El Dorado Chapter CNPS

Native oak woodlands cover a large portion of our county. According to the Oaks 2040 report published by the California Oak Foundation, El Dorado County has more oak woodlands at risk than any other county in the state.

Several General Plan Policies relate to the conservation of oak woodland habitat. To implement these polices, the El Dorado County has recently developed and released a draft Oak Woodlands Management Plan (144k PDF). CNPS joined with the Sierra Club, the Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation, and El Dorado Taxpayers for Quality Growth to provide comments.

CHAPTER MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS

The chapter monthly programs are held on the third Tuesday of each month with the exception of August and December. Programs begin at 7 pm at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville. Our chapter meetings are free and the public is invited to attend. Each meeting includes a show-and-tell about a particular plant, an announcement of chapter happenings, and the speaker presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the meeting.

The next meeting: May 20, 7:00 pm

Butterflies and Plants

Speaker Pete Robinson

Learn more about local butterflies and plants. Pete Robinson will talk about the relationship of native plant populations to butterfly numbers. He also will discuss how to identify common species of butterflies.

Note: There are more than 1200 plant species in the Eldorado Nat'l Forest, but there are only 142 butterfly species listed for the county. Start watching for them.

June 17, 7:00 pm

What a Little Known Mixed Conifer Forest in Mexico's Baja California
Teaches about Sierra Nevada Forest Policy

Speaker Richard Rypinski

Travel to Baja California to learn about the only mixed conifer forest in western North America that has experienced neither commercial logging nor a policy of wildfire suppression. The relic Sierra San Pedro Martir forest may provide some answers to restoring the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest to what was a fire-adapted ecosystem.

Most informed observers agree that the structure and composition of the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest has been significantly changed by past logging practices and a hundred year-old policy of fire suppression. We can easily observe this change today as we travel through our nearby second and third growth forests now dominated by dense stands of young white fir.

The Forest Service's stated policy is to restore the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest to what was the fire adapted pre-1850 ecosystem. But what was the composition and structure of that forest? Professionals disagree.

UC Professor Scott Stephens has been conducting a series of field studies with a goal of assisting in the development of restoration objectives for similar forests in the western United States. In the late spring of 2005, Richard Rypinski traveled to the Sierra San Pedro Martir with Dr. Stephens's research team to participate in the continuing study of this rare North America mixed conifer forest located in Baja California approximately 150 miles south of San Diego.

Rypinski will speak about the beauty of this untouched Mexican forest composed of Jeffrey pine, white fir, sugar pine, lodgepole pine and limited amounts of incense cedar and quaking aspen thriving through fire and drought within the California floristic province. He will tell us what he thinks that untouched mixed conifer forest teaches about forest policy in the Sierra Nevada.

The public is welcome to join us at the Placerville County Public Library, 345 Fair Lane. For more information, download the latest newsletter .

CHAPTER BOARD MEETINGS

Chapter board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month (except for July and December) at 6:30 PM to discuss business items concerning the chapter and its activities. Meetings are held at various locations. The board meetings for the months of March through May will be held at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor's Office at 100 Forni Rd., Placerville, in the small conference room in back (west side) of the building. From Forni Rd. turn onto Briw Rd. and it's the second building on the right. All members are welcome.

Copies of the minutes from our latest board meeting are available at the chapter meetings or you can request a copy from any one of our board members.

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TRIP PLANNING MEETING

The trip planning meeting occurs in the early part of the year as we figure out where to go for field trips in the coming year. This is your chance to tell the chapter what areas you would like to visit for field trips, overnight trips, local walks or visiting a native plant nursery. If you can't make it but have a great idea for a trip, please let us know by contacting our field trip coordinator, Shellie Perry at 644-6335, or contact one of the board or chair members (check the recent newsletter for names and phone numbers).

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PLANT SALES

Chapter plant sales are held twice yearly, on the first Saturday of April and this year, on the second Saturday of October from 9 AM to 1 PM. There is always a variety of native plants and cultivars, books, posters, cards, walking sticks, and other items for sale as well as various displays and handouts. This is a great opportunity to get information and advice about growing natives, to meet and talk with members and plant experts, to join CNPS, to find out about cool places to explore for our plant hikes and walks, to share local plant news and information, and in general have a great time!

Plant Sale Dates for 2008

El Dorado: October 11
Sacramento: Wildflower Weekend is the third Saturday in Sept.
Redbud (Placer/Nevada): October 4

2007 Clark Youth Fund Grant Recipients

by Rosemary Carey, Coordinator, Clark Youth Fund Grants

The Clark Youth Fund has just concluded its tenth year of funding the study, conservation and exploration of California's native plants by the teachers and students of western El Dorado County. Money for the Clark Youth Fund comes from the profits of our bi-annual plant sales, now an established community event in Placerville.

Since its inception in 1997 the average award has increased substantially and the Chapter is now able to fund significantly more ambitious projets. This year we had a first: an application by a high school student aiming for a career in natural resource management who will use peer labor to revegetate with native plants on the Ponderosa High School campus in Shingle Springs. I am pleased to present such a variety of creative award-winning projects this year which embody the idea of thinking globally and acting locally.

Ryan Wimmer, Ponderosa High School, Shingle Springs.
$250 granted for revegetation of the slope east of the football field using two-year-old Ponderosa pine seedlings grown by Ryan Wimmer. The school namesake Ponderosa pine was killed by bark beetles. Replanting with these seedlings will keep this species on the campus. The project will involve renting an auger to drill planting holes on a compacted slope.
Todd Gillihan, Sly Park Environmental Education Center, Pollock Pines.
$250 granted for restoration and revegetation, using native plants, of a compacted former leach field of approximately 1 acre. 5th and 6th grade students will first lop Scotch broom plants in the fall when they are drought stressed as a way to kill them. Plants native to the yellow pine community will be planted in the early winter.
Susanne Beaudette, Gold Trail School Garden, Placerville.
$205.38 granted to create a butterfly garden using native plants in a 20" x 20" locked, fenced garden with a water system already installed. The project includes improving a small tub to provide water for the butterflies as well as other small wildlife attracted to the garden.
Kelli Wessman, Garden of Learning, Louisiana Schnell School, Placerville.
$200 granted to expand the current butterfly garden by planting milkweed (Asclepias spp.) to provide a food source for Monarch butterfly larvae. The objective is for students to gather their own larvae from wild Monarch butterfly eggs, rather than buying larvae from a scientific supply house.
Eric Schlavin, Sierra Ridge Middle School, Pollock Pines.
$150 granted to landscape around a solar panel water fountain with native plants. Bird houses around this area are also planned.
Adriana Findlay, Silva Valley Year-round Elementary School, El Dorado Hills.
$150 granted to purchase a large, engraved, weather-resistant sign that identifies the California Native Plants section of the garden, as well more engraved, weather-resistant plant identification markers to label plants with their scientific and common names. Three native plants that have died will also be replaced.

CNPS MEMBERSHIP

Ready To Join CNPS? Go to the state website and either join online or print the membership form and mail it in. Be sure to specify your chapter affiliation as El Dorado. Once you join, it may take as long as 3 to 4 weeks for you to receive your first mailing.

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