Field Trip, Outings, & Events Reports – June, 2025

Ring Mountain June 4 and 18, 2025

Ann Elliott

New and repeat attendees enjoyed viewing Ring Mountain throughout the flowering season. Alison Pence and Karen Madsen, Ring Mountain Docents and field trip leaders, provided the insider’s knowledge of where and when to find favorites.

Both docents expressed appreciation to the Chapter for this opportunity to share more than just a few minutes with the public and also to learn with our wonderful members! They both look forward to more collaborations in the future.

Abbott’s Lagoon June 5, 2025

Caroline Christman

We gathered at the Abbott’s Lagoon trailhead eager to see the diverse plant communities unfold along our walk. We started in coastal scrub, the sweet scent of yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) wafting towards us from all directions. Carolyn shared about her work with the Point Reyes National Seashore Association’s Thursday Weeders program  to control the invasive species poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). The number of poison hemlock umbels shooting up between coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis ssp. pilularis) and mock heather (Ericameria ericoides) have been dramatically decreased through this effort. Other, native plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae) such as cow parsnip and coast angelica were in full flower, along with the diminutive wild carrot (Daucus pusillus).

The trail then skirts the edges of two marshes. At the first we watched red-winged blackbirds seemingly walking on water, though actually they were walking on a floating mat of water fern (Azolla filiculoides). Amongst the lush greenery of the second marsh we spotted pink-striped candy flower (Claytonia sibirica), the bright pink inflorescences of coast hedgenettle (Stachys chamissonis) and touched the leaves of musk monkeyflower (Erythranthe moschata), which leaves a sticky, wet residue on fingers.

We then made our way to the dunes for lunch, and a survey of California dune plants. Due to coastal development, intact California dune ecosystems are very rare.  In the dunes near Abbott’s Lagoon, there is continuous work to remove ice plant (Carpobrotus chilensis and C. edulis), European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria), sea rocket (Cakile maritima), and other invasive plants whose seeds are carried by wind and water to the site. We were treated to a beautiful display of  yellow sand verbena (Abronia latifolia), beach evening-primrose, (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia), and silver bush lupine (Lupinus chamissonis) as well as rare species such as wavy-leaved monardella (Monardella sinuata var. nigrescens, LIST 1B.2), San Francisco spine flower (Chorizanthe cuspidata var. cuspidata LIST1B.2) and Tidestrom’s lupine (Lupinus tidestromii  LIST 1B.1). We were too late to see the Tidestrom’s lupine in flower, so we’ll have to come out earlier next year!

Novato Baylands Work Day a Potting Success! June 10, 20205

Stacey Pogorzelski

Our fun group of 10 volunteers and 2 Point Blue staff potted up more than 300 Alkali Bulrush, Bolboschoenus maritimus, and Coastal Gumweed, Grindelia stricta, seedlings, moving them from seed beds to individual pots that will be kept in the shadehouse until outplanting in the fall/winter as part of the restoration of the Novato Baylands. We used metal chopsticks to extract the small seedlings from their seedbed. Point Blue staff told us about the history of the site and gave us a tour of the greenhouse. Future workdays are planned, so keep your eyes on our events page!

Olompali Orchids and Other Plants & Flowers June 14, 2025

Clint Kellner

Participants had a good time on this hike viewing rein orchids and Indian paintbrush, California Indian pink, the rare Napa false indigo (including a few flowers so late in the season), blue wildrye, California fescue, and the non-native hellebore orchid.  It took us 3.25 hours, the quickest that we have walked this 2.3 mile trail. The weather was perfect, not too hot or cold and little wind. 

How to Identify Dandelions in Marin June 28, 2025

Ann Elliott

Bruce Homer-Smith, creator of PlantID.net, introduced his Field Key to the Marin County Dandelion Tribe, available in print or as a download. We had fun learning flower terms and identifying and dissecting dandelions.