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October NewsletterWhat's in this issue: Speaker Series, Fall Plant Sale, Thank You to Ruthie, Field Trip Coordinator Needed, Fall Merit and Research Scholarships, Invasives Spokesperson, Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities |
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Speaker SeriesThird Tuesday of the Month at 7:30 pmOctober 17, 2023 (In-person and on Zoom) Water Use Efficiency in Santa Rosa with Claire Nordlie
Bio: Claire Nordlie is the Water Use Efficiency Coordinator for the city of Santa Rosa, whose team assists customers with indoor and outdoor water use efficiency projects. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and a master's in Environmental Policy and Management. Claire is a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor, and a Certified Climate Change Professional. |
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Milo Baker Annual Fall Plant Sale October 14th– Liz Parsons, Milo Baker Vice President
More information and a list of available plants is on our new website—chapters.cnps.org/milobaker The complete and final list was posted on September 15. The plants will be in gallon containers and will be priced at $12.00, tax not included. There are some 4” containers available and they are priced at $6.00. The Laguna nursery will also be selling some of their plants. Plants include all of the popular shrub species—Manzanitas, Ceanothus, Salvia, Coffeeberry, Toyon, Coyote mint and Monkeyflowers. The perennials that we will feature are Penstemon, Heuchera, Columbine, Romneya, and Verbena. Butterfly food plants will be Aristolochia, Dutchman’s pipe, and both milkweed species (Asclepias fascicularis and A. speciosa), and, new this year, Amorpha californica, the food plant for the California dogface butterfly. Two fern species will be available—Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) and Five-finger fern (Adiantum aleuticum). Don’t forget to check out the t-shirts and books. Erika has a new green t-shirt with our Pitkin Lily logo on the front. It can be a stunning addition to your California Native Plant Society t-shirt collection. The Laguna Foundation is located at 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. Bring your own cardboard box, Please do not arrive early. There is no parking on Sanford Road before the gate opens. The plant sale is the only major fundraiser that the Milo Baker Chapter holds every year. The nursery employees over 100 best management practices to assure that you purchase disease free plants. Please be sure to walk through the disinfectant mat when you enter the nursery and respect all of the protocols to ensure that the nursery remains a clean space. Fall is planting season in California. The soil is still warm and the roots will grow through the rainy season and will be well rooted in the spring, ready to survive the summer heat. See you at the plant sale! Check our website for more information about the Plant Sale and a complete inventory of plants. Volunteers are needed for the fall plant sale. Please contact Pat Sesser, volunteer coordinator, for more information: patriciasesser@comcast.net Liz Parsons to be Featured on KSRO Radio!Our esteemed Vice President, Liz Parsons, will be featured on KSRO Radio's Garden Talk program on October 7th, from 10-11:00. Be sure to tune in: 103.5FM/1350AM. Liz will be promoting our upcoming plant sale. |
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Thank you to Ruthie– Liz Parsons, Milo Baker Vice President
When she joined our Board, Ruthie’s history was with organic vegetable farming and permaculture. She had worked in seven nurseries. When she volunteered to lead our plant walks, she didn’t know much about California native plants. The first year she planned walks that were led by some of our most knowledgeable members and she learned so much from them. Then she became a docent naturalist at Fairfield Osborne Preserve and became a California certified naturalist with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. As she moves on to new horizons, she is so thankful to the Chapter for the opportunity to learn about California native plants. Ruthie has such a bubbly personality and easily shares her enthusiasm with hikers. We were so lucky to have her lead our plant walks. She refers to herself as the "plant Vanna" because she loves to introduce people to plants and share her excitement. Ruthie will be at the October 14 plant sale sharing her enthusiasm and selling plants. Thank her for a job well done! Hopefully, Ruthie's story will inspire someone to step-up to continue our plant walk program. If you are interested, please see the article below. |
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Field Trip Coordinator Needed– Milo Baker Board Do you love going on plant walks, introducing people to native plants, and coordinating to make this happen? Volunteer with the Milo Baker Chapter to coordinate and attend field trips. Field trips include plant walks, hikes, campouts, and more with opportunities to explore new areas and coordinate with partners for outings. The ideal person is organized and comfortable using email, Eventbrite, Meetup or other platforms for advertising and coordinating outings. Bilingual would be great, but not required. For more information, contact Leia Giambastiani at leiagia@gmail.com |
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Fall Merit and Research Scholarships– Michelle Halbur, Milo Baker Scholarship Chair
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Invasives Spokesperson– Jan Lochner, Milo Baker Invasive Plant Co-Chair
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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
(photo above) Ice plant removal project at Doran Beach. 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: Claire will talk about the water use efficiency programs, and incentives available to Santa Rosa residents, focusing on the outdoor program offerings. She will discuss the various garden and landscape related resources the City and its partners offer, such as the Climate Forward Trees list, the Water Smart Plant Picker, the Garden Sense Program, and more.
I have been to our Laguna growing ground and the number of plants that we have is truly astounding...over 2,000. All the plants are very healthy and ready to be planted. The seed-packing workshop was very successful. When you attend the sale, don’t miss the display of seeds collected by our members. Native bulbs from Brent and Becky bulbs will be available.
The Chapter wants to thank Ruthie Saia for arranging and leading our field trips for six years. She has been an enthusiastic spokesperson for the Chapter and for the plants of Sonoma County. The field trip chair selects areas in the county to share with members. For some people this could be their first introduction to Sonoma County and the plants that grow here. She has been so good at taking hikers to many special places in the county. This year, her final year, she arranged seven plant walks.
Colin Mulligan is a 5 years old who has helped pull ice plant with his mother at Doran Beach several times. When he was at Westside Regional Park, with his extended family, he started pulling ice plant and making a pile. His grandfather said that he liked ice plant and to leave it be. Collin proceeded to explain how it is invasive and “doesn’t play well with others”. He worked happily for over 20 minutes!
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CNPS Statewide Website | Milo Baker CNPS Website      |
