Fungus Foray at Oak Flat, San Mateo Canyon Wilderness - The date is pending rainfall (RSVP REQUIRED)(afternoon trip)

Jan 18 UPDATE: We are still waiting for some rainfall to re-schedule this trip. Stand by for a date - mushrooms love rain.

Joanne Schwartz, a mushroom expert and OC CNPS member, will lead a hunt for interesting mushroom/fungus within the beautiful oak forests, chaparral and sage scrub habitats of the Oak Flat area. Joanne will explain the differences in the fungus parts and how they reproduce from spores spread by wind, animals, water and insects. Fungus are important to the ecology of our local wildlands in many ways and without their decomposing and symbiotic characteristics the world would be a very different place. Joanne will demonstrate environmentally friendly methods and tools used to study fungi. Although principally a mushroom/fungus trip, we probably will not be able to avoid pointing out a few of the interesting native plants of the area as well.

Oak Flat (actually a series of several flats) is at the Western edge of The San Mateo Canyon Wilderness and accessed by a locked/private gate off Hwy 74. This seldom visited area is a spectacular oasis of grasslands surrounded by beautiful, mature live oak woodlands. A very picturesque area with access to the area specially granted for this group.

Joanne Schwartz is an amateur mycologist and local mushroom expert. She has collected and photographed fungi throughout the world and has participated in field studies in Peru and Bolivia as well as California’s redwood forests and the California Channel Islands.

Important Note: Mushroom are particularly dependent upon winter rainfall for the best hunting. If rains do not cooperate, the date of this trip may be adjusted. Please check this website for any last minute updates.

Free and open to all. Strictly limited to 12 attendees. To RSVP send an email to with full name(s) and phone number.

Meet 1 PM in the parking lot at Bravo Fresh restaurant, 31722 Rancho Viejo Rd., San Juan Capistrano (just off Hwy 74 near I-5) for the short drive to the locked gate at the base of Rancho Carrillo Road. Leaders: Joanne Schwartz and Ron Vanderhoff

Physical Difficulty: Moderate. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. A hand lens is also useful. No water or restrooms near the field trip  area. Mushroom Intensity: always unknown. Time: Approx. 3 hours, depending on the group.

Microflora: Exploring mosses, liverworts and miniature plants. Near Whiting Ranch - Sun, Jan 26

Jan 24 UPDATE: Although we would have wished for some more rain, this trip is still looking good. Be reminded that this is a "microflora" trip.  We will spend most of our time in a very small area, on our hands and knees, looking at tiny mosses, liverworts and plants. A hand lens is highly recommended. We will briefly meet at the Whiting Ranch parking area below, then drive 1/4 mile to another location, which will shorten the walk to the final area slightly. See you Sunday morning.

We will visit a rare habitat on a small mesa of thin hardpan clay. The unique soil and geology here hold water very well and it supports a rich assortment of byophytes and small vascular plants. It is “almost” a vernal pool area, but not quite. Here, near Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, over 2-3 acres, is also a large population (in moist years) of the rare but tiny Adder’s Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum californicum) and we will search for it. The area is rich in an array of liverworts, mosses and lichens, which we will examine and attempt to identify.

This is a “belly plant” trip. We will spend most of our time kneeling or laying on our stomachs, looking at the tiny plants. After this "microflora" examination we may go for a walk in the surrounding coastal sage scrub to look for some early wildflowers. Meet 8 AM in the large Whiting Ranch Park parking lot on Glenn Ranch Rd., about .5 mi. E of Portola Parkway, Foothill Ranch. 

Open to all. An OC Parks Entrance fee or pass is required for parking. Leaders: James Bailey and Ron Vanderhoff.

Physical Difficulty: Easy, but being on your hands and knees is essential for this trip. Wear pants and clothes that you don't mind getting dirty and probably wet. A kneeling pad or an old beach towel will keep you a bit cleaner and drier. A hat, sunscreen, camera (with macro lens, if possible), notepad, water and comfortable walking shoes/boots are advised. A hand lens is also very helpful, the stronger the better. Porta-potty restroom near the parking/start area only. Plant Intensity: moderate to high. Time: Approx. 2-3 hours, depending on the group.

If you missed the trip, read this summary and enjoy some of the highlights.

El Moro Canyon, Crystal Cove - Sun, Feb 23

Feb 22 UPDATE: POSTPONED! What are the chances? It hasn't rained in almost two months and the day before our trip, it rains. Unfortunately, the park has closed all trails, due to the rain. Check this page frequently for a new date, hopefully soon.

Along with Laguna Canyon and Aliso Canyon, Moro Canyon comprises one of the major coastal watersheds of The San Joaquin Hills. Oriented perpendicular to the coast and cutting about three miles into the foothills it offers a range of plants typical of our coastal foothills. We will be looking at restoration areas in the Bowl and other locations nearby.  To start we will likely head straight up the canyon, looking at the plants of the coastal sage scrub and grassland areas along the way, while doing our best to avoid the weekend mountain bikers. Small areas of riparian and chaparral will offer variety.

Meet 8 am at the Lower Moro Canyon Day Use lot parking area, which is located on the inland side of PCH, behind El Morro School. Once past the kiosk, be sure to proceed past the campground and down the hill then to the left.  Map link  (https://goo.gl/maps/KWSrNofbLzrgc2ue8)

Open to all. A State Parks Entrance fee or pass is required for entry ($15 per vehicle). Leaders: Rachel Whitt and Lana Nguyen (CA State Parks biologist).

Physical Difficulty: Moderate. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. Water and restrooms near the parking/start area only. Plant Intensity: moderate. Time: Approx. 3-4 hours, depending on the group.

Robinson Ranch and the Bell View Trail - Sun, Mar 1

Feb 29, 4 PM UPDATE: All set for tomorrow. Weather should be mild, so bring a layer or two, just in case.

One of our better grassland habitats in Orange County, on a slope above Trabuco Canyon. After a short walk, we will jook for mariposa lilies, chocolate lilies, lupines and many other Spring flowers. We will then follow the Bell View trail further up the slope until we reach the vicinity of Small Peak.

Meet 9 am at the intersections of Robinson Ranch Rd. and Vista Drive, which is just over one mile off of Plano Trabuco Road in Robinson Ranch. There is plenty of fee parking here on the street, at the Bell View Trail Trailhead.

Free and open to all. Leader: Jonathan Frank

Physical Difficulty: Moderate, with some uphill. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. No water or restrooms. Plant Intensity: moderate to high. Time: Approx. 1.5 hours, depending on the group.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park - Sun, Mar 8

Mar 7, UPDATE: All is set for tomorrow. Weather should be nice; partly cloudy with a high aroud 70. No rain.

Anza-Borrego is California’s largest State Park and is rich in botanical treasures, especially spring wildflowers. Desert bloom is always a very unpredictable thing, with blooms varying in timing, location and intensity every year and even from week to week. Please visit  this site regularly for any date changes on this trip. Meet promptly at 6:30 am at Bravo Burger parking lot off Ortega Hwy or meet at the Anza-Borrego Visitors Center at 9 am. The Visitor’s Center is located at 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs. This will be a caravan-type trip, as we follow the bloom around the park. We will drive from location-to-location, usually parking along the shoulders of the road, according to where we get reports of the best bloom and plants. Each stop will provide ample time to explore, identify and photograph the flora.

Free and open to all. Leader: Diane Etchison and Rachel Whitt.

Physical difficulty: Easy to moderate. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water, hiking shoes/boots and lunch. Water and restrooms are sporadic. Plant Intensity: Uncertain, depending upon the year. Time: All day.

Vail Lake and Possible Rare Plant Treasure Hunt (East of Temecula) - Sun, Mar 15

Mar 13, UPDATE: This trip has been cancelled due to wet weather and wet trails and the potential for more.

We will be exploring the botanically rich area surrounding Vail Lake in Riverside County.  Where coastal and desert ecosystems converge, the Vail Lake area supports a highly diverse plant community with coastal, desert and Diegan elements. In addition to many annual wildflowers, some other plants to be expected include A

On Sunday March 15 we will be exploring the botanically rich area surrounding Vail Lake in Riverside County.  Where coastal and desert ecosystems converge, the Vail Lake area supports a highly diverse plant community with coastal, desert and Diegan elements. In addition to many annual wildflowers, some other plants to be expected include Adenostoma sparsifolium (Red Shanks), Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera), Cylindropuntia californica and Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris) as well as various chaparral and shrubland communities. We will also visit the rare Southern California endemic Nevin's barberry (Berbers nevinii).  The hike will focus mainly on the West-Northwest area of Vail Lake where we highlight the presence of uncommon or noteworthy species.

Take Hwy. 79 East as it leads through Temecula until you reach Vail Lake Resort off Vail Oak Road (12 miles east of Int. 15) at 9 AM.  There is a kiosk where each entrant pays 5 dollars for hiking access.  We will meet in the first main dirt lot adjacent to the kiosk.

Physical Difficulty: Moderate to high. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. Restrooms may be available at the end of the hike.  Plant Intensity: moderate. Time: Approx. 3 hours or more depending on the group. Trip Leader: Jonathan Frank.

Caspers Park on the Oak Trail, Juaneno Trail and Mesa Loop - Sun, Mar 22

Mar 16 UPDATE: To provide for the safety of our members and friends, this trip has been cancelled. Please use this opportunity to spend some newfound time enjoying one of our wild areas.

Caspers Wilderness Park is the Jewel of the Orange County Park system, including 8,000 acres and a wide array of habitats. The destination will depend on the condition of the trails and what's blooming. One option is the Loskorn Trail to the East Ridge Trail, then back by way of the Starr Rise and Bell Canyon trails for a distance of 3.5 miles. Warning: the Loskorn Trail is steep and narrow with steep drop-offs in places. Another option is the Juaneno Trail to the Mesa Loop trail, where we will pass a recent burn site. This trail is relatively flat, but crosses the creekbed. You might get your feet wet, so wear appropriate shoes.

Possible wildflowers include Dodecatheon clevelandii (Padre's Shooting Star), Harpagonella palmeri (Palmer's Grapplinghook), Paeonia californica (California Peony), Caulanthus heteropyllus (San Diego Jewel Flower), Camissoniopsis strigulosa (Sandysoil Suncup), Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum (Sonora Everlasting), and many others.

Meet at 8 am at the end of Caspers Park road near the windmill. Directions: From 5 freeway, exit Ortega Highway, and go east 8 miles. The entrance to Caspers is prominently marked on the left. Open to all. There is a day use fee of $5 per car or free with an OC Parks Pass (Click here for fee/pass information). Trail maps are available at the entrance kiosk. Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Bring hiking poles if you use them and plenty of water. Restrooms and water at the trailhead, but not on the trail. Leader: Diane Etchison.

Physical Difficulty: Moderate, 3-4 miles . Bring hat, sunscreen, water and hiking shoes. Restrooms at the staging area.  Plant Intensity: Moderate. Time: About 3-4 hours.

Wildflower Showcase: IRC Seed Farm Open House - Sat, Apr 11 (Registration Required)

Mar 16 UPDATE: To provide for your safety the IRC and OCCNPS have cancelled this event.

If you’ve been curious about supporting pollinators and other wildlife through native gardening but don’t know where to start, or if you just love wildflowers, this event is for you. Come see what amazing Orange County native wildflowers will be in bloom during the Wildflower Showcase, held at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm in Irvine. You are invited to stroll the Native Seed Farm grounds at your own pace, or join a guided walking tour and hear about the plants right at your feet. There will be a wildflower and pollinator-themed craft station, hands-on games and touch-stations.

Hosted by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy and the Orange County chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OC-CNPS), this informal open house is a great chance to see some blooms and learn about local pollinators like butterflies, tiny native bees and even bats! You’ll have a chance to discover how the Conservancy and OC-CNPS are conserving, protecting, and restoring native wildflowers in Orange County. You’ll also hear how you can join in! We will advertise various local engagement opportunities, including information about field trips and upcoming special events.

What is the Seed Farm? It is an 8-acre site growing almost 50 local plant species, each providing seed used to support the Conservancy’s ecological restoration projects in Orange County.  Wednesday and Saturdays year round, volunteers like you come out to help us plant, protect and harvest seed from these beautiful and powerful native plants.

Schedule:

10:00    Meet your hosts! Informational booths, crafts and touch-stations open
10:25    Welcome & Introduction
10:45    Tours
11:15    Tours
11:45    Mingling & open booths
Noon     Site closes

Attendance and parking is limited. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. RSVP at www.letsgooutside.org. approx. one month before the event. Directions and additional details will be forwarded upon confirmation. Early registration, March 5 - 19, for CNPS members now open at https://bit.ly/2TmMJU1 .

Physical difficulty: Easy to moderate. Bring good walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, snacks, and perhaps water or a reusable water bottle. Water and restrooms are available near the parking area. Approx. 2 hours. Leader: Rachel Lambert / Brad Jenkins.

Santa Rosa Plateau Verrnal Pools - Sun, Apr 19 (RSVP required)

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

The Santa Rosa Plateau, located at the Southern edge of the Santa Ana Mountains in western Riverside County, is one of our areas most remarkable natural history and botanical sites. Varied soils, a basalt rock base, clay composition and a moderately level terrain have created a very special area for nature lovers. Hailey Laskey, Reserve Manager with Center for Natural Lands Management, and Zach Principe, senior ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, will lead this amazing trip through restricted-entry areas of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. We will drive through the 2019 Tenaja Fire burn scar to observe the regrowth of the chaparral and a budding forb community toward the main focus of the tour. We will then start our tour of one of the seven plateaus of the area, Mesa de Burro, to observe the native Stipa pulchra grasslands and vernal pools.

The vernal pools hold an assemblage of rare, beautiful and specialized plants, including two species of Downingia, Blennosperma nanum, Brodiaeas, Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii, Euphorbia spathulata, Isoetes howellii, Muilla maritima, Myosurus minimus, Orcuttia californica and Pilularia americana. We will walk 2-3 miles over relatively flat, but uneven ground through very healthy and diverse grasslands and discuss the ecology of the area and the plants present. Vehicles with high clearance and 4 wheel drive are required. We will meet and carpool in the 4 WD vehicles from the SRPER Visitor Center. An alternative hike could also occur due to unfavorable weather and dangerous road conditions.

To carpool, meet at 8 AM at the parking lot at Bravo Burgers, 31722 Rancho Viejo Rd, San Juan Capistrano (just off Hwy 74 near Interstate-5). OR meet at 9 AM at the Visitor's Center on Clinton Keith Road, 4.1 miles W of Interstate-15 in Murrieta. Reservations strictly required - limited to the first 20 RSVP's . Reservations will open soon, but are not being accepted quite yet. Check this website again, and when ready a note will be added in RED to the top title header of the trip. A $4 per person entrance fee is required to access the trails and preserve. Bring trail shoes, hat sunscreen, water and lunch, if desired.

Plant intensity: Moderate to high.

Tour of Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks - Sat, Apr 25 (CNPS Members Only, RSVP)

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

The Irvine Ranch Conservancy will offer its eleventh annual OC CNPS tour of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks with hosts Matt Garrambone and Ron Vanderhoff, as well as several IRC volunteers. Specific details of the visit and location are not yet final - check back soon.

Matt Garrambone manages plant and seed resources for the Conservancy and is also a OC CNPS Director. He has 16 years' experience working with native plants, in both applied and academic settings. He received his Bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University in Environmental Communications with a minor in Biology and is currently pursuing a graduate degree from University of California, Irvine in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

The specific location and details of this year's visit is still pending, but may be to the Dripping Springs aea of Limestone Canyon. This is a very special area with perennial water, ferns, mosses, one of OC's only colonies of hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) and other surprises. Portable restroom availability at beginning and end only. This trip is strictly limited and, once finalized, RSVP's will open through IRC Let's Go Outside activities page approximately one month before the trip. Directions to the parking and starting location will be available during the registration process. This will likely be an 8:30 AM start and approximately a 2:30-3:00 PM finish.

Physical Difficulty: TBD. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water, hiking shoes/boots and lunch. Plant Intensity: Moderate to high, especially wildflowers. Time: Approx. 6-7 hours.

Upper Santiago Canyon BioBlitz and Survey- Sun, Apr 26 (CNPS Only)

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

A serious botanical trip for only a few special people. A small group of botanists will set out to document the flora of this canyon, which is almost unexplored botanically. One of Orange County's deeper and well-watered canyons, it is nonetheless 'terra-incognita regarding' its flora. The upper reaches of Santiago Canyon (called "Modjeska Canyon" by locals) is difficult to access and still very wild. There are no trails in the canyon and the going will be tedious, with considerable bushwhacking, rock scrambling, climbing and large patches of poison oak to deal with.

Our party will catalogue as much of the flora of the canyon as we can, in a botanical "BioBlitz" manner. We will be collecting plant samples (under USFS permit) for deposit at the UCI Herbarium, as well as geotagging important plants, using iNaturalist and Calflora applications. We The result will be a nearly complete assessment of all the species in the canyon. Access and entry permission has been granted to this otherwise closed area.

This is an all-day trip, with a 7 AM start and a late afternoon/early evening finish, which will allow us to navigate as far up the canyon as possible in the available daylight. Botanists will be identifying plants, while others will be assisting with taking and transporting plant samples, doing careful, detailed photography and geotagging plant locations.

Due to the difficult canyon travel and scientific nature of this trip we ask those interested to please send a note explaining their interest, qualifications and abilities to for consideration. Leader: Ron Vanderhoff

Physical Difficulty: Strenuous. Time: A full day.

Coal Canyon, Northern Santa Ana Mts. - Sun, May 3 (CNPS Members Only) (TENTATIVE)

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

A very special trip into one of the most biologically rich areas of The Santa Ana Mountains and Chino Hills State Park. We are currently pending approval from Chino Hills State Park. After a long walk along the Santa Ana River Bike Trail we will arrive at the Coal Canyon trailhead and will provide the group an orientation and an overview of the area. We will then hike up the canyon on Big Mo Trail, discussing the area and its special biology as we go, pointing out some of the interesting plants. Coal Canyon is a special place and is host to several rare plants, including Braunton’s milkvetch (Astragalus brauntonii), Tecate cypress (Hesperocyparis forbesii), Catalina mariposa lily (Calochortus catalinae) and chaparral beargrass (Nolina cismontana). 

Expect to see a large variety of plants. At least 147 species have been recorded in the canyon and adjoining ridges. For a PDF list of the species click here: https://www.occnps.org/PDF/CoalCanyonPlantList.pdf.

This trip is strictly limited in attendence. RSVP instructions will be given on this site once the trip is finalized with CA State Parks. Details to the 8 AM meeting location will be sent to the RSVP’s. Leaders: Robin Huber and Jonathan Frank.

Free and open to all, but RSVP required and space is limited. Physical Difficulty: Moderate, but with lots of rocky, sandy and boulder strewn areas. Expect about four to five miles on the Big Mo trail, plus another mile on the bike trail. No water or restrooms. Plant Intensity: Moderate to high. Time: Approx. 4 hours or more depending on the group.

O’Neill Park Family Day and Exploring - Sat, May 9

More details soon. We are planning a picnic and family, friends and chidren day at the park. Games, nature activities, food and exploring will all be a part of the festivities. Stay tuned for more details. If you would like to help with the planning, contact .

Open to all. An OC Parks Entrance fee ($5 per car) or pass is required for entry to the park (Click here for fee/pass information). Leader: Jonathan Frank

Physical difficulty: Easy. Water and restrooms available

Black Star Canyon, Santa Ana Mts. - Sun, May 17

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

More details soon. On this trip we plan to get down into the moist, riparian part of the canyon.

Free and open to all. Leader: Jonathan Frank

Physical Difficulty: Moderate. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. No water or restrooms. Plant Intensity: moderate. Time: Approx. 3-4 hours, depending on the group.

UC Irvine Herbarium - Sun, Jun 7 (TENTATIVE)

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

An open house and tour of the UCI Herbarium. The herbarium collection is our principal OC repository of native plant collections. The collection here is significant at approximately 35,000 vascular plant specimens and 5,000 lichens and algae with about 86% from California. The herbarium focuses on the flora of the Western U.S., especially southern California, Orange County and Baja California, Mexico. The UCI Herbarium is also the location of most of our 2019 OC CNPS Holy Fire plant survey collections.

For the trip, we will visit the herbarium, led by Collections Manager and OCCNPS Director Rebecca Crowe. Rebecca will show off the herbarium and explain its value to local native plant science. She will show display some of its collections, describe its record-keeping process, demonstrate how plants are pressed, dried, mounted and stored, and discuss other interesting details. In a semi-workshop manner, Rebecca will also demonstrate how CNPS members can collect & submit botanical voucher specimens and how to keep a collection notebook. Attendees will be introduced to the Consortium of California Herbaria and she will explain how we can all assist in documenting and curating our incredible native flora.

Rebecca Crowe is the Collections Manager of the UCI Arboretum and Herbarium and an Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology graduate of San Francisco State University. She has research interests in Arctostaphylos (manzanita), fire ecology, and the plants of Orange County.

Meeting time and details will be posted here once confirmed. The UCI Arboretum and Herbarium are located on the corner of Jamboree Rd. and Campus Dr. (enter on Jamboree) in Irvine. Leaders: Rebecca Crowe and Ron Vanderhoff.

Free and open to all. Physical difficulty: Easy.

James Dilley Preserve, Laguna Coast Wilderness - Sat, Jun 13

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

A great trip, nearby in the Laguna Canyon area. The James Dilley Preserve is on the East side of Laguna Canyon Road, just N of Hwy 73 and N of the intersection of El Toro Road. The stunning Weed's Mari-Osaki lily, Calochortus weedii var. intermedius, is almost guaranteed here at this time of year as well an unusual and possibly undescribed groudcherry (Physalis species) and many other coastal sage scrub plants. We will probably hike up Mariposa Trail, then loop back down Sunflower trail to our cars. Meet 8 am at the James Dilley Preserve parking area, located on Laguna Canyon Road, on the east side of the road approximately 6 miles south of I405 and just north of the 73 Toll Road. Leader: Jonathan Frank

Open to all. An OC Parks Entrance fee ($5 per vehicle) or pass is required for entry (Click here for fee/pass information).

Physical Difficulty: Moderate. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. Water and restrooms near the parking/start area only. Plant Intensity: moderate to high. Time: Approx. 3 hours, depending on the group.

Running Springs, San Bernardino Mts. - Sun, Jun 28

UPDATE: To provide for your safety and comply with current health standards this trip has been cancelled. We hope to return to our natural aeas soon.

The San Bernardino mountains have a wealth of interesting plants that are unique to high elevations. This is a great area to visit in the summer after wildflowers in Orange County have faded from the heat.

Places to visit and specialties to look for (seen last year on Jul 11) include: Heaps Peak Arboretum (29358 Hwy. 18, Skyforest, CA) (partly planted, not endemic): Hartweg's Iris (Iris hartwegii). Laguna Mt Jewel Flower (Streptanthus bernardinus), Diamond Fairy Fan (Clarkia rhomboidia), Grand Collomia (Collomia grandiflora), Mt Dogwood (Cornus nuttalli). Shady Cove Campground: Mousetail Ivesia (Ivesia santolinoides), Santolina Pincushion (Chaenactis santoinoides), Southern Mt Monardella (Monardella australis), Chaparral Broomrape (Aphyllon tuberosum) (abundant!), Pinewoods Holboells Rockcress (Boechera pinertorum). Children's Forest Visitor Center (32573 Highway 18, Running Springs, CA): Palmer's Monkeyflower (Erythanthe palmeri), San Jacinto Bluecurls (Trichostema austromontanum), San Bernardino Mts Owl's Clover (Castilleja lasiorhyncha - rare 1B.2)

Open to all, but requires a Forest Service Adventure Pass (one per car, available in advance at any Big 5, Sport Chalet or REI). Leader: Diane Etchison.

Meet at 6:30 at the Caltrans Park-and-Ride Lot at 2555 Tustin Avenue, Orange (SE corner of Lincoln Ave. and Tustin Ave.). Do not be late - we will be leaving promptly at 6:30 AM. Or meet at the Heaps Peak Arboretum at 9 AM (directions below). Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots and probably a sack lunch. The drive time is approximately 2 to 2.5 hours one-way.

Directions: Take Hwy 91 to I-215N/Riverside Fwy. After 6.7 miles, merge onto Hwy 210 toward Highland/Hwy-330. After 4.6 miles, take Hwy 330 toward Big Bear. At Running Springs, turn left (west) on Hw 18. Arboretum is about 4.5 miles on the right. Requires a Forest Service Adventure Pass.

Plant intensity: High. Physical Difficulty: Moderate. All day.

Upper Newport Bay - Sun, Jul 12 (TENTATIVE)

UPDATE: This event is tentative, depending upon current health standards. Please check back for updates. 

Big Canyon is the largest natural watershed emptying into Upper Newport Bay and the site of a multi-year, multi-million dollar restoration and habitat improvement project. The area offers an impressive variety of habitats in a very small geographic area, including salt marsh, freshwater marsh, bluff scrub, riparian, and coastal sage scrub. We will walk the area and discuss the large variety of plants throughout the habitats, many of which have special environmental adaptations and some with significant rarity. Over 270 different plant species have been recorded just in this Big Canyon area! https://www.calflora.org/app/ipl?vrid=svy2386&bloom=t

As a very special part of this trip we will be joined by Newport Bay Conservancy restoration experts who are leading a large effort to improve the area ecologically and enhance its biological diversity. Phase 1 of this effort is already complete and Phase 2 will likely be underway as we visit. Learn about the ongoing restoration efforts in Upper Newport Bay and the difficulties biologists face maintaining an intact native flora in an area surrounded by intense development and urban pressures.

Free and open to all. Leaders: Josie Bennett and Amanda Swanson.

Access Back Bay Drive off of San Joaquin Hills Road (off Jamboree Road). Turn right on Back Bay Drive (one-way) and proceed about .5 mile to the large parking area at the base of Big Canyon.

Physical Difficulty: Easy. Bring hat, sunscreen, camera, wildflower book/notepad, water and hiking shoes/boots. No water or restrooms. Plant Intensity: moderate. Time: Approx. 3 hours, depending on the group.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont - Sun, Oct 18

UPDATE: This event is tentative, depending upon current health standards. Please check back for updates. 

A great way to kick off the fall native planting season. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is an 86 acre museum of native plants—a living collection. The Garden’s curated living collection contains more than 22,000 plants, representing nearly 1,400 species, hybrids and cultivars of native California flora. The front half of the gardens are well maintained providing serenity and ideas for your own garden. The back half has vegetation arranged in plant communities in a more natural state, connected via a network of intertwined trails. This location is family friendly with opportunities for plant photography, gardening ideas, plant identification, trail walking, and relaxing. We may connect with two adjacent CNPS chapters for a joint event. We will also let RSABG know we are coming to see if we can get behind the scenes tours or special background information. Before leaving, visit the retail Grow Native Nursery, one of our region’s valuable sources of native plants. For a preview, visit rsabg.org.

Open to all. An entry fee to the garden is required. Leader: Brad Jenkins, OC CNPS President.

Meet 9 AM at the entrance booth at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave, Claremont. For those who are not already members, there is a $10 entry fee (seniors and students $6, children 3-12 $4). Bring comfortable shoes, camera, hat, notepad and enthusiasm.