March in the garden is both maddening and full of spring’s mirth. Even with our terribly low winter precipitation thus far, the garden and countryside are moving along – unfolding in flower, fruit and seed.
We’re lucky that our relatively mild climate allows us to plant flowers, fruits and vegetables from seed almost every month of the year – but even so March may take high honors as the big seasonal Seeding – indoors and out.
Good vegetables to direct seed outside this month include beets, carrots, chard, corn, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, radishes and turnips. When preparing my beds for planting, I dig in well-aged compost that includes the composted manure from my chickens. You will also want to make sure that your soil is neither too wet nor too dry – people often describe the perfect soil texture for seeding as being that of moist chocolate cake. Once seeds are sown, they must be kept consistently damp until they germinate.
If the ecology of our gardens (and the world around us) balances precipitously on the integrity of our soil, water and air – surely the integrity of our seeds ranks as high? Seed are as dear a currency as any in this world – to understand them, to know where they come from, what they contain and what we can expect from them is one of our most important jobs as gardeners.
Seeds are life: as such, I’ll take mine unadulterated, pure and fertile. No side orders of neonicotinoids, pesticides or herbicides, or otherwise – thank you.
As an old Welsh proverb reminds us: A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible. What kind of orchard would you like to plant?
Other tasks in the garden this month include pulling seedling weeds as they appear and fertilizing roses, citrus, camellias and fruit trees with balanced organic fertilizer. If we remain as dry as we have been, make sure to water – especially young plantings – as needed.
The On-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events at jewellgarden.com adds events throughout the month. I do my very best to keep the calendar up to date and accurate, please confirm all events with the event host. If you have an event you would like listed or if you are aware of a mistake on the calendar, please send all pertinent information to: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com! Thanks!
The Calendar of Gardening Events for this last weekend of February and the month of March is full of madness, mirth and the miraculous seeds of the season:
February 25 – Chico: Friends of Chico State Herbarium Workshop: Introduction into Mushroom Foraging and Identification with Philip Carpenter 9 am – 5 pm. Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Conference Center. This workshop will be useful for rank beginners as well as for people with some knowledge of mushrooms. We will start the day with an hour or so of introduction to the subject – how to get started, what you need to be concerned about in doing identifications, and a question and answer period. After that, we will go into the field to gather mushrooms, following the advice provided in the introduction. When we return from gathering mushrooms we’ll get into the identification part of the workshop using the field guide Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora. After an introduction to the process of identifying mushrooms, participants will be guided through hands-on use of the book with actual mushrooms to practice the process of identification. The class may close with taste testing of the edibles we find to give participants an idea of how to start cooking with them. With some extra planning, perhaps we can have some bread, cheese and wine to round out the tasting. Participants should dress for being both indoors, and outdoors in field exploration mode – i.e. with boots, hat, etc. – and with rain gear if conditions require. Bring lunch and water. If possible, please also bring a copy of Mushrooms Demystified and collecting containers (baskets, etc, but no plastic bags). This workshop will meet Saturday, February 25, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve conference center – go to www.csuchico.edu/bccer/directions.shtml for direc- tions. The registration fee is $100.00 personal, $125.00 business ($90.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium). Please register in advance; class size is limited to 20 participants (class cancelled without a minimum of 8 participants). For more information about workshop content please contact Philip Car- penter at philandmac@sbcglobal.net. For more information about workshop registration please contact the Biology office at (530) 898-5356 or jbraden@csuchico.edu.
February 25 – Fairoaks: Fairoaks Horticultural Center OPEN GARDEN 9 am – noon. Wander the gardens, ask questions. Watch Master Gardeners groom ornamental grasses, prune shrubs, start a compost pile, set up a worm composting bin, and finish pruning dormant fruit trees. For more info: http://ucanr.org/sites/sacmg/Fair_Oaks_Horticulture_Center/Workshop_Schedule/
February 25 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens Berry Workshop 10 am call and reserve your seat if you would like to attend: 530-365-2256. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: wyntourgardens.com
February 25 – Chico: Cultivating Community Garden Workshops: Intro to Seed Starting, Greenhouse and Cold Frame Work 1 – 3 pm. Please sign up and then the location will be given. To sign up call Jonah at 530-588-0585, or email: registration@grubchico.org. Topics covered will includepotting mixes, techniques for different plant families, and how to tend to your seedlings. For more info: cultivatingcommunitynv.org.
February 26 – Chico: GRUB Chico Permaculture Guild THIRD ANNUAL SEED SWAP 10am-3pm. FREE. GRUB Cooperative House 1525 Dayton Rd. Bring seeds and plant divisions to share potluck style, envelopes, and pen (although it is not mandatory to participate.) Seeds from local seed company, Redwood Seeds, will be for sale as well as veggie and herb starts. Redwood Seeds will be giving a presentation on how to save your own seeds from 2-3pm. There will be info stations and a kid’s area during the event. There is limited parking so carpooling or riding bikes is encouraged. For more info: http://grubchico.org/
February 26 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 11 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery
February 26 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum: Native Californian Elderberry Flute-Making Workshop 1–3 p.m., 146 Environmental Horticulture In this free two-hour workshop, people of all ages will learn how to make and play a Native Californian elderberry flute. East Bay Regional Parks docent Antonio Flores will talk about the culture of flute-making and also about the endangered elderberry beetle. All materials will be supplied. Please bring a sharpened pocket knife. Adults will need to supervise their young children.
February 27 – Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening Class Series! 6th in a series of 8 Mondays David Grau Tool Designer Tools in the Garden, Sharpening Demonstration and All About the Tools of the Trade II.) Carl Rosato Woodleaf Farms Fundamentals of Fertility Interpreting your Soil Sample Results 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Matthews Cafe located at 1600 Mangrove Ave, Suite 175 from 6:30-8:30PM. The cost will be $80.00 for the series in advance or $12.00 per class at the door. Presenters will be professionals within the local organic farming community. Subjects covered will range from new growing techniques to old tricks of the trade. These workshops will be geared to the novice as well as the advanced gardener. For more information and to sIgn up log on through meetup.com
February 28 – Chico: Butte Rose Society Regular Monthly Meeting and Program 7 pm. General meetings of the Butte Rose Society are held on the last Tuesday of the month January-May and August-November. Meetings begin at 7 pm and are held at the Chico Veterans Memorial Hall at 554 Rio Lindo Ave. Membership is open to all interested in roses, but anyone may attend the General Meetings. Membership is $20.00 per year and provides you with the monthly award winning newsletter and special invitations to members-only events held throughout the year. CONTACT US AT: Butte Rose Society, PO Box 8888, Chico, CA 95927. http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/
February 29 – Redding: Shasta Community Teaching Garden General Gardening Workshop and Hands-on Work Session 10 am – noon. Shasta College Main Campus. These “FREE” on-going, weekly Community Service Workshops provide hands-on experience as well as instruction in: preparing soil, making beds, planting seeds and transplants, mulching, composting, building irrigation systems, designing garden areas, and dealing with pest and weeds in non-toxic ways. Presenters: Jim Collins, Wayne Kessler, or Pamela Spoto No registration needed for Wednesday workshops only—just show up prepared to work and learn. Be sure to bring water, gloves, and a hat! For more info call: 530.242.7630
MARCH 2012
March 3 – Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Field Trip: Upper Yahi Trail, Upper Bidwell Park 9:30 am Meet at Horseshoe Lake, parking lot E in Upper Park at 9:30 am with lunch, water and hiking shoes. We will drive on up to Diversion Dam and climb up to the north ridge for marvelous views and early spring flowers. Leaders: Wes Dempsey, 530-342-2293 and Gerry Ingco, 530-893-5123. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/
March 3 – Chico: Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshop Introduction to Lichen Identification by Tom Carlberg 9 am – 4pm Holt Hall, CSU, Chico. For most people lichens are only colorful blotches on rocks or just moss-like stuff on tree branches. But lichens are a unique association between a fungus and an algae. This workshop will explore the basics of lichens in the lab in Holt Hall and also in the field. The workshop will meet Saturday, March 3, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Holt Hall room 129 at CSU Chico. The registration fee is $100.00 personal, $125.00 business ($90.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium), $40.00 student (only 2 seats at this price). Please reg- ister in advance; class size is limited to 16 participants (class cancelled without a minimum of 10 participants). For more information about workshop content please contact Tom Carl- berg at tcarlberg7@yahoo.com. For more information about workshop registration please contact the Biology office at (530) 898-5356 or jbraden@csuchico.edu.
March 3 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum Guided Tour: All Things Acacia 2 p.m., Arboretum Headquarters. Come revel in the yellow blooms of acacia on this tour of the Eric E. Conn Acacia Grove, and see more than 50 varieties of acacia from around the world. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
March 3 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Charlie Rabbit and Friends 10:30 am. Presented by John Betty Fitzpatrick. An interactive program in the Children’s Garden (or Greenhouse in rain) for children, their siblings, parents and grandparents. Join Charlie, our adorable jack rabbit puppet, in various gardening activities. Wear your favorite gardening clothes! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery
March 3 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens Victory Gardening 101 10 am or 1 pm. Learn how easy it is to have a successful garden and grow your own food. Class #1: The Basics: Location, set-up, soil prep, seed starting. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com
March 5 – Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening Class Series! 7th in a series of 8 Mondays Carla Resnick, Permaculturalist: Downspout Gardens – Home-Scale Water Harvesting. Fruit Tree Guilds – Using Plants and Animals to Benefit your Fruit Trees 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Matthews Cafe located at 1600 Mangrove Ave, Suite 175 from 6:30-8:30PM. The cost will be $80.00 for the series in advance or $12.00 per class at the door. Presenters will be professionals within the local organic farming community. Subjects covered will range from new growing techniques to old tricks of the trade. These workshops will be geared to the novice as well as the advanced gardener. For more information and to sIgn up log on through meetup.com
March 7 – Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Regular Monthly meeting and Program 7:30 pm Butte County Library, Chico. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/
March 8 – FULL MOON
March 8 – Oroville: Lake Oroville Area Garden Club Regular Monthly member meeting 9:30 am. Meetings are held September-June on the 2nd Thursday of the month. “Coffee, Cake and Conversation” from 9:30 to 10:00am with the General Meeting beginning at 10:00am. Meetings are generally adjourned around 11:30am although this may vary depending upon that month’s scheduled program. Meeting location is Trinity Presbyterian Fellowship Hall at 2350 Foothill Blvd, Oroville, CA (North of Olive Highway on Foothill Blvd.). We invite guests to attend +++ your first meeting is FREE. For More Info: http://www.loagardenclub.com/
March 8 – Paradise: Butte County Fire Safe Council “Doom the Broom” event10:30am-11:45am 5400 Clark Rd. (parking at 5420) Paradise, CA 95969 A Free Rain or Shine Community Event! 10:30am-10:40am – Weldon Helmus, Paradise Fire Safe Council; Broom the Problem · 10:40am-10:45am– Broom in Early Eradication Stages 10:45am-10:50am – Broom in Late Eradication Stages 10:50am-11:05am – Broom Eradication Methods: Pulling and Safety – Keith Welch, California Conservation Corps; Spraying – Glenn Nader, UC Cooperative Extension; Chipping – Valerie Glass, Butte County Fire Safe Council 11:05am-11:30am – Broom Burn Demonstration -Paradise Fire Department Where to Go From Here – Group Collaboration · 11:30-11:45 – Doom the Broom Coalition Stakeholders, Score Card, Upcoming Events. Jim Broshears, Paradise Fire Safe Council. Call 530-877-0984 For More Information
March 9 10 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Arbor Day Celebration at the McConnell Arboretum Gardens at Turtle Bay! More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery
March 10 – Davis:UC Davis ArboretumMember Appreciation Plant Sale 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery Members only—join or renew at the door—new members receive a free plant Get first choice of our Arboretum All-Stars and other great plants for Central Valley gardens! Enjoy music, refreshments, and children’s activities. Expert garden advice available. Bring your member card or join at the door for 10% member discount. Free parking in Visitor Lot 55. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
March 10 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens Victory Gardening 101 10 am or 1 pm. Learn how easy it is to have a successful garden and grow your own food. Class #2: Planning Your Garden: Layout, methods, spacing. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com
March 10 – Redding: Shasta Community Teaching Garden Workshop “Getting Started in Your Organic Garden” 1 – 3 pm. Shasta College Main Campus. For novice to seasoned gardeners seeking to improve productivity, this workshop will help you with planning and developing an organic garden, including information on acquiring good seed, preparing your soil for planting, developing an efficient watering system, and avoiding common mistakes to get you off to a good start. Bring your questions and problems, from beginning to advanced, and we will help you find a solution. Wayne Kessler of Shambani Organics is a local nurseryman known for his quality vegetable starts and an advisor to the Teaching Garden. Jim Collins is the Garden Manager. Presenters: Wayne Kessler and Jim Collins Fee: $15.00. For more info or to Register on-line at www.shastacollege.edu/EWD and click on Pathways. Or, call: 530.242.7630
March 10 11 – Chico: Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshop Introduction to the Identification of Bryophytes by Shana Gross 9 am – 4:30 pm each day; Rm 129 Holt Hall, CSU, Chico. What is a bryophyte? Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are all known as bryophytes. The study and identification of bryophytes is technically complex but is rewarding and stimulating at the same time. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about the mosses, liverworts and hornworts in your own backyard. This workshop will explore the basics in the lab in Holt Hall and also in the field.For the field portion of the workshop (part of Saturday) we will visit Bidwell Park; everyone will be responsible for their own transportation, however carpooling will be encouraged. Lunch will be in the field on day one, so please come prepared with food and water. The registration fee is $180.00 personal, $220.00 business ($160.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium), $100.00 student (only 2 seats at this price). Please register in advance; class size is limited to 16 participants (class cancelled without a minimum of 8 participants). For more information about workshop content please contact Shana Gross at segross@fs.fed.us or (530) 543-2752. For more information about workshop registration please contact the Biology office at (530) 898-5356 or jbraden@csuchico.edu.
March 11 – Daylight Savings: Clocks Spring Forward
March 11 – Sacramento: Sacramento: California Native Blooms among the Tombs 10 am – 11:30 am. California Native Plant Demonstration Garden in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, 1000 Broadway. Join Cassandra Nguyen Musto, local landscape architect and garden guide, for a pre-spring stroll through this unlikely locale of beauty and life. The hot pinks of western redbud and bright blues of California wild lilac will invigorate your Sunday morning, and numerous wildflowers like poppies and lupines will charm you as they peek out from behind ornately carved headstones that date back to the mid-1800’s. Catch our early California bloomers before they are gone! This event is free. Meet at the information kiosk within the cemetery entry at Broadway and 10th Street. Parking located across the street from the 10th Street entry gate. For more information: (916) 374-8116 or cnpsgarden@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaNativePlantGarden.
March 12 – Paradise: Paradise Garden Club Monthly Member Meeting and Program 1 pm. Terry Ashe Rec Center Paradise. For more info: http://paradisegardenclub.org/
March 12 – Chico: 2012 Chico Organic Gardening Class Series! Final Class: Al Vogel Pretty Good Produce Composting, Diverse Growing Techniques and Putting it All Together 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Matthews Cafe located at 1600 Mangrove Ave, Suite 175 from 6:30-8:30PM. The cost will be $80.00 for the series in advance or $12.00 per class at the door. Presenters will be professionals within the local organic farming community. Subjects covered will range from new growing techniques to old tricks of the trade. These workshops will be geared to the novice as well as the advanced gardener. For more information and to sIgn up log on through meetup.com
March 13 – Orland: Northern California Regional Land Trust Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Workshop “Accessing Land, Farm Succession Getting Started” 8:30 am – 1 pm. This final series for the season will cover farmland protection, connecting beginning farmers and ranchers to land, and tax implications. Location: Glenn County Farm Bureau located in Orland. The cost is $40 per workshop ($30 for students with I.D.) and includes workshop materials, coffee and lunch. To sign up, call us at (530) 894-7738, stop by our office located at 167 East Third Avenue in Chico, or visit this Brown Paper Tickets link: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/198157
March 14 – Davis: UC Davis Arboretum Walk With Warren Noon. Arboretum Headquarters Join your eponymous guide to view the redbuds in bloom, then stroll to the Eric E. Conn Acacia Grove to see another spectacular spring display. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
March 14 – Magalia: Magalia Beautification Regular Monthly meeting: 12:30 pm. The MBA meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the POA Racine Center in Magalia (map); 12:30 for lunch, 1:00-3:00 for business. Please join us! The sole qualification is an interest in gardening, horticulture, civic art, and/or beautification in Magalia. For more info: http://magaliagardeners.webs.com/aboutus.htm
March 15 – Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Regular Member Meeting and Program 7 PM at the Shasta College Health Science University Programs building in downtown Redding, 1400 Market Street, Community Room 8220 (clock tower building at the north end of the Market Street Promenade; enter on south side of building). A Board meeting will be held before the regular meeting, at 5:30 PM at Angelo’s Pizza Parlour in the Foundry Square, 1774 California Street, Redding.
March 17 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens Victory Gardening 101 10 am or 1 pm. Learn how easy it is to have a successful garden and grow your own food. Class #3: Watering, Fertilizing, Composting and Pests. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com
March 17 – Davis: UC Davis ArboretumGuided Tour: California Native Plants Spring To Life 2 p.m., Buehler Alumni Visitors Center Enjoy two of our favorite California spring bloomers, ceanothus and redbud, in the Mary Wattis Brown Garden of California Native Plants. For more information, please call (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
March 18 – Redding: Shasta Chapter California Native Plant Society Plant Propagation Session 10am – 12pm Shasta College greenhouses, near the livestock barns. Plant Propagation Session. Two-hour work session at the Shasta College greenhouses. The greenhouses are located at the back of Shasta College, near the livestock barns. Bring clippers or any other tools you might need. Please call Susan Libonati at 530/347-4654 for further information.
March 18 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens Victory Gardening 101 1 pm. Learn how easy it is to have a successful garden and grow your own food. Class #4: Beneficial Insects. 8026 Airport Road, Redding CA. More info: 530-365-2256/wyntourgardens.com
March 18 – Redding: Shasta Community Teaching Garden Workshop “From Seed to Table: A Seed Starting Workshop”, presented by Kalan Redwood, Redwood Seeds 1 – 3 pm. Shasta College Main Campus. Join Kalan Redwood of Redwood Seeds to learn about starting your spring and summer crops from seed. This workshop will cover seeding technique for standard crops such as lettuce, onions, tomatoes and peppers as well as more unusual varieties such as orach, quinoa and medicinal herbs. Drawing from their extensive seed collection, Kalan will select her favorite varieties and participants will have the chance to seed six-packs to take home. Organic heirloom seeds will also be for sale at a discount, and planting advice is always free. Presenters: Kalan Redwood Fee: $15.00. For more info or to Register on-line at www.shastacollege.edu/EWD and click on Pathways. Or, call: 530.242.7630
March 20 – Vernal Equinox – SPRING BEGINS
March 21- Chico: Chico Horticultural Society regular member meeting and Program on Local Wildflowers with Forest Service Botanist Jenny Marr 9:30 am gather, 10 am program. Butte County Library, Chico. PUBLIC WELCOME. For more info email jennifer@jewellgarden.com
March 21 – Redding: Shasta Rose Society Regular Member Meeting and Program 7 pm. City of Redding Corporation Way, 2055 Viking Way, Building 4, room 401. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. www.shastarosesociety.org
March 21 – 25: San Francisco: San Francisco Flower Garden Show MARK YOUR CALENDARS! March 21-25 FOR THE 2012 SAN FRANCISCO FLOWER GARDEN SHOW. GALA ON MARCH 24! COME TO THE SHOW TO WELCOME SPRING AND ENJOY A FEAST OF IDEAS: Experience 20 stunning Gardens for a Green Earth with daring and inspiring designs. Encounter fragrant flowers and creative floral arrangements by California Garden Clubs. Enjoy all new cooking demonstrations from a parade of celebrity chefs, including Greens’ Annie Somerville and Martin Yan. Shop all day for flowers, rare plants, orchids and items from over 200 green exhibitors. Learn from the experts with five days of edible gardening, design and horticultural workshops—featuring “Yard Crashers”, Ahmad Hassan. Cultivate your green thumb at the edible gardening displays and seminars. Hints galore and recipes provided for your harvest. AND DON”T FORGET – MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE SMASHING NEW GALA SATURDAY, MARCH 24 at 7 PM. Support the San Francisco Botanical Garden by attending this fun party. More info and tickets: http://sfgardenshow.com/
March 26 – Colusa: Garden Club of Colusa County Regular Monthly Meeting Program 6:30 pm. We meet on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church, 642 Webster St. in Colusa. We have a short social time with refreshments followed by a short business meeting and a program. For more info: http://colusa-garden-club.webs.com/
March 27 – Chico: Butte Rose Society Regular Monthly Meeting and Program 7 pm. General meetings of the Butte Rose Society are held on the last Tuesday of the month January-May and August-November. Meetings begin at 7 pm and are held at the Chico Veterans Memorial Hall at 554 Rio Lindo Ave. Membership is open to all interested in roses, but anyone may attend the General Meetings. Membership is $20.00 per year and provides you with the monthly award winning newsletter and special invitations to members-only events held throughout the year. CONTACT US AT: Butte Rose Society, PO Box 8888, Chico, CA 95927. http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/
March 28- Chico: Chico Horticultural Society Evening Meeting and Program ‘Starting Your Home Vegetable Garden” presented by Butte County Master Gardeners 7 – 8 pm. Butte County Library, Chico. PUBLIC WELCOME. Join Chico Hort for their bi-annual evening program, this time on getting started in your spring vegetable garden. From Seed or Seedling to table, the master gardeners will present a thorough program on vegetable gardening in our area, with plenty of time for questions! For more info email jennifer@jewellgarden.com
March 30 – April 1 – Chico: Mt. Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society Field Trip together with Altacal Audubon: Pinnacles National Monument, San Benito County. Late March is a great time for wildflowers and nesting song birds at Pinnacles NM south of Hollister in San Benito County. Come together with wildflower and avian enthusiasts to soar with California condors after hiking the well groomed, 2 mile trail to the “High Peaks”. Then look west across the Salinas Valley toward the Ventana Range and elsewhere across the green, rolling ridges of the inner Coast Range. Shorter trails access upland habitat and through a jumble of boulders that create cool caves along a water course tumbling from an upper reservoir where water fowl are found. Nesting habitat for easy bird watching is abundant in the stream wash next to the campground on the east side of the Monument. Condors can be seen at dawn roosting in the conifers on the ridge above. The Monument’s large campground for tents and RVs (full hookups available) is a 5 hour drive from Chico down I-5 and via Hwy 152 over Pacheco Pass. Reserva- tions for a group camp site or circle of camp sites will be made. Contact Woody at woodyelliott@gmail.com or 530 342-6053 to sign up. For more information: http://mountlassen.cnps.org/
March 31 – Chico: Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshop Emerging Botanical Field Methods: Using new technologies to identify, map, and explore wild diversity by Dan Gluesenkamp 9:30 am – 4 pm; Rm 129 Holt Hall, CSU, Chico. Learn how to use your iphone, android, tablet or GPS camera to precisely map plants. Find out how to report beautiful or important plant discoveries and explore plants from mountaintop, desktop or laptop. This workshop will introduce the use of all of the latest technology to be ready for your best spring wildflower season ever! This workshop will meet Saturday, March 31, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Holt Hall room 129 at CSU Chico. The registration fee is $100.00 personal, $125.00 business, $40.00 student (only 2 seats at this price), $90.00 for members of Friends of the Herbarium. Please register in advance; class size is limited to 25 participants (class cancelled without a minimum of 10 participants). For more information about workshop content please con- tact Dan Gluesenkamp at dan@calflora.org or 415-939-6681. For more in- formation about workshop registration please contact the Biology office at (530) 898-5356 or jbraden@csuchico.edu.
March 31 – Arcata: Humboldt Permaculture Guild’s 14 Annual Seed And Plant Exchange 11am – 4pm, admission is free. Arcata Community Center. Workshops, speakers, live music, food, raffle, seeds including Redwood Seeds, and starts. 321 Community Park Way, Arcata.
March 31 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 11 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery
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In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. It is made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum – Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico. In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell – all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here.
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