Celebrating our Public Lands

Posted on 22 October, 2024 by Anthony Rondon

National Public Lands Day (NPLD), according to the National Parks Service website, “is [an event] organized annually and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal agencies.” The day involves, “…hundreds of thousands of volunteers roll[ing] up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes…” including our National Forests. This event, celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday of September, gives an opportunity for the public to show an appreciation for the unique green spaces many of us use for recreation and our local flora and fauna call home.

The San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) celebrated NPLD 2024 this year by organizing a volunteer restoration event held in partnership with the Southern California Mountains Foundation (SCMF) on Saturday September 28th. I was one of the staff members on hand facilitating this event alongside the volunteers, and I was so happy to be able to do so. It not only was a great way to personally reflect on my love for our public lands but to also get to share that passion and love with members of our local community.

Preparation for our NPLD volunteer event began two weeks prior with a scouting trip to several of our restoration sites in Miller Canyon a popular off-highway vehicle (OHV) spot east of Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area. Myself along side Koby Bench (SBNF restoration), Jorge Rodriguez (SBNF restoration/botany), Kimi Bechtol (SBNF recreation), and Lili Ortega (IERCD) identified a restoration site that seemed most friendly for volunteer work (i.e. relatively accessible for consumer vehicles and well shaded). Our site was located off forest service road 2N33, also known as Pilot Rock Truck Trail. This black oak woodland-meadow had been degraded due to heavy OHV use and intervention was needed in order to restore its historic beauty and ecologic function.

Restoration site for NPLD off forest service road 2N33 showing a degraded turn-off area likely due to OHV use (back left).

Continued preparation was needed to get the site ready for volunteers to help with the work to be done here. First, t-post fence was installed and slash (pieces of wood and other natural material spread to act as barriers preventing unauthorized use) was laid to prevent further OHV travel into the turn-off area. Scouting was also done of the surrounding plant communities to identify native species naturally present and get an idea of what plants we could pull from our nursery to begin to revegetate the area successfully and maintain the structure of the ecosystem. Some of the species we identified for restoration use in this area included California aster (Corethrogyne filaginifolia), Cobweb thistle (Cirsium occidentale), and rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa).

In order for plants to be put into the heavily compacted soil at this restoration site, holes had to be dug. With the help of the SCMF and a crew from the Urban Conservation Corp (UCC) we got to work using gas powered augers to begin the arduous process. We planned to drill at least 300 holes for out-planting, and in total that day with all the additional hands we were able to get 360 potential holes in the ground. Bamboo stakes were used to mark each out-planting hole after they were dug to help minimize the very real tripping risk created while they were empty. Ultimately, augering is sweaty work but it was made more enjoyable through the company of the crews from all 3 organizations coming together and collaborating toward a joint goal of preserving our public land, and this is the essence of what National Public Land Day is all about!

Images of Jorge Rodriguez and I preparing out-planting holes using gas-powered augers at the NPLD restoration site.

With the site itself prepared for our volunteers, we spent the following days filling the forest service vehicles with the necessary tools to make NPLD a success. Shovels, signs, golves, water tanks, EZ ups, folding tables, seed, and of course plants were loaded up prior to Saturday morning when we began meeting volunteers off highway 173 in Lake Arrowhead around 9am. In total approximately 36 people (excluding staff) showed up volunteering their time to show an appreciation for our public lands. Everyone was in good spirit (despite the many gnats harassing us as we talked) as we began to form a caravan of vehicles headed the short drive to our restoration site. Once at the site we did a safety talk and instructed them on the out-planting work we had planned for the day. Work began setting up the EZ ups for shade when breaks were required and setting up tables with clean gloves for everyone to grab in order to ensure the know pathogens were being introduced by us to the plants we could eventually spread them into the surrounding ecosystem. Plants were then unloaded from the trucks and placed still in their nursery bullets into their planned holes, a first introduction to their new homes outside of the forest service nursery in Big Bear.

Unloading California milkweed *(Ascelpias californica)* from the forest service truck bed alongside volunteer and staff waiting to grab additional trays of out-plants for our restoration site.

With all hands on deck the work of outplanting went fast. We planned to strategically put our less cuddly plants (Cobweb thistle and chaparral yucca) toward the perimeter closest to the roadside in order to further discourage activity in the area. The rest of the plants were randomly assigned spots within the restoration site. Planting occurred quickly with the amount of help we received. It was a pleasure to talk with volunteers about what they were planting and what had brought them out on that day and this all made the time fly by quickly. Plants were watered thoroughly to hopefully ease some of the stress of planting and a small lip (or berm) was left around the border of each plant to help the water to better saturate deep into the ground our plants now will be calling home.

Myself and Jorge Rodriguez planting into the restoration site (left) and an example of a successfully planted milkweed seedling (right)

The finishing touches had to be put onto the site before we could fully call it a day on our NPLD fun. We had prepared a native seed mix to be spread around the site (using some seed I personally collected just down the forest service road a few days prior). This mix contained only seed that had been sourced locally from Lake Arrowhead and was therefore genetically adapted to the area. Some of the species in the seed mix included: California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), Interior goldenbush (Ericameria linearifolia), Wood’s rose (Rosa woodsii), and Sticky cinquefoil (Drymocallis glandulosa). A sign was also installed in the center of the site identifying the presence of sensitive species in the area and also marking it as a monarch habitat area due to the several milkweed species we planted there (Asclepias eriocarpa and A. californica). The day officially reached a conclusion with a delicious lunch of sandwiches (provided by SCMF) and some forest service goodies we handed out to the volunteers to thank them for all their hard work.

Lili Ortega and I spreading native seed mix throughout the restoration site (left) and the installed restoration sign identifying the area (right).

I was so thankful to be able to help with the organizing and implementation of this years NPLD event with the SBNF. With the help of volunteers from the public we were able to do in a day work that would have taken at least a week of visits if not more if we had to do it on our own. NPLD highlights the essential need for collaboration in restoration and conservation work. When you see a successfully restored area know that it is not the work of an individual but of a community of people rolling up their sleeves to preserve these areas for years to come!

2024 Seed Cleaning Blowout Bonanza – Call now to reserve tickets!

Posted on 22 October, 2024 by Sam Vasen

As the weather starts to get colder, plants around Plumas National Forest have matured seed and are mostly now beyond the window of collection. This is not a problem for us as we’ve successfully collected from all of our target populations! Besides a couple of final population checks, September has been characterized by time in the office, preparing all of our seeds for their hopefully big and bright futures.

As we had some of the materials and certainly the time, our mentor thought it would be best for us to clean the seeds ourselves rather than send them to an extractory like Bend. There was a lot to go through, but I agreed it would be a good experience and satisfying to participate in another section of these seeds’ journey. Due to the dry environment here, we left all the cleaning to be done at the end of the season. Collected seeds were stored with their chaff in paper bags around the office and did not seem to be impacted by mold or too much additional pest pressure. This meant that at the start of September, we had a mountain of work to do.

For most species, the bulk of the cleaning was done using four different-sized, specialized seed-cleaning sieves. Taking the seeds and the sieve to a picnic table outside, we would run everything through the sieves until most of the chaff that weren’t the same size as the seeds, were filtered out. From there, relying on the predictable early afternoon breeze, we would pour the remaining seeds and chaff from one container to another to blow away the excess. Typically, the chaff is lighter than the seeds so it would be caught in the wind and blow outside the confines of the container while the seeds would fall straight down. However, we had to be careful as an occasional strong gust of wind could blow everything away. Once the seeds were filtered to a satisfactory level (nobody’s perfect), we transferred them to a sealable plastic bag for longer term storage. Next the bags were weighed and PLS estimates were generated using our cut test data, single seed mass, and bag weights adjusted for the amount of chaff still remaining. These bags will soon go into storage and hopefully be used in restoration projects in the near future!

Sieve set-up with a nice half filtered mound of *Monardella ordoratissima*

Besides seed cleaning, there were other various office tasks to be done. Bit by bit, we had been mounting our voucher specimens, organizing our data, and slowing assembling our final report. Office days feel much longer than field days, and I certainly miss going out into the woods to explore on such a regular basis. But the organizational side of me enjoys checking off to-do lists and slowly filling out the all-important data sheet entitled: “Plumas NF Seed Collection Data 2024 UNOFFICIAL VERSION”. Official version soon to come. As I am writing this, the checklist is almost complete and the spreadsheet is almost filled. This chapter is coming to a close. It may be sad to leave but I am excited for the next adventure.

The Plants We Seek on Bertha Peak

Posted on 4 October, 2024 by Anthony Rondon

The San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) is a patchwork of unique microhabitats due to the geologic history of the region. Up until approximately 5 million years ago portions of San Bernardino county remained submerged beneath an ancient ocean (Kottkamp, 2023). The deposition of ancient sea shells, coral, and algae in Big Bear Valley formed limestone deposits which helped form soils rich in calcium carbonate (Faber, 2017). These deposits are valuable from both an economic perspective (limestone/dolomite mining for cement production) and an ecological perspective (supporting edaphic species; those that exist on only one soil type). The management of these areas have been outlined by the San Bernardino Forest Association’s Carbonate Habitat Management Strategy (CHMS, 2003). This plan attempts to facilitate economic activity (i.e. mining) while conserving the carbonate plants unique to the region. Part of this strategy includes the surveying of populations identified as threatened and endangered (T&E). This month I got to assist on a surveying project led by the mountaintop district botanist, Joseph Esparza, meant to identify populations of T&E carbonate plants located within a proposed prescribed burn area.

Members of our field crew making the ascent up the rocky carbonate slopes of Bertha Peak. August 21, 2024.

Our first surveying day began the morning of August 5th. We took off from the Big Bear Discovery Center and drove about 20 minutes northeast to a minor summit on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, Bertha Peak. After arriving at the trailhead we began to hike to the treatment area which required about a 1 mile trek with approximately 800 ft of elevation gain. As a relatively fit southern California hiker I did not feel too intimidated at first. However, hiking an incline at elevation was a unique challenge as our bodies’ slowly acclimated to the conditions. We were SWEATING. But the challenge felt worth it to take in not only the view of Big Bear Valley but the unique assemblage of plant species colonizing the steep carbonate hillsides and mixed conifer woodlands on our way up to the peak. On our way up Joseph pointed out key carbonate species we would need to keep an eye out for including: Eriogonum ovalifolim var. vineum, Dudleya abramsii ssp. affinis, Abronia nana var. covillei, and Astragalus leucolobus. All of these carbonate plant species have been identified as threatened by the state of California.

Big bear valley wooleypod *(A. leucolobus)* (left), Cushenbury buckwheat (*E. ovalifolium var. vineum)* (center), and Coville’s dwarf sand verbena (*A. nana var. covillei)* (right) photographed tucked into the carbonate rocks of Bertha Peak.

Surveying for T&E species requires more than just marking a location on a map. When we came across an unmapped population of one of these carbonate plant species we, of course, created a polygon around the population perimeter. We also recorded associated species, phenology information, habitat description, and any signs of disturbance in the area. All of this data was recorded digitally using arcGIS field maps. Conducting these surveys helped sharpen my skills in native species identification and habitat classification. These are beneficial skills I will bring to any future surveying projects I assist on (or one day lead myself!).

Holding the main tool of the surveying trade (my tablet with Field Maps) while standing at the base of a rocky slope and mapping a population of Coville’s dwarf sand verbena (*A. nana var, covillei).*

On that initial surveying day, forest botany tech Taylor Edwards and I surveyed multiple populations of E. ovalifolium tucked into the rocky southern facing slopes of Bertha Peak. On the second day I got to work with a field tech from the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD), Lili Ortega. Lili and I surveyed a single population of A. nana containing 155 individuals and stretching 7,723 ft² across another south-facing carbonate slope. This population was a particular challenge due to the irregular population margins and the scattered distribution of individuals within it. One of the major observations I made while surveying this area was that we were identifying the correct habitat type before we really began to hunt for individuals. There was no use heavily sweeping every inch of the duff soils in the denser areas of Pine and Juniper woodland that also inhabit the ridge as these areas were too crowded and did not possess the correct soil type to support these unique carbonate species. Instead we would quickly sweep through these denser areas until we came across the next rocky slope and those areas are where the true investigation began. An ecological eye requires an eye that is attuned to both the biotic members of our ecosystem (the plants) as well as the abiotic (soil type, slope, and aspect).

Lili Ortega (left) and myself (right) carefully scanning one of Bertha Peak’s slopes for T&E carbonate plant species.

I got to tag-a-long to a third day hiking the path up and along Bertha Peak. This final day involved Taylor, Lili, and I joining forces surveying toward one of the southeastern edges of the proposed treatment area. I was able to identify a small population of A. leucolobus on my own which increased my confidence in identifying this species as it was one I had not surveyed previously. We also surveyed a new population of A. nana, this time inhabiting a northwestern facing slope instead of the southwest facing slopes we had grown accustomed to. We capped the day with a final sweep of the outer perimeter of the treatment area but no suitable habitat was observed here, and thus no further populations were identified. This month helped teach me that the forest leaves clues for those with eyes trained to pick up on them. A particular geology type, a fallen tree, or track in the mud all possess within them a story. I am excited by the prospect that the more and more I work in this field the more my eyes become attuned to the narrative the land is trying to tell.

Taking in the breathtaking view of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Lake from Bertha Peak. August 21, 2024.

Slowin’ Down in September

Posted on 26 September, 2024 by Beth Haney

I started off this month by visiting my family in Boise, which was much needed! I saw Hozier as well as got to spend a lot of quality time with my family.

Field work has started to slow down, and Dean and I drove around to some of our seed sites and collected from the late season seeders (Eriogonum nudum, Epilobium canum, and Ericameria bloomeri). We got of ton of seeds from all of our populations and are super excited to get them all packaged up to send to the Bend Seed Extractory!

I’ve really been enjoying California; this state is so diverse, it’s amazing! I went with the north zone botanists, Iris and Chelsea, to Monterey for the weekend to explore the area and see the aquarium, which was fantastic!

Then, back to Pollock Pines! We are cleaning up our data as well as packaging seeds for shipment. We are still collecting seeds when we can, but most of our plants are wrapping up their seeding for the 2024 season. Iris and I also went to see Kacey Musgraves!!

Time has flown by! Onto the last month of my internship!

Battle of the Bull Thistle

Posted on 14 August, 2024 by Anthony Rondon

Another month has passed working with the folks here at the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF). Time has flown, a testament to the fun I have had working in partnership with the Restoration team here. Despite the laughs shared in the field not every day has been a walk in the park, and this month was witness to a battle between us ecologists/botanists and the most angry non-native perennial herb one could imagine, Bull Thistle (Circium vulagre).

Stare down between myself (right) and some bull thistle (*C. vulgare)* (left) at Johnson’s Meadow.

We ventured out into the San Jacinto Mountains near Idyllwild, California arriving at a site known as Johnson’s Meadow. Equipped with serrated shovels, leather gloves, trash bags, and clippers in hand to go up against the large spikes of the thistles which are non-native to this riparian meadow nestled into the Southern California mountains. This area was identified as ecologically important due to the presence of a threatened species Scutellaria bolanderi ssp, austromontana a perennial herb native to California and found most commonly in wetland areas such as in the ephemeral stream that runs through this meadow.

Flowers of Southern skullcap (*S. bolanderi ssp. austromontana)* Source:Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/ (Accessed: July 30, 2024).

Johnson’s Meadow also happens to be a grazing pasture for a local farmer’s cows, and therefore exclusion fences were put up around the identified population of southern skullcap (S. bolanderi) in order to prevent the cows from consuming this threatened species as a tasty snack. There are additionally milk weed populations (Asclepias eriocarpa) at the meadow that rely on native pollinators which are often just as enamored with the thistles as they are with the milk weed.

A female monarch butterfly *(Danaus plexippus)* decides a prickly bull thistle flower head makes for the perfect landing pad.

In order to combat the threat to local biodiversity that bull thistle poses, a group of forest service field techs, myself and Arturo with the CLM internship program, and Lance Woolley the district botanist for the San Jacinto side of the SBNF joined forces on a 3-day weeding spree. The meadow was full of tall, spiky thistle plants peeking up above the dense grasses and native California wild rose (Rosa californica) that filled much of the area. When we came up upon a thistle plant we first had to check if any of the flower heads had bloomed or gone to seed. If they had even bloomed (the purple puff sitting on top of that green spiky ball at the end of each stalk) we had to clip the flower head and place it into a trash bag for removal from the area. If the flower head had already gone to seed we did our best to remove these carefully without releasing the wind dispersed seeds into the surrounding areas. This process was difficult on its own due to the large spikes that cover every inch of a bull thistle from the stem, to the leaves, to the flower head. These spikes were often large enough to pierce straight through our pig-skin leather gloves. The only safe spot to grab a bull thistle is from the underground root once you’ve wrenched the sucker out of the ground. The process was made even more difficult due to bull thistles seeming preference of growing either next to huge patches of California wild rose (R. californica), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), or if you are really lucky you can get the trifecta of all 3 pressed up next to each other!

An example of a bull thistle plant with both the purple flower head (front) as well as the brown/beige seed head (back) spotted in Johnson’s Meadow.

In total after 3 days of work and a crew of forest service employees, interns, and a crew from the Urban Conservation Corps, we were able to remove the vast majority of the bull thistle biomass from Johnson’s Meadow. The population there had to have exceeded 500 and I wish we had kept an accurate count day to day of how many plants we removed but pulling thistle in the middle of July in Southern California is no joke, and we were lucky to remember our names at the end of the day let alone an accurate count. Regardless the district botanists Lance seemed to be pleased with our final result. The battle of the bull thistle ended with victory siding with California natives in Johnson’s Meadow primarily due to the intervention of people who care about conserving and protecting the diversity of our public lands! It was inspiring to look out and see how much we were able to make an impact, yet simultaneously it was daunting considering how many meadows just like this one exist that cannot be managed through human intervention. The battle of the bull thistle may have ended for this growing season in Johnson’s meadow, but something tells me the race for dominance between native and non-native species is just heating up.

Images of Johnson’s Meadow before (top) and after (bottom) removal of invasive bull thistle *(C. vulgare)*.

New friends and Newts!

Posted on 14 August, 2024 by Beth Haney

This month has been full of new plants, insects, and adventures! Seed collection has started to pick up in early July, so we began trying to scout as many populations as possible before they started to disperse. Dean and I found a gorgeous site for one of our target species, Penstemon newberryi, as well as a neat wetland with native pond lilies. I had to go take a look at the blooms!

We began exploring further away from the office and came across Pyramid Creek Trailhead, which happened to have a significant amount of our target species there, as well as gorgeous views of Horsetail Falls and the Desolation Wilderness. We have spent a few days going back there for phenology checks as well as seed collections! So far, we have collected Penstemon newberryi, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, Hosackia oblongifolia, and more to come soon!

My family came and visited me to see my new home! we explored the area and went to Lake Tahoe. They were so excited to see California again after moving to Idaho! We also went to see the Rubicon Trail, which is an off-roading trail that is some serious business. I don’t think my little Jeep is up to the task!

Dean and I have had the amazing privilege of assisting the Pollinator Team from Cal State East Bay. We collected data for a pollinator network for Lewisia kellogii and Calochortus clavatus var. avius. Learning more about pollinator work is fascinating, and I’m feel so lucky that we made some amazing new friends!

Yosemite!! I have been waiting for this for a while, and I finally got to go with Iris and Matt! We explored the park for a weekend, and it was absolutely fantastic. This park is very special and definitely worth the visit! We were there during a stormy weekend which was fantastic to see so much water and lightning!

Then, it finally happened. Dean and I drove to the north zone of the forest in search of some target species and stopped by a creek to eat lunch. There it was, sitting on a rock in the shallows… a NEWT! I have never seen a newt before, and it was magical. Best day yet!

On my free time, I went to Grass Lake with Matt, which is California’s largest fen. I have never been in a fen before, which the feeling is like a waterbed. Matt and I explored, finding some neat, rare Carex species, some little friends, and a rare mushroom that Dean collected for sequencing!

Dean and I went to go check on an Anderson’s Thistle site to see if seeds were ready to be collected, and Dean spotted something amazing! There was a large bright yellow bumble bee, that turned out to be Morrisons Bumble Bee which is a threatened species. So wonderful to see two of them in one day!

Finally, to end this month, we assisted in a training for Botrychium surveying. Seeing these in real life was pretty insane, they are smaller than I imagined! I am excited to now know what habitats they like to go look for them on my free time! We then finished off the day by watching a baby Saw-whet owl up in a tree.

And a little bug appreciation section!

July was amazing, I’m looking forward to what comes next!

A Completely Incomplete Guide to Lupine ID

Posted on 12 August, 2024 by Sam Vasen

Month two in Plumas! Andrea and I are really starting to get into the swing of things now. We’ve spent the majority of our time this month working on seed collection which has been very satisfying. After learning the ropes for the first couple weeks, we’ve grown more confident and competent out in the field on our own. Scouting is still the bulk of our work but many of our populations are now ready for harvest. This may go without saying, but when monitoring populations for future collection, we want to be 100% sure on our species ID. With some plants like Veratrum californicum or Elymus elymoides, correct identification only requires a quick glance. However, with some other genera and species we really have to get into the weeds – if you will – to lock down that latin binomial. One genus in particular that is a priority for collection and a challenge to ID has been haunting our dreams and sometimes nightmares for all of July.

The Lupinus genus or Lupines are fairly ubiquitous across the Sierras and much of the American West. They come in all shapes and sizes, most often with obvious palmate leaves and whorled, long inflorescences of white, lilac, purple, blue and sometimes yellow flowers. They grow well in open areas and are nitrogen fixers like many other genera in the Fabaceae family, making them a great candidate for restoration projects in burn scars. Their fruit are pea-looking pods that are seemingly easy to collect and they grow in thick patches all across Plumas National Forest. All this makes the perfect recipe for seed collection. However, there are so many different species and identification has proven to be quite tricky. In the Jepson, the list of lupine species in California takes up seven whole pages and in our local flora, the Oswald Guide, they take up four. A search on Calflora yields 39 different species and varieties in Plumas County. All this means that we had a lot of learning to do when it came to differentiating between all these lupines.

Starting with the basics, we learned relevant lupine morphology and the various terms that would be relevant for identification. The aspects of the flower that are typically of note are: how glabrous or ciliate the keel is, whether or not the keel is covered by the wings, the width of the banner petal, how pubescent the banner backing is, the prominence of the calyx spur, the color of the petal, the length of the corolla, and I’m sure several other features. For the rest of the plant, we learned its important to look at, the height, the growth habit, how woody the stem is, the length or presence of stipules, whether or not the leaves are adaxially or abaxially hairy, the pattern and openness of the inflorescence, and the habitat its found in. Even when we figure out all of these features – to the best of our ever improving ability – some species are still unclear. For example, only a couple millimeters of stipule length might separate the decision to call population Lupinus andersonii or Lupinus albicaulis – two species which the Jepson describes as “morphologically indistinct”. The presence of an almost invisible patch of hairs on the inside of the wing petals could be the only signifier between L. argenteus var. heteranthus and L. arbustus. Without a doubt, there was a strong learning curve. Several weeks of non-stop lupine action did wonders for our identification skills. We went from a half an hour of keying only yielding more questions to fairly confident species IDs in a matter of minutes. The trick seemed to be constant exposure to different species and that repetition of the ID process. At this point, it feels like we have many of the Lupine key breaks memorized.

Unfortunately the satisfaction of gaining a new skill came with other unforeseen complications. Correct ID often meant that we could start collecting as soon as the seeds were ready. Throughout July, we watched as flowers shriveled and green pods emerged. The pods slowly turned brown and were ready for harvest. After putting so much work into these populations, we were very excited to finally do some collections. The first lupine collection for the year was a population of Lupinus latifolius var. columbianus that was growing along a remote mountain road. The pods were hard and brown, ready to pop. I cracked open the first pod looking forward to seeing those little pea-like seeds and was greeted with a large grub. Cracked another one, another squirming grub. The day went on and the pattern stayed pretty consistent – it felt like 80-90% of the pods had some fly larvae inside which had already consumed many of the seeds. Lupine tribulations just seemed endless. Fortunately, after collecting a few more populations of different species in a variety of habitats, we learned that not all lupines are that infected. I’ve come to accept that worms are simply a part of the lupine collection process and so many have popped out of pods into my face that I don’t even mind them anymore, maybe they are kind of cute.

Long story short, lupines are hard and will most likely remain hard but it was a satisfying challenge to throw ourselves at. Check out some other highlights from the month:

California tortoiseshell *Nymphalis californica*

Stay tuned for August updates!

— Sam

To New Beginnings!

Posted on 5 August, 2024 by Anthony Rondon

Beginning work on a new project can be intimidating. Whether it is learning the rhythm of a new team, the native species in a new region, or just finding the right folks you need to talk to in a new office. However, that was far from the case beginning my work here at the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF).

Day #1

My first week at the SBNF involved working alongside members from the Wilderness Volunteers, an organization providing volunteer opportunities to conserve America’s wild lands through collaboration with the US Forest Service, National Park Service, the BLM, US Fish & Wildlife, and others. It was, in my opinion, an excellent introduction as I was able to learn alongside the volunteers some of the processes involved in greenhouse management and restoration site maintenance. Myself, and the volunteers, got to see the journey native plants take as they transition from seed, to small yellow bullet nursery pots, to larger black bullet nursery pots, and eventually to outplants that are used in re-vegetating sites throughout the SBNF with the aim of establishing native populations in fire scar areas as well as areas degraded by invasive species and unauthorized OHV (off-highway vehicle) usage. I felt like I was watching the process through similar eyes as the volunteers; fascinated by California’s diverse and beautiful native species as well as the highly controlled protocols followed by the SBNF when growing and handling them. These strategies are in place to prevent the spread of the water-borne pathogen Phytophthora (responsible for root rot and other nasty plant infections) from the greenhouse to the wild populations we aim to protect and restore. Some of the species we handled on that first day in the greenhouse include: Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa), Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and Scarlet bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius).

Myself (left) alongside one of the Wilderness Volunteers transplanting seedlings which have outgrown their yellow nursery pots into larger black bullet nursery pots. (Photo by the Wilderness Volunteers)

Day #2

After spending day #1 getting our fingers dirty in sterile potting soil, day #2 and day #3 had us trek to actual restoration sites in the SBNF. Both sites were located near my new home away from home, one of the Forest Service cabins in Lake Arrowhead, CA. Therefore, I got to start my days with a short morning walk through the Manzanitas and yellow pines from the cabin to our nearby designated meeting point where we touched base before beginning the days work. After discussing our given restoration tasks (weeding, mulching, and watering) we took a short hike through some of the tall invasive cheatgrass surrounding the camp site until we reached our destination, a small plot of land tucked in right next to the local water treatment facility. That first day was HOT (one of the many joys of summer field work in Southern California) so it was amazing to see what good spirits the Wilderness Volunteers were in despite the harsh working conditions. We spent an hour or so weeding some of the invasive grasses and weeds that began to establish in the empty areas of the site. I even got the chance to take a few swings at using a root wrench to pull out the deep tap roots of large established Scotch Broom shrubs (Cytisus scoparius)! Some of those swings were successful and others were less so, but it was a great experience in team building and utilizing different peoples skill sets to achieve a common goal. After weeding there was mulch to be spread in order to prevent new invaders from colonizing the open ground remaining between the native outplants. We spread a LOT of mulch (approximately 8.5 yds³) using wheelbarrows and 5-gallon buckets to transport our precious cargo from the large mulch pile to areas of the site where it would be spread evenly. Throughout this process I could hear the sounds of curious volunteers asking about different native species, noticing a random wildflower, or even a butterfly dancing in the light breeze. At one point we even found a stow away western toad in our mulch pile! I enjoyed watching the ground cover transition from small patches of light brown with grayish-tan sections of open soil to a vast field of rich pine brown dotted with the beautiful light gray-ish green of many of California’s native plants throughout.

Day #3

Day #3 with the volunteers was much the same as day #2 as we conducted similar restoration site maintenance at two additional sites around Lake Arrowhead, CA. These sites were bordered with large monocultures of Mountain Whitethorn (Ceanothus cordulatus), a native species which highlighted that not all natives are good for increasing biodiversity. Ceanothus is highly adapted to fire and thrives in disturbed areas with open canopy colonizing these areas and ultimately crowding out any other native shrubs, trees, or herbaceous plants from gaining a foothold post-wildfire. In addition to the ecological war for space waging at its border, this site had another unique challenge due to the plants being out-planted onto a hillside. This made moving mulch and water up to each of the plants a bit more laborious but just as with Day #2’s heat, the volunteers handled the harsh field conditions with a positive spirit that really had a way of rubbing off onto me and lifting my spirits in general. There is nothing like struggling a bit with a team to bring people together! Combining our brains and brawn together we decided the most efficient way of moving heavy buckets full of water and mulch up the hillside would be through forming a human chain and passing buckets from one person to the next so each of us only had to cover a short distance. This technique worked so well we were able to complete these sites and still maintain smiles on all our faces when we posed for a final group photo to commemorate the days work.

Myself (center left), alongside botany tech Jorge Rodriguez (back right), and the Wilderness Volunteers posed in front of newly mounted signage calling attention to the sensitive species we were maintaining at day #3’s restoration site in Lake Arrowhead, CA. (Photo by the Wilderness Volunteers)

The unknowns of new beginnings can be intimidating, however working alongside all the folks at the SBNF as well as the volunteers who generously offered their time and energy for the sake of preserving native habitat truly made me feel welcomed and inspired! In total during my first week I assisted in using 1200 gal of water on outplants, maintaining 1 acre of restoration sites, and transplanting approximately 320 plants in the greenhouse here at the SBNF. None of this work could be completed alone, and I cannot wait for what the rest of this season has in store for myself, and this team!

Im melting and everything is hot and might burn but at least that Clarkia is pretty

Posted on 17 July, 2024 by Sam Vasen

Writing this post in a fervor, fearing the inevitable power outage that comes in the afternoons on days that are way too hot. It’s fire season here in Plumas National Forest and this week we have started to feel it. Yesterday, PG&E turned of the power as a precaution because of a several thousand acre fire growing in Oroville, just 65 miles away. We returned from a weary day in the field to a powerless and wifi-less town and ranger station. Most concerningly, we had lost power to our fridges in the bunkhouses and our newly purchased pints of Ben and Jerry’s were slowly melting away. June 21st may have technically been the first day of summer, but on July 2 here in Quincy we celebrated the real start of summer, aka fire season, eating ice cream soup in the dark.

Besides this slight unpleasantness, the start of my CLM internship here in Plumas NF has been fantastic – especially botanically. Plumas is often referred to as the “Lost Sierra” due to its lack of prominence on travel websites and Instagram location tags. Because of this, besides the occasional music festival and ‘Rainbow Family Gathering’, the area does not experience many tourists. The more beauty for us then. My co-intern Andrea and I spent the first couple weeks of this month cruising around secluded mountain ‘roads’, swamping through wet meadows, and traversing rocky ridgetops in an effort to get familiar with the varied and interesting botanical members of this community. Guided by the resident forest service botanist and our mentor, Andy Fiel, we have seen hundreds of species. To learn plants quickly, Andy had us shadow him on this rare plant surveys. We walked transects through timber plots, recording every vascular plant we saw with a specific focus on rare plants in the area. Keying out whatever we didn’t know either in a local flora or what must be the 5000lbs Jepson, we grew more acquainted with our leafy (and sometimes achlorophyllous) friends.

If I wanted to I could just fill this entire post with all of the cool plants we’ve been lucky enough to come across but I will show some restraint. Above are some sweet Ericaceaes and a fantastic orchid that Andy was particularly excited to see. It warranted a lengthy photo session from all of us. We certainly didn’t learn every plant out here in these first couple weeks and likely won’t even come close by the end of the summer, but these surveys helped us build confidence in figuring things out. With this training and the eventual procurement of our government rig, a charmingly rickety forest green 2008 F-150, we were able to leave the nest and begin seed work!

The past week or so has been a lot of scouting, scouting, scouting and the occasional session of scouting. Driving around with the passenger’s head practically hanging out the window looking for grasses with just the right shaped inflorescence or a patch of lupines with only slightly ciliate keels. Its nice to feel the wind in you hair and have a target species with a large population in your sights. Slowly but surely, Andrea and I are building out a map of populations to return to and watch develop throughout the season. Yesterday marked our first collection day! A large population of Calyptridium umbellatum that we’d been monitoring for a week or so was finally crispy enough to harvest. It was quite satisfying to fill up several envelopes of what is ultimately mostly chaff but seemingly quality seed nonetheless. Admittedly, some of that seed went flying around our truck on the drive home because the envelopes broke open. Still plenty of kinks to work out but it is wonderful to be off the starting block and along the way!

Setting New Roots

Posted on 17 July, 2024 by Beth Haney

Travelling and moving to a new place can always be daunting, but Pollock Pines has quickly become home. June started off with the CLM training in Chicago, where I got to meet Dean (co-intern) for the first time! We were able to explore the campus of the Chicago Botanic Garden, learn more about the Garden’s goals and how to be a botanist, and meet other interns from across the country! We explored while listening to the cicada’s roar in the forests, during an amazing hatch of the 17-year, 13-year, and brood XIX and XIII co-emerged. It was absolutely fantastic seeing the so many cicadas! Then, some of the interns went to Chicago for our celebratory night after the training! Great food, exploring a new city and amazing new friends made along the way!

Then I had a quick turnaround to move to Pollock Pines for the season! I packed up from Boise, Idaho and drove the quick 9 hours to Pollock Pines! I got to see Lake Tahoe for the first time in the daylight, and I was greeted at home with a gorgeous sunset. Now comes the challenging part, learning a completely new flora! Dean is from the area and is very knowledgeable, which is much appreciated! The Sierras are absolutely breathtaking, the exposed granite and some serious topography. Dean and I did a lot of onboarding while also trying to get into the field when we could!

Then, my friend Iris invited me on a camping trip to Loon Lake! She’s the crew lead for the North Zone botany team of the El Dorado. It was such a fun weekend meeting her crew as well as the wildlife crew! We went on a beautiful hike to Bassi Falls and spend a lot of time swimming. Such a great weekend!

Dean and I got to assist the pollinator team with rare plant pollinator networks. We went out with the Cal State East Bay pollinator team and learned how to do pollinator networks for Lewisia kellogii. I really enjoyed learning about pollinator networks and how plant conservation benefits by supporting pollinator communities.

L to R- Stephanie, Beth, Dean, Diana, Paulina

Dean and I went out the next day and assisted the California Native Plant Society on mapping Lewisia kellogii hutchisonii (one of the rare plants on the El Dorado). We looked for flowering Lewisia, and then marked them. The Lewisia retracts back into the ground once pollinated to develop the seeds, which is why we needed to mark them for some seed collection! Working with the CNPS team was wonderful to see how professional careers develop in botanical sciences.