2008 Plant Fair Planning—we welcome you!
If you would like to be part of the committee that puts on the Plant Fair, contact Charli or Delia. An easy way is to send an e-mail to nativehere@ebcnps.org.
An even easier way is to come to a fair planning meeting on Saturday, February 23 at 1 pm at Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive, Tilden Park. Suggestions for speakers, vendors to invite, and ways to publicize the event are welcomed.
Do you enjoy plants from all of California?
As at the past two Plant Fairs, both locally native plants and some plants from elsewhere in California will be offered for sale. This year, it would be great to grow some of those “All California” plants ourselves rather than purchase them from wholesale nurseries to grow on. If you are interested in propagating a favorite native, you can do that at Native Here any Friday or Saturday morning. “All California” plants in high demand include manzanitas, ceanothus and California fuschia. Nursery volunteers can guide you on taking cuttings and growing them.
Native Here
Visit Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Dr, Tilden Park Friday or Saturday mornings to volunteer to grow and sell plants to benefit the chapter. For other times, seed collecting trips, etc., contact Charli at nativehere@ebcnps.org.
101 Golf Course Drive in Tilden Park across from the Tilden Park Golf Course
No need to call ahead. Gloves and tools are provided.
The Unusual Plants Committee still needs people to look for and monitor plants in several parts of the East Bay: Chabot Regional Park, Redwood Regional Park, Black Diamond Regional Preserve, Byron Hot Springs area, Delta area, Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park, Niles Canyon, Tassajara Creek Regional Park, Bishop Ranch Regional Park, Vasco Caves Regional Preserve, and the Corral Hollow area
Volunteers are also needed to research and pursue identification and distribution questions for several species including: Amsinckia vernicosa, Amsinckia tessellata, Collinsia bartsiifolia, Centromadia pungens (Hemizonia pungens in the Jepson Manual), Elymus elymoides (and other Elymus species), Trifolium albopurpureum, Solanum xantii, Stephanomeria virgata, and Stephanomeria elata. Some of these could make excellent graduate student research projects.
Finally, volunteers are still needed to look for individual species at different places. We can send you a list of species to choose from, or if there is a particular species, genus or family that you are already interested in, we can provide you with places where they need to be monitored and historical sites that need to be checked to see if they still occur there.
If you would like to help, please contact Dianne Lake, diannelake@yahoo.com. Botanical knowledge and familiarity with the local flora is preferred, but not essential. Amateur wildflower enthusiasts can help too.
Dianne Lake
Conservation
The East Bay CNPS conservation committee is always looking for new
volunteers to help save the common and rare plant species and communities
in the East Bay. There are various ways you can help. You can alert
the committee about planning documents that affect the local flora,
by “adopting a site.” You can attend your local city
council meetings as a CNPS representative (fully supported by CNPS
staff or on your own). You can help review environmental documents
that pertain to areas you are familiar with. Or you can participate
solely by email, weighing in with your expertise when questions arise
(and they arise on a daily basis). Help turn the conservation program
from re-active to pro-active. Sign up today!
The Livermore Area
Protect Springtown’s Alkali Sink and associated rare plants.
CNPS needs your help in informing the public about the potential
botanical devastation of allowing development and irrigated agriculture
in North Livermore. One of the largest and most diverse populations
of palmate-bracted bird’s-beak (Cordylanthus palmatus) may
be surrounded by a development consisting of 2450 homes, a large
ball park, and schools or surrounded by intensive irrigated agriculture.
We need your help to stop the development and agricultural threats
in North Livermore. You can volunteer in various ways: helping with
outreach, attending local meetings, and writing letters. You can
also take action by writing your local newspaper, city council members,
or mayor to express your concern with the potential development and/or
irrigated agriculture in North Livermore.
The Richmond Area
With less than 15% of tidal salt marshes remaining in the San Francisco
Bay, protection of those marshes is becoming increasingly important.
Several projects are underway that could threaten these important
pieces of the Richmond Bay: Point Molate, Breuner Marsh and Point
Richmond Shores. You can help convince decision makers to protect
these botanically and biologically important pieces of the Bay by
helping with outreach, letter writing, or attending local meetings.
Even if you only have a free evening or couple of hours, we could
use your help. You can also take action by writing your local newspaper,
city council members, or mayor to express your concern with the potential
increased development on the shoreline.
The Contra Costa County-Urban Limit Line
City and county leaders in Contra Costa County are in the process
of determining the location of the urban limit line (ULL). This Urban
Limit Line essentially defines where development can and cannot go
in the county, so it's an important tool to hold the line outside
of important plant and wildlife habitat. With 84 plant species currently
listed at the state or federal level as rare, threatened, or endangered
in Contra Costa -County, protection of our remaining open spaces
and associated rare plant species is crucial.
You can help convince decision makers to “hold the line” in
Contra Costa County by helping with outreach, letter writing, or
attending local meetings. Even if you only have a free evening or
a couple of hours, we could use your help. You can take action by
writing your local newspapers and writing or calling your city leaders
to express your distaste for the potential movement of the Urban
Limit Line.
Join the committee today! Contact Lech Naumovich, conservation@ebcnps.org.