This Month
- Sunday, May 22, 2011 Lost Valley, Cow Mountain : Lost Valley is located just to the east of Ukiah in the Cow Mountain area at an elevation of 3,000 ft. It is an expansive open area of abundant native forbs & grasses surrounded by a dense mixed chaparral of scrub oak, ceanothus, manzanita, and chamise. Patches of knobcone pine, a small seasonal stream, and an interesting vernal pool wetland provide an interesting mosaic to this diverse site. The valley has been afforded some protection by BLM and is a wonderful place to know because of its great variety of flora and relative ease of access (one can drive to within a few hundred yards.) Located only 2.5 miles southwest of Carl Purdy's gardens it is likely that the legendary plantsman frequented the area. Join botanist Kerry Heise to explore this area and discover its botanical bounty. Meeting Time and Place: 9:00 am in parking area just south of Star's restaurant off of Orchard Ave. in Ukiah. Bring lunch and plenty of water. No registration is required. For more information contact Kerry Heise at: (707)462-4533 (kheise AT copper.net).
- Sunday, May 22, 2011 Rare Plant Treasure Hunt at Salt Creek Saddle - Mendocino National Forest : Calling all native plant enthusiasts, botanists - experienced or not - and willing volunteers! Please join CNPS for a rare plant treasure hunt at Salt Creek Saddle, on the eastern edge of the Mendocino National Forest. This will be an event focused on locating and documenting rare plant populations in and near Salt Creek Saddle, a hotspot of rare plant diversity that hasn't been documented by botanists in over 10 years. There are 9 different rare plant species at this site, including Jepson's milkvetch and dimorphic snapdragon (Antirrhinum subcordatum), among others. Meet at the Chico Park and Ride at Hwy 32 and Fir St at 8am. For those coming from other locations we'll regroup at 9:30am at the Salt Creek Conservation Camp, 10655 Round Valley Rd, 96074, and from there we'll drive to the site. Plan to be out all day, so bring plenty of food and water. The local botanist calls this hike "not a gentle stroll through a lovely meadow, but also not arduous." Contact Ron Coley (rcoley64 AT comcast.net or (530)533-1238) if you have any questions and to RSVP for this trip. Danny Slakey (dslakey AT cnps.org) will also be able to answer questions about the trip.
Next Month
- Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 2011 CNPS Rare Plant Treasure Hunt at Walker Ridge : Calling all native plant enthusiasts, botanists - experienced or not - and willing volunteers! This will be an event focused on locating and documenting rare plant populations on and near Walker Ridge, a site currently proposed for an extensive wind power-generation facility. In all, about 30 plants on the California State Rare Plant List grow in the Walker Ridge vicinity, and the diversity of soil substrates and vegetation types provide critically important wildlife and plant habitat. CNPS and other organizations have petitioned the U. S. Bureau of Land Management to extend protection of this area as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This will be a fun, educational, exciting, and productive 2-day adventure, and your participation is welcome for any portion of the weekend. We'll assemble on Saturday, June 11, at 10 a.m., at the Judge Davis Trailhead on Hwy. 20, located just west of the Lake-Colusa line, about 14 miles east of the Hwy. 20 & 53 junction, and about 4 miles west of the Hwy. 20 and 16 junction. For those staying for the full weekend days, we'll camp in the Walker Ridge area - if camping, please be prepared for minimal facilities at our campsite (bring water, chairs, firewood, tents, etc.). Further information about this trip will be forthcoming. Danny Slakey (dslakey AT cnps.org) will also be able to answer questions about the trip.
- Sunday, June 19, 2011 Mt. Konocti County Park floral Survey and Outing : Karen Sullivan and Ed Dearing will lead the group on a floral survey of Mt. Konocti, the prominent dormant volcano that rises nearly 3000 thousand feet over the Clear Lake basin. The survey will be within the boundaries of the county park and adjacent BLM lands which start at about the 2500 ft. level on Konocti Rd. An observed vascular native flora made by Karen and Ed last year will be used as a checklist and participants will be encouraged to add to (or subtract from) the list as to create a more complete document. Plants found last year include three CNPS List 1B rarities, the beautiful Sonoma Beardtongue Penstemon newberryii var. sonomensis being one of them. Sonoma Beardtongue is only found on Hood Mt. in Sonoma County (the type locality), Mt. St. Helena, Cobb Mt. and on Mt. Konocti. The date of the activity corresponds with the plant last year. A List 4 beauty, the Redwood Lily, Lilium rubescens is also found on the slopes. An attempt will be made to procure the key to the lookout as a special treat when we reach the summit of the mountain, Wright Peak at about 4200 ft. elevation. Views include Mt. Diablo, Mt. Lassen, the Sutter Buttes, the Sierra crest and beyond. We will meet at the end of the pavement on Konocti Rd. Kelseyville, Ca. at 9:30AM. Directions-from the north highway 29 left on Live Oak, right on Main, and first left on Konocti. We will organize into carpools as to lessen our footprint. (Vehicles with good clearance being recommended) Bring water, lunches, snacks, field guides, binoculars, and warm clothing just in case. The wind is often strong and cold near the summit. This trip is limited to the first 16 people to sign up. Please contact Kerry Heise at 707-462-4533 (kheise AT copper.net) to reserve a spot.
Later This Year
- Nothing Scheduled Yet
Annually
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March, annually
Broom Pull on Orr Springs Rd. and Montgomery Woods Lunch :
Brooms- Scotch, French, Spanish - line the roadsides in many parts of Mendocino County. Their names give the clue- they are not native to this area, but were introduced as horticultural plants and then escaped into the wildlands. Although the blooms are beautiful, these plants are devastating for wildlife and increase wildfire risk because they are very flammable. Along roadsides, they also pose a safety hazard as they reduce visibility and obstruct pedestrian corridors. What can we do about it?
BASH IT!
The California Native Plant Society and the Inland Mendocino Cooperative Weed Management Area are hosting a broom bash on Sunday, March 28, 2010 in our Adopt-A-Road corridor along Orr Springs Road near Montgomery Woods State Reserve. Manual removal of the broom, including the roots, followed by annual monitoring to remove seedlings is a proven effective strategy to be rid of broom on roadsides. 
However, it takes a lot of time and effort. Come help us pull out the broom! Mild to strenuous exertion according to your ability and desire. Meet at
the north side of the Mendo Mill parking lot (1870 N. State St.) in Ukiah at 9AM for carpools, at 9:30AM at Montgomery Woods State Reserve parking lot for a mandatory
safety training.
Wear long-sleeved shirt, long pants, bring gloves.
Participants must be 16 or over.
Trip Leaders: Chuck Williams (707)462-8984, Tara Athan (707)272-2115 (coord at imcwma.org)
- First Saturday in April annually (unless it is pouring rain) Low Gap Park Annual Flower Count : Join naturalist Mark Albert on the annual Spring wildflower identification fieldtrip at Low Gap Park in Ukiah. The outing starts at 9:30am, but if you come late the group is easy to find as they will be botanizing close to the parking lot for awhile. Each person will get an updated 8-page checklist of species, which is a very accurate listing of Ukiah Valley's early Spring wildflowers. Bring your hand lens, your identification guide and a lunch. We pull out some escaped exotic French broom while we're at it, monitor the changes in the park, and soak up some sun. For more information, contact Mark at (707)462-7843.
- Annually in the third week of July Lake County Weed Mangement Area (WMA) Auto Tour : Details to be announced. Typically, the tour starts at 8AM and finishes with lunch furnished by the Lake County WMA. The Sanhedrin CNPS Chapter is a partner of the Lake County WMA. For info contact the Lake County Agriculture Department at (707) 263-0217 or e-mail Katherine Blyleven at kathrynb at co.lake.ca.us