Cedar Ridge Park Botanical Exploration with Jon Rebman, San Diego County
April 13, 2024, 8:30 – 12:30
Cedar Ridge Park, located in the South Park area of San Diego, is a natural urban canyon dominated by Coastal Sage Scrub and Southern Maritime Chaparral. It is a great example of what plant species still exist in our fragmented urban canyon habitats and it contains many interesting and sensitive plants including Adolphia californica (Rhamnaceae) Spineshrub, Ambrosia monogyra(Asteraceae) Leafy Burrobush, Ceanothus verrucosus (Rhamnaceae) Wart-Stem-Lilac, Cylindropuntia californica (Cactaceae) Snake Cholla, Ericameria palmeri var. palmeri (Asteraceae) Palmer’s Goldenbush, Ferocactus viridescens var. viridescens (Cactaceae) Coast Barrel Cactus, Harpagonella palmeri (Boraginaceae) Palmer’s Grappling-Hook. Please bring appropriate footwear, water, and sun protection.
Space is limited. This is a FREE event.
Details on where to meet will be provided before the trip.
Otay Mountain Botanical Exploration with Jonathan Snapp-Cook, San Diego County
April 27, 2024, 8:30 – 4:00
Join botanist Jonathan Snapp-Cook Fish, US Wildlife Service, for a visit to the BLM’s Otay Mountain Wilderness along the border with Mexico in San Diego County. We will travel up the northwest flank of the mountain retracing the path of Frank Gander and Carl Wolf in 1936 to the botanically diverse Woodwardia Canyon. Past trips to Woodwardia Canyon have included botanical sightings of Lepechinia ganderi (Gander’s pitcher sage), Delphinium cardinale (scarlet larkspur), Romneya trichocalyx (hairy Matilija poppy), Brodiaea orcuttii (Orcutt’s brodiaea), Chamaebatia australis(southern mountain misery), a little piperia orchid (Piperia sp.), Callitropsis forbesii (Tecate cypress) and the federally endangered Fremontodendron mexicanum (Mexican flannelbush). Please bring lunch, 2 water bottles, snacks, sunscreen hat, and protection for off trail travel (long sleeves and pants or other depending on your preference). The seven mile round trip hike is rigorous and the second part of the hike will be off trail. If you would like to handle the Mexican flannelbush gloves are recommended. If you have questions, please email Jonathan_snapp-cook@fws.gov. RSVPs are required. Hike is capped at 15 participants.
Space is limited. This is a FREE event.
Details on where to meet will be provided before the trip.
South Fork Meadows Botanical Exploration with Duncan Bell, San Bernardino County
June 2, 2024, 9:00 – 5:00
The San Bernardino Mountains are a biodiversity hotspot, home to many rare endemic species found nowhere else on planet earth. Join SCB board member, and senior conservation botanist for California Botanic Garden, Duncan Bell, for a day of exploring some of the San Bernardino Mountains most unique habitats, and visiting with some of these habitats rarest plant residents. We will be exploring montane meadows, pebble-plains, and limestone canyons, with the possibility of seeing many narrowly endemic species, some threatened and endangered, most known only from this mountain range. The main areas of interest for the day will be Cushenburry Canyon, northern Baldwin Lake, and the greater Holcomb Valley region. If there is time at the end some of the other montane meadows on the south side of Big Bear Lake may also be visited. We will be traveling on rough unpaved forest service roads, so a high clearance vehicle with good tires will be required. The current trip date is Sunday June 2nd, but may be shifted a week or two based on phenology.
Space is limited. This is a FREE event.
Details on where to meet will be provided before the trip.