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THE
PO Box 577, Gualala CA 95445
$5.00 per year, non-members
Volume 2003, Nov/Dec 03
NE
Printed on Recycled Paper
NEWSLETTER OF THE DOROTHY KING YOUNG CHAPTER
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
CALENDAR
December 14, Sunday—Annual Meeting and
Potluck Luncheon: 12:00 Noon for Luncheon,
1:30 PM for program, at the Greenwood
Community Center, Hwy 1 in Elk. Program:
Marvelous Mimulus – Monkeyflowers of California.
The Greenwood Community Center is at about the
halfway point for our long, spread out chapter. It is
at the south end of Elk, right off Highway 1, on the
east side. We’ll try to have a CNPS sign out front.
Please bring a potluck dish and your own personal
beverage, if you wish. Coffee and tea will be
provided. Not only is this a fun meeting, but it also
includes our Chapter Board Election. This year, we
have some new candidates running for chapter
offices, so be sure to show up, vote, and meet the
candidates! (See the Nominating Committee Report
later in this issue). We will also have on sale a
selection of books, both new and used (bring any
that you’d like to donate for sale), along with some
native plants and CNPS wildflower posters.
Our program speaker will be Steve Schoenig, a
weed biologist with the California Department of
Food and Agriculture, who is taking a break from
weeds to share his lovely photos and knowledge of
monkeyflowers. Monkey flowers (the genus
Mimulus) are favorites of botanists, amateur
naturalists, and native gardeners alike. They
include annuals, perennials and sub-shrubs, many
of which are very showy and beautiful. California is
the center of Mimulus biodiversity in the world,
since more than 60 of the 100 worldwide species
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occur here. Members of the genus exhibit
adaptations, endemism, and distributions that
reflect the most interesting themes of California
botany, such as fire-following, serpentine and other
geological endemism, vernal pools, pollination,
hybridization and large within-species variability.
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Thank you, Jon Thompson!
Elsewhere in this issue, you can read Jon’s
Plant Sale Report. I’d like to give a big THANK
YOU to Jon for his wonderful work, not only
coordinating the sale and growing plants, but also
reaching out and helping people learn about native
plants. Our sale is acquiring a following! It’s a real
talk-fest, with questions and answers and deep
discussions about native plants. Our sale also has
a friendly, generous, warm atmosphere. Jon and
his partner, Roberta Rams, usually bring a box of
homegrown apples or pears to share with sale
customers, and people just love that. Roberta is
also a first-rate plant salesperson. You know, it’s
wonderful when volunteers step up to the plate and
make things happen. With this being my 7th year
as chapter president, it really, really means a lot to
me! If we all pull together, we can create
something wonderful, right here in our local
communities.
Conservation and CNPS
As the year draws to a close, I’d like to
summarize our chapter’s current conservation
issues. Many people use the word, “conservation”
in a broad sense, to include activities that “could”
lead to conservation of native plants or habitats –
like education or plant surveys. Here, I’m using it in
a stricter sense – activities that are intended to
result directly in conservation of native plants or
habitats. We can expect these issues to continue
into 2004.
Fort Bragg Golf Course: Chapter members
commented on the first Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) for a golf course proposed for the
middle of a pygmy forest, adjacent to the College of
the Redwoods sphagnum bog. The first EIR, with
many flaws, was certified, then de-certified. New
plant surveys, and a possible new EIR are
underway.
Jackson Demonstration State Forest: DKY
has commented for several years on draft
management plans and EIRs for this 50,000-acre
state forest. Key issues include sustainability of
logging, legitimacy of on-site research, and
management of pygmy forest. Other local groups
are very active in the public dispute over
management of this forest, and the outcome
remains uncertain at this point.
Pygmy Forest: Our local pygmy forest habitat is
unique, but rapidly being degraded. Loopholes in
state and county regulations allow landowners to
degrade or destroy pygmy forest at will. Though
the chapter has commented extensively on pygmy
forestland use, we think good science will be our
best ally in getting this habitat preserved.
Mendocino Redwoods Plan: The Mendocino
Redwoods Company (MRC) has been working with
the State Dept. of Fish and Game and the US Fish
and Wildlife Service on a possible combined
Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCC)P)
and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).
Preservation of natural habitats and rare species,
plus management of riparian corridors are key
issues. At this point, we don’t know what MRC will
decide to do. We would prefer that an NCCP be
established, as that structure provides better
conservation safeguards than an HCP alone.
Logging Plans: Many of these happen in
Sonoma County, where land is being logged to
create vineyards. Few Timber Harvest Plans
(THPs) conform to the state rules mandating that
2 Nov/Dec ’03 Calypso
THPs be equivalent to processes under the
California Environmental Quality Act. Timber
reform is also needed, but we also need to assure
that logging plans are following state rules. Kudos
to Jennifer Kalt of the North Coast Chapter and
Greg Jirak of DKY, who continue to comment on
these plans for the CNPS State Forestry Program.
Local groups like Friends of the Gualala River have
often taken the lead role, and we are fortunate to
have such great allies.
Local Coastal Plan Update: The County of
Mendocino is slowly working to update its Local
Coastal Plan (LCP), the “Coastal Element” of its
General Plan. The LCP governs only activities
within the California Coastal Zone. DKY is
particularly concerned about Environmentally
Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHAs) and about pygmy
forest. Better science is being incorporated this
time around, but we remain concerned about the
lack of surveys for additional ESHAs. DKY is
looking to be part of the newly formed Coastal
Coalition, which will address LCP issues.
Rare Plants – Sonoma Coast: Our chapter
remains concerned about management of two rare
plants, supply daisy (Erigeron supplex) and wild
morning glory (Calystegia purpurata ssp. saxicola)
at The Sea Ranch (TSR). DKY members have
conducted monitoring of plant populations and met
with TSR officials. These plants are vulnerable to
damage due to ongoing weed control practices.
We will try to assure that TSR conducts its weed
management activities while these plants are
dormant.
State Parks: We all love our local State Parks,
and DKY is especially concerned about resource
conservation within the parks. We work with Parks
officials and staff whenever we can. The
Superintendent of our local Parks District recently
retired, and we are hoping for a conservation-
minded replacement. Staffing, especially for
resource professionals is another big issue. That is
tied to funding, as are ongoing conservation
activities in the parks, like weed control, rare plant
surveys and monitoring, restoration and resource-
sensitive trail building.
I hope continue to work for the DKY Chapter on
these local conservation issues, plus any new ones
that may arise.
About Those Sick Trees: Lots of people have
been wondering about diseased and dying native
trees. I spoke with Jack Marshall, a plant
pathologist with Calif. Dept. of Forestry in Ukiah,
and with our own Teresa Sholars. Thanks to both
of them for their insights. Here is a summary.
Chinquapins – Scientists are aware that
chinquapins along the coast have been dying off for
several years. Pathologists have looked at tissue
samples repeatedly, but have found nothing. In
mature chinquapin trees, they have found
Armillaria, or oak root fungus. Trees whose roots
have been disturbed or covered up by soil would be
more susceptible to this. Coast chinquapins have
been tested many times for Sudden Oak Death
(Phytophthora ramorum), but so far the results
have been negative. The scientists are just as
puzzled as we are about the chinquapin die-off.
Redwoods – When redwoods growing in dense
stands suddenly have all the other trees around
them removed, the remaining trees can turn brown,
suffer branch dieback, and sometimes die
altogether. Redwoods that grow up in full sun can
tolerate it, but sudden exposure to sun is very bad
for trees that are used to shade. This effect can be
seen at the Gualala Arts Center.
Attack by the redwood bark beetle is usually a
secondary problem, following some other stress.
Change in moisture regime – suddenly much more
or less water – can make trees vulnerable to beetle
attacks. Another type of stress happens when soil
is mounded up on top of the roots. Covering up the
root zone can also encourage Armillaria.
Storm damage can be very hard on redwoods.
When the tops are broken off in storms, fresh,
green wood is exposed, providing an opening for
bark beetles. Big winter storms can bring in salt-
laden moisture, which causes redwoods to turn
reddish and look diseased. Because redwoods are
sensitive to salt, trees near homes can suffer when
home water softeners put salty water into the
ground near the trees’ root zone. Borax detergents
traveling through leach lines can also damage
redwoods.
Although Sudden Oak Death has been found in
redwoods south of Mendocino County, it seems to
be “hitching a ride,” with no evidence that it is
causing severe damage or death.
Shore pines – There are several beetles, like the
3 Nov/Dec ’03 Calypso
pine engraver beetle and sour sap beetle, that will
attack stressed trees. Water regime change is a
common cause of stress. Our coast pines can take
more water than most pines, but they may not
tolerate sudden influx of water, or suddenly drier
conditions caused by water diversions.
Bishop pines – These are short-lived trees
whose life cycle includes periodic fire. Older trees
are vulnerable to attack by beetles and tree
diseases. Pine gall rust has been evident on the
coast for some time, and probably makes trees
more vulnerable to beetles. Note that fire also
keeps down tree diseases by destroying
pathogens. There seems to be another regional
disease that is neither gall rust nor pitch canker (not
yet found in Mendocino County). Historically, the
bishop pine forest, which supports many native
plants and animals, was kept healthy by periodic
fires. Thinning of young tree stands and culling out
old, sick trees may help. This strategy could work
only because this is a short–lived tree to begin with.
Long-lived trees will have different needs requiring
different management techniques.
**********************
Fall 2003 Plant Sale Report
By Jon Thompson
We had another successful plant sale! In fact,
this one turned out to be one of the best in recent
years. Our grand total of $1,700 is the record
since I have been the Plant Sale Chairperson. This
feat would not have been possible if it wasn’t for all
who lent a hand by doing such good deeds as
donating plants, helping customers, and setting up
and taking down the plant sale.
I would like to thank Lori Hubbart, Greg Jirak,
Dorothy Scherer, Mary Rhyne, Mary Hunter,
Roberta Rams, Doris Spurlock, Carolyn Sarni, and
Cecelia Moelter. I would also like to thank the
following nurseries for providing additional plants:
California Flora Nursery in Fulton, Anderson Valley
Nursery in Boonville and Gualala Trading Company
& Nursery in Gualala.
The importance of plant sales to the DKY
chapter cannot be overstated. Besides being the
biggest fundraiser of the year, they also serve as a
great educational tool by directly involving the
public in the wonderful world of California native
plants. RARE PLANT COORDINATORS -
North - Teresa Sholars 962-2686
Lately, a few people have offered to help with Central - Mary Rhyne 884-3043
propagating plants for the sales but are not sure Inland - Clare Wheeler 895-3131
what to grow or how to do it. I am interested in South - Dorothy Scherer 882-2850
expanding our propagating crew to increase the
volume and selection of plants available at our fall All phone numbers are area code 707 except
plant sales. Let’s take advantage of the fall and where otherwise noted.
winter months by collecting and preparing seeds
and cuttings. If you are interested in helping, MEMBERSHIP
please call me at 884-4847.
Welcome to New Members:
OFFICERS 2003
Claudia & Tim Hillary Point Arena
President Lori Hubbart 882-1655 Dennis Bailey Fort Bragg
Vice President Bill Maslach 937-5804, X127 Tom Dom (Mar Vista Cottages) Gualala
Secretary (Acting) Pat Howard 937-4052 Ginny Lotter Gualala
Treasurer Mary Hunter 785-1150 Christina Smith Owings Sea Ranch
Marsha Lucas Gualala
DKY Chapter Board Meetings
Our Board meets every other month. The next Transfer into DKY
meeting is Sat., Jan. 10, 10:30 AM at Jon
Thompson’s house. Chapter members are Gail Hamilton (from Milo Baker) Gualala
welcome to attend Board meetings. Call Lori at
882-1655 for details Total DKY Chapter Members: 164
Bob Rutemoeller
Readers are invited to submit proposed material
for publication, including text, photos, and graphics. NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT—YR. 2004
Please e-mail to orourke@mcn.org, or U.S. Mail to
Jack O'Rourke, POB 335, Manchester CA 95459. DKY’s nominating committee, consisting of
Dorothy Scherer and Mary Rhyne, are pleased to
STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS present a proposed slate of officers for the year,
2004. The nominations include members residing
and working along the coast from The Sea Ranch
CAMPING - OPEN in the south to the town of Mendocino in the north.
CONSERVATION- Greg Jirak 882-1655
EDUCATION - OPEN President—Jon Thompson.
ESCAPED EXOTICS - Joan Curry 937-1649 Jon came to Mendocino County from the Mt.
HISTORIAN - Ramona Crooks 884-3585 Shasta area where he was employed as a botanist
HOSPITALITY - Bev Sloane 785-3184 with the U.S. Forest Service and specialized in
JUBATA ERADICATION - OPEN plant propagation. He serves as Chairperson of the
LEGISLATION- OPEN DKY Plant Sale and plans to continue in that
MAILING - Bobbie Penney 785-9302 position during his Presidency. He is currently
VEGETATION - Dorothy Scherer 882-2850 developing a landscaping business with a strong
MEMBERSHIP - Bob Rutemoeller 884-4426 focus on native plants, which includes design,
NEWSLETTER - Jack O'Rourke 882-2614 installation, and maintenance. Jon lives in the
(volunteer wanted) Anchor Bay area.
PLANT SALE - Jon Thompson 884-4847
PLANT WATCH - Sue Lease 884-1400 Vice-President—Bill Maslach.
POSTERS - Mary Hunter 785-1150 Bill lives in the town of Mendocino and has been
PROGRAMS - OPEN serving as DKY’s Vice President since 2001. He is
PUBLICITY - OPEN on the Resources staff of the Russian Gulch State
MEMBER-AT-LARGE Pat Bauer 937-4052 Parks District, and has contributed many science-
based articles to DKY’s newsletter. Bill also does
4 Nov/Dec ’03 Calypso
botanical surveys, wetlands delineation, and is
compiling digitized photographs of our coastal
native plants.
Secretary—Claudia Hillary.
Claudia and her husband Tim came to
Mendocino County from Benicia about five years
ago. The Hillarys are homesteading in the hills
near Point Arena where they treasure and protect
the rich diversity of their mixed evergreen forest.
Claudia has 25 years experience in Supply Chain
Management and has applied her excellent word
processing skills to botanical surveys of our coastal
headlands. She is an avid gardener and has
recently become Secretary at Horicon School in
Annapolis.
Treasurer—Mary Hunter.
Mary and her husband Dard live on The Sea
Ranch and Mary has been DKY’s Treasurer since
the latter part of 1999. Mary is a former
schoolteacher and has worked in banking. Her
love of native plants began when she was a
youngster growing lupine in northern New York
State. Since moving to the Mendocino coast, Mary
has made the long trek to Fort Bragg for 3
semesters, studying native plant identification and
taxonomy at College of the Redwoods. She has
been an enthusiastic participant in wildflower walks,
camping trips, and botanical surveys. Mary
protects and enhances native vegetation growing
on The Sea Ranch Commons near her home, and
also serves as DKY’s Poster Chairperson.
Election of officers will be held at the annual
meeting in Elk on Dec. 14, 2003. Any DKY
member is eligible to be nominated from the floor
but must have given his/her prior permission.
There are openings on the Board to chair a variety
of committees including Publicity, Programs, and
Newsletter. Here is your chance to become part of
the exciting and dynamic DKY Board. To volunteer
for any of these, phone Jon Thompson or a
Nominating Committee member—Mary Rhyne or
Dorothy Scherer.
SPRING SEMESTER CLASSES AT COLLEGE
OF THE REDWOODS—Fort Bragg Campus
A selection of classes that may be of interest to
Chapter members follows. For registration phone
962-2664:
Biology 15 MARINE BIOLOGY 3 units, Greg
5 Nov/Dec ’03 Calypso
Grantham; Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:00 AM, Thursdays
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
This class is an exciting introduction to marine life.
Lectures focus on the concepts and principles of
marine biology, with particular emphasis on how
they apply to marine organisms along the
Mendocino Coast. Labs focus on local marine
animals, plants, and algae including intertidal
invertebrates, fishes, birds, and mammals.
Frequent field trips will allow students to explore a
wide variety of intertidal, estuarine, and open ocean
environments.
Biology 20 NATURAL HISTORY 3 units, Teresa
Sholars; Fridays 9:30-11:35 AM, 12:00-3:10 PM
An introduction to the identification, natural history,
and ecological relationships of plants, animals
(birds, reptiles, amphibians insects) and fungi
(mushrooms, lichens). Emphasis will be placed on
those organisms native to the Mendocino Coast.
Species will be studied by community and where
ever possible in their native habitat. A 2 hour
lecture will be followed by 3 hours of field
identification of local organisms.
Biology 22 CALIFORNIA PLANT
IDENTIFICATION 3 units, Teresa Sholars;
Tuesdays 9:00-11:00 AM, Thursdays 9-11:55 AM
This is an introduction to the field of plant
taxonomy. Emphasis is placed on keying species
using the Jepson Manual. Lecture material covers
introductory concepts in plant taxonomy and
characteristics of the common flowering plant
families in California. Lab time is spent learning
sight identification of families and keying out local
plants.
Biology 23 LICHENS OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA 2 units, Teresa Sholars; Mondays
1:00 – 4:55 PM
A study of the common lichens of Northern
California. Students will collect and identify lichens
and become familiar with their morphology,
classification, physiology, biochemistry, ecology,
and economic uses.
Biology 25 MARINE & COASTAL FIELD
BIOLOGY 3 units, Greg Grantham; Fridays 9:00 -
11:00 AM, Noon - 3:00 PM
This is a field-oriented course that focuses on the
interrelationships between marine and estuarine
organisms and their environment. Emphasis is
placed on field methods, sampling techniques, and
quantitative data collection and analysis.
 CNPS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
DOROTHY KING YOUNG CHAPTER

Membership in the California Native Plant Society is

open to all. The task and mission of the Society is to
increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of
California native plants. The challenge is to preserve
their natural habitat through scientific educational, and
conservation activities. Membership includes
subscription to the quarterly Fremontia, as well as our
local chapter newsletter, the Calypso.

Name ____________________________

Address ___________________________

City _________________ Zip _________

Tel ____________ e-mail ______________

I wish to affiliate with the DKY Chapter _______

Or, other chapter _____________________

(Please check, or name one, or Society will make

assignment if none is specified by applicant.)

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY
Student, Retired, Limited Income $20
Individual $35
Family, or Group $45
Supporting: $75; Plant Lover: $100; Patron: $250;
Benefactor: $500; Bristlecone: $1000
Hooker’s Evening Primrose (Oenothera Hookeri)
Make Check out to the California Native Plants
(Still a few yellow blossoms on the coast in late Oct.!)
Society, mail check and application to:
Bob Rutemoeller, Membership Committee
DKY Chapter, CNPS
PO Box 577
A contribution of $________ is made in honor Gualala CA 95445
of____________________________________

From:_________________________________ Feedback/Interest Finder Questionnaire

Address: ______________________________
City__________________State____Zip_____
Please send acknowledgement to:
Name:________________________________
Address:______________________________
City/Zip:______________________________
Unless otherwise specified, all contributions are
placed in a separate account and used to support
DKY/CNPS education programs.
Mail contributions to: DKY Treasurer
P.O. Box 577, Gualala, CA 95445
Please take a few minutes to complete the
questionnaire folded into this newsletter. It
may greatly help us to focus our energies in
the coming year so that we may provide
members with activities and programs that
are of the greatest interest, and can help
identify members with interests and talents
that will enhance our Chapter’s mission.
Return the questionnaire by mail, or bring it
with you to the annual meeting December
14, at Elk.

6 Nov/Dec ’03 Calypso