California Native Plant Society
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October 2023 Newsletter
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Marin Chapter October 2023 Meeting
"Wildscaping for Songbirds”
Guest Speaker: Veronica Bowers
Monday, October 9 @ 7:30 pm
Your garden is your outdoor sanctuary. With some careful plant choices, it can be a haven for native birds as well. Landscaped with native species, your yard, patio, or balcony becomes a vital recharge station for migratory birds passing through and a sanctuary for nesting and overwintering birds.
"Wildscaping for Songbirds" will demonstrate the importance of restoring nature in our communities, one garden patch at a time. From a birds-eye view, learn how to create wildlife-friendly gardens that help combat the loss of open spaces and create green corridors that link your wildscape to larger natural areas by providing habitat for songbirds and supporting biodiversity.
Veronica Bowers is the Director and Founder of Native Songbird Care and Conservation
Read more. . .
Register for this Zoom meeting here.
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Marin Chapter Field Trips
Field Trip Guidelines:
- Email Susan Schlosser scschlosser52@gmail.com to sign up for a field trip, as participants are limited.
- Electronically sign the CNPS Liability waiver for the trip (Susan will provide the link.)
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North-Facing Slopes of Mt. Tamalpais
Saturday, October 21, 2023 - 10 am to 2 pm
Leaders: Susan Schlosser and Bonnie Gosliner
This field trip is on the “other side of the mountain,” a north facing slope of Mt. Tamalpais. We’ll make a loop along the Deer Park Trail, the Worn Springs Fire Road, Yolanda Trail, Six Points Trail, and Deer Park Fire Road. This route is about 3 miles with approximately a 600-foot gain in the first mile or so. The route follows moderately difficult, single-track trails except the easy return along the Deer Park Fire Road.
We’ll see views of the north slopes of Mt. Tam, late season wildflowers, fruits, nuts, and berries. Habitats along the way include grasslands, oak, buckeye, and bay forests. Deciduous shrubs and trees may add some fall color. Among the wild flowers we may see are Kellogg’s Yampa (Perideridia kelloggii), large flowered twiggy wreath (Stephanomeria virgata ssp. pleurocarpa), and yellow hayfield tarplant (Hemizonia congesta ssp. lutescens). Shrubs with berries or flowers may include coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis var. consanguinea), California honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis and S. albus var. laevigatus).
Read more about this field trip. . .
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Our Fall 2023 Native Plant Sale
It’s almost here - the best planting time in the calendar year! We have an amazing array of beautiful plants for our October sale.
- Online ordering opens: Thursday, October 12 at 6 pm
- Online ordering closes: Monday, October 16 at 6 pm
Customers can collect their prepaid orders on Saturday, October 21 at Bon Air Shopping Center from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Read more. . .
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CNPS Marin Board - Call for Nominations and Chapter Election
Our December membership meetings are also official annual meetings during which our members vote on a slate of officers for the Marin Chapter Board of Directors. We have space on the Board for more members. Help us plan celebrations for the Chapters 50th anniversary year - 2024.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Kristin at 650-608-1274 or akristinjakob@gmail.com before Nov 25.
The tentative proposed slate for 2024 is: Co-President: David Long Co-President: Kristin Jakob Vice-President: Open Treasurer: Kate Wing Recording Secretary: Woody Elliott Directors:
- Eva Buxton
- Harriet Casserly
- Paul da Silva
- Bayley Elenzweig
- Ann Elliott
- Carolyn Longstreth
- Laura Lovett
- Eddie Robertson
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Native Plant Gardening Group
Mary Kyle opened her home last week to members of the Marin Gardening Group for a Seed Sharing event. About 24 members and friends came with all kinds of native seeds, a few plants, and tips on how to get them started.
We ejoyed wine and cheese in the garden. Laura updated everyone on upcoming events and volunteer positions with CNPS. Folks took home all sorts of new species to try in their gardens. It was a pleasure to meet in person for a change. We look forward to hearing about everyone’s results come spring.
If you would like to join the Marin Gardening Group, please answer this short survey.
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![Botanical Tidbits Eva Buxton logo](https://secure2.convio.net/cnps/images/content/pagebuilder/botanical_tidbits_logo_eva_buxton15455.jpg)
Hard Life in a Saltmarsh
“Would you consider watering your garden and house plants with saltwater? If not, why not?” I asked a group of my friends those questions. They all said, “No, it would kill the plants!” “But then, have you ever stood next to a saltmarsh with acres and acres of a 100-percent vegetative cover?”
Why do we seem to know instinctively that saltwater would kill our garden and house plants, yet saltmarsh plants, called halophytes, thrive in a saltwater habitat?
Bothin Marsh is a tidal, coastal saltmarsh located between uplands and an estuary with brackish water. Adjacent to Richardson Bay (part of San Francisco Bay), Bothin Marsh is regularly flooded by tides. On September 5 this year, a day of very high (6 ft) and very low (0.5 ft) tides, I noticed that the entire marsh was a lake at 3 pm. Then at 9 pm, it was completely drained; even the several natural channels found in the marsh had exposed mud bottoms. It was truly amazing to see the landscape change in six hours!
Read more about halophytes, their adaptations to inhospitable conditions, and Bothin Marsh.
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Upcoming Marin Chapter Events
- 10/12 6 pm Fall Native Plant Sale opens. 10/16 6 pm online sales close. 10/21 10:30 am - 1 pm is plant pickup.
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Other Activities in Marin and Nearby
Be sure to periodically check CNPS.org/events for interesting talks and field trips sponsored by CNPS Chapters and staff throughout the state.
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Share if you dare?
Join the fun. Send your photographs, art, events, and articles to be included in our newsletter. See your name in print!
Ann Elliott, Newsletter Editor
annonfire@gmail.com
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