SO BE FREE

Spring Outing;
Botanical Excursion;
Foray, Retreat, and Escape to the Environment

SO BE FREE is a series of West Coast forays started by the Bryolab at UC Berkeley in 1996. The main focus is on bryophytes, but the foray is open to all botanists and we encourage experts on other groups to come along and smell the liverworts. We welcome specialists and generalists, professionals and amateurs, master bryologists and rank beginners. SO BE FREE is held each spring, somewhere in the Western US, associated with spring break at universities. The usual tradition is to have a four-day, three-night schedule with communal meals, in inexpensive and remote locations. Evening slide shows and informal talks are presented as well as keying sessions with microscopes. In addition to seeing interesting wild areas and learning new plants, important goals for SO BE FREE include keeping West Coast bryologists (and friends) in touch with each other and teaching beginners. For glimpses of the past outings, follow the links below. In 2015, CNPS created the Bryophyte Chapter, and the new chapter took over the administration of SO BE FREE.