March 20-24, 2009, Baja California MX. Leaders Sula Vanderplank (Administrative Curator/M.S. Student, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden), Bart O'Brien (Director of Special Projects, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden). A multi-day trip to Baja California, 4 nights camping, March 20-24. Visiting coastal areas of the California Floristic Province in Baja California. Passport necessary. Restricted to 14 people. Contact sula.vanderplank AT cgu.edu for further details.
Saturday March 28, 2009, Kelso Valley. Leader: Naomi Fraga (Conservation Botanist/PhD Student, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden). Kelso Valley is located between the Piute and Scodie Mountains in the southern Sierra Nevada in Kern County. Field trip attendees will carpool from a meeting spot along Hwy 178. We will have several stops to see a variety of desert annuals, including an abundance of Linanthus, Eriophyllum, and Phacelia species in Joshua Tree Woodland. Noteworthy plants species include the Kelso Creek monkeyflower (Mimulus shevockii), and white pigmy poppy (Canbya candida). Bring lunch, ample water, sunscreen and a camera (hiking will be minimal). We will meet at the Chevron in Onyx at 10:00 am and will leave promptly at 10:15am (23822 Highway 178 Onyx, CA 93255). Carpooling from the Chevron is encouraged; we will be traveling on paved and dirt roads. Contact Naomi Fraga for details at naomi.fraga AT cgu.edu or (909) 625-8767 x231
Saturday, April 18, 2009 , 9:00 AM- 12:00PM. San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Riverside County . Leader: Dave Bramlet. This field trip with the Friends of the N. San Jacinto Valley will examine the CDFG San Jacinto Wildlife Area. The San Jacinto Wildlife Area contains a number of unique plant communities found within the floodplain of the San Jacinto River, including alkali grasslands, playa lakes (Mystic Lake ) and vernal playas. We will examine these interesting habitats for a number of rare and unique plant species. Some of these include the San Jacinto Valley crownscale (Atriplex coronata var. notatior), Davidson’s saltscale (Atriplex davidsonii), Coulter’s goldfields (Lasthenia glabrata subsp. coulteri), smooth tarplant (Centromadia pungens subsp. laevis), spreading navarretia (Navarretia fossalis),and the thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia ). Meet at 9:00 AM at the Headquarters Parking lot of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (SJWA).To reach the SJWA take the I-215 south to the Ramona Expressway. Continue along the Expressway for approximately seven miles to Lakeview. At Lakeview turn north (left) onto Davis Road and drive north some 2.3 miles to the Reserve entrance. We will meet at the parking lot adjacent to the Reserve Headquarters. Bring a hand lens, water, and a sack lunch. The trip will consist of some light walking around the SJWA.
Saturday, May 16th, 2009 Otay Mountain, Southern San Diego County, Meet at Lower Otay Reservoir at 8AM return to vehicles at 3:30PM.
Leader: Jonathan Snapp-Cook.
If you would like to attend this field trip email Jonathan Snapp-Cook at snappcook(at)gmail.com to reserve a space and get directions to the meeting spot.
Description: Otay Mountain Wilderness Area provides habitat for Mexican flannelbush (Fremontodendron mexicanum) (the only location where this species grows naturally
in the United States) as well as several other rare and endangered species. This time of year Mexican flannelbush will be in full flower with large yellow flowers.
We may also see Dunn’s Mariposa lily (Calochortus dunnii), Orcutt’s Brodiaea (Brodiaea orcuttii), and Humboldt lily (Lilium humboldtii).
This field trip is off trail in a BLM’s Otay Mountain Wilderness Area. There will be approximately 6-8 miles of strenuous hiking on uneven, rocky and steep terrain.
Please wear a hat, boots, and long pants. Please bring lunch, at least 2 liters of water, sunscreen, and other appropriate field gear (e.g. cameras, notebooks).
Please email Jonathan Snapp-Cook at snappcook(at)gmail.com to reserve a space and get directions.