Bryolog 15 (27 February 2019)

Upcoming

As a general policy, check the website for event updates before you walk out the door!

On Sunday 10 March from 9-12, Amanda Heinrich will lead a beginner bryophyte walk for the Channel Islands Chapter at the San Antonio Creek Trail, Tucker’s Grove County Park in Santa Barbara. The trail is essentially flat and easily accessible to all. Photos of some of the species that we will focus on will be posted on iNaturalist. Search for Amanda Heinrich, click on view observations, zoom in on the map to “San Antonio Canyon Park,” then click on individual pins. When entering the park, take a right and continue to the far parking lot labeled Kiwanis Meadow. We will meet at the far end of the parking lot and head up past the gate which blocks the road up toward the doggie park, stopping at the bathrooms before proceeding up the trail. Please bring a hand lens if you have one. RSVP to amandaheinrich777@gmail.com.
On Sunday 28 April 2019, Paul Wilson and Lynn Robertson of the CNPS Sierra Foothills Chapter will be exploring mosses in the Merced River Canyon below El Portal & Yosemite National Park. Meet at the Merced River Recreation Area (Briceberg) Parking Lot adjacent to Hwy 140, ~14 miles north of Mariposa at 9:00 am. This trail is flat though occasionally rocky. It is rich in liverworts and mosses. For more details, contact Lynn at billielr@sti.net or 209-966-5316. Bring a lunch. We will be back at the parking lot by early afternoon. There is no cell phone coverage in the immediate area.
David Wagner will be offering a 3½ day intensive bryophyte identification workshop at the Andrews Experimental Forest in Blue River, Oregon, 23-27 September, 2019. Please contact David at davidwagner@mac.com for registration instructions. Details HERE…

Quarterly Report

Read about Jim Shevock’s success using the California Mosses book to bring out the finer features for beginners on an introductory moss walk at South Yuba State Park HERE…

Timeless Bits

President Jim Shevock calls for volunteers to be the 4th president of the chapter, to run for treasurer, OR…

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Field Bryology Workshop: 23-28 September 2019

David Wagner is offering a three and a half day, intensive bryophyte identification workshop at the Andrews Experimental Forest, Blue River, Oregon (http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu). This workshop is designed for those with a strong botany background and basic knowledge of bryophyte structure and life cycles. Folks with previous experience studying bryophytes can expect to increase their familiarity with the regional flora. The class involves integrated lectures, field study, and lab practice. The classroom has bench space for 12 microscope stations, which limits the size of the class. Participants must bring their own microscopes, personal dissecting tools, and laptop computers.

The focus is on practice with contemporary identification keys pertinent to the Pacific Northwest:

Contributions Toward a Bryoflora of California: II A Key to the Mosses (D. Norris and J. Shevock, Madroño 2004) with attention also given to Elva Lawton’s 1971 Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest and the moss volumes 27 & 28 of Flora of North America.
Identification of liverworts and hornworts emphasizing Contributions toward a Bryoflora of California: III Keys for Liverworts and Hornworts (W. Doyle and R. Stotler, Madroño 2006).
Using the digital Guide to the Liverworts of Oregon (D.H. Wagner, Northwest Botanical Institute, 2018 version), supplemented by online treatments of the as yet unpublished liverwort volume of Flora of North America.

Participants will receive:

Practical tips for hand lens identification in the field.
Supervised training in lab techniques needed to observe the features used in keying.
A selection of archival and unpublished material (both printed and digital format).
A comprehensive review of online resources.
Review of the most useful current literature from other parts of the world.
A selection of study specimens for microscopy, including prepared slides.

Arrival and microscope set up in the laboratory will take place Monday morning, 23 September. The first classroom session begins at 1 pm. The classroom will be available at all times from Monday through Friday. Evening sessions are designed for individual, supervised study.

Lodging check in will take place on Monday, 23 September, either during an afternoon break in the class or in the evening after the class session. All participants are expected to use the Andrews Experimental Forest housing. Staying on site allows evening sessions in the classroom and socializing in the apartment common area. Participants fend for themselves in a kitchen furnished with pots and pans and utensils. A small grocery is located a few miles away. We’ll work together and eat together. The apartments have 4 bedrooms with 2 single beds each and a communal kitchen. The reservation is for four nights; rooms must be vacated Friday morning 27 September.

Tuition is $400 plus $132 for lodging, including bed linens, pillow, blanket and towels. Space is limited; early inquiry is recommended. Please contact David directly at davidwagner@mac.com for registration instructions, or

David H. Wagner, Ph.D.
Northwest Botanical Institute
P.O. Box 30064
Eugene, OR 97403-1064
Fernzenmosses.com

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Introductory Moss Walk with California Mosses Book

On Saturday 23 February, Jim Shevock lead an introductory moss walk for the Redbud Chapter at South Yuba River State Park in Bridgeport. He brought along eight copies of the California Mosses book and sold them all! Several of the participants had brought their own copies. Throughout the walk, students were able to refer to the book for habitat information and spelling of scientific names, but more importantly, were able to tune into the finer details of a moss, as prompted by Jim, to have a better understanding of what they were seeing through the hand lens. An interactive dialogue ensued—hopefully learning and retention were increased.

Photo by David Magney

Jim has enough copies of the book that he could make available as a “training set” for chapter use. It would require mailing them back and forth, but if you are interested in using these for a walk, feel free to contact him. Also, of course, you’re free to try to schedule him as a walk leader. Just be forewarned that he is busy jetting to China and other places on expeditions to inventory mosses of various botanical provinces.

Photo by Carl Wishner

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Message from the President

— Jim Shevock

Well, soon it will be time for our annual migration to the SO BE FREE. ‘Looking forward to a wonderful time together in San Luis Obispo County.

As I mentioned in the last Bryolog, our chapter board is designed so our officers rotate frequently, basically in 2-year terms so we have many opportunities for members to become personally engaged for short periods of time to guide the chapter and interface with the statewide organization. At that time, I encouraged members to consider serving a term on the chapter board either in the immediate future or planning to serve down the road. It’s not an overwhelming commitment of time. As a chapter board we do most of our chapter business by email or by Skype call, and our general meeting is always held annually at the SO BE FREE.

Well, we have not received an avalanche of self-nominations or interest to run for future board positions! The second half of my 2-year term as your President will begin at the conclusion of the upcoming SO BE FREE. One year after that, Brent Mishler as the current President-elect will take over the job of chapter President. So, in the not too distant future we need to identify persons who will run for election to become the next President-elect for 2 years and then serve a 2-year term as the 4th President of the Bryophyte Chapter. In the same election, we will vote on Treasurer.

The success of our chapter relies on members who desire to bring awareness and conservation of bryophytes into the larger plant arena. The Bryophyte Chapter is unique within the CNPS family. We are the only chapter that is not geographically based. The initial petition committee made a compelling case to become a bryophyte-focused chapter within the statewide organization and therefore, we were voted by the CNPS Chapter Council and the Board of Directors to become the newest chapter in the society.

Yes, there are many ways we can serve and be supportive of the goals and objectives of the Chapter. One way is to ensure you maintain your membership in the chapter. Others with additional financial resources can support our developing educational grant program. Others can lead field trips or present a talk on bryophytes to another CNPS chapter. As a non-profit organization our success is generated by those who choose to contribute their time and talent. One does not need to be a professional bryologist to serve or lead the chapter in any of its roles and functions. So, seriously think about serving in some capacity on the Bryophyte Chapter Board. Don’t be bashful, and if you need more info, just give me a call.

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