Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 25, 2019

Santa Clara CNPS Wildflower Show April 27

45th Annual Wildflower Show April 27 @ 9:30 am – 3:00 pm

This year’s theme is Citizen Science. A variety of free lectures will be offered, including a training session by Matteo Garbelotto from the UC Berkeley Forest Pathology and Mycology Laboratory for the Saratoga Sudden Oak Death (SOD) Blitz, and a talk and demonstration by Ken-ichi Ueda, the co-founder of iNaturalist.

This family–friendly event features hundreds of native wildflowers and plants on display and a variety of tours, including a tour of the Vasona Creek Restoration Project. A selection of native plants and native plant art, t-shirts, books and other related goods will be available for
purchase. The event and parking are all free to the public.

A full schedule and more information is available at:
www.cnps-scv.org/index.php/events/wildflower-shows

Displays of California Native plants and flowers collected from Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.  Lectures about native plants and citizen science topics throughout the day.  Pruning demonstrations. Plant Sales. Books and t-shirt sales, plus other vendors. Event is free to the public, plus free parking in lots 1 and 3. The spring wildflower show hosted the CNPS Santa Clara Valley Chapter and West Valley College.

Details: Date: April 27 Time: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm

Venue: West Valley College 14000 Fruitvale Ave  Saratoga, CA 95070 United States+ Google Map

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 25, 2019

The 9th Annual Gardens Gone Native Tour April 27

The 9th Annual Gardens Gone Native TourApril 27 @ 9:30 am – 4:00 pm

 The 2019 Gardens Gone Native is a free, self-guided tour featuring home gardens in and around Sacramento and Yolo counties. Gardens are comprised of at least 50% California Native plants. Participants will be inspired by a variety of gardens that showcase the beauty, versatility, and hardiness of California native plants as well as their role in water efficient landscapes. A diversity of garden styles can be viewed, including: small city lots to large semi-rural parcels, professional and homeowner designs, and hundreds of native plant species. Get tickets

Details

Date: April 27  Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Website: https://www.sacvalleycnps.org/fairsevents/gardens-gone-native

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 25, 2019

Henry Coe Wildflower Update 4/25/19

Henry Coe State Park has a new wildflower bloom report at the Pine Ridge Association website with photos and a list of flowers now in bloom at: Henry W. Coe – Wildflower Guide.

New Website Link: Henry Coe has updated its website and changed the wildflower link. The new link is https://coepark.net/blooming 

 

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 25, 2019

2019 Global Big Day is May 4

from CornellLab of Ornithology

Last May, more than 30,000 people took to fields and forests around the world, noting more than 7,000 species in a single day—Global Big Day.

On 4 May, will you join more than 30,000 others and become a part of Global Big Day? You don’t have to commit to birding for 24 hours—an hour or even 10 minutes of watching birds makes you part of the team. Visit your favorite spot or search out someplace new; enjoy a solo walk or get some friends to join in the Global Big Day fun.

How to participate

    • Get an eBird account:eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. Sign up here.It’s 100% free.
    • Watch birds on 4 May:It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert, or go out all day long. Even 10 minutes in your backyard will help. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report birds from anywhere in the world.
    • Enter what you see and hear on eBird: You can enter your sightings via our websiteor—even easier—download the free eBird Mobile app. You can enter and submit lists while you’re still out birding, and the app will even keep track of how far you’ve walked, so you can focus on watching birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird IDapp for help with identification. Please enter sightings before 8 May to be included in our initial results announcement.

Read More…

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 24, 2019

Anza-Borrego Wildflowers 4/22/19

Borrego Wildflowers two most recent reports

April/22/2019 PCT Scissors Crossing North

We read reports of a good bloom along the PCT from Scissors Crossing, so we made a new hike.
The bloom is indeed good with many Encelia farinosa farinosa | Brittlebush in good bloom.
Our second encounter with a venomous snake, we were almost on top of it, not too snake aware on the PCT. It was making a hissing sound and kept and eye on us, even when other hikers arrived on the scene.

It’s finally time for Dudleya saxosa aloides | Desert dudleya to start their bloom.
Eriastrum eremicum eremicum | Desert woolly star are extremely late this season, we found many plants but just a few in bloom.
This is place were Eriophyllum wallacei | Wallace’s woolly daisy, white and yellow mix, often just next to each other.
Our favorites are still in good bloom | Diplacus brevipes , Wide throated yellow monkeyflower and Diplacus fremontii | Fremont’s monkeyflower.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 107.

April/21/2019 Pena Spring Hellhole Canyon

A trip down the Hellhole Canyon starting at Pena Spring.
The bloom is very good going down, hundreds of Collinsia concolor | Chinese houses and Gilia capitata abrotanifolia | Globe gilia in good bloom.
Many Delphinium | Larkspur and Keckiella antirrhinoides microphylla | Little leaf chaparral beard tongue in bloom.
Going down wasn’t too difficult except for the last part. The creek is running, but the vegetation is dense with a lot of catclaw.

Many Encelia farinosa farinosa | Brittlebush and Justicia californica | Chuparosa in bloom along the creek.
We were very pleased to find one Phacelia ramosissima | Branching phacelia in bloom.

On our way up a couple of blooming Nemophila pedunculata | Littlefoot blue eyes.

Species in bloom below 3000 feet: 102.

see photos and older reports at Borrego Wildflowers

 

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 24, 2019

North Table Mt. Wildflowers 4/20/19

submitted by Daniel

The wildflowers are now in peak bloom at the North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve in Oroville. I visited on the morning of Saturday 4/20/19 and was surprised to see more than double the amount of flowers I saw when I visited about three weeks ago. The bloom this year appears to have been delayed at least a week or two due to the colder than usual weather. Some years you would need to walk at least a quarter mile into the fields to find good patches but right now the wildflowers are so numerous they are carpeting the fields with an impressive display and extend all the way to the roadside. The sheer volume of many different types of wildflowers is close to match the amount I saw at North Table Mountain two years ago.
The vernal pool wildflowers are out in full force and along the sides of the streams. The only downside was the low flow at the waterfalls being at least half the volume from three weeks ago. Near Phantom Falls you can see spots where the vegetation is starting to dry up. However, late Saturday afternoon a thunderstorm with lightning came through this whole area dropping a considerable amount of precipitation in a short period of time. Perhaps this recent rain will extend the bloom season but with temperatures reaching the high 80s this week I would recommend visiting North Table Mountain soon if you can before the wildflowers are gone.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 24, 2019

Endangered Species Act Has Saved 99 Percent of Protected Species From Extinction

Center for Biological Diversity News Release

New Study: Endangered Species Act Has Saved 99 Percent of Protected Species From Extinction

PORTLAND, Ore.— A study published today in the journal PeerJ shows the Endangered Species Act has saved roughly 99 percent of protected wildlife since its creation in 1973, demonstrating the law has been overwhelmingly successful.

“Congress passed the Endangered Species Act to stop more species like the Carolina parakeet and great auk from going extinct, and in the vast majority of cases, it has worked,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity and lead author of the study. “There can be no question that without the Endangered Species Act, we would have lost species like bald eagles, California condors, black-footed ferrets and many, many more.”

Relying on five-year status reviews by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other scientific data, the study identified and assessed the status of currently listed threatened or endangered species that may be extinct.

Of the more than 1,700 animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act, the authors found just four species that went extinct after receiving protection and another 22 that are possibly extinct. Another 71 are extinct or possibly extinct but were last seen before they were listed and protected, so the Endangered Species Act never had the chance to save them.

Read More…

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2019

Sonoma County Wildflowers 4/23/19

Botanical Wanderings has a post of 35 wildflower photos seen along Pine Flat Road in Sonoma County this morning at (13) Botanical Wanderings – California

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2019

Oregon Wildflower Updates 4/21/19

Oregon Wildflowers has many wildflower reports this past week including

  • Bald Hill
  • Baldy Mountain
  • Bush’s Pasture
  • Camassia Natural Area
  • Cathedral Hills County Park
  • Catherine Creek
  • Chenoweth Tablelands
  • Coyote Wall
  • Dog Mountain
  • Hardy Ridge
  • Klickitat Trail
  • Labyrinth
  • Lacamas Park
  • Lower Table Rock
  • Memaloose Hills
  • Mount Pisgah Arboretum
  • Rowena Plateau
  • Sevenmile Hill
  • Silver Falls State Park
  • Swale Canyon

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2019

Marin Wildflowers 4/22/19

The Marin CNPS Facebook page has recent wildflower photo reports for

  • SCA Trail near the Golden Gate Bridge (Coming on 101 from the north, turn after Robin William’s tunnel on Alexander exit. Make a left, then a right. Park in the lot on the west side of GG Bridge. Walk west thru the parking lot. Follow the trail which eventually crosses the road.)
  • Miwok trail in Marin Headlands above the lagoon
  • Hill 88 loop hike above Rodeo Beach. (Coastal Trail to Wolf Ridge Trail to Miwok Trail)
  • Watershed (Bullfrog & Liberty Gulch)
  • Bobcat trail in the headlands with an amazing variety of flowers.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2019

Bear Valley Wildflowers 4/17/19

Where to Photograph in California (Calphoto)  had this report for Bear Valley last week
it’s worth the trip.  As you turn off Hwy 20 going north the corral has a decent presentation of yellow flowers. In the canyon going toward the valley things are filling out, we felt it still has a week or so to go.  Up near the crest the base of yellow under the oaks is in place.  As you go into the valley there are some fields of color forming. Lupines are around 4″ tall, we felt they had room to grow but I’m not certain I wasn’t seeing Miniature Lupine.
The Bear Valley Ranch has it’s large fields forming & beginning to show waves of color.  There are clumps of flowers as you go up the valley. The field up at the wildflower gate is doing fine. some nice clumps of poppies outside the fence.  Not a lot above the wildflower gate to Leesville, but if you exit via Leesville Rd the greens in the valley below Windy Point are incredible.
There’s a decent variety of flowers present now, and to me it’s only going to get better. It hasn’t been this good for several years.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2019

As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds

The New York Times reported

…researchers found that under a warming climate, rather than absorbing more greenhouse gas emissions, plants and soil may start absorbing less, accelerating the rate of change.

Read story As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds – The New York Times

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 22, 2019

How Do Frogs Jump?

The New York Times  has a video on What a Frog needs to leap

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 21, 2019

How Many Birds Disappear Between Migration Seasons?

Audubon Magazine reports New research has found that a third of the avian population that winters in the mainland United States might not survive till spring. But

Each fall, billions of birds like the robin and tanager make their way to the Lower 48 or to the tropics. But a big slice of them never flies back—casualties of natural causes like weather and predation, and unnatural causes like oil pits, feral cats, and glass collisions. Now scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, have put a first-ever estimate on those missing travelers.

Read article at How Many Birds Disappear Between Migration Seasons? We Now Have a Clue. | Audubon

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 20, 2019

10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Month

The Sierra Club  writes about was to celebrate Earth Day (April 22)  and Earth Month at  10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Month | Sierra Club

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 20, 2019

Winters Becoming Shorter in Mountainous Western U.S.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego reports

Winters are still coming, but they’re becoming increasingly shorter, say the findings of one researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.

Looking at snowpack data from 1982 through 2017, researcher Amato Evan found that winters are becoming shorter in mountainous regions. While he found no trend in declining snowfall, his research shows that the snow is disappearing earlier in the year, which could have implications for state water management and wildfire activity. The study was published December 12, 2018 in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology and presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Read full article at  Winters Becoming Shorter in Mountainous Western U.S. | Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 19, 2019

Southern California Wildflower Reports 4/19/19

Theodore Payne has new wildflower report today for Central and Southern California. You can find it and older reports at Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline

The Hotline is meant to help people enjoy the unique and beautiful nature of Southern California, without diminishing that resource in years to come. We encourage people to treat these floral treasures with the respect due to all living organisms.

Flower viewing etiquette is simple:
  • Stay on the paths
  • Stand on bare ground
  • Leave the flowers unharmed

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 19, 2019

Golden Gate Park is the Most Valuable Green Space in the World

reposted  from the Golden Gate Park blog 

A recent study, published in the London Evening Standard last week, compared 12 iconic urban parks in the world in terms of the value of the real estate they occupy.  The results:   Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is the most expensive urban green space in the world.   It is worth more than $49 billion.  The study calculated values by multiplying the size of the park by the average apartment value per sq/m in the city.  Central Park in New York, which is smaller than Golden Gate Park, is worth more than $45 billion based on New York property prices.

Obviously the cultural capital enjoyed by these parks outweighs their monetary value.  Let’s hope that doesn’t change!

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 18, 2019

Water, Not Temperature, Limits Global Forest Growth As Climate Warms 

ScienceDaily reports

The growth of forest trees all over the world is becoming more water-limited as the climate warms. The effect is most evident in northern climates and at high altitudes where the primary limitation on tree growth had been cold temperatures. The research details the first time that changes in tree growth in response to current climate changes have been mapped at a near-global scale.

Read story at  Water, not temperature, limits global forest growth as climate warms — ScienceDaily

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 17, 2019

Why we need birds (far more than they need us) 

Birdlife.org report on why birds are essential part of the world’s ecosystems

The benefits birds bring us aren’t just cultural. Birds play an essential role in the functioning of the world’s ecosystems, in a way that directly impacts human health, economy and food production – as well as millions of other species. Here’s how…

Read  how birds benefit ecosystems and humans at   Why we need birds (far more than they need us) | BirdLife

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 16, 2019

One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck

The New York Times reports on how One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck

If one duckweed lands where a bird relieves itself, it’s capable of eventually creating a dense mat of duckweeds where there were none before.

Read story at One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck – The New York Times

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2019

Anza-Borrego State Park Wildflowers 4/14/19

Anza Borrego State Park reports on April 14, 2019

With almost 8 inches of rain since July, we have experienced a widespread bloom of flowers. Click the link below for specific tips and locations.

Although the show of annual wildflowers is mostly over, shrubs and cacti are still blooming at the Visitor Center and in western canyons such as Borrego Palm Canyon, Hellhole Canyon, and Henderson Canyon.  The Highway 78 corridor also has plenty of minor canyons worth exploring, in addition to Plum Canyon (2WD vehicles should stay to the right when the dirt road forks). Palo Verde trees are starting to bloom with abundant yellow flowers. Ocotillo are looking great in many locations!

AREA MAP WITH WILDFLOWER VIEWING TIPS 4/13/19

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2019

Chimney Rock Wildflowers 4/14/19

The Marin CNPS chapter has a post with eight photos showing what is currently in bloom at Chimney Rock at Pt. Reyes National Seashore at Marin Native Plants

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2019

Regional Parks Botanic Garden Native Plant Sale April 20

Regional Parks Botanic Garden Spring Sale of California Native Plants

Saturday, April 20, 2019  10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Choose from a huge selection of California native shrubs, trees, and perennials at our annual spring sale to benefit the Garden.
See our website www.nativeplants.org for more information and a complete list of plants that will be available at the sale along with their quantity, pot size, and price. The plant list will be posted soon and will be updated up to the day before the sale.9:00 a.m. to 10: 00 a.m. Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden only
(Memberships can be purchased at the door starting at 8:30 a.m. on April 20.)10: a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Open to the public

Sale held at Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Regional Park.

  • Entrance to the sale will be at the Garden’s west gate on Anza View Drive via Wildcat Canyon Road.
  • Free parking and no entrance fee
  • Cash, check, and credit card payments are welcome.
  • Bring your own small wagon or boxes.
  • Plenty of fun and expert advice, rain or shine!
Coyote Brush Studios will be selling their handmade, sustainable, educational goods and prints celebrating California’s unique biodiversity and natural history.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 15, 2019

How Plants Sense Temperature

ScienceDaily Reports

Scientists identify how plants sense temperature: With a temperature sensor in hand, researchers can engineer crops that produce yields in warmer climates

A UC Riverside researcher is leading a team exploring how plants respond to temperature.

Read story at Scientists identify how plants sense temperature: With a temperature sensor in hand, researchers can engineer crops that produce yields in warmer climates — ScienceDaily

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2019

Mt. Burdell Wildflowers

The  Marin CNPS has a posting of photos from a recent trip to  Mt. Burdell at (1) California Native Plant Society

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2019

Antelope Valley Wildflowers 4/13/19

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Bloom update as of April 13, 2019:

As of April 13th, the blooming poppies are still blanketing the reserve with their magnificent orange color.  Every flower and other plants that exist at the Poppy Reserve are currently blooming.  This is a great time to visit.  We are expecting the bloom to last through April, but the peak of the bloom has been reached.  The bloom continue to be amazing, a few flowers have started to wilt while there are still some plants that have buds.  If you are looking to find the exact location of a particular flower or plant, our staff can point you to the right trails when you arrive.

Please remember, visitors must stay on OFFICIAL TRAILS only; photos in the flowers are not allowed in the park. Walking in the poppies creates dirt patches and may result in a ticket. DO NOT walk where others have already damaged the habitat; it will compound the damage and leave a scar for years to come.

Commercial and student filming/photography requires a permit. No dogs, bikes on trails, drones, or picking flowers.

Poppies open up in mid morning, and curl up in the late afternoon/evening or if it’s cold, so check the weather forecast before leaving.  The weather can change suddenly and it is frequently windy here during the spring.  This is a DESERT grassland, so drink water often.  Note that it can be very windy here in the spring.

Current Photos

 

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2019

Texas Wildflowers: Ennis County 4/14/19

Texas Wildflower Report has an update on Ennis Country

Today, Sunday, April 14th, 2019 is the last day of the Ennis Bluebonnet Festival, but the marked trails will be available to tour and view through April 30th

See photos and older reports at Texas Wildflower Report

 
 
 

 

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 14, 2019

America’s reindeer have quietly gone extinct in the Lower 48

HeadTopics reports

America’s reindeer have quietly gone extinct in the Lower 48.

The last known member of the only herd to roam between Canada and the Pacific Northwest was captured and relocated earlier this year.

Read full story at  Selkirk Caribou | America’s reindeer have quietly gone extinct in the Lower 48

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 13, 2019

San Diego Wildflower Hikes

Pacific San Diego reports on four wildflower hiking trails in San Diego County. Only one is in Anza-Borrego. The others are

  • Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
  • Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve
  • Lake Hodges

Read article at San Diego hikes to see spring flowers – Pacific San Diego

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