CNPS OC News for January 2012

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In this email:

1. CNPS Conservation Conference – PUBLIC DAY, this Saturday, FREE events
2. General Meeting, Thursday, January 19, Peter Bowler
3. Field Trip Schedule for 2012

1. CNPS Conservation Conference – PUBLIC DAY – **This Upcoming Saturday**

FREE Events – Saturday, January 14, 8am – 3pm, Town and Country Resort Hotel, San Diego (parking fee applies, see below)

The free public day events have been announced, and it has turned into a can’t miss event!  If your schedule is free or can be made free, you need to go to San Diego this Saturday!

Students, CNPS members, all interested in California native plants or the environment will find something of interest at the CNPS Conservation Conference. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of this fantastic conference with exhibitors, posters and speakers galore. The conference happens only once every three years and this time we are lucky to have it nearby!

Four sessions of the scientific conference will be open to the public for no charge from 8am to 11:40am: 1.Tribal Conservation and Traditional Use of Native Plants, 2.Horticulture: Part of Conservation is Growing, 3.The Vital Role of Education in the future of Conservation, 4. Student Session: thirteen 20-minute talks by university students.

Five concurrent tracks special to the public from 10am to 3pm with many outstanding speakers and topics: 1.Native Plant Gardening, including speaker Mike Evans, 2.Nature and Children, including speaker John Muir Laws, 3.Children’s Gardens, 4.Native Peoples, 5.Local Projects and Topics.

Detailed schedule and further details of Free Events.  (make sure to scroll down below the chart, too!)

Directions to Town and Country Resort Hotel, 500 HOTEL CIRCLE NORTH, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92108

Interstate 5 North or South: Exit onto Interstate 8 East (El Centro) and exit 2nd Hotel Circle exit, turn left continuing under the overpass.

The Conference Center location is on the far east end of the resort…close to the Union Tribune building, so look for parking in that area.  Register (for free) at the CNPS Registration table, and obtain your CNPS name badge.  Parking charge is discounted to $5.00 with a CNPS name badge ($14.00 without).

2. General Meeting, Thursday, January 19, 2012

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  Doors open at 6:45, Main Program at 7:30 pm. (Help with setup is welcome at 6:30.  Also, feel free to bring a snack for the hospitality table at 6:30)

Speaker: Dr. Peter Bowler, UCI Campus and Marsh restoration

Restoration of degraded lands back to a landscape capable of sustaining the plants and animals that form a balance is a fascinating topic, even more so when one person has been involved in these challenging projects from start to finish. Join us as Dr. Peter Bowler from UC Irvine gives a virtual tour of many of the University’s restoration efforts and mitigation projects. Whether on Campus or on the adjacent UC Natural Reserve System’s San Joaquin Marsh Reserve there have been many accomplishments dating from the early 1990’s, and several current projects continue.

Please click here for more pictures and details of Dr. Bowler’s talk.

Dr. Peter Bowler is a faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and he is the Director of UCI’s Arboretum and the Faculty Manager of the UC Natural Reserve System’s San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. He has conducted research and implemented restoration efforts at UCI for over two decades and teaches Restoration Ecology, Limnology and Freshwater Biology, Mediterranean Ecosystems, Horticulture, and Field Freshwater Ecology, among other courses.  In his over 33 years at UCI, he has overseen the creation of 55 acres of wetland, six vernal pools, and over a dozen acres of coastal sage scrub habitat on the campus. (Editor’s note: WOW!)

3. Field Trip Schedule for 2012

Our new board member and field trip chair, Ron Vanderhoff, has put together an outstanding schedule of field trips for 2012.  Check out the details here – and make sure you save the dates on your calendar.  Our first field trip of the year will be on Sunday, February 26th, at the UCI Ecological Preserve.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

Native Plant Chapter meeting – It’s Your Turn! December 15

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In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, December 15 – It’s Your Turn +
2. ByLaws and Chapter Elections
3. CNPS Conservation Conference, January 10-14, 2012
   
4. Give the Gift of CNPS membership
   

1. General Meeting, Thursday, December 15 – It’s Your Turn +

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  Doors open at 6:45, Main Program at 7:30 pm

OC Natives: Common sandaster (Corethrogyne filiginifolia) and Skipper Butterfly

Please join us for a light-hearted and relaxing evening.  The board members will provide a festive spread on the hospitality table. If you have a special holiday recipe you would like to share, feel free to bring it along.

To open our program, Thea Gavin will present “The Brilliant North Rim: Poems and Images from a Barefoot Artist-in Residence.” Thea was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Grand Canyon’s North Rim by the National Park Service and spent three weeks there in June. Not just a poetry reading or slide show, “The Brilliant North Rim” combines spoken word, written word, and photos in a vivid, accessible, and sometimes funny presentation of what Thea found compelling during her miles of wandering North Rim and Inner Canyon trails—barefoot.

After Thea’s presentation, everyone is invited to share some favorite photos of native plants, wildlife, habitats, or gardens—local, California, or anywhere in the world. As a reminder, each presenter will be limited to 5 minutes to make sure that everyone gets a turn.

Please click HERE on our chapter website for more information on Thea Gavin and on the format for your photo submissions.  We really hope you will participate!

2. ByLaws and Chapter Elections

Our chapter bylaws currently provide for a total of 7 to 9 board members. At the December meeting, we will vote on a minor change to the bylaws to allow a total of 7 to 12 board members.

AND… we will have elections for the upcoming year. The chapter board has approved the following nominees for election:

Board Member, 2012 term:  Cathie Field and Mike Field

Board Member, 2012-13 term: Ron Vanderhoff, Rob Moore, Sarah Jayne, Dan Songster and Rich Schilk

More on our new and continuing board members HERE at our website.

3. CNPS Conservation Conference in San Diego, January 10-14, 2012

This time next month, the Conservation Conference will be in full swing! Visit cnps.org for a full schedule of events, workshops, banquets and more!

There is still time to register, and if you can’t attend the entire conference, Save the Date for the Public Engagement Day free events on Saturday, January 14th.  Details will be forthcoming.

4. CNPS Membership is a great gift!

We are heading to the holiday season, and why not consider the gift of membership in CNPS?  It’s easy to visit here, fill out the information and click on the box at the bottom – “I wish to give a gift of membership”.

Please remember the society in your year end donation plans, too!

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

November 17, 2011 – Native Gardening for Wildlife talk

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General Meeting, Thursday, November 17 – Wildscaping!

Speaker: Bob Allen

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  Doors open at 6:45, Main Program at 7:30 pm.

Subject: Native Plant Associations & Wildscaping

Where will you be this Thursday night?  We hope you’ll join us for a great talk to enhance your understanding of the connection between our wildlife and native gardens.

California is home to about 7,000 species of plants, southern California over 4,000 species (more than most entire states in the U.S.), and Orange County over 1,500 species (also more than many states). By comparison, our state hosts 47 amphibians, 77 reptiles, 600 birds, 209 mammals, and well over 30,000 species of insects! All of these life forms rely on plants for their survival.

Interactions among and between plants and other forms of wildlife are complex, variable, and fascinating.  We’ll review some of the associations and the local wildlife involved, and discuss techniques for wildscaping – landscaping with native plants to attract and promote wildlife.

Hummingbird with Arctostaphylos glauca, Photo by Bob Allen

Bob Allen is a photographer, instructor, and entomologist/ botanist/ pollination biologist in Orange County. Raised in San Juan Capistrano, he studied insects from a very early age. In high school, he was introduced to plants, became hooked, and bought his first copy of Philip Munz’s Flora of Southern California at age 15. He is currently preparing his eagerly awaited, A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains, co-authored with Fred Roberts.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

Native Plant Adventures in the Wilds of Orange County

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In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, October 20, 2011
2. CNPS Conservation Conference – Save! Early Registration through October 31, 2011

1. General Meeting, Thursday, October 20 – Off the Path with Ron: Native Plant Adventures in the Wilds of Orange County

Speaker: Ron Vanderhoff

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  Doors open at 6:45, Main Program at 7:30 pm.

Many of you who know our October speaker as the Clark Kent of horticulture. A neat, mild mannered plantsman at Roger’s Gardens on most days, Ron provides calm and practical gardening advice on almost any subject at the drop of a hat. But on his days off from work, a California native plant Superman emerges! He becomes a single-minded and unstoppable searcher of the wild plants (and animals, insects, birds, geology, etc.) of our Orange County hills and canyons! Even Poison Oak does not stop this superhero!

Join us on an adventure sure to get you excited about exploring Orange County as Ron takes us all on a journey to some of the most interesting local places he has explored and some of the flora and fauna he has found during the last two or three years. This is a program everyone will enjoy with great photographs, interesting stories and descriptions, and a glimpse into the Orange County that still exists if we just choose to get off the beaten path.

Ron Vanderhoff is a lifelong southern California gardener and an inspiring and respected professional horticulturist who is especially fascinated with our native flora and its potential for use in urban landscapes. Ron has worked his whole life in horticulture, and for the past many years he has been a leader in the local gardening community as an educator, writer, lecturer and innovator, and as the nursery manager at Roger’s Gardens where he leads a push for sustainable gardens in Orange County, such as with the California Friendly Garden Contest (in which OC-CNPS is a partner). Ron writes a popular weekly newspaper column, The Coastal Gardener, and has contributed to many newspaper and magazine articles as well as radio and television programs. He is a special contributor to The Sunset Western Garden Book.

Ron’s keen curiosity and thirst for adventure fuel his explorations into our local wildlands and this talk will be a good foretaste of an OC-CNPS Field Trip he is planning for Spring, 2012. Stay tuned!

Chapter meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month (September through June) at the Duck Club in Irvine. The doors open at 6:45 PM for food, fellowship, interest centers, and more. The program begins at 7:30 PM.

 

2. CNPS Conservation Conference-January 2012 – EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS October 31, 2011

Time to start making your plans for attending this great conference, which is scheduled for January 10-14, 2012 right in our backyard, at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center in San Diego.  Early registration is open through October 31, 2012.

 

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

Rain, rain…Must be time to plant Native plants!

Fall Plant Sale

Saturday, October 8, 2011, Tree of Life Nursery.

We were blessed with early fall rain this week, and planting season has begun!  We hope you are planning to join us tomorrow for the plant sale from 9am-4pm.

All CNPS Members will enjoy a 10% discount and a free plant with any plant purchase.

All New or Renewing members may select from our special prizes.  You may join or renew onsite!

Whether you are a member or not, you can purchase plants and take advantage of the informational talks planned throughout the day. Here’s the schedule:

10 am - Plants for Slopes and How to Plant Them (Dan Songster)

11 am – Green and Lush Plantings for Low Water (Brad Jenkins)

12 pm - Plants for Hummingbird Gardens (Rama Nayeri)

1 pm – Plants for Butterfly Gardens (Bob Allen)

2 pm – Accent Plants that say “California” (Rob Moore)

Tree of Life Nursery website has directions!

Native Plant Society – Fall season begins!

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In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, September 15, 2011 – Lili Singer speaks!
2. Plant Sale at Tree of Life Nursery – October 8, 2011
3. CNPS Conservation Conference

1. General Meeting, Thursday, September 15 –

Speaker: Lili Singer …  Natives that will work in your garden!

Chinese houses

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  Doors open at 6:45, Main Program at 7:30 pm.

We all know about the good things that come with planting natives: Great colors and fragrances, wonderful habitat value, lower water bills, and a sense of place with seasons related to our southern California region. There is not any better time to plant natives than in the months coming up. Buy the plants that will work in your landscape at our chapter plant sale at Tree of Life Nursery on October 8.

Of course, when deciding which plants to get for our gardens there are always practical questions that come to mind. What plants are the best for the specific situations I have in MY garden? More about the talk here on our website.

Lili Singer is a horticulturist, educator and garden writer, and Director of Special Projects and Adult Education for the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants in Sun Valley, CA.

We hope to see you there this Thursday night.

2. Native Plant Sale at Tree of Life Nursery – October 8, 2011

Fall Planting Season is here!  Please plan to join us at the plant sale, from 9am-4pm.  This year we’re featuring special member benefits – 10% off on all plant purchases, and a free plant to all members.  Join or renew onsite!

Whether you are a member or not, you can take advantage of the informational talks planned throughout the day. Here’s the schedule:

10 am - Plants for Slopes and How to Plant Them (Dan Songster)

11 am – Green and Lush Plantings for Low Water (Brad Jenkins)

12 pm - Plants for Hummingbird Gardens (Rama Nayeri)

1 pm – Plants for Butterfly Gardens (Bob Allen)

2 pm – Accent Plants that say “California” (Rob Moore)

Volunteers are needed.  Please contact Diane Wollenberg or Jennifer Mabley if you can spare the morning or afternoon to help out. Volunteers receive a free 1-gallon plant. Jobs will be available for those with native plant knowledge to share, and for those without!

We have a flyer to advertise the plant sale.  Print it out and post it at will!!  Invite your friends!  High-res version.  Low-res version.

3. CNPS Conservation Conference-January 2012

Time to start making your plans for attending this great conference, which is scheduled for January 10-14, 2012 right in our backyard, at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center in San Diego.  Early registration is now open.

Sponsors are still being sought.  If you or your company would benefit or if you just want to help the cause of native plants, here is the explanation of all the details and benefits.  Thank you to our sponsors so far.

The Orange County chapter is sponsoring student attendance at the conference.  We would love to see students from Orange County in attendance!  Students, please check out the opportunities on this link.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

Chapter Celebration, Great speaker, silent auction, etc, etc…

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In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, June 16, 2011 – 5th Annual Chapter Celebration
2. CNPS Conservation Conference – Seeking Sponsors
3. Out in the Field in Orange County

1. General Meeting – 5th Annual Chapter Celebration, Thursday, June 16, 2011…

…at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).

All the details are here on our website.  5:30-Bird walk; 6:30-DOORS OPEN for food, silent auction, chapter activities slide show; 7:30-speaker Bart O’Brien.

We have Silent Auction Items!  Check them out and come bid on them.

You can help by remembering to:

• Bring your potential opportunity drawing or auction items to the meeting no later than 5:30 pm. Books, art (!), notecards, garden tools, bird houses, (be creative, small items are welcome!)….  contact Kathy Glendinning with questions.  You will receive two free opportunity drawing tickets as our thanks for donating items. Proceeds from our auction and opportunity drawing support our chapter programs such as education and outreach to promote conservation of and landscaping with native plants.
• Contact Celia Kutcher with your chapter activities photos asap.  Celia is looking for photos from the following events in particular but any are welcome: Mar. 5, wildflower walk in Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy, Mar. 26, SAMBY trip to Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, Apr. 10, tour of Irvine Ranch Conservancy, May 22, Santa Ana Mts. truck/car tour, May 28, SAMBY search for Ferocactus viridescens in San Onofre St. Pk.
• Volunteer to help the night of the meeting, for setup, food prep, parking, – contact Diane Wollenberg, volunteer coordinator.
• Come and enjoy the celebration with us!  Everyone receives one free ticket for the opportunity drawing.

2. CNPS Conservation Conference – Seeking Sponsors

You’ll be hearing a lot more from us about this great conference, scheduled for January 10-14, 2012 right in our backyard, at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center in San Diego.  Right now sponsors are needed.  If you or your company would benefit or if you just want to help the cause of native plants, here is the explanation of all the details and benefits.  Thank you to our sponsors so far.

3. Out in the Field in Orange County

Weed's Mariposa Lily

We hope you are all enjoying an extended spring in our local wilderness areas.  There are still plenty of flowers and green hills to be seen.  We posted this article about monkeyflower blooms on our website within the last month, Also Calochortus weedii var. intermedius are blooming heavily at Casper’s Park this year along the Dick Loskorn trail, and also on the East Ridge between the tops of Sun Rise and Cougar Pass.

Do you have a wildflower report or an any article about native plants in Orange County?  Or a great photo or two?  Contact Laura Camp or Rich Schilk to share your information on our website.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

CNPS meeting at Fullerton Arboretum-May 19

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In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, May 19, 2011 – FULLERTON
2. June celebration / Silent Auction, Thursday, June 16, 2011

1. General Meeting – Humble, Neglected & Ignored-Underused natives for the adventurous gardener,  presentation by Chris Barnhill

Please join us at a special location – the Fullerton Arboretum, 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton, 92831, (657) 278-3407. We will be meeting in the Pavilion classrooms by the museum.  Park in the front lot, enter through the gate that goes to the museum, (that’s the path lined with Penstemon heterophyllus). Mapquest map here.

• 6:00 PM -  Tour of Fullerton Arboretum native gardens with Chris Barnhill (meet at the Pavilion)
  
• 7:30 PM- Main Program:  Humble, Neglected & Ignored-Underused natives for the adventurous gardener with speaker Chris Barnhill

Chris Barnhill with Hulsea heterochroma

There are many colorful and worthwhile native plants waiting for a spot in your garden. Our many Ceanothus, sages, coffeeberries, California fuchsias, Douglas iris and dozens of other species fill the role of dependable mainstream additions for your garden. We all love these easily found plants but are we ready for a horticultural adventure?

Join us as Chris Barnhill explores what is possible in our native landscapes by looking at plants other than the “normal” candidates for your garden! Dust the cobwebs from your horticultural closet and set aside the garden indispensables, while visiting some lonely and definitely underused horticultural gems waiting to fill an unused niche between a toyon and a hard place. From Andropogon to Zigadenus, let’s look at the humble to the spectacular and see if they can earn a place in our gardens.

Chris Barnhill has been with the Fullerton Arboretum for over 12 years as the Curator of the Living Collections, where he has spearheaded the effort to create both the Channel Islands and Mohave Gardens. He has worked at Botanic Gardens in both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Denver, Colorado, and at nurseries in New Mexico and California. Chris spends much of his free time traipsing around southern California, photographing and frolicking in this fantastic botanically diverse region we call home.

2.  Chapter Celebration Preview

Mark the times for the June 16 chapter celebration on your calendar! We will be at the Duck Club in Irvine as usual.  At 5:30, gather for an optional bird walk in the San Joaquin marsh.  At 6:30, the silent auction will commence, food will be served, and a silent slide-show of chapter activities throughout the year will play.  At 7:30, our main speaker, Bart O’Brien, will give his presentation on the new book “Reimagining the California Lawn“.  After the talk, Raffle and Book Signing!  All attendees at the meeting will receive a free raffle ticket as a door prize.

You can help by remembering to:

• IMPORTANT!  Bring your potential raffle or auction items to the May 19th meeting, and give them to any board member.  Books, art (!), notecards, garden tools, bird houses, (be creative, small items are welcome!)….  contact Kathy Glendinning with questions at ktglnd@netscape.net.  You will receive two free raffle tickets at the June meeting as our thanks for donating items. Proceeds from our auction and raffle support our chapter programs such as education and outreach to promote conservation of and landscaping with native plants.
• 

  Green Scene setup 2011

  Bring your photos from the past year’s chapter activities to the May 19th meeting, and give them to Celia Kutcher on CD or DVD, in .jpg format, less than 1MB in size, and please identify the people, places and plants in your photos as much as possible.  Don’t forget those great garden tour photos!  Or contact Celia via email (celia552@cox.net) to forward your photos to her.

• Volunteer to help the night of the meeting, for setup, food prep, auction or raffle assistance – contact Laura Camp for details at laurac@treeoflifenursery.com.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891

April brings Native Plant Week and much more!

In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, April 21, 2011
2. California Native Plant Week, April 16-24, 2011
3. Green Scene and other Outreach – Help Needed!
4. Native Garden Tour, May 7, 2011
5. June celebration / Silent Auction

1. General Meeting – A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California,  Presentation and Book Signing by Laura Cunningham

Please join us this Thursday night, April 21, 2011 at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (Directions here).  If you can help with setup of hospitality or with a contribution of food, please contact Nancy Heuler at Nheuler@cox.net. Also, help with setup of tables and chairs is welcomed starting at 6:15 pm. THANK YOU to all the members who have chipped in to help.

• 6:45 PM –  Doors Open for Food, Fellowship
• 7:00 PM – Interest Centers (Don’t Miss – Poetry at the Explore table!)
• 7:30 PM- Main Program:  A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California with speaker Laura Cunningham
  

From scouting native plants in a parking lot to observing grizzly bears, Laura Cunningham spent over two decades of biological, paleontological, and historical research to bring an all-but-forgotten world to life: California as it was before European contact. We invite you to explore Old California (with close attention paid to Orange County!) with Laura through this slideshow and book signing event. This will be a presentation you will be thinking about for days. With the clarity of a scientist and the passion of an artist, Laura will guide us through then-and-now images of California landscapes.

Laura Cunningham, an artist and naturalist, studied paleontology and biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and has worked at various field biology jobs for the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other organizations. Simultaneously, she has been studying and painting California’s historic and living wildlife, flora, and unique landscapes. She lives on a ranch next to Death Valley National Park, where she cofounded the group Basin and Range Watch to explore the historical ecology of the desert ecosystems of California and Nevada, and to protect them. Laura’s Book, “A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California” will be on hand to purchase and she will be signing books before and after the presentation.

2. California Native Plant Week is almost here!

The inaugural California Native Plant Week is April 16-24, 2011.  Please check out all the exciting events in Orange County listed here on our website.  Please check the CNPS state website for more information about California Native Plant Week and for a list of statewide events.

Here’s just one of the great events – a celebration at the Golden West College Native Garden:  Garden tour and poetry readings with refreshments.

3. Green Scene, South Coast Plaza, other outreach – help needed!

We will be manning the booths at the following events.  Do you have a friendly face and the willingness to share your love for native plants?  We could use some extra hands.  Experienced volunteers are already scheduled for all events, so no past experience is necessary.  Contact Jennifer Mabley <jenpod@gmail.com>for South Coast Plaza and Laura Camp <campsjc@mac.com> for Green Scene and all other events.

• Green Scene, Fullerton Arboretum, help needed to man the booth on Saturday, 4/16 9 am-1 pm, and to help tear down the booth on Sunday, 4/17 from 4:00-5:30 pm.  North County people, we need you this weekend – contact Laura Camp at campsjc@mac.com before 5pm on Friday 4/15.
• South Coast Plaza garden show, 4/28 & 4/29 10 am-9 pm, 4/30 10 am – 8 pm, 5/1 11 am-6:30 pm.  We will be working in shifts – so if you have 2-4 hours available contact Jennifer Mabley at jenpod@gmail.com.
• Earth Day Celebration at Panhe, San Mateo State Park Campground, Cristianitos Road, San Clemente, Sunday, 4/17, 10am – 3pm.
• Saddleback College Earthweek Green Expo, Thursday, 4/21 10 am – 2 pm.
• Rancho Days Fiesta, Heritage Hill Historical Park, Lake Forest, Sunday, 5/1, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

4. Save the Date: Native Garden Tour, Saturday May 7, 2011

More information and registration is available here, and information about the gardens will be available soon.  This is a great way to introduce a friend to the joys of gardening with California native plants.

5. Save this Date, too:  Chapter Celebration, June 16, 2011 in the evening.

We are now seeking items for our annual Silent Auction and Raffle fund-raiser.  New items, services, lightly used books, garden tools, ideas . . . please forward all to our Silent Auction chair, Kathy Glendinning at ktglnd@aim.com, or bring them to the April or May general meetings to Laura Camp.

Wild and Beautiful Orange County – CNPS-OC this Thursday

In this email:

1. General Meeting, Thursday, March 17, 2011
2. Field Trips in March/April
3. Native Gardens Tour, Saturday, May 7, 2011

1. General Meeting – Wild and Beautiful – A Natural History of Orange County’s Open Spaces

Presentation and Book Signing by Dr. Allan Schoenherr

Please join us this Thursday night, March 17, 2011 at the Duck Club, Riparian View Way, Irvine  (NEW Directions here).  If you can help with setup of hospitality or with a contribution of food, please contact Sarah Jayne at sbjayne@cox.net. Also, help with setup of tables and chairs is welcomed starting at 6:15 pm. THANK YOU to all the members who have chipped in to help.

• 6:45 PM –  Doors Open for Food, Fellowship
• 7:00 PM – Interest Centers (Don’t Miss – Plant Sale, OC Waterfalls info and more!)
• 7:30 PM- Main Program:  Wild & Beautiful OC with speaker Dr. Allan Schoenherr

We may live in the smallest county in southern California, but we can quickly escape to stunning beaches, shady oak woodlands, habitat rich scrublands, even evergreen forests. Few could capture the breadth of it, from bug to flower and from rock to the broad landscapes, better than ecologist and Laguna Beach resident Dr. Allan Schoenherr in his new book Wild and Beautiful–A Natural History of  Orange County’s Open Spaces. An exciting blend of excellent photography and informative material, it takes a close look at our county’s plants, animals, and landscapes. But, as Pat Brennen of the OC Register recently reported, “This book isn’t just another catalog of plants and animals.  It’s packed with facts and stunning photos of wild land, habitat and species, as well as full-color maps.  There are sections on climate, weather, seasons, wildfire, geology, earthquakes and the subtle intricacies of the tidal zones.”

Dr. Allan Schoenherr is a retired Professor of Ecology at Fullerton College, and has taught at UCI and Cal State Fullerton.  He was educated at USC and Arizona State University. He is the author of The Natural History of California and The Natural History of the Islands of California.

Don’t miss this talk by a great speaker! We will have books on hand for purchase, and the author will sign your copy before and after the presentation.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Southern California Botanists grant program for Desert Studies in honor of Alan Romspert.

SAVE THE DATE:  April 21, 2011 - A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California by Laura Cunningham, talk and book signing.

2. Field Trips

“SAMBY” Santa Ana Mountains Big Year Field Trips, led by Bob Allen.  For details and additional trips on short notice, go to our website or email to samby4occnps@me.com.

• March 26, 2011 – Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park
• April 10, 2011 – Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, in search of Allen’s Daisy, Pentachaeata area ssp. allenii. (Date subject to change)
• May 28, 2011 – San Onofre State Park, to search for Ferocactus viridescens, San Diego Barrel Cactus.  Binoculars recommended.

April 10, 8:30 am  - 3: IRC Tour in the Foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains – Travel by touring truck and on foot to hunt for plants and arthropod friends in the Irvine Ranch Wildlands through oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and needlegrass grassland, led by IRC Senior Field Ecologist Jutta Burger. Limited numbers – sign up early at www.irlandmarks.org/activities, April Activities, PRIVATE – OC CNPS Limestone Canyon Tour, use registration code: wildflower.  Contact Rich Schilk with questions birdguy@naturalista.net.

3. Orange County Native Gardens Tour – May 7, 2010

Save the date for this free self-guided tour of outstanding native gardens in Orange County!  Volunteer your garden with Sarah Jayne sbjayne@cox.net, 949-552-0691. Volunteer to help greet visitors to a garden. Invite your friends. Registration information will be at occnps.org.

UNSUBSCRIBE INFO: You are receiving this email because you signed up at an event, or through membership. To unsubscribe, please reply to this email, and type “Unsubscribe” in the subject line or body of your message.  For further information contact: California Native Plant Society – Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 54891, Irvine, CA 92619-4891