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What a beautiful spring we have had! And with that, some truly amazing wildflower blooms! Join us on May 19th for a walk along a local favorite: Tom Cooke. These expansive hiking trails adjacent to Mayberry park have a plethora of fascinating plants, especially during the springtime! This is a roughly 3.5 mile loop which is rated as fairly easy after the first 1/4 mile. This will be a great introduction to common (and uncommon) native plants of our region with a diverse mixture of high desert favorites and riparian heavyweights.
Some of the flora we are likely to see include Asclepias, Calochortus, Allium, Salvia, Sphaeralcea, Layia, Prunus, Lupinus and many others.
Weather looks to be quite nice, if not a bit on the warm side. Please ensure you bring plenty of water, solid footwear, hiking poles (if desired), and sunhat/sunscreen. We will meet at the Tom Cooke Trailhead parking lot at 9am and will depart at 9:15am. Overflow can be found in the neighboring streets if necessary.
Leader John Weiser. On this excursion we will explore the altered andesite terrain of Red Hill. These hills and slopes just north of the TMCC campus feature an assortment of six perennial Eriogonum species all found within a few hundred feet of each other. I know of no other place that this occurs. Of special note is the species Eriogonum robustum, a local endemic restricted to the scattered altered andesite locations of the Eastern Sierras. We will also see a wide assortment of high desert adapted plants. The slopes of these hill are quite steep in spots so plan accordingly. A walking stick may be of use to help with balance.
We will start the hike at 9:00 am and meet at the round parking area adjacent to the intersection of Dandini Blvd. and Spectrum Blvd. In north Reno. https://maps.app.goo.gl/SGpNFuK9t4vQ5njdA