Field Trip – Bowman Canyon

Bowman Canyon
Tuesday, April 25, 2023      10 am to 2 pm
Field trip leaders: Susan Schlosser and Carolyn Longstreth

Please sign up for this field trip by emailing Susan Schlosser. Susan will send you a link to the waiver.

Bowman Canyon is a recently acquired addition to Mount Burdell Open Space. It includes riparian, grassland, woodland and serpentine habitats. We will observe plants in these habitats along the Serpentine and WB-03 Fire Roads. The 2.5-mile loop is easy to moderate except for a steep, rocky uphill climb for about ¼ mile.  This portion is slippery because of rocks, mud and puddles. The first part of the field trip passes through a bay, oak and buckeye forest along Bowman Creek and then opens to the large serpentine area. We will walk along the edge of the serpentine, cross it, and return through bay, oak and buckeye woodland. Wildflowers we are likely to see include cream cups (Platystemon californicus), longspur sea blush (Plectritis ciliosa), little spring beauty (Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua), tuberous sanicle (Sanicula tuberosa), common yellow monkey flower (Erythranthe guttata), hillside collinsia (Collinsia sparsiflora var. sparsiflora), dwarf plantain (Plantago erecta), blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. capitatus), and possibly clarkias (Clarkia spp.).

The field trip meeting place is to be determined. Susan Schlosser will provide the meeting place at sign up.

Longspur seablush (Plectritis ciliosa)Little Spring Beauty (Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua)