The Tejon Ranch Conservancy has invited us back to the Ranch for what we hope will be an outstanding spring bloom! We'll have a field trip March 6 to Comanche Point (600’-1,200’ elevation) and another May 1 to the Caliente Creek area of Tejon Ranch (800’ – 1,200’ elevation). We'll work on creating plant lists during both field trips, so come prepared to key! On the trip to Caliente Creek, we will also try to rediscover Vasek’s clarkia (Clarkia tembloriensis ssp. calientensis). Ellen Cypher will assist with plant identification. Be sure to bring lunch, water, hat, sunblock, layers of clothing, and wear sturdy boots. Pets and smoking are not allowed on Tejon Ranch. You may want to bring along copies of plant lists from nearby areas such as Wind Wolves Preserve and Hungry Valley (available on the Kern CNPS Chapter web site: www.KernCNPS.org) as a starting point, as well as your Kern County Flora, Jepson Manual, and any other references that may be appropriate.

Please notify Lucy Clark at lucyg391@gmail.com if you plan to attend, by 8pm the previous Friday, for each trip. We have to inform them of numbers.

Meet at the south end of the Wild West Shopping Center parking lot at the corner of Real Road and Stockdale Highway, at 8 am to carpool to either site. If coming from the east, meet at 8:45 am at the gate of the Tejon Ranch (for the Comanche Point trip). Please be prompt, as the gates must be locked once everyone arrives, for the group to start.

Comanche Point (Saturday, March 6, 8:45am-?) – We will enter at the Tejon Ranch gate at the end of Comanche Point Road. To get there, from Bakersfield, we will take Hwy 99 south to HWY 223, turn east to Arvin, and then turn south on South Derby Road/Tejon Highway. Tejon Highway dead ends into Herring Road/Comanche Point Road. Turn left (east) on Comanche Point Road follow it around to the Tejon Ranch gate. Please be there at 8:45am.

From points east, go west on HWY 58 and exit at HWY 223. At South Derby Road/Tejon Highway, turn south (left) and go through Arvin to the dead end at Herring Road/Comanche Point Road. Turn east (left again) on Comanche Point Road, and follow it around to the Tejon Ranch gate. Please be there at 8:45am.

Caliente Creek (Saturday, May 1, 8:45am-?) – We will meet at the intersection of Bena Road and HWY 223 (just south of Highway 58, near the new Veterans' Cemetery). From HWY 58, exit on HWY 223. Bena immediately crosses 223. Please be there at 8:45am.

Join Lucy Clark and Clyde Golden in the foothills for another picnic with masses of our chapter’s logo plant in bloom. If you wish, we will hike around the property to check out what else is up and/or blooming. It is the beginning of a spectacular season, and we will hope for even more rain to keep things colorful. (Lucy has promised Dorie that if the rains stop, she will tote water in a bucket uphill to keep the Calico Monkeyflower alive.)

Bring your lunch and a drink, binoculars, and something to sit on if you are not fond of granite. Dessert will be provided. You may go or stay as your time allows.

Meet at 9:30am at the Denny’s at the corner of HWY 65 and Merle Haggard Drive/old 7th Standard Road to car pool up to Woody. Have a full tank of gas, as there are no services. If you are coming from the east side of the Sierra, please contact Lucy at lucyg391@gmail.com and a map and directions will be sent to you.

This has been as annual an affair as nature has permitted, and we welcome you, rain or shine.

Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s Herbert Wetland Prairie Preserve Vernal Pools Saturday, April 3, 2010, 10:00 am-noon

What: An easy, two-mile guided walk through Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s James K. Herbert Wetland Prairie Preserve, where you will get a chance to view the rare and exotic vernal pool ecosystem. The 725-acre preserve protects one of the largest remaining vernal pool grasslands in the San Joaquin Valley. View wildlife and gain an understanding of the distinctive species adapted to such a unique environment. Over 130 bird species, including burrowing owl, golden eagle, black-necked stilt, western meadowlark and red-winged blackbird nest or forage on the preserve.

Those interested can return to Bakersfield via the Pixley Vernal Pools, a preserve of the Center for Natural Lands Management, and a National Natural Landmark. Please go to www.KernCNPS.org for articles/lists of plants found there.

Who: Bobby Kamansky, biologist and ecologist.

Where: (See below for carpooling info.) The preserve is located at the junction of Road 168 and Highway 137, between the towns of Tulare and Lindsay, on the south side of the road. .From the south, take HWY 99 north to Tulare. Take Exit 87, CA-HWY 137/Tulare Ave. Make a slight right at E. Sierra Ave., then a left onto S. Spruce St., then turn right at CA-137 East (E. Tulare Ave). Drive east 7 miles, to the signed entrance on your right (south) side at the junction of Road 168, which comes from the north. Enter at the pole barn, just past the sign.

Bring: water, lunch, binoculars, field guides and a friend. Wear waterproof shoes, layered clothing, sunglasses and a hat. Please, no dogs. There are no Porta-Potties or water at Herbert.

Donation request : $10 Sequoia Riverlands Trust members; $15 non-members. Join that day and attend the program for free. Memberships start at $35 for an individual or $50 for a family.

Meet: At Denny’s parking lot on the corner of HWY 65 and Merle Haggard (7th Standard) at 8:30am to carpool.

El Paso Wash, Indian Wells Valley

This is a trip to which the Creosote Ring Group of the Bristlecone Pine Chapter has invited us.

Leaders: Kathy LaShure & Jane McEwen. We will explore the area southwest of Ridgecrest (north drainage of El Paso Mountains) that is the proposed site for the Solar Millennium Ridgecrest project. Ileene Anderson, Center for Biological Diversity biologist, has given us some guidelines. "Eschscholzia minutiflora ssp. twisselmanii (Red Rock poppy), Cymopterus deserticola (Desert cymopterus), Phacelia nashiana (Charlotte's phacelia) are rare plants that immediately come to mind, although I think the Cymopterus is a bit of a long-shot. The other 2 are likely though. Also in that wash area, keep your eye open for cross between Hymenoclea salsola and Ambrosia dumosa. I found this in Dove Canyon years ago - big shrub that I couldn't ID (embarrassing). Inter-genetic hybrids are unusual and should count for something!! We can also look for cryptobiotic soil crusts, unusual plant assemblages, new rare alliances as described in the new Manual of CA Veg." We might also spot a Desert Tortoise munching on wildflowers!

Meet at 9:00 AM at the intersection of Brown Road & Powerline Road. That's 7 miles south of the intersection of Hwy 178 and Brown Road in Inyokern or 2.9 miles west of the intersection of Hwy 395 and Brown Road (coming from Ridgecrest). Passenger cars OK to meeting site. Bring water, snacks, hat, sunscreen, Jepson Desert Manual, notebook and pencil, camera. For further information, please contact Kathy LaShure desert_encelia@verizon.net. For people on the west side of the Sierra, we will meet to car pool in the Tuesday Morning parking lot at the corner of Auburn and Fairfax at 7:15am.

The Tejon Ranch Conservancy has invited us back to the Ranch for what we hope will be an outstanding spring bloom! We'll have a field trip March 6 to Comanche Point (600’-1,200’ elevation) and another May 1 to the Caliente Creek area of Tejon Ranch (800’ – 1,200’ elevation). We'll work on creating plant lists during both field trips, so come prepared to key! On the trip to Caliente Creek, we will also try to rediscover Vasek’s clarkia (Clarkia tembloriensis ssp. calientensis). Ellen Cypher will assist with plant identification. Be sure to bring lunch, water, hat, sunblock, layers of clothing, and wear sturdy boots. Pets and smoking are not allowed on Tejon Ranch. You may want to bring your Kern County Flora, Jepson Manual, and any other references that may be appropriate.

Please notify Lucy Clark at lucyg391@gmail.com if you plan to attend, by 8pm the previous Friday, for each trip. We have to inform them of numbers.

Meet at the south end of the Wild West Shopping Center parking lot at the corner of Real Road and Stockdale Highway, at 8 am to carpool to either site. If coming from the east, meet at 8:45 am at the gate of the Tejon Ranch (for the Comanche Point trip). Please be prompt, as the gates must be locked once everyone arrives, for the group to start.

Caliente Creek (Saturday, May 1, 8:45am-?) – We will meet at the intersection of Bena Road and HWY 223 (just south of Highway 58, near the new Veterans' Cemetery). From HWY 58, exit on HWY 223. Bena immediately crosses 223. Please be there at 8:45am.

Chapter Weekend Camping Trip – August 14-16
Come one come all. Lucy Clark, our wonderful past Chapter President had a great suggestion earlier this spring. She mentioned it would be great to do a club camping trip up at Horse Meadow on the Kern Plateau. I agree; so on August 14-16 there is going to be a club camping trip. If you have never been to the Kern Plateau you are in for a treat. It’ll be a great way for members to get to know each other, see Kern and Tulare counties in very different aspects - beautiful mountain habitats - and to feel a chill in the night-time air when the temperatures in Bakersfield are still hot! If you are interested in going please contact Bonnie East bonsdesigns@gmail.com. An itinerary for weekend activities is still being worked out. Send me your suggestions.

An Invitation from the Ridgecrest Creosote Ring group of CNPS: FIELD TRIP TO THE PIUTE FIRE AREA

Hello Native Plant Lovers
If you would like to go on the May 16 trip you MUST make a reservation. Please contact Cindy Thill (Kern River Ranger District, 760-376-3781, x 625).

PIUTE FIRE RESTORATION FIELD TRIP SCHEDULED
Kernville, Ca….The Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest has scheduled a field trip to the 2008 “Piute Fire” area. The field trip will include site visits and information on planned restoration projects. This will also be an opportunity to see some of the restoration work already completed as part of the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) efforts.
The Piute Fire began on June 28, 2008, burning approximately 37,000 acres. The acreage includes about 33,000 acres of the Sequoia National Forest, about 2,600 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and 1,500 acres of privately owned land both within and outside the National Forest boundary. The fire was contained on July 25, 2008.
The field trip is Saturday, May 16, 2009, @ 9:00 a.m., at the Kernville Ranger Station, 105 Whitney Road, Kernville. A short overview of the day’s activities will be presented prior to the field trip with expected time of return by 5:00 p.m.

Participants will need to bring a sack lunch and drinks for the day. The Forest Service will be carpooling participants or you may drive your personal vehicle.

RSVP’s are required to coordinate vehicles and drivers. Please RSVP, no later than Wednesday, May 13th, to Cindy Thill, at (760) 376-3781, extension 625.

The Tejon Ranch has had very limited public access for years, but now that the Tejon Ranch Conservancy has been formed, they're inviting us to come visit parts of the property to enjoy the scenery and interesting flora and help to generate plant lists! We'll have a field trip March 28 to Comanche Point (600’-1,200’ elevation) and another April 25 to the Antelope Valley portion of Tejon Ranch (about 3,300’ elevation). We'll work on creating plant lists during both field trips, so come prepared to key. Ellen Cypher will assist with plant identification. In the afternoon we'll do some vegetation sampling. Those who want to learn the about the Rapid Assessment method are welcome to join us, or you can continue keying plants. Be sure to bring lunch, water, hat, sunblock, layers of clothing, and wear sturdy boots. Pets and smoking are not allowed on Tejon Ranch. Bring along your loop and copies of plant lists from nearby areas such as Wind Wolves Preserve and Hungry Valley (available on the Kern CNPS Chapter web site: www.kerncnps.org/PlantLists/index.html) as a starting point, as well as your Kern County Flora, Jepson Manual, and any other references that may be appropriate.

Meet at the TJ Max parking lot on the northwest corner of Ming and HWY99 for both trips. We will leave at 7:45 am for Comanche Point and at 7:10 am for the Antelope Valley to carpool to the sites, or meet at 8:30 am at the entrances of the respective sites. Please be prompt, as the gate must be locked once everyone arrives for the group to start. We will likely escort one group back to the parking area about mid-day, and those that are interested in vegetation sampling or additional botanizing can stay until later in the day. see below for directions to the sites

Meet at the TJ Max parking lot on the northwest corner of Ming and HWY99 for both trips. We will leave at 7:45 am for Comanche Point to carpool to the site, OR meet at 8:30 am at the entrance of the site. Please be prompt, as the gate must be locked once everyone arrives for the group to start. We will likely escort one group back to the parking area about mid-day, and those that are interested in vegetation sampling or additional botanizing can stay until later in the day. Directions to the site is as follows:

We will enter at the Tejon Ranch gate at the end of Comanche Point Road. To get there, take Hwy 223 (Bear Mt. Blvd.) east to Arvin and turn south on South Derby Road/Tejon Highway. Tejon Highway dead ends into Herring Road/Comanche Point Road. Turn left (east) on Comanche Point Road follow it around to the Tejon Ranch gate.

Meet at the TJ Max parking lot on the northwest corner of Ming and HWY99 for both trips. We will leave at 7:10 am for the Antelope Valley to carpool to the site, OR meet at 8:30 am at the entrance of the site. Please be prompt, as the gate must be locked once everyone arrives for the group to start. We will likely escort one group back to the parking area about mid-day, and those that are interested in vegetation sampling or additional botanizing can stay until later in the day. Directions to the site is as follows:

We will enter at the Tejon Ranch gate at the end of 300th Street. To get there, take I-5 south of Gorman to Hwy 138 and go east about 9 miles. Turn left (north) on 300th Street W. You will leave the pavement but continue on 300th Street W. until you reach the Tejon Ranch gate.