You Won't Find Plants by Looking Up!
Award-winning photo by Rich LaShure
Calendar of Events
Official
CNPS Events
Upcoming Events:
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About Events
April
- April 30, Tuesday, 7pm: Heating and Cooling Buildings with Ground Source Heat Pumps: What it Is, How it Works, and Why it’s Worth Using, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: John D. Geyer, John Geyer and Associates, Inc., Co-sponsored by the High Sierra Energy Foundation.
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM Tuesday evenings at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
May
- May 1, Wednesday, 12-1pm: Creating COSA: Conservation Open Space Area on the Bishop Paiute Reservation, Brown Bag Lunch Series from Eastern Sierra Land Trust
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It's time for the first installment of our 2013 Brown Bag Lunch Series. Held on the first Wednesday of every month between May and October, the BBL is a great way to learn about newsworthy conservation projects or issues, and to meet the people behind the news.
On May 1, our topic will be Creating COSA: Conservation Open Space Area on the Bishop Paiute Reservation. Our speakers will be Brian Adkins, Environmental Director, and Hillary Behr, AmeriCorps member and Wetland Restoration Coordinator, from the Bishop Paiute Tribe; they look forward to sharing details about the establishment of this 25-acre tract with the community.
Everyone is invited to attend, and is encouraged to bring his/her own lunch. The Brown Bag Lunch will be held in ESLT's garden at 176 Home Street in Bishop (and indoors during inclement weather). Join us for this fun and informative afternoon event!
- May 7, Tuesday, 7pm: Introduction to the Mushrooms of the Eastern Sierra, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: Dr. Jonathan Bourne M.D., Mammoth Hospital.
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM Tuesday evenings at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
- May 11-20th, Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose Surveys - Call for volunteers!
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Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis; Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose
Photo by Drew KaiserFine tune your eye to spy the endangered Eureka Dunes evening primrose and help complete the fifth and last year of the evening-primrose survey. Volunteer for a weekend, a few days, or a week to survey the evening-primrose, the invasive Russian thistle and other vegetation at the sand dunes of Eureka Valley in Death Valley National Park. Explore the dune systems of Eureka Valley, learn the sand dune flora, and improve your plant identification skills.
Our project goals are to understand patterns of population density and spatial distribution of the rare and endemic evening primrose and non-native Russian thistle.
Volunteers will use a compass, binoculars, range finder, GPS units and quadrats to record plant observations. Volunteers must be physically able to hike 7 to 14 miles each day in the spring time weather conditions of the desert (e.g. lots of sun, high temperatures, and some windy days) and to hike up and down the sandy slopes of the dunes.
Food and water will be provided. Please bring your own sleeping bag and tent to car camp at the main campground of the dunes.
Data sampling will be conducted between May 11-20th and possibly extended to between May 27-31st to complete sampling.
Contact Information:If interested, please contact Elaine at ekych@ucdavis.edu Please write PRIMROSE VOLUNTEER in the subject heading. Thanks!
- May 11, Saturday, Mammoth Creek Birding, Eastern Sierra Audubon
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Celebrate International Migratory Birding Day with a walk along Mammoth Creek, looking and listening especially for migrating songbirds. Distance is about a mile to the Mammoth Museum and back. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Mammoth Creek Park on Old Mammoth Road, one block south of Chateau Road. Last year participants found the beautiful ceanothus silk moth, the pygmy nuthatch and a house wren building their nests; as well as a northern flicker hollowing out a tree snag. Trip will last about ninety minutes. For more information please phone trip leader Jane Kenyon at 934-0372.
- May 14, Tuesday, 7pm: 40 Years of Endangered Species: Conflict and Conservation in California, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: Dr. Peter Alagona, Dept. of History and Environmental Studies Program, UCSB.
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM Tuesday evenings at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
- May 16, Thursday, 2:30-4:30pm: Gardenfest! Eastern Sierra Land Trust
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With spring in bloom and the gardening season starting up, it's time for the 2013 Gardenfest! Eastern Sierra Land Trust will be hosting this year's event at our office garden at 176 Home Street in Bishop on Thursday, May 16th from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
In addition to the Bristlecone Chapter selling some native plants, other organizations that promote local gardening and food production, such as Master Gardeners, the Community Garden project, Sierra Bounty, 4-H, and local farms will be at Gardenfest. This means that you can get gardening tips, learn where to buy local farm products, and purchase starts for your garden all in one place! Bring your extra seeds to participate in our free ESLT Seed Swap. We will have games and activities for kids, food and drinks, and music. Come get inspired and celebrate gardening in the Eastern Sierra!
- May 21, Tuesday, 7pm: The Devils Windstorm: The Great Tree Blowdown of 2011, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: Chris Smallcomb, National Weather Service, Reno, NV.
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM Tuesday evenings at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
- May 28, Tuesday, 7pm: Lahonton Cutthroat Trout Recovery in the Face of Climate Change, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: Dawne Becker Emery, Environmental Scientist, Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM Tuesday evenings at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu
- May 31 through June 2, 2013, Return of the Sierra Spring Sojourn
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Mark the dates! The Bristlecone Chapter will once again host the Sierra Spring Sojourn on May 31 through June 2, 2013 with field trips to view wildflowers from Paradise to Owens Lake along the Eastern Sierra. The gathering place for programs, field trips and accommodations for out-of-town participants will be at the Sierra Adventure Center at Bernasconi near Big Pine, 15 miles south of Bishop. Registration information and more details coming soon.
Field trip extravaganza! Potential trips so far (SUBJECT TO CHANGE, based on where the best blooms are the weekend of the Sojourn- keep checking back for updates and full descriptions as the date grows closer): Mazourka Canyon – Steve McLaughlin, Buttermilks – Jerry Zatorski, McMurry Meadows – Paul Satterthwaite, Eureka Dunes area – Michele Slaton, Owens Lake – Steve McLaughlin, Marble Canyon – Scott Hetzler, Joshua Flat & Lime Hill – Mark Bagley, Westgard Pass – Sue Weis.
As many members remember, the Bristlecone Chapter hosted these sojourns every two years but the last one was four years ago in 2009. We are working hard to assure that this sojourn will match the success of past years. We still need volunteers to help with planning, leading field trips, working on publicity and other tasks. Call Edie Trimmer at 801-597-2104 or email at edieann@xmission.com if you are interested in helping to make this work.
Registration information and packets available for download on our Eastern Sierra Sojourn page! Registration Deadline: April 29th.
- End of May (TBA) - Watershed restoration project for the Lower Owens River
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Jaryd Block, Americorp Volunteer with Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Larry Freilich, Inyo County Water Department are co-operating on a watershed restoration project for the Lower Owens Recreation Use Plan. The Lower Owens River experienced a major fire at the end of February 2013 resulting in over 400 acres of burned area. This proposed project will focus on restoration of willow tree species within the burned area. Many volunteers are needed for collection, transport and planting of seed within a week's time. Timing depends on optimum conditions for collection and planting.
Contact: Jaryd Block jblock@sierranevada.ca.gov
June
- June 5, Wednesday, 12-1pm: Climate Change in the Eastern Sierra: What's Already Happening, and What Might Happen in the Future? Brown Bag Lunch Series from Eastern Sierra Land Trust
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Holly Alpert, Program Manager for the Inyo-Mono Integrated Regional Water Management Program, will be our speaker for the June installment of our Brown Bag Lunch Series. Everyone is invited to attend, and is encouraged to bring his/her own lunch. The Brown Bag Lunch will be held in ESLT's garden at 176 Home St. in Bishop (and indoors during inclement weather).
- June 6, THURSDAY, 7pm: National Ecological Observatory Network: The New Biggest Thing at SNARL, SNARL Lecture Series
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Presenter: Dr. Louis Pitelka, Senior Visiting Scientist, NEON, Inc. (NOTE: This lecture is on a Thursday)
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (SNARL) Lecture series, 7 PM
Tuesday evenings(THIS lecture is Thursday evening) at the Green Church (Hwy. 395 and Benton Crossing Road). Admission is free and the public is invited. Lectures last approximately one hour. For more information call Leslie Dawson at 935-4356 or email ldawson@msi.ucsb.edu - June 9, Sunday, 9:00am, CNPS Field Day: Highway clean-up, Leader: Scott Hetzler
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Meet at the intersection of Highway 395 and Pine Creek Rd., west of 395, at 9.00 AM. We will try to be done by 1:00 PM. For more information contact Scott at (760) 873-8392.
- June 14-16: Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua, birdchautauqua.org
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Get your binoculars ready for the Twelfth Annual Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua coming June 14-16, 2013! We hope you’ll be here to celebrate and support the rich diversity of bird life, the legacy of avian research, and the ongoing conservation efforts in the Eastern Sierra—all while having a darn good time.
This year we’re offering many classic Chautauqua favorites along with more than 20 new programs. A handful of new fields trips, workshops, and presentations are in the mix. Join author Jon Young, poet Tom Crawford, and naturalist-artist John Muir Laws, and many, many more!
This year’s Chautauqua will also premiere the new, and much-anticipated book, Birds of the Sierra Nevada, Their Natural History, Status, and Distribution. Authors Ted Beedy and Ed Pandolfino, and illustrator Keith Hansen will unveil the most detailed and well-researched information to date on the status and distribution of Sierra birds, while sharing some great stories along the way. The book will be available in June at the Chautauqua!
Registration opens Monday, April 15th at 6:30am. We encourage you to register online at that time as some classes do fill quickly. As you gear up for registration, please read our tips for a smooth registration process. There are no early registrations. The complete Chautauqua program is online so you can choose your first, second, and third choices ahead of time.
If you can arrive early to the Chautauqua, be sure to join us Thursday, June 13th for a free stewardship event helping out the habitat with Friends of the Inyo. Stay tuned for details on a special free event Thursday evening, as well.
Join us Saturday afternoon for a special walk and reception at County Park to commemorate the life of long-time Chautauqua friend and presenter, Rich Stallcup. The event is open and free, but please register if you'd like to attend.
And don’t forget that everyone is welcome to attend the Sunday picnic at County Park where musical guests, the Trespassers, will delight with a sumptuous (and free!) afternoon of music.
Happy birding, botanizing, and naturalizing! We hope to see you at the Chautauqua!
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July
- July 6, CNPS Field Trip: South Fork Big Pine Creek, Leader: Steve Matson
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Meet in Big Pine at the parking area next to campground at Junction of 395 and 168. We will drive 10 miles up Big Pine Canyon to the trailhead by Glacier Lodge. I propose to hike 6 to 7 miles round-trip. I hope to find Lupinus padre-crowleyi, Nama rothrockii, and Penstemon papillatus.
Contact: Steve Matson 760-938-2862 or ssmat@sbcglobal.net.
- July 13, Saturday, CNPS Field Trip: Mammoth Lakes Basin, Heart Lake and Arrowhead Lake, Leader: Ann Howald
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Meet at the far end of the parking lot that is beyond the Coldwater Campground, at 9:00 a.m. We will hike up the Heart Lake trail, through the montane form of sagebrush scrub that is “enriched” with many wildflowers, then cross a talus slope with an array of multi-colored hybrid columbines, then return from Arrowhead Lake through subalpine forest. This is a moderately strenuous, although short (approximately 2.5 mile) hike. We should return to the parking lot by mid-afternoon. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen and a hat; and hiking poles if steep downhill bothers your knees. For more information contact Ann at (707) 721-6120 or annhowald@vom.com
- July 7-14: Golden Trout Wilderness Botanical Camp, Flora and Natural History of the Southern Sierra
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Come join us in the beautiful high Sierra of the Golden Trout Wilderness. Spend the week exploring alpine habitats of Cottonwood Lakes Basin and the John Muir Wilderness. Daily guided hikes and interpretive talks will be led by our experienced trip leaders. Lectures, slide shows and an opportunity to key plants with dissecting scopes will fill the evenings. We will see an abundance of wildflowers in alpine meadows and encounter endemic plant species while taking in the incredible Sierran vistas. Plant, animal and bird lists will be provided. Our instructors are professional botanists and naturalists with many years experience in the Golden Trout Wilderness area.
Cost: $525.00 (includes meals from Sunday dinner through Saturday lunch)
For information, brochure, and registration contact:
Susan D’Alcamo: dalcamo@mcn.org, Cell# (925)899-0719
Registration deadline: March 15, 2013 - July 20, Saturday, 9am: Little Lakes Valley (Upper Rock Creek) thesis field work with Joy England
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Assist Joy with her fieldwork for her thesis research. Translation: look for cool plants. Meet at Mosquito Flat trailhead at 9:00 AM. See a summary of Joy's work from last summer in our January-February 2013 Newsletter. Contact Joy for more information: jengland@rsabg.org or 626-208-7904.
- July 20-28: GLORIA week in the White Mountains (Attend Session 1: July 20-24; Sesson 2: July 24-28; or both!)
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JOIN US for a fun and educational stay at Crooked Creek Research Station (University of California, White Mountain Research Center) at 10,200 ft in the White Mountains!
The international GLORIA project (Global Observation & Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) monitors alpine plants at risk from climate change at the tops of the world’s highest mountains.
This year, the California GLORIA field crew is holding an open-invitation field trip. Interested parties are encouraged to come join us and learn about the alpine environment. Educational walks, hiking tours, and lectures will be led by some of the scientists who know the White Mountains best.
Lodging: Accommodations are at the UC White Mountain Research Center’s Crooked Creek Research Station, a lovely high elevation mountain lodge surrounded by ancient bristlecone & limber pines. Three delicious meals a day are included.
Cost: Prices range from $60-$85/night per person depending on room type (shared room, private room with shared bath, or private room with private bath). Please see the GLORIA California website or download/view the GLORIA week flyer (pdf) for details!
Full Details: http://www.gloriacalifornia.org
Additional questions or to register contact: Adelia Barber adelia@biology.ucsc.edu
- July 27, Saturday, CNPS Field Trip: White Mountains, Leader: Jerry Zatorski
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It always a treat to see what can be found in this high desert mountain range in mid-summer. This trip will focus on the sub-alpine and alpine habitats in the White Mountains. Although if the Monsoon Gods are good to us, there could also be some nice blooms lower down as well. Expect to see many herbaceous and shruby alpine species along with the famous Bristlecone Pines. All areas are accessible by car although the dirt road portions can be dusty.
We will meet at the Triangle campground entrance just north of Big Pine, at the intersection of US 395 and SR 168 at 8:00 AM and go from there. This will be an all day trip, so have plenty of food, fluids, along with field guides hand lens, sun protection, dress for weather (temps at high elevations are much cooler than on the valley) and so forth, plant to return to Big Pine by ~ 5:00 PM. For more information contact Jerry Zatorski at (760) 387-2920 or jerryzat@gmail.com.
August
- No events scheduled at this time - check back later!
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Interested in leading a trip or presenting a program? Contact Field Trip Coordinator Sue Weis at 760 873-3485 or email at sueweis@aol.com.
September
- September 14, Saturday, 9-11:30am: Bristlecone Chapter Native Plant Sale
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A wonderful array of native plants are offered every year. We’ve been busy coaxing from seed dozens of brittlebush, various buckwheats, penstemons, Mojave aster, lupine and many more favorites!! See our sortable database of species that have been available at our plant sales for ideas of what to expect. Plant prices are currently $5.00 for a small tree pot and $8.00 for gallon pots. Contact Katie at plant_sale@bristleconecnps.org if you have any questions.
October
- October 20, Sunday, 9:00am, CNPS Field Day: Highway clean-up, Leader: Scott Hetzler
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Meet at the intersection of Highway 395 and Pine Creek Rd., west of 395, at 9.00 AM. We will try to be done by 1:00 PM. For more information contact Scott at (760) 873-8392.
- October (date & time TBA): Bitterbrush Planting/Indian Fire Rehab. Leaders: Martin Oliver (BLM), Julie-Anne Hopkins
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Last summer the Indian Fire burned over 10,000 acres of sagebrush/bittebrush habitat east of Mono Lake. This area is important for sage-grouse and other wildlife. Adjacent areas that have burned in the past 20 years have remained largely free of non-native annual grasses and other weeds but shrub species have been slow to return. Come out and help plant bitterbrush and other native plants that were grown at the Deepest Valley Native Plant Propagation Center. For more information contact Martin Oliver at mpoliver@blm.gov, 760-872-5035.
- October/November (date & time TBA): Dedecker Garden Fall Clean-up. Leaders: Katie Quinlan, Sue Weis
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Bring your gloves and gardening tools and help get the garden ready for winter. For more information, contact Sue Weis at sueweis@aol.com, 760-873-3485.
November
- No events scheduled at this time - check back later!
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Interested in leading a trip or presenting a program? Contact Field Trip Coordinator Sue Weis at 760 873-3485 or email at sueweis@aol.com.
December
- Early December – Deadline for Mary DeDecker Botanical Grant Applications (check back for updated application information in the fall)
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Grants for research and projects that increase the understanding and appreciation of native plants and ecosystems in the Eastern Sierra are available to graduate students, college students, and primary and secondary students (K-12). Research projects need not be academic or scholarly but must be relevant to the native plants of the northern Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin portions of eastern California. Applications must include written support from a major advisor or teacher.
Grant recipients receive up to $1,000 each for expenses and are asked to present their results to the Bristlecone Chapter either at a regular meeting or in the chapter newsletter. Deadline is in early December - check back for the updated application in the fall. All applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by the end of the following January.
Being Planned:
The Bristlecone Chapter normally hosts two events on alternate years – a Spring or Summer Sojourn and the Bristlecone Chapter Banquet. The 2010 Banquet was held in July at the Crowley Lake Community Center. The Sojourn is a weekend of field trips, evening programs and visiting. In 2009 it was held in July at the Crooked Creek Facility in the White Mountains. In 2011 and 2012 we did not hold a special event due to lack of available volunteers. In 2013, the chapter will hold a Spring Sojourn. If you are interested in volunteering to help organize events or to lead a trip, contact any board member!
About Bristlecone Chapter Events
Bristlecone Chapter Field Trips:
Every year the Bristlecone Chapter plans a variety of excursions to interesting and floriferous places. Our trips usually begin in late March to points in the low desert of our region, such as Death Valley or the Mojave Desert, where the flower display begins in early spring. We generally follow the flowers up in elevation as spring and summer progress, ending our quest for blooms in the highest regions of our awesome surrounding mountains in mid-summer. Our explorations usually finish with an appreciation of fall colors displayed in the extensive aspen groves found in the Eastern Sierra. We also schedule seed collecting or cleaning trips and work parties at the Mary DeDecker Native Plant Garden in Independence.
Everyone is welcome on our field trips, whether or not you are a member of CNPS, and whether or not you know a turnip from a scarlet monkeyflower!
Field Trip Policies
See photos of previous field trips and events in our scrapbook
Annual Bristlecone Chapter Events:
The Bristlecone Chapter hosts two events on alternate years – a Sierra Spring or Summer Sojourn, and the Bristlecone Chapter Banquet. The Sojourn is a weekend of field trips, evening programs and visiting. In 2009 it was held in July at the Crooked Creek Facility in the White Mountains. In 2011 the chapter will hold a Sojourn in either the Spring or Summer. Plans for the 2011 Sojourn will be announced this winter. Our 2010 Banquet will be held at the Crowley Lake Community Center on July 26 (see the July events above for more details). Our chapter members are encouraged to attend both events. The public is also welcome.
Also don't miss our Annual Native Plant Sales!
General Bristlecone Chapter Meetings and Presentations:
Membership meetings include brief discussion of chapter business, followed by a presentation by a guest speaker. Presentations are geared to appeal to persons of a wide range of knowledge of native plants, from beginners to professional botanists. The November meeting each year is a pot luck, often with a members’ slide show in lieu of a speaker.
Unless otherwise announced, General Chapter Meetings will be at the White Mountain Research Station (3000 E. Line St. Bishop).
