Milo Baker Chapter Newsletter, February 2010 ~ California Native Plant Society

8/9/2019 Milo Baker Chapter Newsletter, February 2010 ~ California Native Plant Society

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General Meetings are held on the 3rd

Tuesday of each month at Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa.Milo Baker Chapter Board meetings start at 7:00pm, 2nd Tuesday nine months of the year, Environmental Center, 55 Ridgeway Avenue,Suite A, Santa Rosa. The next Board meeting is February 10th. Anyone interested in the work of the chapter is welcome to attend!

02/06 Field TripMilt’s Fern Canyon

02/09 Board Meeting

02/16 General Meeting,Luther Burbank Art &

Garden Center

02/16 Submissions deadline:March Newsletter

02/21 Division WorkshopLiz Parson’s,Kenwood

Calendar & Feb Speaker 1President’s Corner 2State CNPS News 3Gardening with Natives 3Invasives Corner 4Events/Items of Interest 5Plant Sale News 5Field Trips 6Conservation News 6-7Board Contacts 8

Rain Gardens for On-Site Storm-Water RetentionFebruary 16th, 7:30 p.m.We may think of Native Plant Gardens in the context of summer droughttolerance, yet 6” of rain one week last month was 6000 gallons running off atypical rooftop, overwhelming even the most fanatical rainwater harvester, toflow through our gardens carrying silt, toxics and nutrients into the neareststorm drain or creek.Rick Taylor will show us how this seasonal overabundance of water can bemanaged with attractive garden designs that will capture storm water and let

it percolate into the ground. This helps reduce the volume of storm waterentering storm sewers and streams and also acts as a water quality filter, bychanneling the water via swales and filtering it through plants before it seepsback into the earth.Rain Gardens, back yard versions of engineered bio-retention areas designedto meet storm water regulations, are basically shallow depressions filled witha permeable sandy or sandy loam soil, planted with native grasses, shrubsand perennials that tolerate variable wet-dry conditions.Rick teaches in the Sustainable Landscape Professional Certificate program atSonoma State, and owns Elder Creek Landscaping in Sebastopol, offeringecologically-minded whole-systems design services.

Join us for Dinner before the Meeting:

February 2010Milo Baker Chapter

California Native Plant Society

alendar

In This Issue

We'll gather for dinner at 6PM at Kirin Restaurant, 2700 Yulupa Ave. We hope ourspeaker will join us, but we always have an enjoyable group of fellow members and adelicious Northern Chinese meal in any case. Please contact Liz Parsons, 833-2063,

[email protected] by February 15th if you plan to attend.

Plant ID HourArrive at 6:45 before the General Meeting and bring specimens of plants you want to identify.We will feature plants of interest from the localarea, see them through a dissecting microscope,

and discover the differences between our many native species.Along with some fresh plant material, I’ll bring field guides and botany books. I canhelp you work through the keys in The Jepson Manual and A Sonoma County Floraor answer your questions. Come talk plants with plant people. The best-learnedplants are those learned with friends!

Pictured here is the Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia,which has little black glands on the serrations ofthe leaves. Hollywood is named after this plant,

also called California holly or Christmas berry.

mailto:[email protected]




P resident's Report

Pictured above is Indian Warrior, Pedicularisdensiflorus, which should be out in oak

woodlands and chaparral in February(illustrated by Slow.) With connectedmychorrizae to our native species, this plant isbest appreciated in the wild (not in thegarden) with its dark red flowers. It’s part ofthe family Scrophulariaceae.

With El Nino in town, this last month hasbeen tremendous for rainfall in the County,and it will undoubtedly be an interesting yearbotanically. The vernal pools are brimming tocapacity, with connecting swales, all over the

Santa RosaPlain.I’ve takenpictures ofsome poolsin Januaryalong PinerRoad:

I hope that many of our members andfriends join us this spring in gathering data forthe Adopt-a-Vernal-Pool program with theLaguna de Santa Rosa Foundation. This willbe the 4th consecutive year of AVP, and theMilo Baker Board voted in November todonate $3200 toward the program. We are

applying for about $16.000 for CNPS fundsfrom the June Bilisoly bequest. I’d like tothank the Milo Baker board, John Herrick, andChristina Sloop and Hattie Brown for gettingthe proposal out to State CNPS. We will bereaching out to you all this spring!

The Milo Baker Board also made a decisionregarding the adoption of the Sonoma Co.Water Coalition’s (SCWC) new missionresolution. After submitting comments tochange some language and add some

regarding native plants, the board discussedour purpose with the SCWC and the newresolution. After reading the CNPS policy thatwe Focus on Plants the board voted 7-2 againstsigning on to their resolution. This month wewill continue the discussion about membershipand collaborations with the SCWC.

Most important to me right now is finding aNewsletter Editor to get this wonderfulpublication out to Milo Baker members,agencies, and libraries every month. It may

have arrived late in your mailbox this month,and your President takes credit for that. KatyRedmon has done a fantastic job the last three

years. It iswaiting nowfor yourcreativity:please contactme for moredetails.Lynn Houser

Milo Baker Chapter Newsletter – February 2009



S tate News

A Manual of California Vegetation SecondEdition is now availableCo-authored by CNPS vegetation ecologist JulieEvens, DFG vegetation ecologist Todd Keeler-Wolf,and Humboldt State University emeritus professor

John O. Sawyer.

This revision of the 1995 original is the productof 14 years of rigorous surveys, analysis,description and mapping of vegetation.This comprehensive manual is a standardized,systematic classification and description ofvegetation in the state that will become anessential guide for ecologists, environmentalscientists, conservation planners, land-use

managers, teachers, students and naturalhistory enthusiasts. Its 1,300 pages containkeys to, and descriptions of, more than 485different vegetation types throughout the state,from desert to vernal pools. It presents arefined picture of the state’s diverse vegetationpatterns.The vegetation classification method presentedin the Manual represents the classificationstandards for large-scale vegetation mapsrecently adopted by the state. These state

standards meet the National VegetationClassification System standards followed byfederal agencies. Examples of maps developedusing these standards may be viewed throughthe DFG Vegetation Classification andMapping Program’s Web site athttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/vegcamp

B ook News

It is a good time to stock up on field guides.We now have some new books: California Mosses, Mosses and other Bryophytes, Cacti, Agaves and Yuccas, Bringing Nature Home, andField Guide to the Laguna de Santa Rosa.We also have the long awaited Second Editionof A Manual of California Vegetation. Wendy Smit

G ardening with Natives

Wild about ClarkiasCalifornia’s native Clarkias are one of myfavorite spring time wildflowers and they are

easy to grow. They come in vivid shades ofred, purple, deep rose, and also in softershades of pinks and white.Clarkias are an annual in the Onagraceae, orevening primrose family. They grow quickly,don’t need much water, like poor soil, and alsomake a great cut flower. Clarkias will bloomfrom summer to autumn with irrigation. Letsome go to seed for next year.Clarkias can be direct sown in the garden inthe fall or early spring. They need light to

germinate so rake in gently. I prefer to startthem in a cold frame because I get bettergermination. Use a good germination mix andpress into the soil. They will germinate inaround 10 days at 65-70 degrees. Don’t overwater.I usually grow C. amoena, Farewell-to-springand C. unguiculata, Mountain Garland whichare easily found inseed catalogs.This fall I wentcrazy and bought 7additional varietiesnative to CaliforniaincludingC. bottae,C. williamsonii,C. rubicunda,C. purpurea,C.amoena ssp.C. Whitneyi, and C. imbricata whichis our own Sonoma

County Native.Above: Vine Hill Clarkia C. imbricata

I ordered my seeds from www.larnerseeds.com and www.seedhunt.com; both websites carry agood selection.Try Clarkias in your garden this year for earlycolor. They can be planted in beds, borders andcontainers. They make beautiful bouquets, aredrought tolerant and don’t require much care.Beautiful and easy to grow. Pat Sesser



http://www.larnerseeds.com/




http://www.seedhunt.com/







I nvasives Corner

I attended the quarterly meeting of theSonoma/Marin Management Area last monthand received a preliminary report on the weed

situation in our county. Our chaptercontributed $500 for a rapid responsecoordinator which helped us to take steps onthe ground and receive reports of newinvaders to be treated before they becomeunmanageable.Thanks to the sharp eye of Sue Ostrom of theSonoma County Agriculture Dept. new-to-the-county appearances of spotted knapweed,Centaurea maculata, near College Ave. off thefreeway and near Stony Point, were quickly

removed. Often these invasives are brought inon heavy equipment which has been employedin sites with heavy infestation. Sue alsoreported Chondrilla juncea, rush skeletonweed,which has been a thorn in the side of CaliforniaAg. weed workers of late, at Pepperwood. Wehope these plants did not get any further,because they have a very serious reputation inother counties.Ann Howald reported infestations of Holcuslanatus, velvet grass and Mentha pulegium,pennyroyal - (two Sonoma County old-timerswhich easily take over wetlands - at theLawndale wetlands. Some work has beendone, but more help may be needed in future.These baddies don't go away just because welay waste to them once. According to PeterWarner, Annadel also hosted Crupina vulgaris,bearded crupina, which had been reported inAnnadel by Keith Wagnon in 1989 aboveSpring Creek Bridge.The Moores reported a large infestation ofCentaurea solstatis, yellow star thistle at

Shollenberger Park, and through their effortsand volunteers including an at-risk youthprogram, the star thistle has been given amajor setback. Also in the south end ofPetaluma, Salsola lanatus, Russian thistle alsoknown as tumbleweed, was identified. As ofthe meeting, it had not been addressed yet byCaltrans. Lakeville Highway is heavilytraveled by trucks, and as such is a good place

Pennyroyal seedlings, in a vernal pool, smell minty andhave opposite leaves. Growing here with SonomaSunshine in NW Santa Rosa, it is a serious pest.

to look for new infestations of weeds fromoutside the county.Other Sonoma County sites addressed by the

Weed Management Area were at BodegaHead: Ulex europaeus, gorse; Sonoma CoastState Park region: Hedera helix, English ivy, andEuphorbia oblongata, oblong spurge; and AustinCreek Recreational Area: Dipsacus sp., teasel.While you may wonder about other moreimpressive infestations of weeds in our county,the emphasis is on a "nip 'em in the bud"strategy. Attacking new appearances that havenot had time to dominate the landscape willsave us from trying to deal with them later

when it may be too late. Early Detection, RapidResponse is a more effective use of our verylimited resources.Some other prominent weeds that have beenfound in new small infestations and especiallyneed attention are Sesbania punicea, redsesbania or scarlet wisteria, Lythrum salicaria,purple loosestrife, Carthamus lanatus, distaffthistle, but the list goes on. Please contact me ifyou want a good workout and a feeling ofaccomplishment.

PS: To those of you who pulled broom at LakeSoulejule and witnessed the Baker's larkspur:Kate Symonds and I and others replantedforty Baker's larkspur in a new site in January.Baker's Larkspur only grew in one place alongthe road to Lake Soulejule. It had beendecimated by Marin County road workers twoyears ago. Plants were salvaged and grown atthe UC Botanical [email protected]






Events and Items of Interest

Pepperwood Preserve Events

Free Saturday Hikes at Pepperwood

February 13, March 13, April 10, 9am-1pm.No Advance Reg. needed. Families welcome.Bring appropriate clothing, sturdy shoes, waterand a snack. Meet at the barn by 9am.

Weimar Falls and Fern CanyonFeb 27, Saturday 9am-3pmsantarosa.edu/communityed course#9147 $45.Misty, moss-covered canyons, giant chain fernsand beautiful waterfalls might remind you ofHawaii, but this wonder is just on the remote

east side of the preserve. Expect to see newtsand salamanders. Watch for birds of prey andwild pigs. Enjoy breath-taking vistas of Mt. St.Helena and Knights Valley. This is a somewhatstrenuous, often off trail, 6 mile adventure witha 700 foot elevation gain. Sturdy hiking bootsand full rain gear are a must as we will hikerain or shine. Bring a lunch and water. Meet atthe barn. Presenter Michael Gillogly

High Points of Pepperwood

March 6 Saturday 9am-3pmbrownpapertickets.com/event/88464 Join Peter Leveque as he explores the naturalhistory of the Pepperwood Preserve from someof the highest elevation locations, includingTelegraph Hill and Grouse Hill. Meet at thebarn with water, lunch, hiking and rain gearfor a rigorous hike on rough, uneven terrain.

See pepperwoodpreserve.org for more detailsand additional upcoming events.

Riverkeeper Stewardship Park

Volunteer Days –help restore riverbank.Wednesday mornings in Guerneville 16153

Main St. just upstream of the pedestrian bridge.Contact [email protected] or 865-2474 orrussianriverkeeper.org, or Don [email protected]. or 217-4762.

The 34th Annual Sonoma CountyEnvironmental Awards DinnerMarch 6, Saturday 5:30-9pmSebastopol Veterans’ Auditoriumsee www.envirocentersoco.org for ticket info.Brock Dolman of OAEC Water Institute, will

speak on gray water, ag conservation, groundwater, city innovations, and more.Evelina Molina will MC. Gourmet local dinnerby A la Heart Catering. Live music.Benefits the Environmental Center and SCCC,the coalition of local environmental groupsincluding Milo Baker CNPS, formed to shareresources and facilitate collaboration.

Bringing back the Natives Gardens Tour Sunday, May 2 in Alameda and Contra Costa.

View BringingBackTheNatives.net for gardendescriptions, to reserve your place and receivea Garden Guide, or volunteer to greet visitorsand answer questions about natives. Over 40garden talks scheduled at gardens that contain50% or more native plants and are bird andbutterfly-friendly, pesticide-free, water frugal,and low maintenance.Contact: [email protected],or call (510) 236-9558 between 9 am and 9 pm.

Plant Sale News

Division Workshop in Kenwood:February 21 Sunday 10:30am. Meet at LizParsons' garden in Kenwood to divide plantsfor the plant sale on October 10, the secondSaturday in October. We will be digging anddividing bleeding heart, goldenrod, wildginger, zauschneria, ferns, and other plants.This is a very important workshop for the sale.

We need help from as many members aspossible. We’ll also need people to grow theseplants until the sale. Please call Liz at 833-2063if you want to help and she can give youdirections. We also have fixed dates for theother workshops: May 17th, Sunday, for thepotting workshop at Cal Flora and August 8th for the second potting workshop at CasaGrande High School. Liz Parsons


http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]

http://www.russianriverkeeper.org/



http://www.russianriverkeeper.org/

http://us.mc452.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]



F ield Trips

Milt's Fern Canyon in KenwoodFebruary 6, 10:30-2pm

Join Liz Parsons and Wendy Born

for a tranquil hike to a ferny dellwith a possible hike to chaparral

at the top of the canyon. The canyon is hometo acres of wood ferns (Dryopteris arguta) andmany sword ferns (Polistichum munitum) andCA shield fern (Polistichum californicum) in aninteresting hybrid swarm. Also home tonorthern maidenhair ( Adiantum aeluticum),coffee ferns ( Pellaea andromedaefolia),brittle bladder fern (Cystopteris fragilis), andseveral others. Heavy rains cancels.

This hike is strenuous on rudimentary trails.Bring water, lunch and wear sturdy shoes.Meet at Liz Parsons' house for carpool to thesite which is on private property near HoodMt. Regional Park and Sugarloaf State Park .Call Liz for directions to her home, 833-2063.RSVP Liz or Cindy Tancreto,[email protected]

C

onservation News

Scenic Bennett Valley property andwildlife corridor protected

A beautiful 34-acre property on the flank ofSonoma Mountain in Bennett Valley is nowpermanently protected with a conservationeasement thanks to a generous donation bylandowners Peter and Kathy Drake. TheDrakes chose to donate the easement to protecttheir property’s significant natural resources,which include oak woodlands, perennial andannual grasslands, a seasonal creek and pond.Located at the southern end of Bennett Valley,

the property boasts sweeping views and islocated in an important wildlife corridorbetween Annadel and Jack London State Parks.

Adop-A-Vernal-Pool programBilisoly Grant ProposalFind the complete document at cnpsmb.org

under Conservation Programs. Below is anexcerpt from the introductory section. (Minorexcisions are indicated by an ellipsis (…) Project ProposalLong-term assessment of endangered vernalpool plants is imperative to understanding thestatus and dynamics of plant populations,especially under changing climate conditions(Sloop & Brown, in press). While critical tomaking appropriate and informedmanagement decisions, evaluating plant

populations year after year is difficult to fund.Directly addressing the need for long-termdata and the lack of funding available for long-term studies, members of the Milo Bakerchapter of … (CNPS) partnered with theresearch program of the … (LagunaFoundation) in 2007 to launch the ‘Adopt aVernal Pool’ program (program), acommunity-based, standardized datacollection effort across the Santa Rosa Plainvernal pool ecosystem in Sonoma. County…

Using trained volunteer citizen scientists, theprogram is uniquely able to address the needfor long-term data collection without theassociated high cost of typical fieldassessments. Since its inception, the programhas trained and deployed over 50 volunteer‘citizen scientists,’ to collect and share data onendangered vernal pool plants using a vetted,standardized protocol. Citizen scientistsreturn year after year to their ‘adopted’ vernalpool(s) to quantify abundance of three

endangered plants on the Santa Rosa Plain:Sonoma sunshine Blennosperma bakeri,Sebastopol meadowfoam Limnanthes vinculans,and Burke’s goldfields Lasthenia burkei.Trained volunteers assess density, cover,phenology, and endangered plant distributionusing a standard protocol. They assesscommunity composition within the pool andupland habitat. They also note pollinatorpresence, threats to the plant community, site







management practices, the presence of othertarget native and exotic plant species, and theyconduct photo monitoring.Since its inception three years ago theprogram, training and facilitating citizenscientists to assess endangered annual plantpopulation abundance, has proven to be a cost-

effective means of collecting long-term dataand implementing intensive data collectionacross thousands of acres in a short, highlyweather dependent (and thereforeunpredictable) field season. Volunteersbecome ambassadors of the programpromoting awareness of endangered plantsand recruiting new participants. They alsohave a means to take on an active role inenvironmental conservation. Nearly all citizenscientists report the experience as positive and

are empowered by the opportunity to dosomething meaningful. Our high annualretention of citizen scientists is one measure ofsuccess of the program. Citizen science is anincreasingly recognized way to sustain long-term data efforts and this program provides anexemplary model for CNPS chapters to engagein such activities throughout the state.Throughout California, vernal pools are hometo numerous threatened and endangeredspecies and provide a glimpse of the beauty of

California’s disappearing wildflowers. Due totheir nature as a refuge for native andendangered plants, conservation of vernal poolecosystems is one of the highest priorities forthe preservation of biodiversity in theCalifornia Floristic Province. SonomaCounty’s 81,000 acre Santa Rosa Plain vernalpool ecosystem is the main habitat of Sonomasunshine, Sebastopol meadowfoam, andBurke’s goldfields. These three plants andother distinctive community members

distinguish the unique Santa Rosa Plain vernalpool ecosystem from those in California’sCentral Valley and elsewhere in the state (A.Solomeshch, personal communication).Remaining populations of these species aresubject to degradation via habitat loss andfragmentation. These three endangered plantsand their floral communities continue to bethreatened by development, lack ofmanagement, agricultural conversions,

invasions of non-native species, and climatechange. The 2008 US Fish and Wildlife Service5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluationranked all three species with a high recoverypriority.In 2005 the Santa Rosa Plain ConservationStrategy was adopted to guide the continued

conservation of vernal pool resources inSonoma County, and to balance the need fordevelopment with strict rules for themitigation of losses. However, the 2007 updateof the Biological Opinion regulating the SantaRosa Plain Conservation Strategy was basedon data obtained in the 1990s. Vernal poolscientists and concerned citizens agreed thatdeveloping a common baseline of current datawas critical to making effective managementand policy decisions. The ‘Adopt a Vernal

Pool’ program fills this need.The program furthers the mission of the CNPSRare Plant Science Program by collecting andmaintaining current and accurate informationon three of California’s endangered plants. Italso furthers CNPS organizational mission ofEducation and Conservation by trainingcommunity members to conduct rigorousscientific surveys, engaging landowners aboutthe unique flora of their own backyards, byattracting plant enthusiasts to CNPS

membership, and tracking land managementtechniques that promote good stewardship ofunique biota. It has a broad scope byproviding an excellent model of citizen scienceand assisting the preservation of a uniqueecosystem.The Milo Baker chapter is uniquely poised tocontinue this program as numerous chaptermembers have been involved since itsinception and participated in the programdesign and protocol development. Milo Baker

has committed seed funds to continue theprogram in 2010, the 4th year of this program.Our work directly addresses both the dearth ofuniform data regarding the status ofendangered plants and the need for novelapproaches to conduct long-term monitoring.The program is at a critical stage where themomentum has grown and further financialsupport is needed to achieve maximumprogram results and volunteer involvement.



We invite you to join CNPS

Name________________________________

Address______________________________

City/Zip______________________________

Phone________________________________

Email________________________________Chapter affiliation:Milo Baker (Sonoma County) Other county ______________________Membership category: Student or Limited Income…….… $25 Individual………………………….$45 Family, Group or Library………….$75 Plant Lover………………….……$100 Patron…………………………….$300 Benefactor………………………..$600Mariposa Lily………………… ..$1500

New Member Renewal

Make check payable to CNPS and mail to:CNPS, 2707 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816

To pay by credit card or for more info call916.447.2677 or visit www.cnps.org

Milo Baker Chapter Officers & Board of Directors 2009-10

President, Lynn Houser, 568-3230, [email protected] President, Liz Parsons, 833-2063, [email protected], Patricia Sesser, 528-9197, [email protected], Jim Piercy, 539-3441, [email protected] Sales, Wendy Smit, 431.7913, [email protected] Chair, Michael Hogan, [email protected] Cunningham Marsh, Marcia Johnson, 829-3808, [email protected] at Large, Lea Davis, 538-1499Director at Large, Beth Robinson, 490-4951, [email protected]

Director at Large, Joan Schwan, 823-0446, [email protected] at Large, Cindy Tancreto, 528-9225, [email protected] Trips, Natasha Granoff, 542-9670, [email protected], Becky Montgomery, 573-0103, [email protected], Liz Parsons, 833-2063, [email protected] Plant Chair, ML Carle, 792-1823, [email protected] Chair, Katy Redmon, 762-3961, [email protected]/WebAdmin., Gary Hundt, 542-4972, [email protected] Editor, Katy Redmon, 762-3961, [email protected], Gary Hundt, muddyknees.smugmug.com, click FlowersPlant Sale, Liz Parsons, 833-2063, [email protected] & T-Shirt Sales, Wendy Smit, 431.7913, [email protected]/Lectures, April Owens, 528-3387,[email protected]

Publicity, Leia Giambastiani, 322-6722, [email protected] Ridge Park, Lynn Houser, 568-3230, [email protected] Rep., Wendy Krupnick, 544-4582, [email protected] Preserve, Jeffery Barrett , [email protected] Representative: OPENSSU Rep., Frederique Lavoipierre, 829-0751, [email protected] Hill Preserve, Sarah Gordon, 833-1243, [email protected]

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. Postage Paid

Santa Rosa, CA

Permit #470

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETYMilo Baker Chapter www.cnpsmb.orgP.O. Box 892Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Lilium pardalinum ssp. pitkinensePitkin lily

Newsletter & Web Site Info:Send newsletter submissions to:Editor, [email protected] for inclusion in the MarchNewsletter is February 15.The chapter web site www.cnpsmb.orgcontains a wealth of information pluscurrent and archived newsletters.To receive notification of the online newsletter,or for newsletter mailing/membership issues,contact: Gary Hundt, [email protected]





http://www.muddyknees.com/









http://www.muddyknees.com/






Milo Baker Chapter Newsletter, February 2010 ~ California Native Plant Society

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Transcript of Milo Baker Chapter Newsletter, February 2010 ~ California Native Plant Society