California Native Plant Society
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March 2022 Newsletter
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Spring Online Native Plant Sales
March Sale will focus on annual and perennial wildflowers.
Some of the offered plants are: Low form Silver Bush Lupine, 6 kinds of Sage, CA Sunflower, Seaside Daisy, Coyote Mint, Foothill Penstemon, Bee Plant, Alumroot, Fringe Cups, Goldenrod, Deer Grass, Soap Lilies, several kinds of annual wildflowers.
- Opens: Thursday March 3 at 6 pm for CNPS MARIN MEMBERS ONLY, 7 pm for the general public
- Closes: Sunday night March 6 at 7 pm
- Order Packing: Friday March 11 Volunteers needed.
- Order Pickup at Bon Air Shopping Ctr.: Saturday March 12 10:30 am to 1:30 pm
April Sale will focus on later blooming perennials and shrubs.
- Opens: Thursday March 31, at 6 pm CNPS MARIN MEMBERS ONLY, 7 pm for the general public
- Closes: Sunday April 3 at 7 pm
- Order packing: Friday April 8 Volunteers needed; see volunteer article.
- Order pickup at Bon Air Shopping Ctr.: Saturday April 9 10:30 am to 1:30 pm
Read more. . .
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Marin Chapter Meeting
"California Prairie: Our Least Appreciated Major Ecosystem"
Mon. Mar. 14 @ 7:30 pm
Guest Speaker: Glen Holstein
California prairie is the least understood and protected widespread ecosystem in our state. It is often dismissed as non-native annual grassland and treated as a priority for development. Instead, it should be appreciated and adequately protected as a major source of California’s botanical diversity.
Glen Holstein (PhD Botany UC Davis) is an expert on California prairies and grasslands and active in preservation of Berryessa-Snow Mountain NM and Walker Ridge.
Register for this Zoom meeting here. Read more. . .
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Marin Chapter Field Trips
Field Trip Guidelines:
- Email Susan Schlosser at scschlosser52@gmail.com to sign up for a field trip, as we are limiting participants to 15.
- Electronically sign the CNPS Liability waiver for the trip (Susan will provide the link.)
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Novato Baylands Nursery and Hamilton Wetlands Site Visit
Rescheduled for Saturday March 5, 2022 - 10 am to 12:30 pm
Leader: Stacey Pogorzelski
A few slots are now open. Contact Susan to register or to be added to wait list.
Read more. . .
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Wetlands and Wildflowers of Mt. Burdell
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 - 10 am to 2 pm
Leader: Susan Schlosser
On this 3.5-mile field trip we’ll meander up to Hidden Lake, a vernal pool on Mt. Burdell. We’ll pass through oak woodlands, see a habitat enhancement project designed and planted to created new habitat for frogs and other wildlife, and walk up a hillside trail to Hidden Lake. Possible wildflower blooms include: common water buttercups (Ranunculus aquaticus), checker lilies (Fritillaria affinis “ var. affinis), ground iris (Iris macrosiphon), varied-leaved white Nemophila (Nemophila heterophylla), and others. The 2-mile easy to moderate uphill portion of this field trip includes a 500 foot elevation gain. The 1.5 -mile return trip winds downhill through oak woodlands and grasslands with poppies and lupines likely to be blooming.
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Become a Native Plant Field Trip Reporter!
Marin Chapter is looking for volunteers to attend our field trips and then write up brief trip reports covering the outing for publication in our monthly newsletter and posting on our website. You do not need to have knowledge of native plants, as the trip leader can supply you with that information. Add a photo or two if so inclined. Field trips are generally 2-4 hours long and vary in their degree of difficulty. Select those trips that work for you! Experienced volunteers will help you learn the ropes.
Visit our website to see examples of our current trips.
Please contact us at marincnpsvolunteers@gmail.com for more information.
Explore more volunteer opportunities here.
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Yard Conversion: from Pool to Habitat
by Stacey Pogorzelski
The yard conversion of a multi-generational family home came with many challenges. The removal of a pool and old deck freed space for edibles and native bunchgrasses near the house. Thirsty fruit trees and invasive broom transitioned to native trees, shrubs, and grasses, creating a framework for wildlife habitat. Other factors were reducing fire risk, planting during a drought, and balancing career and family obligations. However, Julie Wittmann and her family are committed to creating an increasingly diverse, yet still locally appropriate, plant community within their yard that complements the surrounding native landscape.
Read more. . .
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CNPS Workshop - CEQA Impact Assessment
March 9-10, 2022 8:30 am-5:00 pm on Zoom $50 Students/Fixed Income | $100-$150 General (pay what you can) Last Day to Register: March 1, 2022
In this workshop you will learn how CEQA can be leveraged to give California’s plants and lands a voice in the face of development. We’ll cover how to read and analyze the biological resources section of an EIR or MND, and how to submit critical, scientifically based comments.
Details and registration for each workshop are available at www.cnps.org/workshops. Contact Alyssa Huante, ahuante@cnps.org, with any questions.
Want monthly updates about CNPS workshops delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to CNPS workshop announcements!
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CNPS 2022 Conference - Rooting Together
Oct. 20-22, 2022 San Jose Workshops & Field Trips Oct. 18-19
Topics: Plant Science, Conservation, Horticulture, Education Call for Presentations now through March 31. Read more. . .
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Success! For the Moment
Thanks to the hundreds of conservationists like you, Governor Newsom’s office was overwhelmed with calls and emails about the proposed change to funding for rooftop solar that the CPUC is proposing. Thanks to all of you who contacted his office in protest. It worked—for the moment. The proposal was put on hold due to the outcry, and they are revising the wording, which may or may not be an improvement in the direction we want. Stay tuned; more advocacy may be needed in April when we see the new draft.
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Still Battling Broom?
Remove broom and other invasive woody plants to create defensible space and improve habitat. Borrow a weed wrench from Marin CNPS. You may borrow up to seven wrenches in three sizes, including one large wrench weighing 16.5 lbs. with a jaw capacity of 2.5 inches. Contact Eva Buxton (Conservation & Invasive Species Chair) evabuxton@sbcglobal.net
Read more about the wrenches. . .
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Upcoming Marin Chapter Events - 2022
3/5 @ 10 am to 12:30 pm - Field Trip: Novato Baylands Nursery and Hamilton Wetlands Site Visit
3/14 @ 7:30 pm - Chapter Meeting "California Praries" Guest Speaker: Glen Holstein
3/16 10 am to 2 pm - Field Trip: Wetlands and Wildflowers of Mt. Burdell
Check CNPSMarin.org for upcoming field trips and events as they are scheduled.
Marin Chapter Board Meetings generally occur on the first Monday of each month. To attend, contact co-President David Long sdflong@ix.netcom.com
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