MARCH 2022 NEWSLETTER

Field Trip to Samuels Ranch in Mix Canyon

Samuels Ranch is at the top of Mix Canyon, with this view towards Lake Berryessa.

The spring bloom is at its peak in Mix Canyon, which is the source of many of the plants propagated at the Jepson Chapter nursery and sold at our plant sales. The Chapter is sponsoring field trips to Samuels Ranch at the top of Mix Canyon. We sponsored a hike on March 12, and will be visiting the Samuels Ranch again on Saturday, April 9, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

This is a private ranch with a limit on the number of people (max 14) along with a $10 fee per person. Please RSVP to Pam Muick via email pmuick(at)sbcglobal.net. Pam will respond with more detailed information. Payment will be accepted at the field trip location. [READ MORE]

Jepson Board of Directors to Meet in March

Sketch of the renovations proposed for the Willis Linn Jepson Native Plant Garden at Pena Adobe in Vacaville. This project will be discussed at the March 17 meeting of the Jepson Chapter Board of Directors.

Members of the Jepson Chapter are invited to attend the March 17 meeting of the Board of Directors which will be held via zoom at 7:00 PM. Email us a contact@jepson.cnps.org to get the zoom link.

Most discussion will center on establishing the Board’s goals for the year and adopting the annual budget which covers April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. Other items include: [READ MORE]

Hike on Homestead Trail in Cold Canyon

Cold Canyon burned in 2020, but the vegetation is returning along Homestead Trail.

On February 19, I took a hike up Solano County’s Cold Canyon, the UC Davis nature preserve that was completely burned by the the LNU Lightning Complex Fire in August 2020. The preserve was closed to the public until the following spring, when it was opened to guided hikes by reservation-only. Now Cold Canyon is fully open for hiking, and it is getting crowded on weekends. Before the fire, the preserve attracted 65,000 visitors annually.

This hike followed the Homestead Trail, which ends at the homestead established by John Vlahos (a goat herder and goat cheese maker) in 1938. The trailhead has trail information posted and a donation box for those who wish to support trail maintenance and the portable toilet at the parking lot. The Homestead Trail ends at the Vlahos homestead. An old foundation of the house and cold storage for storing goat cheese can be easily seen since the wildfire. From that point, other trails branch off. [READ MORE]

Native Plant News from the Web

Sheet mulch your lawn this spring. Get motivated to replace that lawn in your front or back yard (or both!) with native plants by watching this sheetmulching video produced by Kathy Kramer, who also produces the annual Bringing Back the Natives garden tour. Solano County Water Agency will pay for removing any lawn areas ($1/square foot) through their Water-Efficient Landscape Rebate Program. Plants for your project can be purchased at the Jepson Chapter’s Spring Native Plant Sale.

Stop and Smell the Lupine. This month, Jennifer Baumbach, Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Solano and Yolo counties, posted her thoughts on the lupine growing around Vacaville this spring. This post was part of the weekly blog Under the Solano Sun.

Hike the Spenceville Wildlife Area. It is the peak of hiking season and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) owns recreational lands within easy driving distance that are open to the public. Discover the hiking options in the Spenceville Wildlife Area (SWA) east of Beale Air Force Base. Whether you’re in it for the birding, wildflowers, or the waterfalls, every season within the SWA offers a stunning experience!

Grizzly Island Wildlife Area Waterfowl Breeding Habitat Project Approved.
This project was considered by the Wildlife Conservation Board on February 24, 2022 (Item #7 on the agenda). The project will restore upland waterfowl nesting habitat and semi-permanent wetland habitat. The project site is located within Solano County’s Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, which has been managed for wildlife habitat since the CDFW acquired the property in 1931. The Board allocated $1,300,000 and approved the project as proposed.

The Lives and Legacies of California's Women Botanist. The March edition of the Botanic Garden Monthly commemorated National Women's Month with an article by David Edelson that describes the enormous contributions to the identification, cultivation, conservation and study of California native plants.

Ideas

Call for submissions to the Jepson Chapter newsletter for April, 2022. Please send your articles, announcements, events, hikes, photos, programs, reports, volunteer opportunities etc. for the April 2022 newsletter to contact@jepson.cnps.org. Deadline for submissions is, March 31st. Thank you for helping to keep the Chapter active.

Upcoming Events

Volunteer opportunities Monday or Thursday, 10:00-Noon at Jepson Native Plant Nursery in Vallejo. Learn about repotting, propagating plants and basic nursery work by contacting Barbara.

See the Center for Environmental Inquiry Calendar of Events for one online and one in-person programs in March.

See the for seven hikes, events and volunteer opportunities in March. Solano Land Trust Calendar of Events

March 2022, Wayne Roderick Lecture Series, Saturdays at 10:00 AM. Click for the list of lectures and to register here.

March 17, 9:00-Noon AM, Re-oaking Lake Herman Open Space Project, Benicia Community Park. Click here to register.

March 17, 7:00-9:00 PM, Jepson Chapter Board of Directors Meeting. Guests welcomed. To attend, email for Zoom meeting link.contact@jepson.cnps.org

April 23- May 4, Jepson Chapter Spring Native Plant Sale, online orders, pickup on May 7 in Benicia and Fairfield, 10:00-2:00 PM.

May 7, 10:00-2:00 PM, Spring Native Plant Sale, plants not sold online will be available for purchase at Benicia pickup location, 1400 East 2nd Street.

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