Volume 21, Number 7 April 2016
the
Phlox Phlyer
Columbia Basin Chapter, Washington Native Plant Society
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P.O. Box 221, Richland, WA 99352
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www.cbwnps.org
Native Plant Appreciation Week 2016 April 23 - May 1, 2016 Learn about Washington’s Native Flora – take a hike, take a picture, volunteer!
PHOTOGRAPHS NEEDED FOR NATIVE PLANT ID CARDS We need photographs to be used in plant ID cards that teachers can use to teach their classes about some of the native flora. Check out an example of what we doing at http://www.wnps.org/education/resources/documents/Plant_Cards/Aster_species.pdf We’re starting with 10 common species, and will need photos of specific characteristics for each species. We’ll put lists of the summer and fall characteristics in later newsletters; below is the list of species and SPRING characteristics to photograph. Fairly high resolution photos would be best if possible. golden currant Ribes aureum turpentine wavewing Cymopterus terebinthinus long-leaf phlox Phlox longifolia Carey’s balsamroot Balsamorhiza careyana Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides snow buckwheat Eriogonum niveum bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata grey rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa
Lobed leaves; early spring flowers; berries; entire plant; plant in riparian habitat; birds, animals or insects using plant in some way Close-up of shiny, parsley-like leaves; flowers; seeds with wavy margins;entire plant; plant in sandy habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Close-up showing long leaves and flowers; seedhead; entire plant; plant in shrub-steppe habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Close-up of leaf showing scarcity of hairs; seedhead; flower; entire plant; plant in shrubsteppe habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Orange flowers; leaves lobed but not cleft; pie-shaped seedheads; entire plant; plant in shrubsteppe habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Seedheads; entire plant; plant in sandy habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Hairy leaves; entire plant; plant in sandy habitat; birds or insects using plant in some way Plant in bloom; seedhead; entire plant; plant in shrub-steppe habitat; birds, animals or insects using plant in some way 3-tipped leaves; entire plant; plant in shrub-steppe habitat; birds, animals or insects using plant in some way Needle-like leaves; entire plant; plant in shrub-steppe habitat,;birds or animals or insects using plant in some way 1
Columbia Basin Chapter Photo Contest Once again we’ll have two categories for our annual photo contest. Photos entered in our contest are used in displays and educational information we create to increase awareness and encourage conservation of native plants. The 1st category is biotic crust: you could take close-ups of lichens, mosses, mushrooms, club mosses etc. or step back and take a photo of a mini-landscape of the textures and colors that occur together. The 2 nd category is wildlife (birds, animals, insects) and native plants. Contact Mickie Chamness at mickiec@charter.net if you have any questions. Entries are due by November 6, and a 2017 WNPS calendar will be awarded to the winner in each category
The Phlox Phlyer is the newsletter of the Columbia Basin Chapter, Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, Washington Native Plant Society. Chapter Officers Co-Presidents — Mickie Chamness, mickiec@charter.net & Janelle Downs, sagejld@aol.com Vice-President — Rik Smith,
rsmith@columbiabasin.edu
Election of Officers
Secretary — Marilyn Lemar, dwlemar@hotmail.com
Our chapter is run by volunteers in all that we do. We could do more and we could do better if we had YOU to help with your ideas, your extra pair of hands, and your enthusiasm and passion for native plants and the ecology they’re a part of. Carol Coker and Marita Lih are serving as the nominating committee for the chapter’s upcoming election of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer in June. If you would like to nominate someone for any of these positions or are interested in serving in one of these positions or in helping on a committee, please contact them at mplih@charter.net or carolpascoc@outlook.com.
Treasurer — Cheryl Smith
cyankee@charter.net Chapter Committees Program Chair — Kim Hamblin-Hart,
kimhamblinhart@gmail.com Field Trips — Ernie Crediford, ernest_crediford@live.com
MEETINGS/WORKSHOPS Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Monthly Meeting at Columbia Basin College, Room TD 439 – Planting Sage: Inmates and Sage Grouse Recovery, Gretchen Graber. A unique partnership to grow and plant-out thousands of sagebrush plants for the recovery of the greater sage grouse, an iconic bird of the west. A new partnership between Institute for Applied Ecology, Sustainability in Prisons Project, Bureau of Land Management and Washington State Department of Corrections is being used to bring science and sustainability education into prisons to reduce recidivism rates. Gretchen is an educator for the Institute for Applied Ecology at WSU Tri-Cities. Maps and directions are available at: http://www.cbwnps.org/calendar/ At 6:30 pm, we will continue with our “What is THAT Plant?” feature. Bring in your unknown plant (non-ornamental) and we will attempt to identify it. This is also an opportunity to socialize before our meeting. Saturday, April 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spring 2016 Heritage Garden Workshop – Make Your Dream Garden a Reality The Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts and the Columbia Basin Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society are holding a free workshop at the Richland Public Library (955 Northgate Drive, Richland WA 99352). Light refreshments will be served. Sign up by April 8, at http://bit.ly/1PzrHFY. It's free! Also, please visit our new website at http://www.hgcd.info/. Friday through Sunday, May 13-15, 2016. Botany Washington – Spring on the Olympic Peninsula, Jefferson County WA. Registration is open (http://www.wnps.org/2014botanyreg.htm); Join the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) and the University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum (WTU) for this co-sponsored event featuring outstanding learning opportunity for participants of all skill levels. This annual event will be exploring the floristic and taxonomic diversity of the eastern Olympic Peninsula lowlands.
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Restoration/Salvage — Bill Mast, bmast1@live.com Heritage Garden Program — Donna Lucas, donna_lucas@hotmail.com Education — Open Newsletter Editor — Mary Ann Simmons, msimmons_1@charter.net Publicity — Mickie Chamness, mickiec@charter.net Books — Carmen Wooten, canoecarmen@yahoo.com Web Site Editor — Mary Ann Simmons msimmons_1@charter.net
Walla Walla Subchapter Darcy Dauble, Walla Walla, dadauble@gmail.com
This issue reproduced by
THE DIGITAL IMAGE Richland Washington 509-375-6001
Friday through Sunday, June 17-19, 2016. WNPS Study Weekend at Leavenworth. Hosted by Central and Wenatchee Chapters. Registration is now open: http://www.wnps.org/study_weekend/home.html Sunday, June 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to12:00 p.m. Pollinator Appreciation Week Program at the WSU Tri-Cities Wine Science Center Native Plant and Pollinator teaching garden. There will be 30 minute Garden Tours every hour from 9:30am. To help with this event please contact Gretchen Graber (gretchen.graber@gmail.com ). Wednesday, July 8, 2016 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Access and Wilderness. Senior Center at the Park 720 Sprague St., Walla Walla. Hosted by Umatilla National Forest. More information about the process is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd491835.pdf
WILDFLOWER HIKES All hikes are open to the public. Please contact trip leader. Dress appropriately (it can be windy on the ridges), bring water, a snack or lunch, and, if car-pooling, some money for the driver to cover gas. Please check the calendar (http://www.cbwnps.org/calendar/ ) on our webpage for updates and contact the trip leader.
Saturday, April 2, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Twin Sisters. Meet at CBC parking lot across from Red Lion. Dress warmly it can get windy and cold. Approximately 2 hrs. Leader: Rik Smith (rsmith@columbiabasin.edu) Saturday, April 9, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Badger Mtn. Meet at the Skyline trail head parking lot off Dallas Rd. Approximately 2 hrs. Leader: Rik Smith (rsmith@columbiabasin.edu) Saturday, April 16, 2016, 8:30 a.m. Cowiche Canyon - Snow Mtn. Meet at the Park & Ride in Richland (corner of Van Giesen and Bypass Highway/Hwy 240). Travel time is about 90 min. This is a moderate hike with slight uphill grade at Snow Mtn. Return about 3 p.m. Leader Terri Knoke (tlknoke@charter.net ) Saturday, April 23, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Basalt Gardens-Pillars. Meet at the Park & Ride in Richland (corner of Van Giesen and Bypass Highway/Hwy 240). Interesting basalt rock formations where rare native plants are common. Return about 3 p.m. Leader Terri Knoke (tlknoke@charter.net ) Saturday, April 30, 2016, 9:00 a.m., Frenchman Coulee. Meet at the Park & Ride in Richland (corner of Van Giesen and Bypass Highway/Hwy 240).This coulee is a hidden geologic treasure. Return between 1and 2 p.m. Leader Janelle Downs (509-588-9094 or Sagejld@aol.com ) Saturday, May 7, 2016 10:00 a.m., Mc Bee Grade-Horn Rapids. Meet at the Park & Ride in Benton City, just off the I-82 (exit 96 at Benton City).Park & Ride now on opposite side of freeway from gas station. We will carpool up the hill; then return to the cars and continue to Horn Rapids to look at some of our sand dwellers. Approximately 3 hrs. Leaders: Marilyn Lemar (509-460-8302) and Carol Coker. Saturday, May 14, 2016 10:00 a.m. Twin Sisters. Meet at CBC Parking lot across from Red Lion. Approximately 2 hrs. Leader Rik Smith (rsmith@columbiabasin.edu) Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:00 a.m. Bickleton. Meet at Benton City Park & Ride, just off the I-82 (exit 96 at Benton City). Return between 1and 2p.m. Leader: Terri Knoke (tlknoke@charter.net)
If you would like to explore on your own check out Places to Visit ( http://www.cbwnps.org/places-to-visit-1/ ) and our wildflower trails map (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_sm0-kbVqTxVVEyWVJuMEZYR1U/view ) Also check out field trips for the Central Washington Chapter: http://www.wnps.org/chapter_info/chapter_trips.html and hikes at Wildhorse Wind Farm on April 30th and May7th (https://www.facebook.com/wildhorseREC/events ).
WALLA WALLA NEWS Demonstration Garden: In bloom are golden pea, potentilla, shooting star, grass widow, golden currant, mountain mahogany, Oregon grape, serviceberry, Scouler's willow and iscuit root. Two Brown's peony have merged! Come admire each week's new arrivals with Nancy, Sue and Betsy on Friday mornings from 10a - noon at the Blue Mountain Humane Society on 7 East George in Walla Walla.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Deadline for responding to Blue Mountains Forest Resiliency Project. The Blue Mountains Forest Resiliency Project is an effort to restore more than a half million acres of forests on the Ochoco, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The project will use thinning and fire to actively restore dry forests toward more resilient conditions.'This massive 3
project covers nearly 1.3 million acres, and is aimed to make the Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla, and Ochoco National Forests healthier and more resilient to fire, insects, and disease'. But will it? Hells Canyon Preservation Council has posted a thoughtful analysis on its website. https://t.e2ma.net/webview/hn29l/91c836f6bf1ca1a0190b6ccfb4f4131f Friday, April 15, 2016, 7 - 10pm. Learning on the Land. Blue Mountain Land Trust begins its season of programs with the Wild and Scenic film festival –‘15 films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet'. Purchase tickets ($10) on BMLT website http://bmlt-test.org/learning-on-the-lands/ Maxey Hall Auditorium, Whitman College.
Other Items 2016 CITIZEN SCIENCE EARLY DETECTION, REPORTING AND IDENTIFICATION OF INVASIVE PLANTS WORKSHOP. Hosted by Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council. Their mission is to train citizens to identify a suite of invasive plants in a 2.5 hour free training where you will learn how to identify priority invasive species, how to record basic data and how to report findings on EDDMapSWest, a national early detection reporting system. See: http://www.pnwipc.org/calendar.shtml To register contact Julie Combs at pnw.ipc.org@gmail There are 2 sessions on the east side: Cle Elum, WA Wednesday, April 6th, 1:00pm-3:30pm; Cle Elum Ranger District, Tom Craven Conference Room, 803 W 2nd St., Cle Elum, WA 98922; Naches, WA Thursday, May 12th; 1:00pm-3:30pm USFS Naches Ranger Station, 10237 U.S. Highway 12, Naches, WA 98937
NOTE: What is a Native Plant? Have you ever been asked or wondered what makes a plant a native? The US National Arboretum defines a native plant as “one that occurs naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without direct or indirect human intervention … .” In addition a native plant was present at the time Europeans arrived in North America.
Columbia Basin Chapter Washington Native Plant Society P.O. Box 221 Richland, Washington 99352
To receive the newsletter electronically – email msimmons_1@charter.net 4