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Ladera Reef (Point Loma) with Dr. Joan Stewart Sunday, February 18, 2007 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
August 21, 2004:
Preserve Calavera Field Trip, Vista
This is one of a series of "Last Chance" hikes sponsored by Preserve Calavera. Join California Native Plant Society San Diego Chapter Vice President and noted biologist, Carolyn Martus, for this guided hike through one of the endangered places of North San Diego County. Hikers start at the road end and hike through a riparian area with over 200 year old coast live oak trees, through coastal sage scrub, along a rock formation named "Uncle Archie" and into a canyon where mountain lion scat has been found. This area is scheduled to become Carlsbad's next industrial park so this may be the "last chance" to see it as it functions today - a critical link in the regional wildlife corridor. Directions: Hike starts at the dead-end of Faraday by Brookhaven Pass in the Shadowridge area of Vista. Thomas Guide page 1127, H1. From I-5 take Palomar Airport Rd east, left on Business Park, left on Sycamore, left on S Melrose, right on Faraday to the end. Wear shoes with tread and bring water. No restrooms available at this location. For more information call 760-724-3887 and visit www.preservecalavera.org.
May 15, 2004: California Terraces Vernal
Pool Restoration Area, Otay Mesa This trip didn't get in the newsletter but is happening. The rainfall has been low this year and it has been a poor year for most annuals but the vernal pool plants are still in flower and easily visible.
Bruce Hanson and Scott McMillan will show us the vernal pool restoration with over 350 restored and created vernal pools. Should have have good opportunities to see many endangered plants in flower including Otay Mesa Mint, San Diego Thorn Mint, Small leaf Rose, Naverettia fossalis, Orcutt's grass, Button Celery, and Ambrosia pumila.
May 3-4, 2003. Field Trip to Otay Mountain and the Border Area
This joint trip with the San Diego and Orange County Chapters is being organized by Mark Elvin. It will be a rain or shine thing and will most likely be limited to a maximum of ten people per group leader (there are 3 right now). The purpose of this trip will be to teach people about the flora of the area, to teach people how to collect plants as vouchers, to document as many of the taxa on Otay Mountain as possible (some already are, but we want to get specimens in a number of "local" herbaria), to find and document new taxa to California and the U.S. (if possible). Tour leaders (as of the writing of this announcement) will be Mark A. Elvin (Museum Scientist, U.C. Irvine; Sr. Botanist, Dudek and Associates), Andrew C. Sanders (Herbarium Manager, U.C. Riverside), and Jon Rebman (Herbarium Manager, San Diego Natural History Museum). There may be more group leaders.
May 17-18, 2003. Field Trip to the Hardy-Idria Serpentine Joaquin Rocks
Once again this spring the Bureau of Land Management, Hollister Field Office, and many CNPS chapters, will cosponsor a fascinating, rugged field trip to southern San Benito and western Fresno counties. Our trip will begin at the BLM Hollister Field Office at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning on May 17, returning late afternoon on Sunday the 19th. We will approach the Idria serpentine from the east via Panoche Road through Griswold Canyon, up through the historic mining town of Idria. Our trip will include several stops to observe plant community composition and to eat lunch, as we meander through the geologically diverse terrain. We will traverse the higher elevations of the Clear Creek Management Area; through the unique San Benito Mountain forest (containing Jeffrey and Coulter pines, plus hybrids between the two species), with a final destination at the Joaquin Rocks for dinner and camping.
March 2-7, 2003. Field Trip to the Borderlands This field trip will follow the CNPS Chapter Council meeting at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG). Cindy Burrascano (San Diego Chapter) and Steve Hartman (Desert Conservation Chair) invite you to explore the most southwestern part of the continental U.S. -- habitats that are under siege by various causes. Leaving from RSABG on Sunday morning, we will drive south to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park where we will camp for three nights, hiking on Monday to an elephant tree forest and on Tuesday exploring the Split Mountain area. On Wednesday we will travel to Otay Mountain, where we will explore and camp in the vicinity. On Thursday we will explore Border Field State Park. The trip will be arranged so that each day will have a pre-arranged location for meeting if individuals cannot join the trip for the entire time. Please RSVP to Steve Hartman at naturebase@aol.com. Detailed instructions will be provided by email.
December 7, 2002. Mistletoe At Mount Laguna Nancy Hoogerland, forestry specialist for the Cleveland National Forest, will lead a trip featuring the various types of mistletoe in our local mountains. We will meet at Burnt Rancheria Campground. Details to follow.
October 19, 2002. Cabrillo National Monument/Point Loma
Claude Edwards, a renowned ornithologist and outstanding botanist, will lead a trip featuring the botany and natural history of Point Loma. Claude has been a volunteer at Cabrillo National Monument for many years and will share his expertise with us on this hike. Point Loma is home to some of the best remaining maritime succulent scrub habitat in the county. The trip will feature a close look at this unique habitat, which features such unusual species as Cliff Spurge (Euphorbia misera), Coast Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus viridescens), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) and more.
September 14, 2002. Laguna Aster Wooded Hill area, Mount Laguna
Our September field trip will feature one of San Diego County's very special endemic species, the Laguna Aster (Machaeranthera asteroides lagunensis). This species is restricted to a small area at the southern end of the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Although this hasn't been a very good year for wildflowers, most of the composites have been doing pretty well so we can hope for a good showing of the lovely purple blooms of this species. A plant list will be provided. Kirsten Winter, Forest Biologist for the Cleveland National Forest, will lead the trip.
June 15, 2002. In-Ko-Pah Mountains
Tim Cass will lead a hike up an unnamed peak in In-Ko-Pah Mountains
overlooking McCain Valley, southeast San Diego County.
June 22, 2002. Volcan Mountain
Butterflies and Plants
Over the last several years, the County of San Diego has acquired some
splendid properties for inclusion in the San Dieguito River Parkway. One
of the crown jewels is the Volcan Mountain preserve near Julian. This area
features some exceptionally beautiful pine and oak woodlands and native
grasslands, as well as, outstanding views of the surrounding areas. David
Faulkner, an expert entomologist, will lead a walk featuring the
butterflies and plants of the preserve.
March 23, 2002. Torrey Pines and Coastal Sage Scrub, Del Mar
The coastal strip has summer fog, enabling the unique Torrey Pine to survive with the fog's life-saving water. An ever-changing cast of flowering plants can also be found in bloom each month of the year in this narrow fog-belt. Charlie Kerns, a restoration biologist and botanist at the State Reserve, will lead the field trip.
July 14, 2001. TENTATIVE: Coastal Sand Dunes CANCELED A field trip to examples of San Diego County's coastal sand dunes. Please check back later for more details.
June 16, 2001. Love Valley (west of Lake Henshaw) Kirsten Winter, Cleveland National Forest Botanist, will lead a field trip to an area in the Cleveland National Forest that was burned during the 1999 La Jolla Indian Reservation fire. We will see how the fire affected chaparral and oak woodland/meadow habitats and recovery after approximately two years.
Bring: Please bring water and hat, and wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes. May 5, 2001. Otay Mesa Vernal Pool Restoration Site Saturday, 9:00 a.m. until noon
This is a special opportunity to visit a 45-acre vernal pool restoration site on Otay Mesa. The field trip will be hosted by RECON, the local consulting firm that is actively restoring the site, and will be led by RECON restoration biologists and CNPS members Mark Dodero and Bruce Hanson. The site is in its third year of restoration and promises to reveal not only a bevy of spring wildflowers, including many endangered species such as Otay Mesa mint (Pogogyne nudiuscula), San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia), Otay tarplant (Deinandra [=Hemizonia] conjugens), and San Diego button-celery (Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii), but interesting local wildlife as well. The field trip is limited to 25 people. Call Kim Marsden (evenings) at (619) 563-6492 to make a reservation. Rain will cancel.
April 21, 2001. Mine Canyon (Otay Mountain) This is a joint field trip with the Orange County Chapter of CNPS. We will hike down and back up Mine Canyon, about a 700-foot elevation change, in relatively rugged conditions. The hike will be moderately hard with some difficult areas to be expected. There are no formal trails in the area so we will be mostly "bushwhacking." Expect a five-hour hike. We will be away from the cars the entire time, there are no facilities. We will alert Border Patrol that there will be a group of us in the canyon that day for safety. This area has NOT been botanized very well! We are likely to find new records for San Diego County and possibly for the US. This area has a strong influence from the desert and the coast as well as Baja California. It promises to be a very interesting hike! Meet at the junction of State Route 94 and Otay Lakes Road at 9:30. You MUST be in good physical condition to participate. Rain will cancel. Call Kim Marsden evenings at (619) 563-6492 if you have questions regarding this trip.
Bring: at least 2 (preferably 4) liters of water, sunscreen, hat, sturdy hiking boots, lunch and snacks.
March 24, 2001 - Santa Rosa Plateau, Western Riverside County Basalt-capped mesas dotted with wildflower-ringed vernal pools; green, granite-cropped valleys brushed with mists and rare oak woodlands; narrow canyons cut by flowing creeks and shaded by sycamores and willows . . . this is springtime at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. Join us for an all-day excursion to The Nature Conservancy's Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve. The site of a historic ranch and one of the richest, most diverse natural landscapes remaining in southern California, the Santa Rosa Plateau is reminiscent of old California in the days before settlers arrived in great numbers. The 8,300-acre Reserve's rolling grasslands showcase the Engelmann oak -- a magnificent tree that once was found from Baja California to Oregon but now grows only in southern California. The Reserve's mesas hold some of southern California's last vernal pools, or seasonal ponds, which are important resting and feeding areas for migrating waterfowl. Wildlife also flock to drink from the Plateau's creek bed "tenajas" -- deep natural holes that hold water long after the creeks have dried up in late spring and summer. The Reserve is home to more than 250 species of native birds and 49 endangered, threatened, or rare animal and plant species. Meet at the entrance to the Reserve at 9:00 a.m. The Reserve is approximately an hour's drive from San Diego. Take I-15 north to Clinton Keith Road at Murrieta. Drive west approximately 4 miles to the Reserve Visitor's Center entrance. There is an entrance fee of $2 for adults, $1 for children 2-12. Parking and restrooms are onsite. Please bring water, hat, sunscreen, lunch, and snacks. We will do a slow meander through the Reserve. Please wear sturdy hiking books and bring a jacket in case it gets breezy. Leaders to be announced.
March 10, 2001 - Pacific Ocean during an Outgoing Tide Join Marine Biologist Joan Stewart for a field trip to observe the tidal algal life along the San Diego coast. Please call either Joan Stewart at (858) 277-9485 or Kim Marsden at (619) 563-6492 prior to 12 noon on March 10th for meeting location. Please wear warm clothes and shoes that can get wet and bring water, hat, sunscreen, and a snack if desired.
February 24, 2001- Borderfield State Park (BFSP) Come visit the far southwestern corner of the United States and enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the flora surrounding Borderfield State Park, including the only known U.S. location of Orcutt¹s dudleya (Dudleya attenuata ssp. orcuttii). We will observe three diminishing vegetation communities: maritime succulent sage scrub, coastal salt marsh, and southern coastal foredunes.
We will meet at the entrance kiosk to BFSP at 11:00 and travel as a group the short distance to the park. Take I-5 south to Tocayo Avenue offramp and travel west to Hollister. Turn left (south) on Hollister and continue on to Monument Road. Take a right (west) on Monument and continue on to the entrance kiosk which is a short distance off the pavement. Botanist Kim Marsden will lead the trip. Rain will cancel.
December 16, 2000 - East San Diego County; Banner Grade to Scissors Crossing Join us for a botanical exploration of the montane to desert transition vegetation from Banner Grade to Scissors Crossing. Botanists Larry Hendrickson and Kim Marsden will lead this field trip. Meet at the Banner Store (approximately 6.5 miles north of Julian) at 10:00 a.m. This field trip may include a moderately strenuous hike (with plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the scenery of the San Felipe Valley and surroundings) into Chariot Canyon where we will observe montane/desert transition chaparral recovering from a recent fire. We will also foray down into Scissors Crossing and observe the desert transition vegetation along the way and a desert riparian community in San Felipe Creek area. Directions: From the west take I-8 east to the SR-79 (Japatul Road) off-ramp and travel north through Cuyamaca State Park and Julian then east to Banner. Or, take I-8 east to SR-67, north through Ramona to SR-78, east to Julian, then east to Banner. Banner is approximately 6.5 miles past (east of) Julian. Meet at the Banner Store at 10:00 A.M. Bring sunscreen, water, and lunch/snacks; wear a hat and sturdy hiking shoes.
November 18, 2000 - Tijuana River Estuary Wildlife Biologist Brian Collins will lead this field trip in the Tijuana Estuary. Meet Brian at the Tijuana River Estuary Visitor Center, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach at 10:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity to observe plant adaptations to high-salinity environments. The field trip will include a tour of the native plant garden, the back dune area, and a failed restoration site. Directions: take Interstate 5 south to the Coronado Street off ramp (at about 0.5 mile Coronado turns into Imperial Beach Boulevard). Continue west to 3rd Street and turn left. 3rd Street doglegs into Caspian Way.
November 11-12, 2000 and/or January 13-14, 2001 Do you love the Mojave desert in the fall and winter? Do you like treasure hunts? Please join us in Joshua Tree National Park to hunt for for Robison's monardella (a rare mint in a rock-climbing mecca!). This perennial, rock-outcrop-loving species won't be in flower, but its characteristic smell will give it away! Hunting grounds will include a variety of situations, from strenuous hikes to casual strolls. Something for everyone! For more information, please contact Ileene Anderson at Andbotcon@aol.com or (323) 654-5943. (The State CNPS in conjunction with the Park service gave Ilene a grant for this project. The Park will provide a group camp site and some coordination.) October 28, 2000 - Santee Lakes CNPS and the San Diego Chapter of the Audubon Society have initiated a joint field trip collaboration to stimulate interest (and perhaps augment membership roles) for both groups. Our first joint field trip will be to Santee Lakes Regional Park to observe resident and migratory birds. Santee Lakes is one of the best spots in all of southern California for birdwatching, especially during the fall and winter. Ring-necked ducks, osprey, golden eagle, wood ducks, tricolored blackbirds, great blue herons, grackles, and egrets are just a few of the birds we are likely to see. Meet leader Bob Miller in the parking area between the first and second lakes. There is a vehicle entry fee of $3/car. Bring binoculars. Restrooms, water, & picnic tables are available. Considerable hiking on level ground. Moderately strenuous. From Mission Gorge Road in Santee, take West Hills Boulevard-go under freeway, and proceed to Carlton Oaks Drive. Turn right and proceed about a mile to park entrance on left. Allow about 20 minutes from Mission Valley. May 20, 2000 - Coulter and Jeffrey
Pines on Hot Springs Mountain This month's trip will explore Hot Springs Mountain, San Diego's second-highest peak, which supports montane flora in a mixed coniferous forest. The Los Coyotes Indian Reservation permits the general public to visit this central land of their reservation on weekends. Due to many years of fire suppression, there are enormous stands of chaparral and massive old trees on top, including Pinus coulteri and P. jeffreyi. According to Dr. Richard Minnick of UC Riverside, all yellow pines south of Mt. San Jacinto are Jeffrey pines, except a single ponderosa grove in a canyon on Hot Spring Mountain, which we may locate if he attends the field trip. We will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the I-15/Mira Mesa Drive Park'n'Ride, west of I-15, to caravan or ride-share. The route runs north on I-15 roughly 30 miles, then Highway 76 east roughly 30 miles, and then north on Highway 79 ten miles to Warner Springs. We will meet at the golf course parking lot on the west side of 79 and leave for the peak by 10:00. Because the unsurfaced road may be rough, we will need to travel in high-clearance vehicles with good traction; 4WD is definitely an asset though not a requirement. Less roadworthy vehicles will be parked at the golf course, and we'll ride-share for the day. Each vehicle will be charged $10 day use fee. Riders are encouraged to share this cost. Bring a couple quarts of drinks and a sack lunch. Wear boots, long pants, and hat. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. Some field guides will be available. We will take time to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. Once on top, we will spend the day botanizing in a couple of spots, and be off the mountain by 6:30, to return to San Diego by 7:30. Some of us may stop for dinner en route. A couple of UC Riverside folks and members of the Los Coyotes Band hope to join us. If you want to volunteer to be the day's trip leader, or if you have any questions, please call Kay (619) 234-2668. Rain will cancel. April 29, 2000 - Cuyamaca Cypress And
Descanso Flora The cypresses of California account for about one-third of the species of the genus Cupressus world-wide. They evolved into distinct species, isolated on moist mountain-tops and coastal fog-belts as the climate dried in the past millenia. Taxonomists dispute the number of species, but all agree that the cypresses on Cuyamaca Peak are most similar to Arizona Cypress, not the Tecate Cypress of the peninsular ranges nearby. The trip will involve bouncing on dirt roads and some scrambling carefully past poison oak, but the reward is a visit to this memorable, rare tree species perched on aquafirs fed by snowmelt from Cuyamaca Peak. If you want to volunteer to be the trip leader, please call Kay, (619) 234-2668. We will meet to caravan or ride-share at the south side I-8/Fuerte Dr. Park'n'Ride, just east of Grossmont Center in La Mesa at 9:30. Go east on I-8 roughly 40 miles, and exit around 10:15 and reconvene on the soft shoulder of Japatul Road 1/8 mile north of the I-8 overpass. From there we'll caravan to the trailhead roughly six miles, partly on improved gravel roads. The 1-1/2 mile path leads gradually up-hill through some dense chaparral and across a few stream channels to the groves. The tapestry of shrub, perennial, and annual species should be delightful. Bring a sack lunch for a picnic among the cypresses. Bring drinks and lunch, wear boots, long pants, and hat. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. Some field guides will be sold. We will take time to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. We'll return to the Park'n'Ride 3:00 or so. Rain will cancel. April 22, 2000 - Vanishing Grasslands,
Human Impacts, Ramona The Ramona area is under intense development pressure, and ancient grasslands are vanishing. Constance "Connie" Newgard, a resident of the area and wildland advocate, has offered to share her knowledge of Native American use patterns still visible in the grass and woodland vegetation patterns of San Vicente Valley. This is an event for members who may be interested in a broad look at the flora, rather than detailed scientific knowledge. Connie's love of her region and interest in Indians' use of the rich California flora have deepened her interest in native plants. She has served as liaison for CNPS to the Iron Mountain Conservancy, but she'll count on others to be botanists. The grassland flora should be in bloom., and there may be great bird-watching. The group will discuss conservation needs that Connie and her community are fighting to implement. The tour will start at a designated meeting place in San Diego Country Estates, then "drive-park-walk-drive...." car-caravanning to several different sites,exploring each. Participants will pause for a picnic lunch mid-day. Because this event will be hosted partly on private land, Connie has requested to keep the group to ten participants. Please call Connie at (760) 788-1619 to reserve your spot and to get a map of the tour. Call Connie if it's raining on the day of the event. March 26, 2000 - Mountain Springs Grade The far southeastern corner of San Diego County is boulder-strewn mountainous desert. The mid-slopes collect enough moisture to support California juniper (Juniperus californica), with around a dozen species of cacti and other flowering plants, which may be flowering by late March, filling other ecological niches. At higher elevations, single-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) replaces junipers. Dr. Jon Rebman, the staff Botanist at the San Diego Natural History Museum, will lead the trip. Dr. Rebman has been analyzing the cactus genus Opuntia in this locale. He will lead a cross-country ramble to see rare species such as O. wolfii among the juniper, turpentine broom (Thamnosma montana) and California barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindrceus). We will meet to caravan or ride-share at the south side I-8/Fuerte Dr. Park'n'Ride, just east of Grossmont Center in La Mesa at 9:30 am or meet us at the trailhead by Mountain Springs Grade exit, about 60 miles east on I-8, at 10:30 am. There is a parking lot just to the right after taking the exit. The group will hike cross-country at a relaxed pace across the jumbled-boulder terrain on relatively flat topography before lunch. Bring a sack lunch for a picnic among the junipers. Those who wish may take an afternoon hike to view single-leaf pinyon pines and other flora at higher elevations via a rigorous hike. Others can head back home, arriving back at San Diego at 3:00 pm or so. The afternoon hikers will return after dark, maybe stopping for dinner en route, depending on their inclination. Be sure to be equipped with at least two quarts of water or drinks, solid walking shoes with ankle support (leather is best, cactus thorns will penetrate fabric), sun protection and (because of cacti and the danger of rattlesnakes) long sturdy pants and even gaiters. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. Some field guides will be available for sale. We will take time to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. The actual walking before lunch will be leisurely, so athletic ability is not a prerequisite. Rain will cancel. February 19, 2000 - Famosa Slough To get to Famosa Slough, go west on I-8 to the end, follow the signs toward Nimitz Bld. Turn left at West Point Loma Blvd. After you cross Famosa Boulevard, on the right, look for a parking space and park. Walk back to Famosa Blvd and turn left (south) to a wooden kiosk, about 150'. We will meet there. The trail in not rough. Any sturdy shoes will do. We will not go into any wet areas. The field trip will be about 1.5 hours or so. Binoculars could be useful if anyone wants to look at birds as well as plants. We will see marsh plants, upland plants that we have planted, and invasives that we are removing. If you know of anyone with special expertise or interest in this topic, please invite them to attend and share their knowledge. For further information on this trip call Kay, (619) 234-2668. February 26, 2000 - Otay Mountain The landscape of Otay Mountain has been shaped by drought and fires. With scant rains and torrid summers, it is nevertheless the home of the Tecate cypress (Cupressus forbesii), southern mountain misery (Chamaebatia australis) and a host of rare and unusual species. However, the southern flanks were scorched several times in the mid-90's by human-caused fires, stressing the environment's ability to rebound. Scott McMillan, a field botanist who has botanized on Otay Mountain for the past decade, will lead a car-caravan field trip to vegetation at the top of the mountain that has not burned in many decades, and then visit recent burn sites to observe the vegetation recovery and succession. Mike Wangler, who has studied fire succession and is an instructor of geography at Cuyamaca College, will provide his perspective also. Take I-805 south and turn east on the Otay Valley Road/SR-905 exit, the last exit before reaching San Ysidro and the Mexican border. Drive east about five miles and turn right on La Media Road, just past Brown Field Airport. We will meet 9:30 a.m. at the 7-11 parking lot at the corner of Otay Valley Rd./SR 905 and La Media Road. Depending on the turnout, we may leave some vehicles at this lot and ride-share so we will have as few vehicles as possible. The road is well graded and graveled but lacks large turnouts for the group to park in when we reach the three sites we will be exploring on foot. Bring a sack lunch for a picnic on the mountaintop among the cypresses. We plan to return to the 7-11 around 2:30 or 3:00 at the latest. Water or drinks, walking shoes, sun protection, and windbreaker are advised. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. Some field guides will be available for sale. We will take time to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. The actual walking time will be leisurely, so athletic ability is not a prerequisite. THIS FIELD TRIP WILL BE CANCELLED IF IT IS RAINING. January 29, 2000 - Mission Trails Regional
Park With winter rains, the California landscape is transformed, and among the most remarkable plants to reveal themselves are those that are dormant in the hot season: ferns. Assuming winter rains break the spell of drought, Mission Gorge will reveal its treasure of fern species, including Bird's Foot Fern (Pellaea mucronata), when Robin Halley leads the January field trip. Robin has served as newsletter editor for the San Diego Fern Society and has explored Mission Trails extensively. Robin works as a senior network engineer for SAIC, and pursues knowledge of ferns as a very serious hobby. He first became fascinated eighteen years ago with ferns, which include over 10,000 species worldwide, with over a hundred species in California. We will meet 10:00 a.m. at the parking lot/trailhead by the historic "Padre Dam" in Mission Trails Regional Park. Take I-8 to the Mission Gorge Rd./Fairmont Rd. exit. Take Mission Gorge Rd. north approximately 5 miles. Junipero Serra Rd. goes west into the park 1/4 mile after passing Jackson Dr. intersection. Follow Junipero Serra Rd. approx. 1/2 mile north of the Mission Trails Visitor Center until you see the lot on the river side of the road. Water or drinks, walking shoes, sun protection,
and windbreaker are advised. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook,
and nature books are suggested. Robin suggested purchasing and bringing
the pocket guide Ferns and Fern Allies of California, by Steven Grillos,
published by U.C. Press. We will note other plants as well, referring
to the plant list developed by Dr. Mike Simpson of SDSU for the park,
and will take time to introduce newcomers to field plant identification.
A two mile leisurely walk will return to the lot around noon. Athletic
people may then choose to accompany Robin on a boulder scramble to see
three or four additional species nearby, up an escarpment. Those who choose
to, do so at their own risk. Rain will cancel. November 20, 1999 - Torrey Pines and
Coastal Sage Scrub The coastal strip has summer fog, enabling the unique Torrey Pine to survive with the fog's life-saving water. An ever-changing cast of flowering plants can also be found in bloom each month of the year in this narrow fog-belt. November's field trip will visit the less-frequented Torrey Pines State Reserve Extension, on the north side of Carmal Valley Road. Charlie Kerns, a restoration biologist and botanist at the State Reserve, will lead the field trip. If the rains have commenced by then, the group may be observing the first new growth emerging from summer-dormant species. If not, the tour will be a lesson in the vitality found in the coastal sage scrub even at the end of the long dry season. Meet at the trail head on Del Mar Scenic Parkway at 9:45 a.m. This is about 3/4 hour drive from downtown San Diego via I-5. Take the Carmel Valley Road exit and go west about 1-1/4 miles to the turnoff to the parking lot for Torrey Pines State Beach. Del Mar Scenic is the same street, running opposite the parking lot turnoff, north and up the hill by the large condominiums. Continue until it dead-ends, and park as near the road-end as possible. Water or drinks, walking shoes, sun protection, and windbreaker are advised. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. We will have some field guides and will take a few minutes at the beginning to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. Usually expert botanists attend the field trips and find interesting and unusual plants. We plan to finish the two to three mile leisurely walk around noon. Rain will cancel. North Torrey Pines State Reserve Extension About two dozen people attended a walk
into the north Torrey Pines State Reserve Extension with Charlie Kerns
as leader. With no rains yet, there were few forbs or other herbaceous
species, nevertheless, Cindy Burrascano recorded over 50 native taxa in
her field log. Rare, threatened and endangered plants listed in the CNPS
inventory were found, including Del Mar sand aster and Del Mar manzanita.
The odd euphorb, California croton, was spotted, and as is the case almost
year-round in Torrey Pines, bush poppy was in flower. Magnificent old
specimens of chaparral mallow with hundreds of dried flower wands must
be beautiful in mid- summer. One oddity was the continuous clicking sounds
of some unseen insects in the large stands of wild rye that fill parts
of the arroyo. Charlie provided a knowledgeable commentary on the flora
and history of the area. Thank you, Charlie and Cindy. Pinyon Pines of San Diego County Twenty-two lucky souls enjoyed a perfect day on the crest of the Laguna Mountains in pinyon pine territory. The grove closest to the Desert View picnic area had many ripe goose-egg sized cones with the pinyon pine's definitive wingless nuts ripe and ready to be carried away by all manner of wildlife. Young pines growing in boulder crevices illuminated how animals had carried the seed there, tried to crack the seeds, and inadvertently planted them, which is the typical means of pinyon dissemination. We discussed the systematics of these four-and five-needle pinyons, and how the taxonomists are working to clarify this regional form's relationship to the 5-needle Baja California species, Pinus juarezensis, and singleleaf P. monophylla, the widespread species of California's desert mountains and the Great Basin. On our March 2000 desert field trip we will see the singleleaf pinyon. A small group bushwhacked to view dense groves of pinyons on the steep slope, but only Hans Britsch made it. He came back reporting "mostly 4, some 5". In addition to pinyons, with the able botanizing of several CNPS members, the group identified over 40 other species of plants. A beautiful yellow aster with dark green succulent foliage growing in a north-facing boulder crevice was identified by Virginia Moran as Ericameria cuneata var. macrocephala, and a small somewhat woody mallow with rosy flowers was tentatively identified as the rare Malacothamnus aboriginum by Joan Stewart. Many plants in seed were identified, and fall color was provided by purple Corethrogyne filiginifolia, Erigeron spp., and Linanthus androsaceus contrasted with golden Gutierrezia bracteata. -- Kay Stewart. September 25, 1999 - Pinyon Pines of
San Diego County (See report) Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Park & Ride south side of I-8 at the Severin/Fuerte exit to carpool/caravan out to the trailhead. We will park at the Desert Overlook trailhead & picnic area in the Laguna Mountains at 9:30 a.m. Take I-8 east roughly 50 miles, turn north on the Sunrise Highway (S-1) and continue roughly 10 miles to the little town of Mount Laguna.The trailhead site is on the east side several miles north of the town. With Nancy Hoogerlang, Descanso Ranger District Forestry Tech, as our leader, we will explore the east slope to view Parry pinyon (Pinus quadrifolia) and one-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla), which were significant food sources for native Americans and currently support a rich wildlife community. Previous CNPS fieldtrips to this area located the rare Laguna Alum Root (Heuchera brevistaminea). We will have the opportunity to identify many other plants by studying the fruit and seed, and we may see some species that bloom late summer and fall. The walk will be a couple of miles at a leisurely pace, and we will wrap up the event by lunching somewhere on the trail, so bring a sack lunch. As always, water or drinks, good walking shoes, sun protection, long pants, and windbreaker are advised. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, and nature books are suggested. Nancy will provide a list of plants found in the vicinity by Cleveland National Forest botanists. We plan to have some field guides for sale , and will take a few minutes at the beginning of the field trip to help newcomers and beginners start to get the hang of field plant identification. As always, any knowledgeable botanists who come along will be leading the rest of the gang. October 30, 1999 - Ponderosa and Sugar
Pines on Cuyamaca Mountain Come on a vigorous but not difficult half-day field trip, six-plus miles at 4,500-5,500' elevation. Lack of flowers doesn't mean there's nothing to see! With Suzanne Bell, who has botanized around the mountains of San Diego for years, we will see majestic old stands of ponderosa and sugar pines on Middle Peak and 25-year-old stands on the north slope of Cuyamaca Peak. Tom Crandall, of the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Interpretive Association, will share cultural facts with us. We can compare acorns of Black and Canyon Oaks. Snowberry, oak mistletoe and species of mistletoe on conifers and other plants will be in fruit, grasses in seed. Meet 8:30 a.m. to carpool/caravan from the south side Park & Ride off I-8 in La Mesa at the Severin/Fuerte exit. The field trip will begin at Milk Ranch Road & 79, just south of Cuyamaca Lake, at 9:45. Take I-8 east roughly 50 miles, turn north on Japatul Road/Route 79. In about a mile, 79 forks left toward Descanso. Follow signs to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, past Green Valley Falls, Museum, and Paso Picacho Campground, roughly 15 miles. Just before the lake there is a parking pullout. Milk Ranch Road, a private gated road, is on the other side of 79. This is about 1-1/4 hrs from downtown San Diego. This area is just outside the State Park in the Cleveland National Forest. An Adventure Pass is required for each car to park ($5 day/$30 annual). Call (858) 673-6180 for a purchasing location near you. On the day of the event, you may be able to purchase a pass en route at the Descanso Trading Post (call 619-445-4510 to confirm they will be open by 9:00 a.m.) By ride-sharing we can reduce the per-person cost of the day-use fees. Water or drinks, walking shoes, sun protection, long pants, warm clothing and windbreaker are advised. Camera, hand lens, binoculars, notebook, and nature books are suggested. We will have some elementary field guides and will take a few minutes at the beginning to introduce newcomers to field plant identification. Usually expert botanists attend the field trips and find interesting and unusual plants. We'll have lunch along the way, so bring a sack lunch. We plan on returning to the La Mesa Park & Ride around 3:00 p.m. Rain will cancel. |
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