hosted by Milo Baker chapter
image: Milo Baker Chapter
Can’t join us in person? Attend the Council meeting via Zoom.
Morning & Afternoon
image: Laguna Foundation
image: Press Democrat
- 10:30 - 11:30a - Milo Baker Chapter / Laguna Foundation Nursery Tour, 900 Sanford Rd, Santa Rosa.
A partnership with the Laguna Foundation, this nursery is AIR certified to prevent Phytophthora root rot contamination ("Accreditation to Improve Restroration"). Check out the 200 taxa being grown for the chapter's plant sale in October. Learn how they set up the partnership, and designed, fund raised, built, and now operate the nursery. The Sunday re-visit will focus on nursery sanitation.
noon lunch provided by Laguna Foundation - no charge (select preferences when you register) - 2:00p - Board of Directors Meeting - Contact Board president Vivian Neou if you wish to attend. Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St, Sebastopol
- 1:30p-4:30p - Ocean Song Preserve - alternative for those not attending the Board meeting - nearly 800 acres in western Sonoma County stewarded by LandPaths, with coastal grasslands, canyons, ponds and streams, mixed oak woodlands, redwoods, and a habitat garden for pollinators and people. The walk will emphasize serpentine areas and their unique endemics, and will be led by Lara O'Herlihy, Ocean Song field specialist, and Erika Erzberger, from the Milo Baker chapter board. Meet at the chapter nursery, 900 Sanford Rd, Santa Rosa.
- Starting 6:00p - Food & Beverage Meet-up
Crooked Goat Brewing, 120 Morris St #120, Sebastopol, CA 95472, located in the Barlow district. Late arrivals welcome. (Closes 11:00p.)
image: The City Lane
image: Sebastopol Times
Sebastopol Center for the Arts - 282 S. High St, Sebastopol.
CHAPTER COUNCIL
- 8:00a - Light breakfast - (no charge) courtesy of Marin Chapter, coffee donated by Retrograde Coffee, Sebastopol
- 9:00a-5:00p - Council Meeting - agenda pending
- noon - Pacific Market sandwiches (select preferences when you register)
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image: Roger Raiche
- 5:00p-6:00p - Social Hour beverages with appetizers, (no charge) courtesy of Milo Baker chapter members.
- 6:00p - Dinner catered by King Falafel (select preferences when you register)
- After-dinner slide talk - Roger Raiche, The Cedars - A Island On the Land
The Cedars is one of California’s hotspots for ecological diversity. The serpentine soil, characterized by a high iron and magnesium content, was formed from ultramafic rock that originated deep in the Earth’s mantle. It surfaced through the subduction process and got embedded in the Coast Range. The Cedars is characterized by dramatic topography, featuring deep canyons and rich red-colored rock. Ultrabasic springs (pH > 11) add another layer of complexity. These unique conditions have created a rich ecology that harbors seven endemic plant species, unique microorganisms and a newly discovered cicada species. Roger is a founding partner of The Cedars Science Program and Planet Horticulture Landscape Design. He is a CNPS Fellow. You can find The Cedars Guidebook here, and more about Roger's work here.
steamer
pear-baiting
Click for an enlarged view. Images via Betty Young.
- 9:00a-noon - Nursery Phytophthora Prevention Practices - Milo Baker Chapter / Laguna Foundation Nursery, 900 Sanford Rd, Santa Rosa.
A workshop for nursery folks who want to incorporate Best Management Practices for preventing root rot infections in their container plants. Phytophthora is a water borne organism that causes root rot and which has been decimating restoration sites and home gardens. We'll start with a brief tour of our AIR (Accreditation to Improve Restoration) certified Phytophthora-free nursery. Then Johanna del Castillo, Dean Watson, and Ted Swiecki from the AIR program will show how we use pot drainage water and pear fruit to test for Phytophthora. Milo Baker nursery volunteers Lynnette Bower and Betty Young will demonstrate steam pasteurization of pots and media, and answer questions about certification and the time and cost involved. More Phytophthora info on the CNPS Healthy Nurseries & Habitats Committee website.
The coastal Kortum Trail walk follows the Nursery session! (See below.) We will stop for sandwiches along the way. - 10:00a-12:30p - Bodega Head: Coastal Flora and Restoration project, led by Alynn Kjeldsen. Located on the San Andreas fault, Bodega Head offers unique geology, sweeping coastal views, native plants, and an ongoing Milo Baker chapter restoration project removing iceplant. Site of the infamous "Hole in the Head," a giant excavation for a large nuclear power plant, that was never built because of public opposition. Wear sturdy shoes and layered clothing because weather on the coast can be unpredictable. Bring water; none is available on site. One mile with minimal elevation gain. Bring binoculars for whales and birds. Press-Democrat article on the CNPS volunteers.
- 12:30a-2:30p - Coast Walk on the Kortum Trail, Shell Beach to Goat Rock, led Natasha Granoff. Flat and easy 3 mile round-trip, following the coastal bluffs through coastal prairie to Goat Rock viewing point. Named after Bill Kortum a Sonoma County conservation activist and CNPS member. Bring layers, hat, water, and good shoes. Meets at the nursery following the morning session. We will stop for sandwiches on our way to the coast.
image: Yemi Mitsunaga
| Council Chair - Judy Fenerty | Host chapter - Liz Parsons | website issues - Larry Levine |