Look! A FREE Homeowner Consultation Service
The Chapter now offers a new FREE homeowner consultation service for members. It's called the Sierra Nevada Yard and Garden Program on Native Plant and Water-Wise Gardening. Homeowners can get site-specific help with sustainable plantings and related concerns.
Upcoming Field Trips?
See the Trips page for more information.
CHAPTER MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS
The monthly programs are held on the third Tuesday of each month (except for August and December). Programs begin at 7pm at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville. Our chapter meetings are free and the public is invited to attend. Each meeting includes a show-and-tell about a particular plant, an announcement of chapter happenings, and the speaker presentation. Books will be available for purchase at the meeting.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 21, 7:00 pm
Note: the date is NOT a mistake. It's a Wednesday because of a schedule conflict at the library.
Lichens
SIERRA NEVADA ENLICHENMENT
COOPERATION AND SHARING IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Join Cheryl Beyer on Wednesday evening, July 21, for an introduction to lichens with emphasis on those in the Sierra Nevada. Cheryl has been a member of the California Lichen Society (CALS) since 1995. She currently is on the CALS Board and the Conservation Committee.
“Lichens are [often] overlooked and misunderstood. When they do get noticed, they are often mistaken for a pretty moss or a nasty parasite.” So wrote Laura Christman recently in The Record Searchlight, a Redding-based newspaper. And getting noticed is the beginning of the appreciation for these organisms – a hybrid (or symbiosis) of potentially three different kingdoms -Kingdom fungi (fungi), Kingdom protoctista (algae), and Kingdom bacteria (cyanobacteria). “You have to make an effort to see them,” said Ken DeCamp, a nature photographer that had a display earlier this year at Whiskeytown Recreation Area of his close-up lichen photography. "You have to get right down at eyeball level to discover the beauty of them. They are absolutely fascinating."
Over 1,600 species of lichens are reported for California. Hundreds of species adorn the Sierra Nevada. They can be found in almost any habitat, from trees, shrubs, and soil at the lowest elevation, to the exposed rock over 13,000 feet high.
Come and find out about this intriguing world!
Wednesday – July 21 – 7:00 pm
El Dorado County Library, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville
Note: For 2010, the El Dorado Chapter made a decision to reduce the number of program meetings. Meetings will be held on the third Tuesday of March, May, July, September, and November.
Neat News:
Feb. 18, 2010 - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed papers Wednesday to add nearly 700 acres of habitat for rare plants and other species to the Pine Hill Preserve.
The Kanaka Valley purchase is located in the central Sierra foothills in western El Dorado County, north of Highway 50 and southeast of Folsom Lake, approximately 30 miles east of Sacramento. Read more about it...
CHAPTER BOARD MEETINGS
Chapter board meetings are held to discuss business items concerning the chapter and its activities. Please note that a decision was made this year to reduce the number of board meetings to 6 per year. This will coincide with the same month that meetings are held. Board meetings will be held on the second Tuesday in March, May, July, September, and November. Meetings are currently held at the El Dorado County Office of Education at 6767 Green Valley Rd., Placerville, CA. The meeting rooms are in the B complex (opposite the main office behind the flag pole) and usually occur in B-1 or B-3 at 6:30 pm. Please check the website or call a board member to confirm the meeting place. All members are welcome to attend. Copies of the minutes from board meetings are available at the regular chapter meetings or you can request a copy from a member of the board.
Propagation Group
The El Dorado Chapter has started a propagation group. We usually meet every other week at the U. S. Forest Service - Institute of Forest Genetics at 2480 Carson Rd., Placerville (past Abel's acres) on Thursday morning. When driving into the facility, park at the round-about (flag pole) and check into the office to get a badge. Activities vary based on seed and cutting availability.
For information about when the group will meet again or if you are interested in participating, please contact Cindy Podsiadlo at 642-0648 or by email.
PLANT SALES
Chapter plant sales are held twice yearly, usually the first Saturday of April and October.