Newsletter 2007 September – October
California Native Plant Society
Orange County Chapter
September/October 2007
Newsletter
It’s Fall Plant Sale Time Again!
Saturday, October 6, from 9 AM to 4 PM
at Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano
Enjoy the full selection of Tree of Life’s vast stock of native plants at the nursery’s beautiful location on the Ortega Highway. Knowledgeable nursery staff and CNPS members will be on hand to help with selections. This is the official Fall Saturday Opening Day for the nursery. There will be special demonstrations and activities to enjoy throughout the day. Visit our website for all the details and for directions to the nursery. Bring a friend!
—Sarah Jayne, President
Contents:
Calendar
Conservation Report
Announcements
CALENDAR
September 15….Coastal Cleanup September 20…Chapter Meeting
October 4…….Board Meeting October 6……. Fall Plant Sale
October 18……Chapter Meeting October 20….. SCB Annual Symposium
Weed and Seed:
Thursdays 10-1…………………………………………. UCI Arboretum
Any day, 8:30-noon……………………………………….. Fullerton Arb
2nd Saturday…………………………………………. Irvine Open Space
3rd Saturday………………………………………………….. Bolsa Chica
4th Saturday……………………………….. Upper Newport Back Bay
Chapter meetings are held at The Duck Club, Riparian View, Irvine. Doors open at 7 PM and the meeting begins at 7:30. Wildflower posters and a wide variety of books are available at the meetings.
Directions to the Duck Club: Driving south on the 405, exit on Jamboree and turn right. Turn left on Michelson, the first signal. Stay on Michelson. At the 3rd signal turn right onto Riparian View. Pass the IRWD water treatment plant. After about 0.8 miles turn right down a short hill to the parking lot.
Driving north on the 405, exit on Culver and turn left. At the second signal, which is Michelson, turn right. Continue on Michelson to the third signal, Riparian View, turn left toward the IRWD treatment plant and follow signs to The Duck Club.
[Thomas Guide to Orange County, page 859 J-7
CHAPTER MEETINGS
Thursday, September 20—Lashbrook Park Case Study: Landscaping with Natives
Speaker: Bob Perry
Lashbrook Park is a recently created native plant park within the City of El Monte. It is built on a two-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Rio Hondo Channel and is key part of the ‘Emerald Necklace’ master plan for the San Gabriel Valley in an effort to neutralize crime and gangs with bike trails, greenbelts and well-designed and useful community parks. The design and planting of Lashbrook Park follows the Los Angeles River Master Plan Landscaping Guidelines. Bob Perry was the principal designer of the native plant associations and irrigation systems. Bob will present his concepts and summarize the challenges presented by urban debris, poor site drainage, contaminated soil, non-native plants, and invasive plants.
Bob Perry is a professor emeritus in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly University, Pomona. Since 1972 he has been teaching courses in plant ecology and design, planting design, and senior design in the undergraduate and graduate programs. His related research and consulting activities focus on landscape plants in an effort to understand their ecology and uses within both natural and urban environments. His 1981 book, Trees and Shrubs for Dry California Landscapes, has become a landmark in the field of water conserving landscapes. His more recent work, Landscape Plants for Western Regions: An Illustrated Guide to Plants for Water Conservation (Land Design Publ., 1992), expands the information and philosophy of resource conservation and sustainable landscape concepts for dry climate regions. Each of his highly sought after books are out of print and may (if you are fortunate) be found in used bookstores.
Bob has been a friend of CNPS for a long time and it is great to have him back here in Orange County!
PLEASE NOTE. THIS IS A CORRECTION FROM THE PRINTED NEWSLETTER!
Thursday, October 18—The Art of Natural History: the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada
Speaker: Jack Muir Laws
Come join us as Jack Laws presents an intimate look at the Sierra Nevada range and its inhabitants—from plants to birds, butterflies to bears, and from moss to stars. His presentations are so enjoyable and his deep firsthand knowledge and delight in his subject so evident, that presentations in the bay area have filled every time this renaissance man speaks. Be sure to arrive early to get a good seat! His talk will be an illustrated lecture about the diverse natural history of the Sierra Nevada, and the interesting process of creating a field guide. He will also bring original illustrations that have been painted in the field. His talks are extremely entertaining and educational!
He will be Selling and Signing his new book for us!!!
The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada is an illustrated field guide to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals and is beautifully illustrated with 2,710 original watercolor paintings. This comprehensive and easy to use guide allows botanists to identify the insects that come to their flowers, birders to identify the trees in which the birds perch, or hikers to identify the stars overhead at night.
John (Jack) Muir Laws is a naturalist, educator and artist who delights in exploring the natural world and sharing this love with others. He has worked as an environmental educator for over 25 years in California, Wyoming, and Alaska. He is trained as a wildlife biologist and is an associate of the California Academy of Sciences. His illustrations capture the feeling of the living plant or animal, while also including details critical for identification. In the summer of 2004, Laws published Sierra Birds: a Hiker’s Guide. And he is also a regular contributor to Bay Nature magazine with his “Naturalists Notebook” column. He is currently coordinating efforts to create a curriculum to tie the field guide to the State of California education standards and secure funding to donate sets of field guides to every elementary and high school in the Sierra Nevada. In addition, he teaches field sketching and natural history classes throughout the state.
Steven Edward Hampson
September 14, 1950 – July 5, 2007
Following the death of his father, Ross, on July 5, 2007. Steve Hampson took his own life. This is an incalculable loss to his many friends and to the natural world. He shared his profound knowledge and love of the natural world with anyone who would join him there and actively participated in its care.
It was Steve who inaugurated a vigorous and far-reaching program of field trips for our chapter. “We don’t have to stay in Orange County just because we’re the Orange County Chapter,” he said one day. And off we went, hither and yon, though more than once, Steve and I were the only participants. One of Steve’s favorites was Rancheria Road, outside of Bakersfield where he grew up, where his dad lived and where he spent his last few years. This backcountry road goes through many plant zones as it heads up toward the Sierra Nevada range and Steve knew when and exactly where to find all the neat ones. On camping trips, Steve could be counted upon to provide “tube steaks” and a box of wine. Evenings were always spent with a cup of wine and an open Jepson, keying out whatever had not been identified that day in the field. He maintained plant lists from all those field trips and persisted until he had obtained lists from all of our Southern California parks. Above all, he was a treasurable companion.
Steve’s memory may be honored by contributions to causes that were important to him. His friends here in Orange County would like to recognize his dedication to the California Natives section at the UCI Arboretum. Please visit our website for more details and a beautiful tribute to Steve’s life.
CONSERVATION REPORT
SHOWDOWN TIME FOR 2 BIG OC ISSUES IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER!
OC PARKS: OC’s Harbors, Beaches and Parks Dept. (HBP) has been going through a Strategic Plan process since March 2006. The revised Draft Strategic Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) on Sept. 11 for final approval. The plan is downloadable from ocparks.com/strategicplan/.
Look for more information on this topic soon.
SAN MATEO CREEK: Coming up: one of the most important steps in the effort to stop the proposed 241 toll road extension from ramming through Cristianitos and lower San Mateo Canyons. The Coastal Commission is scheduled to consider the toll road builders’ application during its Oct. 10-12 meeting. The exact time/date TBA; the agenda will be posted at coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html around Sept. 28. The hearing site is Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro, CA (310-519-8200) (near LA Harbor). Contact southoc@surfrider.org or robin_e1@hotmail.com for updates. ACTION NOW: Remind the Commissioners that the San Mateo Creek watershed is just about the only still-natural watershed in southern California south of Ventura, and that its Cristianitos sub-basin (the only part of the watershed not protected by public agencies), although outside the Coastal Zone, is important to the integrity of the lower San Mateo’s natural habitat. And that, as a still-natural watershed in southern California, San Mateo Creek is absolutely priceless, far more valuable to the public good than whatever benefits the toll road may bring.
PS: It’s possible that the Hobo-Aliso Ridge development issue will also be heard by the Coastal Commission in Oct. If so, contact greenp1@cox.net for talking points.
—Celia Kutcher, Conservation Chair
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND OTHER EVENTS
CNPS Plant Science Training Program, 2007-08
The CNPS Education Program is offering workshops that teach professional skills to botanists and ecologists in order to raise the standard of science used for the protection of native plants by teaching the skills and providing the tools necessary to conduct sound scientific surveys for rare plants, vegetation, and wetlands.
Oct 16-18, Vegetation Mapping, UC Berkeley/ Mount Tamalpais: Todd Keeler-Wolf, Julie Evens, John Menke
Nov 7- 8, Riparian Ecology and Plant Identification for Professional Botanists, Casitas Springs, Ventura Co.: David Magney, Cher Batchelor
Mar 4-5, Rare Plant Surveys, San Diego County: Fred Roberts, Michele Balk
Mar 25-27, Vegetation Rapid Assessment, Jasper Ridge:
Todd Keeler-Wolf, Julie Evens, Nick Jensen
April 14-16, Vernal Pool Plant Taxonomy, UC Davis and Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley vernal pools: Carol Witham, Ellen Dean, Jennifer Buck.
May 4-5, Weed Identification, Ecology, and Invasions: Joe Di Tomaso, et al, location tba
May 20-22, Wetland Plants of the Lower Sacramento Valley: Virginia Dains, Bob Holland, and Captain Tule
For more information visit CNPS state website at http://cnps.org/cnps/education/ or call or email Josie Crawford at 916 -447-2677 or jcrawford@cnps.org. Discounts for members.
Two Native Gardening Workshops:
Sun., Oct. 7 & 14, and Sat., Oct. 20; 9am to noon or
Sun., Oct. 28 & Nov. 4, and Sat., Nov. 10; 9am to noon
Both workshops will cover selection of native plants for the home garden, planting, caring for and pruning them as well as soil and watering requirements.
Each of the three mornings will meet at a location in Santa Ana, Claremont or San Juan Capistrano where you can see natives growing. A donation of $30 or more per person is requested if you can afford it. Enrollment is limited.
To reserve a place, send a $30 check payable to Sea and Sage Audubon and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Diane Bonanno, 4611 Santa Fe St., Yorba Linda, CA 92886, postmarked no earlier than September 11 (2 day penalty for earlier postmarks). Specify which workshop you wish to attend. If you are can attend either workshop, indicate your first and second choices. Confirmations, directions, and other material will be mailed on Sept. 24. No reservations by phone, but if you have questions, call Diane at 714-572-9911.
Co-leaders: Diane Bonanno & Pat Overby, Landscape Designers Specializing in California Natives
Volunteer Restoration Training Program
Back to Natives Restoration, in a cooperative agreement with the Cleveland National Forest, will provide hands on training for restoration volunteers over the course of 9 months. Each session will focus on specific aspects of the restoration process from simple tool identification and tool and trail safety training, to native and non-native plant identification, proper site entry/exit protocol, and mechanical/physical abatement techniques to reduce soil disturbance and weed seed germination. Open to anyone interested in hiking Orange County trails. Register by September 14.
Dates: September 15, October 27, November 10, December 8, January 12, March 8, April 12, May 10, and June 14
For more information, visit www.backtonatives.org, call 949-509-4787, or email restoration@backtonatives.org
Coastal Cleanup Day—September 15, 9 AM-noon
Help with cleanups and habitat restoration at a beach, creek or wetland near you. See www.santiagocreek.org, surfrider.org, and coastal.ca.gov/publiced/pendx.html for some locations.
Community Nature Day at Rancho Soñado
Sunday, October 14, 2007, 10 AM to 2 PM
Presented by Inside the Outdoors, this event will feature activities for all ages, including live animals, interpretive hikes, sustainable living workshops, and an eco-expo. Rancho Soñado is located at 8755 Santiago Canyon Road. For more information, call 714-708-3885 or visit www.insidetheoutdoors.org
Southern California Botanists 33rd annual Symposium, Saturday, October 20, 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Borderless Botany: Current Border Issues in Southern California
Ruby Gerontology Center, Cal State Fullerton. Registration before October 5 is $35, $45 at the door. Fee includes 1 year membership. A box lunch can be ordered. Visit www.socalbot.org for a registration form.
El Dorado Nature Center to host California Native Plant Fundraiser on Saturday October 27, 2007, from 9:00 AM– 2:00 PM
El Dorado Nature Center will be hosting its annual California Native Plant Sale. Most of the plants available are well suited to Southern California’s dry climate and require minimal watering once established. Many have fragrant foliage and bear brightly colored flowers that are attractive to butterflies and birds. All proceeds go to support habitat restoration at the Nature Center. Be sure and come early for best selection. Members of Friends of El Dorado Nature Center may make pre-sale purchases beginning at 8:30 am. Your $6 vehicle entry fee will be credited toward all purchases of $75 or more. For further information, please call (562) 570-1745. Memberships to the Friends of El Dorado Nature may be purchased at the event. Location: El Dorado Nature Center 7550 E. Spring Street Long Beach, CA 90815.