Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - June 17, 2025

[CNPS-SCV News]

Dear friends,
Check out our chapter's upcoming events:

[1] Power to the Pollinators - Summer Native Plant Community Vernal Pool Tour
Saturday, June 21, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Location: Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge’s Warm Springs Unit in Fremont
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11713/-/power-to-the-pollinators-summer-native-plant-community-vernal-pool-tour-fremont

Note: Open to CNPS members only. RSVP is required.

At this time of year, the dry vernal pools at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge are dotted with saline tolerant, warm-season perennials. Join botanists from the Refuge to see plants such as alkali heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum), alkali mallow (Malvella leprosa) and alkali weed (Cressa truxillensis). Super bloomers like common spikeweed (Centromadia pungens) and alkali heath (Frankenia salina) display masses of flowers, providing important sources of nectar to pollinators. We’ll also seek out rare or unusual plants including Congdon’s tarplant (Centromadia parryi ssp. congdonii), San Joaquin spearscale (Extriplex joaquinana) and Atriplex species.

To register, please contact Aidona Kakouros at aidona_kakouros @ fws.gov. Please indicate in your email 1) that you are interested in the “Power to the Pollinators” tour, 2) how many guests you are bringing, 3) your CNPS Chapter and 4) preferred email to receive directions.

[2] First Day of Summer Bird and Plant ID Walk at Lake Cunningham Park
Sunday, June 22, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Lake Cunningham Park, 2305 S. White Rd, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/307127633/

Note: RSVP is required and is now open. Space is limited. No drop-ins, please.

With the onset of Summer, join us for a 2 mile beginner's bird and plant identification walk through Lake Cunningham Park. This lake is a major destination for waterfowl and migratory birds and its native garden draws many birds due to its habitat value. On this walk, Vicki Silvas-Young will show you how to identify the common birds of our area, while Arvind Kumar will identify the native plants that they depend on for food and shelter.

Co-sponsored by CNPS, Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance and Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

[3] California's Vegetation Communities Through Time, a talk by Dr. Katie Glover
Thursday, June 26, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Los Altos Library Orchard Room, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/307845059/

Note: This talk is in-person only.

California's iconic landscapes and vegetation communities have long been shaped by dynamic climate and terrestrial processes. In this talk, hear how research in paleoecology that used California's fossil record from lake cores and the La Brea Tar Pits shows how ecosystems shifted in response to climate change and fire during the last Ice Age. The tools and botanical evidence used in these studies are powerful to help us understand landscape response before human-induced impacts, and to inform the changes we can expect in a warmer world.

Speaker bio:
Dr. Katie Glover’s lifelong love for lakes and landscapes led to teaching environmental science curriculum, and researching Ice Age landscape change in North America. During her Ph.D. in Geography at UCLA, she developed a 120,000-year environmental history from lake sediment cores in the San Bernardino Mountains and worked with the La Brea Tar Pits fossil plant collection. Katie is the Associate Director of Environmental Education at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (‘Ootchamin ‘Ooyakma), and is grateful that she can highlight the beauty and complexity of California's native ecosystems.

[4] Members Only Field Trip to Ebbetts Pass and Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Thursday, July 3 - Monday, July 7
Location: Ebbetts Pass and Calaveras Big Trees State Park
https://www.cnps-scv.org/activities/field-trips

Note: This trip is open to CNPS members only.

Fred and Patricia Evans invite you to join them at their cabin in Arnold for three days of wildflower hikes over the July 4 weekend. Arrive July 3, hike July 4-6 and travel home on July 7 pm. Attendees will explore Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the Pacific Crest Trail at Ebbetts Pass and one other location TBD (three elevations from 4000’ to 8736’). It will be spring at Ebbett’s pass and the wildflowers will be amazing! The cabin sleeps 11 in beds (with 7 in a dorm) and there are two futons, room for tents on the porch or in the yard, and two small RVs or vans can hook to electricity in the driveway. We will carpool each day to hike. Dinners will be potluck every night, breakfast and lunch on your own, and popcorn is provided. Housecleaning cost (about $250) will be divided between participants.

This trip is open to CNPS members only. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Patricia at patriciaaevans28 @ gmail.com or call (650) 949-2801.
 
[5] Chapter Restoration Activities
RSVP is required for all Chapter restoration activities, along with signed waiver forms. Please see the individual Meetup listings for details.

[a] Habitat Restoration at Lake Cunningham Park
Saturday June 21, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Location: Native Garden Parking Lot, Lake Cunningham - 2305 S. White Road, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/krnsrtyhcjbcc/

Join us to restore habitat (weeding and mulching) in the Native Garden at Lake Cunningham Park.

[b] Community Work Day at Kirk Park
Saturday, June 21, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Kirk Park Native Garden - Briarwood Drive at Wawona Drive, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/308208314/

Volunteers meet at the garden on Saturdays, weather permitting, for weeding, watering and other maintenance activities. Occasionally there will be other tasks such as mulching and planting.

[c] Friday Edgewood Restoration
Friday, June 20, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Varies - join the email group to receive weekly notices
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11416/-/edgewood-restoration

Help restore habitat at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, known for fabulous wildflowers and amazing diversity. To participate, join the email list and sign the electronic volunteer agreement, by sending an email to weed-warriors-coord @ friendsofedgewood.org.

Here is an event from Grassroots Ecology:

[6] Flower Frolic - by Grassroots Ecology
Thursday, June 19, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Cherry Springs Pond, Los Gatos
https://www.grassrootsecology.org/event-calendar/2025/06/19/flower-frolic-cherry-springs-sierra-azul

Join us at the Cherry Springs Pond Area of Sierra Azul, a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve, to explore the unique biodiversity of an area of Sierra Azul that is not to the public! Participants can expect to walk through an exposed and hilly terrain for up to 3 miles to explore large oak trees, wildflowers, and a unique pond ecosystem.