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Tuesday, May 10, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Marin CNPS will join Sherry Adams, Preserve Biologist at ACR’s Modini Mayacamas Preserves for a serpentine and fire ecology plant walk. The drive up to Pine Flat Road normally offers stunning displays of foothill penstemon, monkeyflowers, bulbous plants, lupines, clarkias and many other showy perennial and annual plants. This outing will specifically focus on a serpentine area where Sherry will point out plants that are uncommon or entirely absent from Marin County: needlemat galium (Galium andrewsii), Brewer’s milkvetch (Astragalus breweri; CNPS list 4), St. Helena morning glory (Calystegia collina ssp. oxyphylla; CNPS list 4), flame ragwort (Packera greenei), knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). We hope there will even be a few St. Helena fawn lilies (Erythronium helenae; CNPS list 4) still in bloom.
Given that the entire Preserve burned in 2004, Sherry will discuss post-fire regeneration of plants with different fire adaptation strategies.
The planned route is less than 3 miles along fire roads with a bit of climbing but at a relaxed botanizing pace.
Meet at 8:00 at the Smith Road Park-N-Ride or at 9:00 at the intersection of Pine Flat Rd. and Red Winery Rd. in Healdsburg. The group will leave extra vehicles at the latter site and carpool the rest of the way into the Preserve. All Preserve visitors are encouraged to use a stiff brush to remove mud and seeds from footwear and pant cuffs. Sherry will have one available at our meet up spot.
The preserve plant list is posted at http://files.meetup.com/7090732/MayacamasSanctuaryPlants%202010%20PWarner.pdf
Dress in layers; bring sunhat and sunscreen, lunch, and water. For more information and to sign up, contact cklongstreth@gmail.com. Heavy rain cancels. Hope to see you there!