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| SEPTEMBER 2021 NEWSLETTER |
Date Set for Fall Native Plant Sale A sampling of plants available at the Jepson Chapter Fall Native Plant Sale - from left: 'Eleanor' Monkeyflower, Dudleya, Blue-eyed grass.
Are you looking for plants to improve the appearance of your yard, support birds and beneficial insects, and save water? You can find them at the Willis Jepson Chapter Fall Native Plant Sale, with on-line ordering beginning September 25. Ordering will close September 30, and customers can pick up their plants on October 2 at locations in Benicia and Fairfield. Click here for a list of plants that will be available during the sale.
“Shoppers will also be able to buy plants that aren't sold online at our Benicia pickup location at Heritage Presbyterian Church,” said Barbara Reiley, manager of the plant sale. “This is our first in-person plant sale since the pandemic began so we ask our customers to wear face masks and we will arrange the plant tables to allow social distancing. Volunteers will be on hand to offer advice to shoppers and to answer their questions” [READ MORE]
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California Biodiversity Day is September 7 California Biodiversity Day takes place on September 7th of each year, marking the anniversary of the launch of the California Biodiversity Initiative in 2018. This annual event celebrates our state’s exceptional biodiversity, while also encouraging actions to protect it. This year, many organizations are hosting California Biodiversity Day events from September 4 to September 12. Click here to check out the events and see how you can participate in celebrating California Biodiversity Day 2021.
The closest event to Solano County is the Biodiversity Survey at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, Sept. 12, 1:00-4:00 pm. After a talk on the park's ecology and recent work to improve fish habitat, participants will split into small survey groups. Each group will take photos of different living things (for later identification on iNaturalist) as well as collect soil samples for environmental DNA analysis by the CAL eDNA Program. This event is aimed at adults and children ages 11+. Registration is required. Click here to register and learn more.
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Tour Promotes Oaks in Open Space The foreground area of the Lake Herman watershed was first planted with acorns in 2015 and will be part of the tour of the Lake Herman Open Space Project on September 11. Most of the 40 oak saplings growing in this photo are hidden by Coyote brush.
Learn about an effort in Solano County to re-oak our open spaces by taking a tour of the Lake Herman Open Space Project on Saturday, September 11 at 9:00 am. The Lake Herman Open Space project is a pilot project to expand the oak woodland habitat in the Lake Herman watershed. This one-hour tour involves a 10 to 15 minute walk from Benicia Community Park on the trail towards Lake Herman. Click here to register and to receive notification of the meeting point.
The Benicia Tree Foundation began the project in 2014 in cooperation with the City of Benicia using city-owned open space. The Jepson Chapter has been growing plant material for the project and helping recruit volunteers to plant acorns in the winter and water the tree saplings during the dry season. CNPS chapters throughout California have been partnering with other organizations since 2017 when CNPS launched the Re-Oak California initiative with the goal of restoring our native oak tree habitats. [READ MORE]
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Conservation Symposium"In the Hot Seat - the Flora and Fire" Wildfire photo by Kari Greer, CC by 2.0.
Registration is now open for the CNPS Chapter Council’s Annual Conservation Symposium, which will be held on Saturday, September 11, from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM. Please join CNPS staff and volunteers for a morning of presentations exploring what is, arguably, California's hottest topic: wildfire. Click here for a description of the program.
To one degree or another, fire affects all Californians - from homeowners in the wildland urban interface grappling with how to keep their homes and communities safe, to city dwellers dealing with poor air quality, to first responders on the front lines of life-threatening, catastrophic fires. Today, government agencies and land managers are taking drastic, yet often necessary, actions to manage the landscape and prepare communities for inevitable wildfires. In some cases, these measures conflict with the conservation of native plants and habitats. [READ MORE] |
Native Plant News from the WebWestern Landscapes from the Lens of Bob Wick
In July, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced the retirement of Bob Wick, one of its most prolific photographers, after a 30-year career. Wick’s images of public lands across the American West have been seen and shared by millions; some of them became iconic symbols of the wildlife and areas being preserved. As a tribute to Wick’s efforts and keen eye, Alan Taylor, Senior Editor of The Atlantic, published in that magazine some of his favorites from Bob’s body of work. Almost half of the photos are of California landscapes. [READ MORE]
 Carrizo Plain National Monument, photo by Bob Wick.
A Comprehensive Guide for Sheet Mulching
This fall, try converting your lawn to a native plant garden using sheet mulching. StopWaste of Alameda County has developed the Lawn to Garden Marketplace to provide Bay Area gardeners the tools and resources to convert lawns with sheet mulching, an easy process of layering cardboard and mulch right on top of the grass. Plus, you can plant your new garden straight into the mulch. The use of compost and mulch builds a healthy soil ecosystem that can help create an attractive and drought-tolerant native plant garden. [Read More]
 Solano County lawn, before sheet mulching.
 Solano County lawn, after sheet mulching, sod stacked to form mound.
Home Grown National Park – One Yard at a Time
Home Grown National Park is a cooperative conservation project that has the objective of creating 20 million acres of individual native plantings across the United States. The 20 million acres represent the estimated ½ of the green lawns or other lands in United States that could be converted into native plant gardens. The goal of this program is to “restore biodiversity and ecosystem function” by planting more native plants to expand and restore habitats. This news was offered in Under the Solano Sun by Paula Pashby, a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener. [Read More]
 Solano County native plant garden two years after conversion from lawn through sheet mulching. Planted with Eriogonum fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos densiflora, Salvia sonomensis, Salvia leucophylla and Quercus agrifolia,
 California Native Pines
This article was featured in the June edition of the Botanic Garden Monthly, the newsletter of the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. Descriptions and photos are provided for 12 native pine species that can be found growing in the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley. It was written by Earl Nickel, an Oakland-based horticulturist, photographer, and writer. [READ MORE]
(Photo on right is Pinus torreyana, Torrey pine, by Richard O. Barry, CC by 2.0)
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Plant of the MonthAristolochia californica (Dutchman's pipe vine) Aristolochia californica (Dutchman's pipe vine).
This perennial, deciduous, deeply rooted, woody vine can grow 20’ tall, flowering in winter before new leaves appear. The vine sends tendrils winding up through available trees and over shrubs. It is fast growing with large heart-shaped, fuzzy, dense green leaves. Distinctive, pendulous pipe-shaped flowers are green, white and brown with a maroon edge and with purple stripes. It’s named after the shape of the unusual flower, which has a faint unpleasant odor to attract carrion insects which are temporarily trapped inside the flower, effecting pollination. This vine won't flower unless it can climb, so don't use it as a groundcover. [READ MORE]
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Upcoming Events
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CNPS Statewide Website | Jepson Chapter Website     
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