy Clark -
lucyg391 @ gmail.com
RSVP Deadline:

8 pm. May 30, 2013

Unexpected Larkspur
(Delphinium inopinum)

Please join us for the
first in a memory trip to
the Piutes with Nature
Ali herself as our guide.

We will take Saddle
Springs Road, which
leads through grassland,
chaparral, pinyon-juniper
woodland (the burnt rem-
nants of the Piute Cypress
Botanical Area), and pon-
derosa/ Jeffrey pine forest.

Ali reports the temp drops
about 20 degrees along the

trip, as we go up to Piute Peak! The entire roadside
along the 15 miles of travel is worthy of botanizing.
Birds and butterflies are a bonus. Rare plants along
the route include the Streptanthus cordatus var piu-
tensis (Piute jewel flower); Eriogonum breedlovei var
breedlovei (Piute buckwheat); Delphinium inopinum
(unexpected larkspur); Hesperocyparsis nevadensis
(Piute cypress); Calochortus palmeri (Palmer's mari-
posa lily) and Perideridia pringlei (adobe yampah).
This will be an all-day trip, with lunch along the
road, and a stop in Brown's meadow, where there
are port-a-potties, and maybe the lily. There is no
potable water, so bring plenty!

Learn more about the area at this link, http:! Iwww.
natureali. orgl S OF/ cypress.html

Saddle Springs Road turns off Bodfish-Caliente
Road (Lake Isabella Blvd). It is a rough narrow
road that has few turnouts, so carpooling is man-
datory. High-clearance vehicles are required.

Copyright 2009 Alison Sheehy

8

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

For carpooling from Bakersfield, please meet at
Tuesday Morning' at the corner of Auburn and
Fairfax at 7:40 am. We leave before 8 am to meet
with others in Isabella.

From either the east or west, take Highway 178
to the Bodfish exit, Elizabeth Norris Rd., and turn
right. Drive to Lake Isabella Blvd. Participants
should rendezvous in the Von's parking lot by
8:45am, with hopes of leaving by 9am.

For those from Tehachapi or points south:

Take Caliente-Bodfish road north off of HWY 58.
The turnoff to Saddle Springs is ~3 miles southwest
of the town of Bodfish. It is on a blind curve. There
are several wide areas where 3-5 cars can pull out
but they are few and far between. The rest of us
should arrive shortly after 9, so please be parked
near the turnoff to saddle Springs Road by 9:10 am.
Lucy will help folks from other areas make contact
for carpooling if you wish.

Please RSVP by deadline to contact listed above.

If you have a high-clearance vehicle and will bring
it , please let contact know, so we can provide a
ride for all who want to join us.

July 13th, Saturday, 8:00 am

MT. PINOS — LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST
with Pam DeVries

Contact: Patty Gradek - patty gradek@gmail. com
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, July 11, 2013

ted from the summit. Much of the higher reaches of
the mountain are included in the Chumash Wilder-
ness and there is a botanical preserve designated at
the summit.

Our host, Pam DeVries, has written a field guide
which includes the area we are visiting titled The
Plants of the San Emigdio Region of California. It is
available through Amazon or the CNPS bookstore
online. Pam will be the speaker at our meeting on
June 20th and we expect that will be an excellent
preview for the field trip. Also note that Pam will
be giving the same talk "A Botanical Tour of the San
Emigdio Mountains Region of California" , at a Sierra
Club meeting in Pine Mountain Club on a date to
be announced. (See page 10 for description )

Please meet at the Park & Ride lot at the corner of
Real Road and Stockdale Highway at 8:00 am to
carpool. We will leave by 8:15 am. We will drive
south on 1-5 and take the Frazier Mountain Park
Road exit. Follow the signs to Mt. Pinos and the
large parking lot at the end of the road. This will be
a full-day trip. Please RSVP by deadline to contact
listed above.

Field trips can also be found at kern.cnps.org/ 'field-trips /
upcoming-field-trips

PRINT OR SAVE THESE DATES TO YOUR CALENDAR!

Fellow Chapter member Pam DeVries will host
our mid-summer field trip to the
summit of Mt. Pinos in the Los
Padres National Forest. (Ed note:

Please see Program description for
June 20th ) It's a beautiful place any
time of the year but should be in
full flower in July, at over 8,000 feet
in elevation. We will drive to the
parking lot where the trail to the
summit starts. There are port-a-
potties at the parking lot. For those
who don't want to hike, there are
some wet meadow habitats around
the parking lot to explore. The hike
to the summit is a slow and easy
walk. In the 1.5 miles to the sum-
mit, one passes through conifer
forest habitats and finds a sub-
alpine habitat at the top. There is a
huge variety of unusual plants on
the hike and a spectacular view at
the summit. Bring your binoculars
since condors are sometimes spot- Chumash Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest

Photo: Antandrus,

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

9

Other Field Trip Possibilities
The " Catch- A-Bloom" Mailing List

I T'S IN THE NATURE OF WILDFLOWER BLOOM
to be somewhat unpredictable. For that reason
we're compiling an e-mail list of those who are inter-
ested in receiving alerts about spur-of-the-moment
excursions, when we hear that a bloom is occurring
somewhere, and we plan to catch a look before it
passes. To sign up for " Catch- A-Bloom" e-mail Lucy
at lucyg391@gmail.com or Patty at patty gradek@gmail.
com, putting "Catch- A-Bloom List" in the Subject line.

Similarly, you can alert us to special areas of bloom
that you happen to see in your day-to-day ventures.

If you are planning a flowering trip on short notice
and would welcome fellow CNPS members to join
you, please e-mail the information to Lucy and Patty,
at lucyg391 @ gmail.com and patty gradek@gmail. com and
we'll get the word out. Please send us:

^

Chapter Meetings

upcoming TOPICS

Thursday, March 21, 2013 7 pm:
Lauren Brown, member, San Luis
Obispo Chapter of CNPS will speak
on " Plant Communities and Represen-
tative Plants of the Guadalupe-Nipomo
Dunes.” The dunes contain the larg-
est undisturbed coastal dune tract in
California. Five major plant com-
munities are represented and the
habitat supports numerous rare and
endangered plants and animals.

Thursday, April 18, 2013 7 pm:

Rich Spjut will give a program on
Kern trees and shrubs (see April
27th field trip)

Thursday, May 16, 2013 7 pm:

Dave Clendenen,

Wildlands Conservancy
" Wind Wolves Preserve - Native Plants
and Grazing Management” .

Location of the field trip

Date and meeting time

Your name and e-mail address

Any other information you want to include

*** jjSEf *#*

Thursday, June 20, 2013 7 pm:

Pam DeVries “A Botanical Tour of the
San Emigdio Mountains Region of Cali-
fornia” This will be a good preview of
our field trip scheduled for July 13th
- a hike to the summit of Mt. Pinos in
the Los Padres Natl. Forest.

Mid-Week Field Trips?

All chapter meetings are held the
3rd Thursday of each month at the
Hall Ambulance Community Room

S OME OF YOU HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST
in mid-week field trips. Currently, field trips are
planned for Saturdays since we assume more people
are available on a Saturday. If you would prefer mid-
week trips over Saturdays, please e-mail Lucy and
Patty and let them know which days of the week
are preferable.

Lucy at lucvg391 @ gmail.com
Patty at patty gradek@gmail. com

1031 21st Street (21st & N St.),
Bakersfield, CA.

Meeting times:

6 pm — Plant keying and

identification

7 pm — Program presentation

CNPS is the leader for providing reliable information on California native plants and plant conservation. Comprehensive
information about California's flora and vegetation communities is available throughout the state for conservation and educational
purposes. CNPS's leadership influences personal ethics and actions , as well as public policy for native-plant protection.

10

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

Related Events — local & Statewide:

LEARNING ~ LEARNING ~

HISTORY & GEOLOGY
OF RED ROCK CANYON

Saturday, March 2, 20 1 3 ^ 3 pm
Buena Vista Museum of Natural History
Bakersfield, CA - Reservations recommended
Presenter: Tim Elam

ED ROCK CANYON, IN NORTHEASTERN
Kern County, is a stunning example of layers of
rock exposed by erosion. Pink, red, orange, and other
colored volcanic and sedimentary rocks contrast with
black volcanic rocks erupted millions of years ago.
Easily-eroded rocks contrast with hard-to erode rocks,
revealing spires, rills, and other unusual shapes. Awe-
some and colorful, this isolated canyon through the El
Paso Mountains has drawn Native Americans, explor-
ers, tourists, artists, geologists, and fortune-hunters
for centuries. You have probably seen Red Rock Can-
yon on television or in a movie. Red Rock Canyon has
been a California State Park since 1968, and in 1994,
the park tripled in size.

But there is much more to the Red Rock Canyon story
than beautiful scenery. Though now part of the desert.
Red Rock Canyon was once inhabited by wooly
mammoths, horses, giraffe-like camels, and luxuriant
plant life that lived in an area with abundant water.
Remains of these life forms, fossils, make Red Rock
Canyon a world-class paleontology location.

How did Red Rock Canyon form? Why is it there?
What events have shaped the rich cultural and geo-
logical history of Red Rock Canyon?

Join local geologist Tim Elam as he takes you on a
rich photographic tour of the geology and history of
the Red Rock Canyon.

The presentation will be informal, and no geologic
background is necessary to enjoy the event. There will
be no extra charge for attending this event, just the
normal museum entrance fee and there is no charge
for BV Museum members.

Directions: BVMNH is located between 20th and 21st

street at 2018 Chester Ave, Bakersfield CA

Admission: Child $4, Adult $7, Seniors $5

and Students 18 and older $5

For more information or reservations call 661-324-

6350 or visit www. sharktoothhill. org.

A BOTANICAL TOUR
SAN EMIGDIO MOUNTAINS REGION
OF CALIFORNIA

Date: To Be Announced
Condor Group^Sierra Club
Pine Mountain Clubhouse
Presenter: Pam DeVries

HE SAN EMIGDIO MOUNTAINS REGION is
situated at the junction of several distinct
geographic ecoregions including the Mojave Desert,
the Transverse Ranges, the Coast Ranges, and the
Great Central Valley. This pictorial tour of the rich
and varied flora of the region includes a visit to the
lower-elevation wildflower fields of the Gorman Hills
off Interstate 5, renowned for their brilliant spring dis-
plays. We will also visit Bitter Creek National Wildlife
Refuge, where California condors are often in view
and the federally listed Kern mallow ( Eremalche parryi
subsp. kernensis) grows at its highest known elevation.
Next is a quick trip through the region's juniper and
oak woodlands before climbing in elevation to the
pinyon/ Jeffrey pine forests and sub-alpine habitats
of Frazier Mountain and Mount Pinos. Finally, we'll
check out riparian and seep habitats. Western blue
flag meadows ( Iris missouriensis) , and visit a high
elevation vernal pool with its infrequent display of
Hoover's calico flower ( Downingia bella). Photographs
of common and rare plants will be presented, along
with maps showing access points and trail informa-
tion.

Directions:

From 1-5, take the Frazier Mountain Park Road exit and
head west approximately 12 miles, passing the towns
of Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, and Pinyon Pines
(in Cuddy Valley). Turn right on Mil Potrero Road
toward Pine Mountain Club and travel about 5 miles to
the town of Pine Mountain Club. The driveway entry
to the clubhouse just past the golf course on the right
(north) side of the road. The Condor Room is located
behind the pool and lounge areas.

From the 33/ 166, take the Cerro Noroeste Road turn-
off (just south of Soda Lake Road) toward Pine Moun-
tain Club. The town is about 22 miles from the turnoff
(the name of the road changes somewhere along here
to Mil Potrero Road). It takes about an hour to get
there from Bakersfield.

Mimulus Memo — March 2013

FIELD TRIP ~

CNPS-SAN LUIS OBISPO
ANNUAL HIKE TO COREOPSIS HILL
GUADALUPE-NIPOMO DUNES

Saturday, March 16, 2013 ^ 9: 10 am
Leaders: Lauren Brown,

Dirk Walters, et al.

HE SAN LUIS OBISPO CHAPTER OF CNPS
presents our annual hike to Coreopsis Hill (in
the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes), Saturday, March
16th, 2013, sponsored by CNPS, US Fish and Wildlife
Service, and The Dunes Center; led by local bota-
nists. The hike will begin about 9:30 AM (please plan
to arrive between 9:10 and 9.30) at Beigle Road and
will be a casual walk through the dunes to the top of
Coreopsis Hill. This is a moderate hike, about 3 hours
round-trip. Dress in layers, bring water and snacks,
and have your " Dune Mother's Wildflower Guide" by
Dr. Malcolm McLeod for the trip. For more informa-
tion call Lauren Brown at 805-460-6329 or 805-570-
7993. Heavy rain cancels this trip (light rain, bring
appropriate clothing).

Directions from the north: Take HWY 101 south from
San Luis Obispo. Turn right (west) at the new Willow
Road off-ramp (Exit 180). Proceed west on Willow
Road for about 4.3 miles, to Highway 1. Turn left
(south) on Highway 1 and proceed for 2.7 miles, to
Oso Flaco Lake Road. Turn right (west) on Oso Flaco
Lake Road. Proceed west on Oso Flaco Lake Road for
2.5 miles to Beigle Road. Look for a 6' tall wire mesh
fence and galvanized steel gate.

Parking: We will have people posted at the entrance
of the USFWS fenced road to direct parking. The gate
will be open by 9:10 and closed at 9:30. Please be on
time as this gate will be locked during the hike. The
Oso Flaco Lake State Park lot is several miles west of
Beigle Road, if you need to use a restroom before the
hike (there are none along the hike route). Parking
along Oso Flaco Lake Road is hazardous and should
be avoided. Note: Pets, tobacco products, or alcohol
are not allowed on the refuge, including the parking
area. Pets may not be left in cars in the refuge parking
area.

CONFERENCE ~

OPEN REGISTRATION &

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
NATURAL COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE
THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY

Thursday, March 28, 2013
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

California State University, Bakersfield
Dorothy Donahoe Hall, GJ 1 02
Checkdn starts at 8:00 a.m.

T HE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CHAPTER of The
Wildlife Society (TWS) is pleased to announce an
open registration for our annual Natural Communi-
ties Conference. The event will be held Thursday,
March 28, 2013 on the CSU-Bakersfield campus. This
year for the first time we're able to offer advance reg-
istration payment by credit card using PayPal's ser-
vices. We've offered this for our last two workshops
and it's worked really well for us and hopefully is an
added convenience for you. We hope you'll attend,
and even consider sharing something about the work
that you do. Remember that while our chapter area
covers the San Joaquin Valley, we also extend into the
Sierras, the western Mojave, and the coastal moun-
tains. There's a lot going on out there!

Please register by March 22nd*, and if you'll be pre-
senting we'd appreciate having abstracts by March
15th. All registration forms, abstracts, and event ques-
tions can be directed to Chapter Representative Linda
Connolly at lindatws@hotmail.com .

Registration Rates

Chapter Members: $30.00
Nonmembers: $35.00
Students: $10.00
Presenters: Free

(Nonmember rate includes membership)

■ Presentations are limited to 20 minutes, in-
cluding time for questions and answers.

■ Please e-mail abstracts no later than March
15th in order for us to get them compiled for
distribution at the conference. Please e-mail
abstracts to: Linda Connolly, Chapter Repre-
sentative lindatws@hotmail.com.

* The registration form and more information are
available on-line at ioomla. wildlife, or?/ San Joaquin/

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