Chapter
Newsletter and Events
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Washington Native
Plant Society
Newsletter of the Olympic Peninsula Chapter
May-July 2008
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Editor’s Notes
Three of
the most important statewide events for Native Plant Society members provide
calendar bookends for this newsletter. Our annual Study Weekend will be in the Olympia, South Sound area
from May 2-4. Balds, bogs and prairies will be
featured. These habitats are the havens of some of the most interesting and
beautiful plants of our flora. The last weekend in April coincides with the
fifth Washington State Native Plant Appreciation Week with proclamations by our
Washington State Governor and by the Mayor of Port Townsend. At the far end of
the calendar is Botany Washington,
an annual tradition of intense botany with intervals of botanofrivolity. Those
who actually enjoy reading the five volume tome of Hitchock et al. will be
headquartered at the Rosemary
Inn on Lake Crescent from July 25-27. Field days
will take us to the high country of the Olympics and the low country of the
salt marshes, always in search of things botanical. See the spring issue of
Douglasia for detailed information on all three of these celebrations.
The Wilderness Within--Cappy’s Woods
&Trails
“go slower to make the world
bigger”--Harvey Manning
In a previous newsletter I
introduced the concept of The Wilderness Within i.e. wildlands within easy
reach of population centers. They are not quite wilderness, but are full of
wild plants and animals in easy reach by a bus ride, a walk, a bicycle ride, by
canoe, by kayak or a short drive. They can nurture our minds and exercise our
bodies. They deserve our protection, care and stewardship. The Cappy’s
Trails area, one of the last remaining unprotected wooded areas in Port
Townsend, provides an excellent example.
The 264 acres of Cappy’s
Woods provide habitat for over 100 species of native plants (including one
species considered rare in Washington) along
with a large suite of
birds (e.g. the Pileated Woodpecker) and mammals native to the Pacific Northwest. In addition there are several miles of
well used trails which are easily accessible to local residents. This forest is also the largest storm water
basin in Port Townsend and includes several wetlands. Development is
encroaching on almost all sides of this last uninterrupted habitat for birds,
mammals and amphibians.
The Jefferson County Land Trust (Quimper Wildlife Corridor
Project) and the City have been purchasing wetlands and wetland buffers as
passive storm water retention and habitat protection for over 14 years. Together they have over 80 acres either
permanently preserved or protected within the proposed boundaries of Cappy's
Woods. The Land Trust is also developing
a docent program on the ecology of the site as a way to increase awareness of
the area. Current protection efforts are aimed at the remaining land that is
owned by over 200 owners. The Friends of Cappy’s Woods are seeking grant
funding and other solutions to protect these remaining forest lands. If you
wish to become involved
with the protection effort or learn more about it, contact Linda Showler at galacticflare@gmail.com.
Left photo: Exercise for two on Cappy’s Trails (photo by Fred Weinmann).
Right photo: Fred Weinmann talks botany to the 30 plus who came to
hike Cappy’s Trails
on
January 1, 2008 (photo by Dixie Llewellin).
Chapter Happenings
Addendum to previous newsletter
(submitted by Wendy McClure):
The last newsletter carried a very flattering article about my time as chapter
chair. However, I want to point out that two years ago Sharon Schlentner offered to be Co-Chair of our
Native Plant Society chapter. She has brought fresh perspectives, new
ideas and energy to our group and, in that time, become a wonderful
friend. So, while I have served for several years, the last two have
been with great help and needs to be recognized. Thank you so much Sharon.
Ediz Hook:
Saturday April 26th:10-12am. Janis Burger
and Pat Willits are planning a walk on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles to observe spring coastal
wildflowers and birdlife as part of Native Plant Appreciation Week. Find out
what the area is like and explore possibilities for protection. A little
beach clean-up may be included since it’s the same day as the coastal
cleanup. We’ll meet at the parking lot across from the pilot’s
house and boat launch just outside the Coast Guard base gate. Contact Janis
Burger for details at 360-457-7161.
Anderson Lake State Park: In
celebration of Native Plant Appreciation Week; Sunday April 27, 1-5 pm. We will
hike along Anderson Lake past some of the largest Sitka spruce and western
redcedar trees on the Quimper Peninsula; make a stop at a small prairie remnant
(chocolate lilies etc.); then up the hill through second growth forest to an
overlook of the Chimacum Valley and Tamanowas Rock with nice flowers
(paintbrush etc.) on the ledge; then back down passing by a skunk cabbage swamp
before returning to our starting point. The hike will be about 4 miles with a
very small amount of off-trail scrambling to see the sea blush in flower. As
this is a botany hike, we will proceed at an average rate of about 1 mile per
hour. Bring hand lens if you have it, your favorite plant field guide, and
snacks if you are so inclined. Meet at Anderson Lake
State Park in small
parking area at park entrance at 1:00 pm or at Dream City Café before 12:45 pm.
Contact Fred or Ann
Weinmann to sign up: 379-0986 or fweinmann@cablespeed.com.
Photo:
Cris Wilson, Willi Smothers, and Chuck Easton
dressed for August in the Olympics on one of two unsuccessful (but not
ill-fated) trips to find the alpine aspens in summer 2007 (photo by Sharon Schlentner).
Quimper Peninsula Wildflower Hot Spots: Friday May 2.
Begin at the Kah Tai Prairie (at the Port Townsend Golf Course) at 9:30 am. The trip
will continue from there until mid-afternoon. At 10:30 we will head for Old Fort
Townsend State
Park and then to Kala Point. At Kah Tai Prairie we will tour the oldest garden
of Port Townsend to see the spring
display of native flowers that once filled Happy Valley. Learn the history of the preserve and see
projects taking place at this small relic prairie. Some of the highlights will be Lomatium utriculata,
L. nudicaule, Camassia quamash, and the deadly Zigadenus elegans. At Old
Fort Townsend
State Park we will hike
among old growth trees. The Calypso orchids will be flowering, and we will see
several species of parasitic plants (Hooker’s ground cone and spotted
coralroot, for example) that are signature plants for the park. We will finish at the most floriferous of the
dune/beach, strand communities on the Quimper Peninsula.
The paintbrush, delphiniums, chocolate lilies, and several other species will
be in flower. If you have questions, contact Dixie Llewellin at 385-6432, email dixiellewellin@yahoo.com
or Ann
Weinmann at 379-0986, email aweinmann@cablespeed.com.
Kul Kah
Han Native
Plant Demonstration
Gardens HJ Carroll Park- Chimacum:
On Saturday morning May 3rd from 10-11:30, Jeanmarie Morelli and Linda Landkammer will lead a walking/talking tour of
the gardens. Jeanmarie, a local landscaper and native plant specialist will
explain many of the ethnobotanical uses (food, medicine, weaving, etc) of the
plants, past and present. Linda Landkammer
will discuss the special qualities and growing requirements of the plants for home
gardens. There will be a plant sale immediately afterward for anyone interested
in enlarging their collection of native plants.
Rescheduled Duckabush Hike: Saturday,
May 3, 2008; meet 9:00am at the Quilcene Ranger Station. Bring trail pass,
field guides, hand lens or magnifying glass, lunch and be prepared for any
weather. Please call Wendy McClure 360-779-3820 to sign up for hike as
cancellations do occur.
Spring botanizing along the Duckabush River
Trail: Tuesday, May 6, 2008; meet 9:00am at the Quilcene Ranger
Station. Bring trail pass, field guides, hand lens or magnifying glass,
lunch, and be prepared for any weather. I plan to return to Port Townsend
for the chapter program, a presentation by Varn Brooks on botanizing
during a trip in the arctic. Please call Wendy McClure to sign up
for the trip as cancellations do occur.
Botany and
Ecology of the Arctic: Port Townsend
Marine Science Center, Natural History Exhibit Building, Tuesday, May 6th,
6:00 pm. Karen Lull and Varn Brooks will discuss Arctic and Sub-Arctic
plants and their adaptations to the environment. Many of theses plants show remarkable
productivity in spite of the harsh conditions (like the bog cranberry whose
single fruit exceeds the biomass of the rest of the plant).Topics include pine
bark beetles, aspen leaf miners, fire ecology, and microclimates. Please bring
a northern plants field guide if you have one. They left the skeeters up north!
Thompson Spit, Miller Peninsula: Saturday May 17 (postponed from April
12), 9:30 to 4:00 (about 5 miles
round trip); meet at Fat Smitty’s before 9:30 am. This hike is to a
lovely beach in state park lands along the Strait of Juan
de Fuca. Flora on the beach
includes Fragaria chiloensis, Fritillaria
lanceolata, Plectritis congesta, and other beachside favorites. There are also great views of Protection Island.
For questions or other meeting options contact Dixie 385-6432 or email dixiellewellin@yahoo.com.
Photo: Ann Weinmann
photographs Triglochin maritima at
Thompson Spit ( photo by Sharon
Schlentner).
Point Wilson Conservation Workparty: Thursday May 23rd 9:30 to noon. Meet at
the Natural History Exhibit building, Point Wilson Beach, Fort Worden
State Park. We will
continue to upgrade the areas we are trying to protect by installing
more permanent trail barriers and replacing some of the deteriorating
signage. We may be doing some invasive plant removal also, so bring work
gloves and a positive attitude. Contact Sharon
Schlentner sschlentner@waypoint.com, (360) 379-9810.
Botany Program in Sequim:
Wednesday June 4, 6:00 pm. Note location!: Dungeness River
Audubon Center
at Railroad Bridge Park;
2151 West Hendrickson Road,
Sequim. Pat Holden will lead us in a tour
of the native plant garden at the Center followed by a slide show on native
plants of the Olympic Peninsula. Come early and enjoy the beautiful
setting on the Dungeness
River. For questions
contact Pat Holden 360-683-1488 or Wendy
McClure 360-779-3820, wendymac3@embarqmail.com.
Griff Creek Trail: Saturday June 21. Meet before 10 am at the Elwha
Ranger station. This is a strenuous uphill hike for three miles that ends
at some intriguing balds that overlook the Elhwa
River and Lake Mills. The
elevation gain is close to 3000 ft. Bring hand lens and botany
books, some good food and be prepared for a change in weather. This trip
is somewhat exploratory in nature, as it is not a familiar haunt, so be
prepared to deviate from the plans a bit. For this reason, let us know if
you are planning on joining us: Contact Sharon
Schlentner sschlentner@waypoint.com, (360) 379-9810 or Wendy
McClure (360) 779-3820 wendymac3@embarqmail.com.
Mt. Townsend: Saturday July 12. Meet at the Quilcene Forest Service
Visitor Center
before 8:30 am. If there is enough interest we will try a key exchange with one
group starting at the Big Quilcene trailhead #839 (arriving at the peak in 3
miles with a 3000 ft. elevation gain)and the other starting from the Little
Quilcene trailhead #835 (3.2 miles, 2100 ft. gain). We will be treated to
meadows of wildflowers as well as rare plant(s) and several endemics. Over 225
vascular plant species have been reported from this popular destination. For
sign-up and more information call Ann Weinmann
360-379-0986.
Miller Peninsula
State Park Update: At the
March 10, 2008 State Parks public meeting in Sequim it was announced that
budget constraints have put plans on hold to develop Miller Peninsula
State Park. It
was to have been one of three new flagship parks opening in 2013 to
celebrate the centennial of the Washington State Parks system. The
property is still owned by the State Parks system and available for hiking and
non-motorized use. Funds are now being directed to implementing plans
for Sequim Bay State Park including preservation of natural resources,
upgrading camping and recreation facilities, possible sale of old
sewage treatment plant, etc. --suggestions from the public were taken for
review. Future meetings will continue the process. For more
information contact Derek Gustafson, Northwest Region Parks Planner. Phone
360-755-5262 x 232 or e-mail: sequimbay.planning@parks.wa.gov
More Happenings
May 13 – Peninsula and Huxley Colleges
Present: Elwha Field Research Reports
Dr. Dwight Barry and Students
Dr. Dwight Barry, Peninsula
College faculty member, and students
of Peninsula College
and Western Washington University’s
Huxley College-Port Angeles will present findings from their environmental
science research associated with the Elwha Restoration Project, the
world’s largest dam removal and river restoration project. This event is a continuation of the Olympic
National Park Perspectives Program. Programs begin at 7:00 pm; Olympic National
Park Visitor Center; 3002 Mt.
Angeles Road, Port Angeles;
For information call 360-565-3133.
Native Plant Sale:
Saturday May 10, 10 am-4 pm, Central Puget Sound Chapter of WNPS hosts their
annual spring sale at Bellevue
Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue
98005 (a map will be
posted on the website). Native groundcovers, bulbs, ferns, wildflowers, shrubs
& trees will be on sale. It's the largest and most diverse sale of Washington natives we
know about! Also available will be bags of Cedar Grove compost or potting soil
in addition to a large selection of books on native plants and their ecology.
Native plant experts will be on hand to assist shoppers. A list of available
species will be posted at wnps.org.
Nature and Spirit Poetry Circle: Share your poetry
and the work of your favorite poets, in a friendly, informal atmosphere. We
meet at the home of Sharon Robinson. For
more details, call 360-379-64l2. Last Saturday of every month, 2-3:30 pm.
Trillium
ovatum
The Apparatus
Olympic Peninsula
Newsletter: Our next newsletter will
be for August-September. Submit
information no later than July 10, 2008. Be sure to provide details
including time, place, attire (e.g. boots needed), lunch, tools etc. and
the name and email address and/or phone number of a contact person. Send input
to Fred Weinmann (fweinmann@cablespeed.com) in format identical to
that used in this newsletter. An additional reminder:
Newsletters are issued just 4 times per year. If you want to be notified of
events that do not make it into the newsletter, please provide your email
address to Sharon Schlentner
(sschlentner@waypoint.com).
Co-chairs: Sharon Schlentner:
360-379-9810; sschlentner@waypoint.com
Wendy
McClure: 360-779-3820; wendymac3@embarqmail.com
Treasurer: Janis Burger
Newsletter: Fred Weinmann: 360-379-0986;
fweinmann@cablespeed.com
Secretary: Ann Weinmann
360-379-0986; aweinmann@cablespeed.com
Web site: Dixie
Llewellin (go to wnps.org and click on the link to Chapters)
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The Washington Native
Plant Society is
an affiliate member of Earth Share of
Washington. Our goal is to promote the appreciation
and conservation of Washington’s
native plants and their habitats.
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