Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Fall 2011, Bishop Creek, photo by Maggie Wolfe Riley

The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a state-wide non-profit organization of lay persons and professionals who share an interest in California’s native plants. The Society, working through its local chapters, seeks to increase the understanding of California’s native flora and to preserve this rich resource for future generations. Membership is open to all.

The Bristlecone Chapter covers all of Mono and Inyo Counties and northeastern Kern County, an area that includes the east slope of the Sierra Nevada, the Northern Mojave Desert, the Inyo and White Mountains, and the Owens Valley. The southern end of the Bristlecone Chapter’s geographically large territory, in and around the Indian Wells Valley, has its own sub-chapter, Creosote Ring.

News:

The January-February 2012 Bristlecone Chapter Newsletter is online - read online or download and print.

The deadline for submitting articles for the March-April issue is February 25th.

In this issue: Events, Plant Sale Report, Membership Report, Conservation Updates, and Birch Creek Journal.

Upcoming CNPS Events

Field Trips, Meetings, and other events of interest scheduled for the next month – for more events, including non-CNPS events which may be of interest to our members, see our Events Page.

CNPS Event February 1, Wednesday, 7pm: CNPS Program: An Introduction to Breckenridge Mountain, with Jane McEwen & Pat Sorenson, Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest. This is a Creosote Ring Sub-Chapter event.
Breckenridge Mountain

Breckenridge Mountain,
photo by Kathy LaShure

Please join us for the first Creosote Ring event of 2012. Our next evening program will be on Wednesday, February 1 at 7 PM when we'll gather at the Maturango Museum. First we will talk briefly about possible spring & summer field trips for 2012.

Then Creosote Ring members Jane McEwen and Pat Sorenson will present an introduction to Breckenridge Mountain. Breckenridge Road, or County Route 218, goes from the heart of East Bakersfield at Morning Drive at an elevation of 500 ft. and climbs up a serpentine ridge line in the Sierra foothills to connect with the Caliente-Bodfish Road at an elevation of 7,000 ft. It's about 37 miles long and takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to drive according to Google. The road leaves the city and makes it's way through farm and ranch land, winds through grass covered rolling hills, passes majestic oaks and high chaparral, then into the tall pines. The Bakersfield CNPS has recorded 100 different plants along the Breckenridge Road. Certainly, this is one of the most diverse, as well as beautiful areas in California with everything from grand views to gorgeous belly flowers. Come join us for a photographic trip through this botanical wonderland.

For more events, see the Bristlecone Chapter Events Page

Creosote Ring Subchapter wins awards in Rare Plant Treasure Hunt!

The results are in for the 2011 Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, a state-wide collaboration between CNPS & the Department of Fish and Game to update data on rare plants and their associated habitats. The Red Jeepsters team (Kathy & Rich LaShure of Inyokern & the Creosote Ring subchapter) were declared Intrepid Treasure Hunters, the Second Place designation for team awards. Rich also received a Third Place for his photograph of the subchapter field trip to Osa Meadows in late August. Read More about their adventures and see photos on the Creosote Ring Subchapter page...

We now have a Facebook Page and a Wildflower Hotspot Forum!

Facebook Page

The Bristlecone Chapter now has a Facebook Page! If you are on Facebook, head on over and "like" us (or click "like" in the box at left) to get updates in your Facebook newsfeed. While you are there, post a message on our wall, share photos or links of interest, let us know what you think!

New! Even if you are not on Facebook, you can still see our Facebook page updates on this website, so you won't miss anything!

Wildflower Hotspots Google Group

Google Groups
Wildflower Hotspots
Visit this group

For those of you not on Facebook, who would like to share wildflower sightings, photos, etc, join our Google Group, Wildflower Hotspots. You can control the number of messages you receive, from none (view on the web only) to emails for every new post (recommended at first, so you don't miss anything - and since this is a new group, there may not be very many messages at first). After you join, you may post your reports and/or photos and view other posts either by email or online. If you do not have a Google account, you will have to create one, but it's free, easy, and you can use your normal email address. You may also see the latest posts on this website on our Wildflower Hotspots page.

Conservation Alerts

New! Conservation Alerts from the Bristlecone Chapter: if you'd like to receive occasional emails alerting you to conservation issues which directly affect the Eastern Sierra, contact Steve McLaughlin at conservation_alerts@bristleconecnps.org and request to be added to the email list. Our first Conservation Alert was sent on 2/1/2011 about the Bodie Hills - read more about it here.

Current Conservation issues to be aware of include:

But Wait! There's More: