Keying & Identifying Grasses

Currently sold out, but you can contact workshop coordinator Mindy Trask (workshops.cnpsslo@gmail.com) to be added to the wait list (please include your name, email, and phone number).

Unlock the mysteries of grass identification! Improve your plant keying skills! Local botanists Kristen Nelson and Dena Grossenbacher will lead a classroom-based workshop aimed at helping biologists improve their plant keying skills. Participants will learn grass identification traits and learn to key grasses to family, genus and species using the Vascular Plants of San Luis Obispo County, California, by Dr. David Keil. This workshop will be held at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

This is an intermediate-level workshop – working knowledge of plant terminology and dichotomous keys are pre-requisites. Participants who have not had a field botany class or equivalent experience, or who need to brush up, should read pages 34-54 in the Keil flora referenced above, watch basic botany videos (e.g., Michigan Nature Association Botany for Beginners, University and Jepson Herbaria Mini-workshop #3), and practice using a dichotomous key (e.g., use SLO flora before the class to key out some species that you know or can confirm).

Advance registration required, $35 (waivers available upon request, if needed). Registration is open now. In the ticket section below, enter the number of tickets and then select the button that says Get Tickets. Questions? Contact workshop coordinator Mindy Trask (workshops.cnps@gmail.com).

Class will start promptly at 9:30 so plan to arrive on campus at least one-half hour early to give yourself enough time to find the parking lot and payment kiosk, walk to the classroom, and check in. We will take a 45-minute lunch break. We encourage you to bring your own lunch; although there are lunch options on campus, it may be time consuming considering walking time.

For campus visitors, parking is available in Parking Structure 131 located off Grand Avenue via Pacheco Way and requires a visitor parking permit. The permit is $12.00 and can be purchased at a pay station, or by a cell phone application (recommended) ParkMobile ZONE 40100 (download and setup the app at home first). An easy-to-access pay station is located at the end of the horseshoe in front of Spanos Theater, which is accessed by taking your first, immediate right after turning onto Pacheco Way. Your vehicle license plate will be required to purchase a permit. From there, access Parking Structure 131 by driving straight towards the multi-storied parking structure, or you can park in the theater parking structure to your right. More information about parking at Cal Poly can be found here. The map provided below is for directions to the classroom only. Check the links above to get directions to the parking.

Plan on a 10-minute walk from the parking garage to the classroom in the Fisher Science Building #33, Classroom #354 which is near North Perimeter Road and Village Drive. Click the “larger map” option on the link below to get the correct map to the classroom building.