- January 9, 2008 (Wednesday), 7 p.m.
- "Killers in the Garden; Murderers in the Wild".
Barry Rice, author,
photographer, scientist, horticulturalist will discuss carnivorous
plants with an emphasis on local species.
Free. Everyone welcome.
Arcata Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
- January 26, 2008 (Saturday), 10
a.m. to noon.
- Lichen and bryophyte walk.
Lichen and bryophyte walk on the
Manila/Samoa Dunes. Explore the lush, fascinating, diminutive, and
important world of mosses, liverworts, and lichens. Beginners and
botanists are all welcome. Modest walking on firm sand. Meet at
Vance Ave. parking lot (on the east side of Samoa Blvd. approx. .25
miles north of Samoa Bridge). Bring water, hand lens, and raingear.
Heavy rain cancels. Call Sunny at 599-5712 for questions or to find
out if the trip is on.
- February 13, 2008 (Wednesday), 7 p.m.
- "Challenges to maintaining diversity and endangered
species on the North
Coast", with Dave Imper. For 25 years Dave (Kim) Imper
has been watching
some of our rare habitats and the rare species that live in them. He
sees imminent loss if we do not reverse the decline of our coastal
wetlands, coastal prairies, and inland serpentine wetland. He ties
the
loss of biodiversity in these habitats to loss of certain kinds of
disturbance, namely fire and large herbivores. The "ratchet effect"
lulls us, and we think we are protecting them. This is a call to
action, amply illustrated with photos of unique places and beautiful
species by our "lily man."
Free. Everyone welcome.
Arcata Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
- February 24, 2008 (Sunday).
- Hammond Trail - morning hike.
Botanizing the Hammond Trail.
We'll scout for treats like trailing black currant, review our coastal
and riparian trees and shrubs, including those stabilizing the old Mad
River banks, see how the Widow White Creek restoration is handling
winter rains, and map invasive plants along this popular McKinleyville
trail. We'll leave some cars at Hiller Park and shuttle to the Clam
beach end of the trail to walk a couple miles back. Meet at 9 a.m. at
Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or 9:15 a.m. at Hiller
Park in McKinleyville. Bring lunch and water; dress for the weather.
We might finish by noon, but might not. Possible extension through
Mad River Bluff forest. Questions or arrangements: Carol Ralph 822-
2015.
- March 12, 2008 (Wednesday), 7:30 p.m.
- "Designing California Native Gardens".
Come hear noted artist, garden designer, and sustainable landscaper
Alrie Middlebrook explain how to design a successful native plant
garden. Middlebrook says, "As a designer, I am inspired by nature and
re-interpreting it in the garden setting. It is the collaboration of
science and art that creates a garden that is beautiful, culturally
rich and ecologically sustainable." She co-authored Designing
California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful,
Ecological Gardens. Headquartered in San Jose, she has designed over
150 native gardens. She also co-founded the California Native Garden
Foundation (CNGF) as an effort to teach Californians how to garden
using native plants. More information about Middlebrook and CNGF may
be found at:
www.middlebrook-gardens.com,
www.cngf.org, and
www.LoseTheLawn.com.
Refreshments and book signing at 7 p.m.,
program at 7:30 p.m. Free. Everyone welcome.
Arcata Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
- March 30, 2008 (Sunday)
- Stony Creek day hike.
Last year the fawn lilies,
Oregon anemones, violets, fritillaries, and darlingtonia dazzled us at
this favorite and unique site made possible by the U.S. Forest Service
and the Siskiyou Land Trust. An easy hike of about one mile takes us
through open forest to serpentine soils where Stony Creek joins the
North Fork Smith River right behind Gasquet. Dress for the weather;
bring lunch and water. We might squeeze in a look at Myrtle Creek
Trail as well. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes
Rd., Arcata), 10:15 at the Hiouchi visitor's center of Redwood
National Park, or about 11:00 at the Gasquet ranger office
(headquarters of Smith River National Recreation Area). It helps if
you tell Carol Ralph (822-2015) you are coming. (This is Aleutian
Goose Days weekend in Crescent City.)
- April 9, 2008 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m.
- "Our Backyard Wetlands: Their Diverse Plants and Animals
and Why We Should Protect Them.".
Gordon Leppig - local botanist and ecologist currently working in
California Dept. of Fish and Game in Eureka.
Refreshments and socializing at 7:00 p.m. This month an extra
treat: Two students who received our chapter's
awards at the county Science Fair will display their projects during
this half hour. Program at 7:30 p.m.
- CANCELLED April 9, 2008 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m.
- "The World Underfoot".
Emily Roberson, ecologist and director of the Native Plant
Conservation Campaign
will explain how, "Soils are not only dirt or a plants growth medium -
they are worlds unto themselves. Bacteria, fungi, invertebrates,
mammals and
other organisms thrive in healthy soils - preying upon each other,
jostling for space, and competing for food and water. They also
mobilize essential nutrients from thin air, solid rock, and each
other
and deliver them to fuel the web of life. Just as each soil type
has a
unique chemistry and structure inherited from the rock it developed
from, each soil has a unique community adapted to its individual
environment."
This talk will explore these teeming, complex worlds, describe their
inmates; look at some of the more quirky personalities, the
infighting,
and seemingly magical alliances that make life on earth possible and
help make ecosystems distinctive. Soil conservation and its
challenges
will also be discussed. Six Rivers
Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
- April 13, 2008 (Sunday) 1-3 p.m.
- Patrick's Point Plant Walk.
Join three
enthusiastic and experienced amateur botanists on this mostly level
walk across the meadow, up Ceremonial Rock (optional), and through
spruce forest and riparian forest, about a mile. We will review the
coastal trees, find 9 species of ferns (including grape fern), and
enjoy early flowers such as redwood violet, candyflower, wild ginger,
skunk cabbage, sweet cicely, and the uncommon trailing black current.
Meet at Mussel Rock parking lot in Patrick's Point State Park. If you
don't want to support State Parks with your $6 park entrance fee, park
outside and walk in or join another car. 822-2015.
- April 26, 2008 (Saturday) 1-3 p.m.
- Sequoia Park Plant Walk..
Get to know the plants in our own remnant, second growth, redwood
forest right
in Eureka. See trillium, candyflower, mitella, four species of
fern, willows, and the
invasive, non-native species that threaten them. Also see where
weed warriors have
rescued the natives from the invasive English ivy. Meet botanist
Liz McGee at the
fountain at the south end of T St., at T and Glatt Sts. 443-5139.
- April 26, 2008 (Saturday).
- South Fork Trinity day hike.
South Fork Trinity day hike. Avoid the summer
heat by seeing this favorite trail in early spring. It features mixed
evergreen forests of various ages, oak wookland, lush riparian, rock
cliffs and outcrops, shrubby slopes, and gravelly seeps. Whether
spring is early or late, we will see flowers in this diverse terrain.
The trail is well graded, 4 miles each way to the river, but you
don't have to go all the way. We may learn something about the
nearby Underwood Roadless Area. Bring lunch and water; dress for the
weather. The trailhead is 2 hrs from Arcata, east past Willow Creek
and south along the South Fork. Return by dark. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at
Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange someplace
else. Please call Carol 822-2015.
- May 3, 2008 (Saturday), 11-12:30 pm.
- Dune plants walk.
Join Friends of the Dunes docent extraordinaire Jenny Hanson on a
walk
through the dunes to learn about the difficulties of life in a pile
of
sand and about how some plants overcome those challenges. Meet in
front
of the main hall at Manila Community Center, where the Spring
Wildflower
Show will be happening, 1611 Peninsula Dr., Manila. 822-2015
- May 3, 2008 (Saturday) - 3-4:30 pm.
- Dune Wetlands and Spring Flowers - plant walk.
Meet
some of the charming, beautiful, and well adapted botanical
inhabitants
of these special habitats, led by a docent trained by Friends of the
Dunes. Meet in front of the main hall at Manila Community Center,
where
the Spring Wildflower Show will be happening, 1611 Peninsula Dr.,
Manila. 822-2015
- May 4, 2008 (Sunday) - 1:30-2:30
pm.
- Pollinators in the Dunes - plant walk.
Exploring the
reason for flowers, join entomologist, gardener, and author Pete
Haggard
to look for pollinators in action and look at flowers from a
pollinator's point of view. Meet in front of the main hall at Manila
Community Center, where the Spring Wildflower Show will be happening,
1611 Peninsula Dr., Manila. 822-2015
- May 10, 2008 (Saturday).
- Russ Park day hike.
This shady, hilly, spruce-fir
forest offers lush understory with favorites such as trillium, fairy
bells, wild ginger, and inside-out flower. We'll try to scout the
whole park by walking all the trails, about 4 miles. Bring lunch and
water; dress for the weather. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Pacific Union
School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata), 9:30 at MacDonalds end of Bayshore
Mall parking lot, or 10:00 at the parking area on Bluff St. in
Ferndale. (Turn left off Main onto Ocean, go 1/2 mile.) Return by
dark. It's good to tell Carol you are coming 822-2015.
- May 14, 2008 (Wednesday), 7:30 p.m.
- "Frogs In Your Garden".
Local author Ellin Beltz -
biologist, educator, and photographer will show you how to provide
frogs with everything they need, in your own garden. Check out her
book,
'Frogs, Inside Their Remarkable World".
Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
- May 17, 2008 (Saturday), 10 a.m. -
noon
- Trinidad Head Plant Walk.
Become more familiar with the diverse mix of trees, shrubs, berries,
and ferns that clothes
our bluffs constantly shaped by ocean winds. Learn of some
surprising, isolated plants that survive here too. Bring binoculars
for viewing the birds nesting on the offshore rocks. Meet Virginia
Waters at the beach parking lot near the base of Trinidad Head. 822-
2015
- May 24, 2008 (Saturday), 1-3 p.m.
- Azalea Reserve Plant Walk..
See many of our native plants that are recommended for gardens, both
shrubs and herbs, including the native azalea, which hopefully will be
blooming. Take North Bank Rd. off 101 just north of the Mad River;
after a little more than one mile turn left on Azalea Dr., and shortly
after that, left into the parking lot. Pete Haggard 839-0307.
- May 25, 2008 (Sunday), 1-3 p.m.
- Rohner Park Flower, Shrub, and Tree Walk..
Clintonia, fairybells, iris, candyflower, Solomon's plume, and anemone
will be among the flowering treats on this easy, one-mile walk through
Fortuna's own little patch of second growth redwood forest. Turn off
Main St. onto Park St. (by 16th St.) and meet at the red Fireman's
Pavilion. 822-2015
- June 1, 2008 (Sunday), 1-3 pm.
- June Blooms on the Dunes.
Stroll through
the dunes with Jenny Hanson and learn about sand-loving blossoms like
sand verbena, beach pea and beach buckwheat. Enjoy their delicate
beauty and learn why they look the way they do. Meet at the Manila
Community Center, Peninsula Drive, off Hwy 255, Manila. 444-2553.
- June 14, 2008 (Saturday)
- Cold Spring Day Hike..
Only 1 1/4 hours from Arcata
we will be admiring clovers, violets, lomatiums, trillium, fritillary,
iris, zigadenus, pussyears, collinsia, and more on a meadowy slope at
4,600 ft. elevation above Redwood Creek. Cold Spring is 7.4 miles
from
Highway 299 on National Forest 1 (Titlow Hill Rd.) in Six Rivers
National Forest. The meadow is a quarter mile walk downhill from the
parking area. Bring lunch, water, and layers of clothing. You can
leave any time; some of us will stay all day. Other spots along NF 1
will tempt us to stop. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Pacific Union School
(3001
Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange a different place. Call Carol 822-2015.
- June 15, 2008 (Sunday), 1-2:30 p.m.
- Mad River Beach Plant Walk..
"Plants on the Dunes' Inner Edge" at Mad River Beach. Join Pete
Haggard
to see blooming beach buckwheat, seaside daisy, sand verbena, and
other dune plants where the sand meets the firmer, damper soil of the
willowy, rushy swale. This is an easy, gentle walk and an interesting
comparison to the Lanphere Dunes. Meet at the beach parking lot at
the very end of Mad River Rd. 839-0208.
- June 28, 2008 (Saturday)
- Crescent City Marsh short hike..
This hot spot of
rare species is a treasure in our midst, currently suffering from too
much protection and too little grazing. Come see Western lily,
bogbean,
marsh violet, great burnett, bog orchid, Arctic starflower, and more,
with rare plant expert Dave Imper. Walking is short distance but
soggy;
rubber boots recommended. Bring lunch and water; dress for the
weather. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd.,
Arcata) or at 10 a.m. in Crescent City at the end of Waldo Rd. (From
101
turn inland on Elk Valley Rd. After about a mile turn right on
Howland
Hill Rd. After about half mile turn right on Waldo.) Probably finish
about 1 p.m. Please tell Dave 444-2756 or Carol 822-2015 that you
are
coming.
- June 28-29, 2008 (Saturday-Sunday)
- Rock Creek Ranch, South Fork Smith River -
day hikes, optional overnight..
Beautiful river, diverse flora, comfortable
camping or lodging, great campfire, friends from NPSOregon, all thanks
to and supporting the Smith River Alliance, a great conservation
organization. This is their new facility on a 15-acre ranch only 30
minutes from Crescent City. We will go there after the Crescent City
Marsh tour and botanize the ranch area until dark or we drop,
whichever
comes first. Think Darlingtonia and butterworts, inland Doug fir
forest, and more. We will have use of a large, covered, outdoor
kitchen
and of a ranch house . You may sleep in the ranch house ($30) or in
your tent outside ($20). Some info at www.smithriveralliance.org. On
Sunday we will have to choose from the many fun drives or hikes close
by. Bring your own food. We can plan a cooperative dinner for those
who want. We will head for home some time Sunday afternoon. Please
tell Carol if you are coming or might come, all or part: 822-2015.
- July 3-4, 2008 (Friday-Sunday)
- Mt. Eddy and Scott Mt. - day Hikes and optional
overnights.. Come on any or all.
- Join the campout at Scott Mt. Summit
(one hour north of Weaverville on rte 3), find lodging in Weaverville
or Trinity Center, or leave home early for the day. The
campground, at
5,400 ft., is primitive---vault toilet, no piped water. Please tell
Carol 822-2015 you are coming and when.
- Celebrate Fourth of July atop Mt. Eddy! Anywhere along the trail
to Deadfall Lake and Mt. Eddy (9,025 ft.) is a good place to
celebrate,
with mountain flowers of serpentine woodland, mountain streams, and
meadows. The Deadfall Lake circle route is about six miles. The side
trip to Mt. Eddy summit adds a steep 2 miles more. Meet at the Parks
Creek Trailhead on FS Rd 17 (Parks Creek Rd.) at 9 a.m., three hours
from Arcata. Bring lots of water or a filter, lunch and snack, and
layers of clothing including warm hat and gloves.
- July 5 and 6 we will explore the wonderful meadow at Scott Mt.
Summit, the Pacific Crest Trail, and/or other nearby trails.
Participants can help decide which.
- July 13, 2008 (Sunday)
- Waterdog Lake - plant, butterfly, and bird day
hike..
A CNPS-Audubon joint event. Famous for its butterfly diversity, tiny
Waterdog Lake is our destination on a two-mile trail through diverse
mountain habitats: white fir and Sadler oak; regeneration from the
1999
Megram Fire; creekside mountain alder thicket; gravelly bald; wet,
rocky
hillside; red fir; and a small, sedgy meadow (with gentians) around
the
land-locked pond. The trail gains about 1,000 ft elevation, starting
at 5,300 ft., but is not steep. Bring lunch, snack, at least 2 quarts
water, and many layers of clothing. Meet at 7:30 a.m. sharp at
Pacific
Union School (3001 Janes Rd., Arcata) or arrange another place. Two
hour drive to the trailhead northeast of Hoopa. Return 6 p.m. or
earlier. Call Pete 839-0307.
- August 1-4, 2008 (Friday-Monday)
- Mt. Lassen "expedition"..
Spectacular
vistas, spectacular geology, and alpine flowers await us in this
wonderful national park. We will camp in Manzanita Campground tent
loop, about 4 hours from Arcata. Nearby, short, lakeside walks will
fill in evenings. We will botanize the road through the park and
especially the Kings Creek Picnic Area. We might hike through Bumpass
Hell to Kings Creek (4 miles) or from Terrace Lake to Hat Lake through
Paradise Meadow (2.8 miles), leaving shuttle cars so we can walk just
one way. We can adjust trips to suit the participants. Some people
might stay through Monday night. Tell Carol you are coming! 822-
2015.
- September 10, 2008 (Wednesday),
7:30 p.m.
- Wildflowers of Kings River Basin of the Southern Sierra
Nevada".
Botanist *Dana York* enjoyed 5 years of field work in these
beautiful
mountains for his Masters degree and for an upcoming book on the flora
of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. He will show us both
familiar, widespread species and rarely seen, very local species.
Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
- September 14, 2008 (Sunday), 1-4 p.m.
- Wetland Exploration..
Even
dry-shod you can see a good variety of fresh and brackish wetland
plants
in the ditches and ponds of the Ralphs' property by the Mad River
Slough
and the Lanphere Dunes. Juncuses, Carexes, Scirpuses, grasses,
umbellifers, cattail, burreed, brass buttons, etc. We will see how
long
a list we can make. Prizes for the most special plants. Rubber boots
would increase your range. Dip nets would help see fish and
amphibians. Call Carol for directions 822-2015.
- September 20, 2008 (Saturday), 10-5
p.m.
- Native Plant Sale.
Going to the North Country Fair? While you're in Arcata, don’t miss
the
California Native Plant Society’s native plant sale at the Arcata
Marsh and
Wildlife Sanctuary Interpretive Center Parking Lot, 600 G Street.
While
shopping for native plants for your garden, you can also see native
plants used in landscaping around the building.
Bring the beauty of our natural, local landscapes into your yard.
Experienced gardeners will be on hand to help you choose from a wide
variety of plants, from ferns to trees. For more information, call
Anda
Webb at 443-9153.
- October 4, 2008 (Saturday), 12 noon
(or
earlier) to 6 p.m.
- Picnic at Patrick's Point..
All members, their friends, and relations are
invited to share a fall afternoon outdoors connecting, conversing,
exploring, sharing, trading, etc. We have reserved the Bishop Pine
Picnic Area for the whole day. The fire will be ready to barbecue at
1:00 p.m. Eat 1-2:30. Bring your own item to BBQ, your own beverage,
your own eating gear, and some dish to share. Bring any seeds,
cuttings, starts, and such (of native plants!) that you want to give
or
trade. After eating we can walk and botanize in this wonderful state
park, trade seeds, visit, etc. Information or suggestions: Carol
822-2015.
- October 8, 2008 (Wednesday)
- "Implications of Future Fire for California's
Flora",
Dr. Morgan Varner, Assistant Professor of Wildland Fire Management,
Humboldt State University.
Learn about fire from a fire ecologist who studies fires, fuels, and
how they influence forests and rangelands.
Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
- October 19, 2008 (Sunday), 1:00-
3:00 p.m.
- "Dr. Walker's Jolly Giant Creek Plant Walk".
Learn about forest ecology, and the trees, shrubs, and ferns in the
creekside
and hillside forests behind HSU, with naturalist and plant anatomist
extraordinaire,
retired botany professor Dennis Walker. 1-2 miles on
gravel road and trail. Meet at the bus stop at the HSU library
circle
(Plaza Avenue). Park on campus (free on weekends) or take the bus.
822-2015.
- November 2, 2008 (Sunday)
- Fall Day Hike...Whatever the weather offers, we
will be out in it: blue skies and gentle sun, blustery winds and
fast-moving clouds, or soft rain and freshly clean greenery. We will
assess the weather and choose either a mountain destination, such as
Lacks Creek, Waterdog Lake, or Snow Camp, or a lower elevation
destination, perhaps South Fork Trinity River, Tall Trees Trail, or
Mill
Creek Campground trails. We will see fall colors, a few late
flowers,
mushrooms, and some surprise, wherever we go. Meet at 8:00 a.m.
Pacific
Standard Time at Pacific Union School (3001 Janes Rd, Arcata) or
arrange
another place. Dress for the weather; bring lunch and water.
Return by
5 p.m. Tell Carol you are coming (822-2015), so she can tell you
where
we are going!
- November 12, 2008 (Wednesday), 7:30
p.m.
- "Do Redwood Trees and Forests Become Decadent With Age?
",
Dr. Steve Sillett, Kenneth L Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology
at Humboldt
State University. Tree-climbing, tall tree scientist Dr. Sillett
will present evidence that individual
redwood trees and old-growth redwood forests in general are
producing wood faster than
younger counterparts, defying the standard teaching that older trees
are "decadent."
Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
- December 10, 2008 (Friday-Monday),
7:30 p.m.
- Native Plant Show and Tell.
An informal evening for anyone to share photos, artifacts, readings,
or
food related to native plants and their habitats. Tell Ron Johnson
(677-0147; beth
 reninet.com) what you want to
share.
Participants include
popular naturalist and photographer Jim Waters showing some CNPS
field trips and some Alaska specials,
renowned botanist John Sawyer showing springtime in Patagonia,
our Rare Plant Chair Dave Imper showing the Owens Valley desert in
the
best bloom ever,
Friends of the Dunes Executive Director Carol VanderMeer showing
plans
for their living roof of native dune plants,
and Ron himself sharing some great flower shots from Mt. Lassen and
elsewhere.
Six Rivers Masonic Lodge, 251 Bayside Road near 7th
and Union.
Refreshments at 7 p.m. with the program starting at 7:30 p.m.
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