The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to conserve them and their natural habitats through education, science, advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship.

Dedicated to the preservation of California's native plants

CANCELLED EVENTS DUE TO COVID-19

updated 3/19/20 7pm

In the interest of public health, and to support local efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Chapter is cancelling ALL events until April 19. Check back here for updates.

The outdoor workshop “Plant ID in the Field” scheduled for May 16 is still planned but may be cancelled if necessary due to health concerns. At this time, we are continuing with scheduled outdoor field trips, weather permitting. If you have signed up for the April 18 Rare Plant Communities Workshop, you should have already received a refund.

In the meantime in these unusual times, we recommend you continue to enjoy California’s native plants in ways that are no-risk to our human communities. Continue to hike outdoors by yourself or with your family. Share what you are finding on the trails by posting photos to the CNPS-SLO Facebook page or CNPS State Facebook page. Download your observations to CalFlora. Social media shares will lift people’s spirits and provide lasting data about the location of native plants. Weed your native plant garden at home or start new native plants for future planting.

And note we are continuing to monitor the situation and will update you as other activities change.

Hot Topics

Meet our Social Media Intern, Kieran

Kieran Althaus joined our team last fall doing Social Media work along side Judi Young for the chapter. He is soon going to start his Masters Degree at Cal Poly in Biology with Dr. Matt Ritter and Dr. Jenn Yost. In the mean time he is staying occupied with the Plant Science Club at Cal Poly, as well as working on a variety of Botany projects.

Invasive Species Report: Purple Ragwort (Senecio elegans)

An attractive member of the Asteraceae (Sunﬂower) family Senecio elegans is an erect annual herb, up to 1 ft. tall and to 1.5 ft. wide. It is native to Southern Africa and is distributed along coastal California. In northern San Luis Obispo County there are groups at San Simeon Point and at the other end of the county in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.

Poetry Initiative for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

This is a Call for Ecological Poetry/Prose/Art and Discourse throughout SLO County to unite with the cause initiated 50 years ago. Gathering stories to be Stewards of the Earth, this perspective can help direct hope for Earth, Forever. If you have a venue or poem and would like an Earth Day Poem reach out to muebersax61@gmail.com Mary Uebersax, EarthTones Gifts, Gallery & Center for Healing 805-238-4413

Garden Maintenance

My garden is small compared to the ones I manage in my horticulture business, but it’s still a hideaway for the birds, bees and native plants. It’s calming and is a source of tranquility for myself and my family. During difﬁcult times, and I’m sure you have...

Matteo Garbelotto’s Letter on our next Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Blitz

The USFS has just released the 2019 tree mortality data, and in 2019 alone, a million tanoaks were dead because of SOD. SOD is moving to new Counties outside of the current area of infestation, and even in our Bay Area neighborhoods, SOD of 2019 is not the same SOD of 10 years ago: different distribution, new local outbreaks, and new hosts are emerging, as the disease becomes more and more established in its new home.

Download and Print the new CNPS-SLO Planting Guide

RETAIL SALES POSITION OPEN WE BADLY NEED A VOLUNTEER TO MANAGE OUR BOOK/T-SHIRT SALES TABLE. CONTACT MELISSA MOONEY

The Morro Manzanita Chaparral Natural Community

Morro manzanita is the dominant vascular plant species of a rare natural community known as Morro manzanita chaparral, the Arctostaphylos morroensis Shrubland Alliance, as deﬁned by the Manual of California Vegetation. This is an example of a natural community that is dominated by a listed species. Not all sensitive natural communities are.

Event Calendar

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< 2020 >

March

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Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Annual Hike to Coreopsis Hill Annual Hike to Coreopsis Hill 9:00 am-12:00 pm 03-01-2020 Coreopsis Hill Trailhead 2821 Oso Flaco Lake Rd, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420, USA 2821 Oso Flaco Lake Rd, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420, USA https://cnpsslo.org/event/coreopsis-hill-3/ Sunday, March 1, 2020, 9:00 am, Coreopsis Hill (in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes) The Annual Hike to Coreopsis Hill (in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes), is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2020 from 9am to around noon. This hike is sponsored by the San Luis Obispo Chapter of CNPS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It will be led by Jenny Langford, Lauren Brown, Dirk Walters, and other local botanists and volunteers. The hike will begin at 9:00 AM (please plan to arrive between 8:45 and 9:00), leaving from the south end of Beigle Road at the USFWS access road (fenced road). It will be a casual walk through the dunes to the top of Coreopsis Hill. This is a moderate hike, about 3 hours round-trip. Dress in layers, bring water and snacks, and have your “Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide” by Dr. Malcolm McLeod for the trip. Long pants and closed shoes are recommended as the habitat is coastal dune scrub and there is the possibility of poison oak and ticks in the natural dune areas (we will watch for and point these out so they can be avoided). For more information call Lauren Brown at 460-6329 or 570-7993. Heavy rain cancels this trip (light rain, bring appropriate clothing). NOTE: Pets, smoking, or alcohol are not allowed on the Refuge, including the parking area, or other properties accessed during the hike (i.e., State Parks and Private Property). Pets may not be left in cars in the parking areas. Directions from the north: Take Hwy 101 south from San Luis Obispo. Turn right (west) at the new Willow Road off ramp (Exit 180). Proceed west on Willow Road for about 4.3 miles, to Highway 1. Turn left (south) on Highway 1 and proceed for 2.7 miles, to Oso Flaco Lake Road. Turn right (west) on Oso Flaco Lake Road. Proceed west on Oso Flaco Lake Road for 2.5 miles to Beigle Road. Look for a 6’ tall wire mesh fence and steel gate. Directions from the south: Take 101 north to Santa Maria and take the Main Street exit toward the town of Guadalupe. Turn right onto Highway 1 and head north to Oso Flaco Lake Road (about 3 miles north of Guadalupe), turn left onto Oso Flaco Lake Road and proceed 2.5 miles to Beigle Road (on left). Parking: We will have people posted at the entrance of the USFWS fenced road to direct parking. The gate will be open around 8:30. Please do not park on Oso Flaco Lake Road near the gate as there is not much room and it could be hazardous. There should be plenty of room to park along the acccess at Beigle Rd. If you need to use a restroom before the hike (there are none along the hike route). the Oso Flaco Lake State Park lot is another ¾ miles west of Beigle Road Additional Information: The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes-Point Sal Coastal Area contains the largest, relatively undisturbed coastal dune tract in California and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. Five major plant communities are represented including pioneer/foredunes; coastal dune scrub; riparian woodland; coastal dune freshwater marshes, ponds, and swales; and active interior dunes. The flora includes many endemic plant species and the dunes habitats support numerous rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals.	2	3	4	5 Chapter Meeting: Rare Plant Meets New Technology: Snakeroot Science Chapter Meeting: Rare Plant Meets New Technology: Snakeroot Science 7:47 pm-9:00 pm 03-05-2020 https://cnpsslo.org/event/chapter-meeting-rare-plant-meets-new-technology-snakeroot-science/ ATASCADERO, Mar 5th 2020 Thursday – 7pm social, 7:30pm program Kiwanis Hall, adjacent to clubhouse, Atascadero Lake Program presented by Kyle Nessen and Lynne Dee Althouse Driving Instructions: From US 101 Take Hwy 41 west from Freeway. Continue past Portola Avenue stoplight, war memorial, park and zoo on the left, turn left on narrow Pismo Avenue immediately west of the zoo, continue to intersection with Avenal Avenue. Kiwanis Building is single story building on your left, with parking for Hall and Atascadero Lake Pavilion to the left. From Morro Bay drive to the first stoplight (San Gabriel Rd.). Pismo Avenue is the second road to the right. continue to intersection with Avenal Avenue. Kiwanis Building is single story building on your left, with parking for Hall and Atascadero Lake Pavilion to the left. See https://cnpsslo.org/2020/02/chapter-meeting-rare-plant-meets-new-technology-snakeroot-science/ for more information	6	7 Native Sons Nursery Demonstration Garden Native Sons Nursery Demonstration Garden All day 03-07-2020 https://cnpsslo.org/event/native-sons-nursery-demonstration-garden/ Owner David Fross has invited CNPS members to visit this garden where over 100 different selections of Ceanothus have been planted. Meet in the parking area just west of Chamisal Lane on north side of El Campo Road in Arroyo Grande (GPS: 35.08361N 120.5650W). 9am. Contact Bill, (805) 459-2103. Rain or the threat of serious rain cancels.
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22 CANCELED Lighthouse fundraiser and Pecho Coast Plant Walk CANCELED Lighthouse fundraiser and Pecho Coast Plant Walk All day 03-22-2020 https://cnpsslo.org/event/lighthouse-fundraiser-and-pecho-coast-plant-walk/ In the interest of public health, and to support local efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Chapter is cancelling this event On Sunday, March 22, learn about the native plants that thrive along the Pecho Coast Trail and discover their medicinal uses. California Native Plant Society botanists Kristin Nelsen and Bill Waycott along with Pecho Coast Trail docents, will be helping you explore the beauty of the local flora and learn how the Native Americans and pioneers utilized these plants for their nutritional and medical uses. The hike is 3.75 miles round trip and will depart from Port San Luis at 9:30 am. Return time is around 1:30 pm. The hike is along the coastal bluffs leading out to the Point San Luis Lighthouse, with a break being taken at the Lighthouse’s events building. You will be given a guidebook to take home, and a luncheon will be provided by the Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers featuring the opportunity to taste some of the edible plants that are found along the Pecho Coast Trail. It is recommended that you wear sturdy footwear like hiking boots, bring water, and carry a light jacket for the hike. This event is a fundraiser for the Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers in honor of the 130th anniversary of the lighthouse. The fee of $50 per ticket goes directly towards the restoration effort of this beautiful historic site. This is one time event only, so get your tickets today! Tickets or questions, contact Sally Krenn (805) 550-0150 (Editor’s Note: Geological substrates are Jurassic basalts along most of the train, and Cretaceous sandstones at the lighthouse. Beautiful examples of pillow basalt, erupted in deep ocean water at an ocean ridge, can be seen at the base of the slope at Port San Luis.)	23	24	25	26	27	28 CANCELED Figueroa Mountain CANCELED Figueroa Mountain All day 03-28-2020 https://cnpsslo.org/event/figueroa-mountain/ In the interest of public health, and to support local efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Chapter is cancelling this event LPNF and CNPS “Drive and Stroll Tour” of Figueroa Mountain, at the Figueroa Fire Station The Santa Lucia District, Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) will hold its fifteenth annual Wildflower Weekends on Figueroa Mountain in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). Meet at 9 AM at the Fire Station on Figueroa Mtn. Rd. Turn at the SR 154-Figueroa Mtn. Rd intersection near Los Olivos and proceed to the Fire Station parking lot. In view of this year’s early rains and current dry spell, Helen Tarbet is guessing early peaking of blooming this year. Sturdy shoes, lunch and liquids, and camera and binoculars recommended. Call Helen Tarbet at (805) 925-9538 ext. 246 or Charles Blair (805) 733-3189 for details.
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Volunteer at the Hoover Herbarium

Where is the Hoover Herbarium located?

The Hoover Herbarium is located on Cal Poly SLO campus on the 3rd floor of the Fisher Science Building (33) in rooms 352 and 359. Questions: email Jenn Yost at jyost@calpoly.edu

What do volunteers do?

During the volunteer sessions at the Hoover Herbarium, people can take part in any number of activities. One of our primary responsibilities is mounting new specimens. This involves taking dried and pressed plants and glueing them to paper. When we mount plants, we do it in such a way that those specimens will last for hundreds of years. Each specimen is a physical record of what plants occurred where and when. Without this valuable information we wouldn’t know when a species goes extinct, expands or contracts its range, or where species occur. After mounting, the specimens are databased and geo-referenced. Then they are filed into the main collection. We have over 80,000 specimens at the Hoover Herbarium. We are also working on a SLO Voucher Collection, which will contain one representative specimen for each species in the county. Volunteers look through our specimens and pick the one that should be added to the Voucher Collection. Additionally, we are actively working on our moss and lichen collections. Volunteers can choose what aspects of the work they would like to participate in. Anyone and everyone is welcome. Questions: email Jenn Yost at jyost@calpoly.edu

What days/hours do you need volunteers?

Hoover Herbarium volunteers sessions are Monday 3-5 pm and Friday 9 – 1. Questions: email Jenn Yost at jyost@calpoly.edu

Where do I park?

Parking permits are required on campus Monday through Thursday, 7:00 am through 10:00 pm; and Friday, 7:00 am through 5:00 pm. You can either buy a $6 day pass, a $4 3-hr pass, park in a metered space, ride the bus, or park off campus and walk in. Questions: email Jenn Yost at jyost@calpoly.edu

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