Olympic Peninsula Chapter Washington Native Plant Society February-May 2017 Newsletter

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1 Olympic Peninsula Chapter Washington Native Plant Society February-May 2017 Newsletter To promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington s native plants and their habitats through study, education and advocacy February Program Ecology of the sagebrush steppe with Varn Brooks; and an update on our protection/ restoration projects at Kah Tai Prairie and Pt. Wilson. Tuesday February 21, 2017, 6:30 social time; 7:00 program Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., Port Townsend. In his book Sagebrush Country Ronald J. Taylor opens his prologue Sagebrush country is a land of contrasts a lifeless lonely wilderness, or an ecosystem teeming with insects, vertebrates, and plant life. Never having found the lifeless lonely areas, we ll concentrate on the teeming part that seems to predominate. Hope to see you there! There will also be 2 short presentations on our chapters restoration work at Point Wilson since 2006 and an update on the Kah Tai Prairie Preserve. Contact Dixie Llewellin for questions or further information: dixie@cablespeed.com; March Program Wyoming big sagebrush, Wyoming paintbrush, and bunch grass Tuesday March 21, 2017, 6:30 social time; 7:00 program Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., Port Townsend. David Allen, Olympic National Park Botanist and Matt Albright Native Plant Nursery Manager David Allen, always an interesting and informative speaker, will share information on restoring plant communities in the Elwha Rivers watershed. Volunteers have assisted National Park Service staff and partners with various aspects of the project, including native plant propagation and care, and replanting of dewatered reservoirs in the Elwha River Valley. 1

2 Becoming Organized: Mini-retreat May 16, 6:30 pm The games afoot! In lieu of a program on May 16 we will be meeting at the Port Townsend Community Center to brainstorm/organize/schedule our field trips, programs and events for the summer and fall of Everybody is invited. Bring proposals, ideas and an open mind. We will begin promptly at 6:30; however, feel free to drop in any time between 6:30 and 9 pm. If you cannot make it to the meeting we would still like to hear from you. Suggest your favorite place for a botany field trip, a program or other event to aweinmann@cablespeed.com. You do not need to be an expert botanist to lead a Native Plant Society Walk! Event Schedule Kah Tai Prairie Preserve; Work and Welcome to Spring Party. Meet at the parking lot within the Port Townsend Golf Course by the Kah Tai Prairie Preserve kiosk. Friday February 24, :00-12:00 treats provided.. Once again it is time for the spring prairie cleanup event. This year we will eliminate selective invasive species, enjoy the early blooms, and assess future goals. It may be too early to see the full bloom but we should see camas sprouts, spring gold Lomatium utriculatum, grass widows Olysynium douglasii, and old man s whiskers Geum triflorum. Bring gloves and small weeding tools. Contact Dixie Llewellin if you want a Kah Tai Preserve plant list sent to you electronically or have any additional questions dixie@cablespeed.com. or Dosewallips River Road Vernal Equinox hike. Monday March 20 th Meet at the Quilcene Forest Service Ranger Station NLT 8:45 am. Six years ago some of us from WNPS led a hike through this area on the vernal equinox. The upper part of the trail was snowy; we made it to the falls, ~1/2 mile from the campground. Washouts on the remaining road increase the length of the hike to about six miles to the (closed) Dosewallips campground in ONP. The route starts in old growth forest bypassing the washout and continues on the overgrown roadbed. We will revisit this roadbed trail and observe what time has done to it. contact Sharon Schlentner at sschlentner@olypen.com if interested. Point Wilson Work Party. Fort Worden State Park. Saturday March 25, 9:30 AM-noon. Meet at the beach restrooms (beach side) at Point Wilson. This is a joint work party working with the Friends of Fort Worden. We will continue with replacement of the fences around our restoration areas using an earth anchor and cable system. A WNPS conservation grant provided us with new cable to replace the badly worn recycled cable and earth anchors to finish the project. If there is additional time we may remove scotch broom or other invasive plants on the beach. We will provide the tools. Working hands welcome (gloves would be helpful) For more info contact Sharon Schlentner sschlentner@olypen.com. or Duckabush River Trail. Friday April 7, 2017 Meet at the Quilcene Ranger Station at 9:00 AM. This early spring hike along the Duckabush River offers a variety of plants in bloom including Erythronium oreganum, and Fritillaria affinis We plan to hike and botanize up to the rock outcrop just below Big Hump where we will stop for lunch before returning to the trailhead. Bring field guides, a hand lens, lunch, and be prepared for any weather. Contact Wendy McClure at wendymac3@embarqmail.com or Please let me know your contact info if you are interested in case the trip needs to be rescheduled. Friday April 14 th. Deception Pass, with Jim Duemmel, Eve Dixon and Luzi Pfenninger. Meet at the Port Townsend Park and Ride NLT 8:45 am to get the 9:30 am ferry. We will leave some cars at the Park and Ride and take as few as possible on the ferry. Deception Pass is a popular state park offering a great diversity of habitats beaches, wetlands, old-growth forests and balds. We will hike 4 ½ miles and see all of these. WNPS has a plant list of over 349 species for this area. We may see chocolate lily, death camas, beach pea, buckbean and Indian pipe, among many others. Bring your lunch and Discover Pass if you have one. Please call or Eve or evefdixon@gmail.com to sign up at least a week ahead of time because we should make reservations for the ferry. Also, we will try to connect people with each other for car-pooling. 2

3 Spring Flowers and Gopher Mounds at Scatter Creek.; Tuesday, May 9. Meet at the North Unit Parking area of Scatter Creek Wildlife area at 10:00 AM. I ll leave a map with itinerary posted on the window of our white Chevy Van. The area is fairly small and open, the walking is easy with a lot of botanizing, so we should be easy to find if you re late. Varn will do a brief talk on the Mima type gopher mounds that cover much of the site. Varn will not be in Port Townsend on May 9. Those interested will meet at the Haines St. Park and Ride behind Safeway at 7:15 AM to organize carpools. Varn Brooks at turnstoneoriginals@gmail.com to sign up or with questions. The Scatter Creek Wildlife Area is just north of Grand Mound at 183rd Ave SW, West of I-5. The area is divided into north and south units with separate parking. We will meet at the main parking area on the North Unit. Discover Pass is required. Google Scatter Creek Wildlife Area for specific driving instructions or contact Varn via . Driving time from Port Townsend is about 2-1/2 hours. Ned Hill Trail Short and Sweet Friday June 2, 2017 Meet at Fat Smitty s NLT 9:AM at intersection of Routes 20 and 101. Last year this short, 1.2 mile long trail was resplendent with native blooming rhododendrons, Rhododendron macrophyllum. We will compile a list of other plants we note along the trail as we make our way to the remains of a makeshift fire lookout used in the 1930s. Bring field guides, a hand lens, lunch, and be prepared for any weather. Contact Wendy McClure at wendymac3@embarqmail.com or Please let me know your contact info if you are interested in other carpooling options or in case the trip needs to be rescheduled. This is a short hike so think about visiting one of the local U-Pick strawberry farms in the afternoon which were open for business this time last year. Kul Kah Han Native Plant Demonstration Garden seeks Garden Manager and Nursery Manager. The garden has many dedicated and much appreciated volunteers who help maintain the garden. In a Garden Manager, we are looking for someone who loves gardening and native plants, has experience coordinating the work of others, and is familiar with northwest native plants. On-the-job training and a stipend of $600 a year. Duties include coordinating volunteers on Wednesdays March- October, 10-1; monitoring and analyzing the garden s needs and ensuring adequate care throughout the season; assisting with plant sale preparation and selection of new/replacement plant species; ensuring compliance with regulations of Jeff Co Parks; engaging with visitors to the garden; working closely with the Nursery Manager and Garden Coordinators. If interested contact Bekka Bloom at or bekka4nativeplants@gmail.com. The Nursery Manager oversees potting of plants, cares for the nursery throughout the season, and prepares for Spring and Fall plant sales. Volunteers help support these activities. Remuneration: a stipend of $100 for each plant sale. In addition, for each plant sale that brings in at least $500, the Nursery Manager will earn 5% of proceeds of that plant sale. Requires being present on Wednesdays March October for part of the day. Keep the nursery organized and plants in good condition; ensure that a simple potting station/ supplies are available on Wednesdays; water the nursery; provide inventory of plants available for plant sales; work at least part of each plant sale; consult with Garden Manager and Garden Coordinators. Send a brief letter of interest and a resume or summary of experience to Bekka Bloom, , bekka4nativeplants@gmail.com (questions welcome). 3

4 Teddy Bear Walk New Years Day 2017 January visit to a Coyle peninsula DNR site of potential logging Sharon Schlentner, Ann Weinmann, Peter Bahls and his daughter surveyed the site to try to determine if it fit the rare characteristics of an overstory of mature Douglas Fir and Hemlock with an understory of Evergreen huckleberry and Rhododendron. There are only 8 such sites known in the state. We concurred with Peter that it indeed did have these characteristics, and we have sent a letter to DNR which recommends the area not be logged. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate Discoveries from a Secret World Hardcover Published in 2016 by Peter Wohlleben (Author), Tim Flannery (Foreword) Are trees social beings? In this international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in his woodland. After learning about the complex life of trees, a walk in the woods will never be the same again. (exerpted from Amazon) FIRST WASHINGTON BOTANICAL SYMPOSIUM Wednesday, March 15th am to 4 pm University of Washington Botanic Gardens Center for Urban Horticulture NHS Hall 3501 NE 41st St. Seattle, WA Cost: $75 (lunch included) Topics to be covered include taxonomic implications resulting from the revised Flora of the Pacific Northwest, climate change impacts, and invasive plants. The event is sponsored by Burke Museum, University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Washington Natural Heritage Program, and Washington Noxious Weed Control Board. For more information, see 4

5 Save the Dates Native Plant Study Weekend May From Sagebrush to Subalpine: Exploring the Diversity of Eastern Washington Landforms and Flora will be hosted by the Northeast Chapter. Base of operations will be at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. Watch for monthly updates at the WNPS website ( for more details. Botany Washington, June 9-11: Botany Washington (BotWa) will be centered at the Tierra Learning Center in Leavenworth and will focus on the flora of the Wenatchee Mountains. Once again, BotWa will be co-sponsored by the Native Plant Society and the University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum. Registration will be on line beginning in January. Matt Albright Native Plant Center: Greetings to friends of the Elwha Re-vegetation Project: We would love to see you at the nursery! Please continue to visit us at the nursery for volunteer drop-in days on Mondays and Wednesdays between 9am and 4pm. We are busy cleaning the last bits of fallcollected seed, weeding our seed field, washing pots so that they can be recycled next season, and preparing for the planting season that runs from November through February. Please feel free to contact me by phone or if you have questions: (Macy House), (nursery) or e- mail Hitchcock and Cronquist Revision on the Way From Burke Herbarium web site: Revised treatments have been written for 149 families, covering 863 genera and 4,579 terminal taxa (species and infraspecies). The treatments for 8 families are in progress, representing an additional 278 genera and 924 terminal taxa. New illustrations have been completed for 1005 taxa. There just might be a first draft by this spring. See herbarium web site for more details. Chapter Apparatus Co-Chairs: Ann and Fred Weinmann ; aweinmann@cablespeed.com Vice Chair (Programs and Web site) : Dixie Llewellin ; dixie@cablespeed.com (for the Web site go to wnps.org and click on the link to Chapters) Treasurer: Dan Post ; danpost254@gmail.com Secretary: Eve Dixon ; evefdixon@gmail.com Conservation Chair: Wendy McClure ; wendymac3@embarqmail.com Board members at large: Sharon Schlentner, Linda Landkammer, and Luzi Pfenninger Newsletter: Fred Weinmann: ; fweinmann@cablespeed.com The next newsletter will be for : June September, 2017 Submit information in PROPER FORMAT (see examples under event schedule) no later than May 20, Include details including time, place, and the name and contact information for the coordinator/leader of the event. Send input to Fred Weinmann at fweinmann@cablespeed.com. Items submitted after May 20 will not be included. 5

6 . Name: Address: City: State Zip Phone: Membership Category Individual $35.00 WNPS Special friend $ Budget (Sr./Student)$20.00 WNPS Best friend $500 Family $45.00 Sustaining Member $1000 Club/Institution $65.00 WNPS Patron $5000 WNPS Friend $50-99 Outside USA please add $5 to dues Please remit by check payable to WNPS and mail to: Washington Native Plant Society 6310 NE 74 th St., Suite 215E, Seattle, WA Phone: or ; Olympic Peninsula Chapter, WNPS c/o Fred Weinmann 111 Vista Blvd. Port Townsend, WA