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November NewsletterWhat's in this issue: Speaker Series, Fall Plant Sale Thank You, County Tree Ordinances, Invasives Update, Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities |
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Speaker SeriesThird Tuesday of the Month at 7:30 pmNovember 21, 2023 (In-person and on Zoom) Evolving Horizons at Sonoma Botanical Garden
Bio: For 25 years, Jeannie Perales has been designing and implementing informal visitor-centric engagement at art museums and public gardens. She began her career at The Denver Art Museum where she worked with a talented team of educators interpreting objects and creating meaningful experiences for museumgoers centered on the collections and communities. At the Ringling Museum, she managed the docent and youth and family volunteer programs surrounding the Ringling’s unique narrative and legacy of the legendary circus king, John Ringling, his home, and collections. For more than a decade, Jeannie was with Selby Gardens where she designed and delivered a vast array of programming from education to exhibitions, interpretation, and volunteers. While at Selby Gardens, she oversaw a gardens-wide interpretation, way-finding, and theming project including the design and implementation of interpretation and programming for The Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden. This re-interpretation places at the center gardens guests of all ages serving the changing face of public gardens nationwide. She was instrumental in the implementation of an art and horticultural blockbuster exhibition program. Ms. Perales served as Chief Experience Officer at The Bay Park Conservancy designing public programs, directing marketing and communications, building a volunteer program, and furthering the Friends of The Bay and Founding Business Partners membership programs. As Associate Director of Development and Campaign Planning at The Ringling Museum, she was charged with determining institutional priorities to inform a $150,000,000 comprehensive campaign to preserve, protect, and celebrate The Ringling’s next 100 years of excellence in arts and cultural programming. As Executive Director of Sonoma Botanical Garden, Jeannie was engaged to lead the organization into its future by implementing the museum model through a robust program of arts and nature exhibitions and related public programs. Ms. Perales has been involved in strategic planning; master site planning as well as becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate institution and achieving re-accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums. She is a co-author of a guidebook about Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Jeannie holds undergraduate degrees in Communications and Cultural Anthropology and a master’s degree in educational psychology as well as a K-6 teaching certificate. Ms. Perales’ skill is in feeding information to the public in digestible bites through informal programs working with content specialists to design engaging experiences for visitors. She lives in Glen Ellen, CA with her photographer husband, Daniel Perales, their two above-average children, Kique, 18, and Luci, 16, a dog called Amigo, and a horse called Bernie. You can find the registration link for this presentation at our website: milobaker.cnps.org We are resuming the before meeting dinners at the Kirin Restaurant, 2700 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa. We will meet there at 5:45 pm. Please contact Liz Parsons (707) 508-8345 if you plan to go. |
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Thank you to all who made our fall plant sale a huge success!– Natasha Granoff, Milo Baker Plant Sale Chair
(photo) 2023 fall plant sale volunteers, credit: Gary Morgret The fall plant sale at the Laguna-CNPS nursery saw over 500 people between the member-only sale on Friday and the public sale on Saturday. No one was deterred by cool, overcast skies threatening rain, or the solar eclipse that could be seen periodically through the clouds at the beginning of the sale on Saturday. Sales were brisk and of the 2000 plants our nursery volunteer team propagated, potted up, tended, and groomed, all were sold but very few. Those remaining were donated to two school gardens and to April Owens’ Habitat Corridor Project. The plants looked gorgeous this year and many were in bloom; monkey flower, fuchsias, coyote mint, yarrow, and wooly sunflower, all beckoned to the many shoppers looking to fill their gardens with our wonderful selection of native perennials, shrubs, ferns, grasses, vines, and trees. Merchandise sales of t-shirts, books, posters, yard signs, and our own “Sonoma County Native Gardener”, along with the seed and bulb table offerings were strong. Net sales were $22,075, an increase of $2,542 over fall 2022, supporting our operations and our important scholarship program. Kudos to our partner, Laguna Foundation, for an excellent parking program, refined over two years of plant sale experience, and thanks to the Agios, the dairy farmers, who accommodated us by moving their cows from the south field so we had space for all those cars. A big thanks to: Betty Young, without whose vision, guidance, and management of the nursery there would be no sale. The nursery volunteers who brave all sorts of weather during to year to make sure our plants grow beautifully: Betty Young, Cindy Tancreto, Deborah Dobish, Denise Kelly, Jan Lochner, Judith Rousseau, Kristi Cain, Liz Parsons, Louise Riedel, Lynnette Bower, Marcia Johnson, Michelle Karle, Patricia Sesser, Penny Dalton, Wendy Born (who also grows the ferns we sell) Wendy Smit, and our newest nursery volunteer, Jack James, who is now a board-member-at-large. And a special shout-out to Lynnette Bower, who works side-by-side with Betty Young to manage the nursery, propagates in her home nursery, and is an inveterate seed collector. Lynnette has offered to manage the spring sale in 2024, Yeah Lynnette! Liz Parsons, Plant Sale Chair emeritus, designed the Fall 2023 plant sale flyer with a drawing by Lynn Colborn, and gave an interview about the plant sale on Garden Talk, KSRO radio. April Owens, of Habitat Corridor, whose client’s native plant garden was featured in the Press Democrat’s Saturday garden section written by Meg McConahey, where the plant sale was advertised. Wendy Smit for making sure the notice of the plant sale was listed in local news publications, the State CNPS website, and on social media, and Judith Rousseau for distributing plant sale flyers all over Sonoma County and translating the flyer to Spanish. Patricia Sesser and Cindy Trancreto, who wrangled all the volunteers for both days of the sale. Karen Thompson deftly manages the cashiers and talliers. Louise Riedel took on the task of managing seed and bulb packaging, labeling, organizing, and selling. Erika Erzberger and Judith Rousseau, displaying and selling Milo Baker merchandise. Susan Dean, who convinced many a non-member to join. And last but not least, all the volunteers on both Friday and Saturday who make the plant sale such a huge success, and an annual not-to-be-missed event: Patricia Sesser, April Owens, Betty Young, Bryan Sesser, Cindy Tancreto, Denise Kelly, Erika Erzberger, Jack James, John Dean, Judith Rousseau, Linda Widdifield, Louise Riedel, Lynnette Bower, Michelle Karle, Nick Bower, Penny Dalton, Sandy Martinson, Terry Loveton, Wendy Born, Wendy Krupnick, Ann Howald, Deborah Dobish, Heidi Hermann, Helen Howard, Jane Valerius, Keala Peterson, Leah Harmon, Liz Parsons, Lynn Houser, Pat Chan, Patty Mojar, Ruthie Saia, Sharon Bouton, Sherry Adams, Theresa Wistrom, and Tim McKeough. Refreshments were provided by the Laguna Foundation, Wendy Krupnick, and Celeste Murad, Many, many thanks! |
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County tree ordinances - please act before November 28!– Wendy Smit, Milo Baker Conservation Committee Over the last 18 months, the Sonoma County staff members Doug Bush and Robert Aguero have been working to draft changes to the tree protections. They propose two ordinances; one to cover many native tree species and another that targets oak woodlands in particular. Our conservation committee has worked with staff members on several occasions to help draft reasonable changes that will improve protections for our native trees and forests. Also, on separate occasions, the staff presented their proposed language to the county Planning Commission. The Planning Commission will be recommending that the Board of Supervisors adopt these proposed ordinances on November 28, 2023. While the proposed language is not ideal, these changes do increase protections. What is most important is that the Board of Supervisors hears that tree protections are important to their voters. Please write a short simple letter asking your supervisor (or all the supervisors) to approve language that will effectively preserve our remaining trees and woodlands. The staff members have been responsive to comments and have worked diligently to draft these recommendations. Supervisors need to hear from you! For more specifics and details go to permitsonoma.org, then Proposed long-range plans, then Comprehensive Tree Ordinance update. Email address bos@sonoma-county.org or call 707 565-2241. |
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Invasives Update– Jan Lochner, Milo Baker Invasive Plant Co-chair
Thus, we have made great progress on the area in front of the boardwalk (down by the campground). We will start in late November planting the plants being grown by the Laguna Foundation. It is giving the beach a completely different look!! And now the question is – where to next? Shall we make Doran Beach the first all-CA native beach in California? See the volunteer opportunities below to join in the effort. (photo) Wednesday volunteers at Doran Beach, credit: Jan Lochner |
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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
(photo) FloraCal Farms volunteers remove European dune grass at Doran Beach, credit: Jan Lochner Living Learning Landscapes Workday – second Friday of the month (9:30 am - noon). Meet at 1808 Albany Drive in Santa Rosa. Please RSVP to April Owens aprilleeowens@gmail.com so we know to expect you! Weekly Doran Beach Ice Plant Removal – every Wednesday (9:30 am - 11:30 am). Bring clippers and gloves and knee pads if you like. One of the most pleasant workdays happens every week – a trip to Doran Beach to pull ice plant. We are clearing out the ice plant that is in the marshland to make room for natives. It is very visual and quite satisfying, with the sound of the waves, birds and foghorn. To join us, please text Jan Lochner, (707) 569-4724, to let her know you are coming. Bodega Head Ice Plant Removal Project – second Sunday of each month (10:00 am - 1:00 pm). CNPS is leading volunteers at Bodega Head to save native species from getting smothered by ice plant. Meet at the main parking lot near the bathrooms. Bring water, clippers and gloves if you have them. Email Alynn at alynnkjeldsen@gmail.com for more information and to let us know that you are coming. For more information, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities page on our website. |
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Abstract: Executive Director, Jeannie Perales will delve into the captivating journey of Sonoma Botanical Garden, from its historical roots as Quarryhill, and its visionary founder, to its exceptional woodland filled with wild-collected Asian plants. Explore the garden's transformation, embracing California native flora, and join us in discovering the exciting future the new executive director envisions as the Garden grows.
This has been an exciting month at Doran Beach! We have had so many special helpers join us to take out both the ice plant and the invasive European dune grass. FloraCal Farms had 15 people come out and pull. The staff of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, about 15 people, came out to pull. US Fish and Wildlife (five people) came out from Sacramento to pull. And five staff members from the Regional Parks came out to pull. Also, our regular crew has grown and we now have 10 to 15 people each Wednesday!
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CNPS Statewide Website | Milo Baker CNPS Website      |
