
May Arboretum Plant Sale
We will be at the May Arboretum on Saturday May 17th, we hope to have some native plants to share. Check back for more information nearer the time. Photo from May Arboretum website.

Garden Tour
John Weiser will be hosting an open garden tour of his dry land garden on Sunday, May 18th, 2025. This garden is located at 485 O’Brien Way, Sparks, NV. Google map link https://shorturl.at/vmfv2 You are welcome to stop by between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
This garden features collections of Yucca, Cactus, Agave, Penstemons, Eriogonums, and a smatering of other high desert natives.
Plants from dry enviroments around the world are also included in the mix. Cactus from South America. Succulents from South Africa. Iris from Central Asia. A few are reliable Mediterranean stalwarts.
The garden should be in full bloom with multitudes of pollinators darting around.
Link to photos of my garden https://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/albums/72157680667497650/
Email info@nvnps.org for John’s address.

Sierra Valley Preserve
On this field trip, we will be traveling (just barely) into California to visit this truly wondrous area. Where the north/south intersection between the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades meets the east/west intersection between the mountains and the Great Basin; it is quite a magical floristic experience with numerous rare endemics.
We will be meeting at 8am at the Lemmon Valley McDonalds located at 120 Lemmon Dr, Reno, NV 89506 to carpool. We anticipate arriving at the eastern entrance of the nature preserve by 9am. Exact location is HERE - https://maps.app.goo.gl/rfngef1wwELqgxaX8 . Be sure to adjust your starting position .
There we will meet up with two of the preserve's volunteers who will take us on a walk through the area. We plan to be out at least until noon. PHOTO BY JEFF BUE, COURTESY FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUST

Prison Hill Field trip
Join us to explore the Prison Hill area. Details nearer the time.
Photo from Sierra Rec Magazine

American Penstemon Society Meeting 2025
Each year, members of APS gather to catch up, renew friendships, share photos and information on penstemons, and most importantly visit new places to SEE PENSTEMONS in their natural habitat. As one of the highlights of society membership, the annual meetings are anticipated throughout the year. Here we include information about upcoming meetings, as well as historical information on past meetings. Sign up and details here

Churchill Narrows Field Trip
Join us to visit Churchill Narrows and look for Nevada endemic Churchill Narrows buckwheat. Detail nearer the time. Eriogonum diatomaceum photo © Matt Berger

Peavine Summit Field Trip
Save the date for our 50th Anniversary Field Trip. Peavine Mountain in Reno has a special place in the heart of NNPS, many members spent hours in the field cataloging the vascular flora of Peavine Mountain and writing it up in Mentzelia Vol. 6. Check back for details nearer the time.

Grass Lake Field Trip
Join us to explore the areas surrounding Grass lake. Grass Lake is the largest Sphagnum bog in California and is considered the best representative floating bog in the Sierra Nevada. Check back for details.
Tamarack Lake (off Mt Rose Highway)
Save the date for a trip to this lake and ramble through a variety of habitats. Details nearer the time.

Tahoe meadows Interpretive Loop Photo Trip
Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation is holding a photo field trip on August 2nd. NNPS will be there to help with plant identification. More details nearer the time. Photo of primrose monkey flowers from Wikipedia.

Eriogonum Society Meeting 2025
Save the date for the 2025 Eriogonum Society Meeting in beautiful Bishop, California, with its abundance of buckwheats. With the Sierras to the west, White Mountains to the east, and volcanic features to the north, Bishop has a wide range of habitats that support some impressive Eriogonum diversity plus close relatives like Dedeckera, Oxytheca, and Chorizanthe.
More details and registration links will be coming soon to the Eriogonum Society website. They will not be offering lodging this year and rooms in Bishop fill up fast in the summer, so make your reservations soon.
Windy Hollow Field Trip
Save the date for a day trip to Windy Hollow off Hwy 44 in CA. NNPS member Michael Hagebusch will share one of his favorite places to botanize. Details nearer the time.

Deadman's Creek Trail Field Trip
One of our "local secrets", this trail is located at the south east corner of Washoe State Park and winds its way up the drainage of Deadman’s Creek to a scenic lookout atop the bluff. Along the slopes we should find a fascinating mix of riparian and steppe vegetative communities. Plants of interest include Phlox diffusa, Ranunculus andersonii, Erigeron glacialis, Phacelia curvipes, Prunus andersonii, Senecio integerrimus and Lupinus arbustus to name a few.
CAR-POOLING IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED
There is a pull-off that can handle four or five vehicles at the trail head. Some additional parking is located roughly 1/4mi to both the south and north. Those wishing to carpool from Reno meet at the Doughboy’s Donuts shop located in the South Town Shopping Center at 57 Damonte Ranch Parkway by 9:00 am. We should be on site by 9:30am.
Map Link https://maps.app.goo.gl/3EuxyTWPV6dFXQvu
PHOTO BY JEFF BUE, COURTESY FEATHER RIVER LAND TRUST

Monthly Meeting
You're invited to our NNPS monthly meeting Thursday, May 1st. This is the last program of our Spring Schedule and the final chapter of "Castillejinae Species of Nevada: Paintbrushes and their Relatives, Part 3” with Mark Egger, lead author of the Castilleja treatment for the Flora of North America. Mark will discuss Orthocarpus, Chloropyron, and Cordylanthus. This series of programs has been a master class on the Castillejinae in Nevada and a very useful visual reference and guide for the wandering enthusiast.
Meeting information:
In Northern Nevada (RENO), attend the in-person meeting in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm, the meeting starts at 7pm.
To attend an in-person meeting In Southern Nevada (HENDERSON), head to the College of Southern Nevada campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A109. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot. (Please contact Marcus below in case there is a room change, thanks)
OR You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When:May 1, 2025; 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance (before 6pm Thursday) here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/25mMRp5iSDW9EQnmQueHIQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Charlie Duncan, NVNPS Programs, and Marcus Hooker, Southern Nevada. Contact info: N. Nevada _ cirsium.down@gmail.com S. Nevada_ Marcus.Hooker@csn.edu
Photo by Paul Slichter

Reno Earth Day
Reno Earth Day 2025 will take place on Saturday, April 19 from 10 AM–5 PM at Idlewild Park in Reno, Nevada. We will be there! Email info@nvnps.org if you would like to volunteer at the booth during the day.

TMMC Earth Day
We will be sharing native plant love at TMMC’s main campus during their Earth Day celebrations. Email info@nvnps.org if you would like to help spread plant love during the event.

50th Anniversary!
Today is the 50th Anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the Society. 17 people gathered to set up the Northern Nevada Native Plant Society.
Hoge Road Field Trip
Our first field trip of 2015 is nearly here; we will be meeting at 9:00am at Ben's Fine Wines and Spirits (this is located next to Bonanza Casino). Address is 4794 N Virginia St, Reno, NV 89506. Once we arrive, we plan to leave at 9:15am sharp to carpool up to the trailhead. It is only about a mile but the road is quite bumpy. We will plan to be out there for a few hours and cover a couple miles.
It should be prime time to see a number of great plants including: Lithophragma, Astragalus, Plectritis, Lomatium, Phlox, Fritillaria and many others.
Recommended items to bring are: water, proper clothing/footwear (check weather!), snacks, notebook/pen, camera/phone for photos.
If you have any questions email info@nvnps

Monthly Meeting
Join us as we present personal reflections on the first 50 years of NNPS, founded in 1975 to stimulate an interest in and an appreciation of native plants and their preservation.
"Celebrating Fifty Years of Nevada Native Plant Society: Plants, People, and Places "
Our meeting schedule is ALTERED for the event to accommodate in-person interviews with charter and long-time members from north and south, a slideshow of plants, people and places. Plus live cake if you make the meeting in-person (cupcakes at home if not )
6:30 meeting begins, slideshow preview
6:45 Introduction by President followed by interviews (approx.10 min each person)
7:25 Q&A with interviewees_ Jerry Tiehm, Dennis Ghiglieri, Lesley DeFalco, Hermie Hiatt ( maybe more)
7:35/7:40 Party on.... (Two cakes, one in Vegas one in Reno)
Meeting information
When: April 3, 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Where: In Northern Nevada (RENO), attend in-person at FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus.
Attend in-person in Southern Nevada (HENDERSON), at the College of Southern Nevada on the Henderson CSN campus in Bldg A, RM A109. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
OR register in advance for the Zoom meeting here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../register/pnaE9vspT8mIylshoq_BvQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the link to Zoom on-line.
This should be fun! See you next week,
Charlie Duncan, NVNPS Programs, and Marcus Hooker, Southern Nevada Programs
contact: N. Nevada _ cirsium.down@gmail.com S. Nevada_ Marcus.Hooker@csn.edu
Registration details will be posted nearer the meeting.

Monthly Meeting
Michael Simpson, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Biology, San Diego State University and Curator of the SDSU Herbarium will present Thursday's program:
“Cryptantha of Nevada and Classification of the Popcorn Flowers”
Meeting information:
In Northern Nevada (RENO), attend the in-person meeting in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm.
In Southern Nevada (HENDERSON), you can attend an in-person meeting at the College of Southern Nevada on the Henderson CSN campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30 pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A125. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
OR register in advance for the Zoom meeting here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qPeaSunaRGmRHCAFLe6MJA
After registering, you will receive a Zoom confirmation email with the link to join the meeting.
Yellow-eyed cryptantha, photo credit Jim Morefield.

Northern Nevada Field Trip Planning Meeting
It's that time again! On February 22nd, we'll be meeting at the Sierra View Library to brainstorm, discuss and plan our 2025 field trips. This will be a time to share ideas and to develop a cohesive plan for getting out in the field. We'd especially appreciate your input and attendance if you're interested in leading a trip this year!
It's our 50th anniversary as an organization so lets make it a great one!

Monthly Meeting
Lesley De Falco will be our speaker at the monthly meeting on February 6th. She will be talking about her research into the imperiled three-cornered milkvetch. “Understanding potential barriers to conserving three-corner milkvetch (Astragalus geyeri var. triquetrus): studies on seed dormancy and ecological interactions”.
In Northern Nevada (RENO), attend the in-person meeting in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm, PT.
The in-person meeting in Southern Nevada (HENDERSON) is held on the College of Southern Nevada campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A125. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
Link to register for the Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/iXRfdp-qSkmJfLRwz9woCQ
After registering, you will receive a Zoom confirmation email with the link to join the meeting.
Photo credit: (c) Corey Lange, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Monthly Meeting
The program will be: "Castillejinae Species of Nevada: Paintbrushes and their Relatives, Part 2” presented by Mark Egger, lead author of the Castilleja treatment for the Flora of North America. Mark will discuss more Castilleja, as well as Orthocarpus, Chloropyron, and Cordylanthus. Part 1 was superb!
In Northern Nevada (RENO), attend the in-person meeting in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm, PT.
The in-person meeting in Southern Nevada (HENDERSON) is held on the College of Southern Nevada campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A125. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
OR You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Nov 7, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkf-yvrj4uHtX2Pk2bPQKyjxHiriwezVzZ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This should be fun! See you next week.

Monthly Meeting
Our October program will be: "Castillejinae Species of Nevada: Paintbrushes and their Relatives” with Mark Egger, lead author of the Castilleja treatment for the Flora of North America.
This meeting is both in person and via zoom!
In Northern Nevada (Reno), you can attend the in-person meeting in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm, the meeting starts at 7pm.
In Southern Nevada (Henderson), the meeting will be held on the College of Southern Nevada campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A125. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
OR You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Oct 3, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time. Register in advance here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZUtdOuvrjMtEtew...
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This should be fun! See you next week.

Monthly Meeting
Join us for our first meeting of the Fall season. The program "Bee-ware the brunch at a Death-Camas Cafe" will be presented by our guest speaker, James Cane, Emeritus, USDA Bee Lab. This program discusses Toxicoscordion and oligolectic bees. It was previously presented at the Biennial Bee Convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some of you will remember meeting Jim at the 2021 Penstemon Society Annual Meeting in Logan, Utah.
The Northern Nevada in-person meeting will be held in FA 300G on the 3rd floor of Fleischmann Agriculture on the UNR campus. Social and refreshments begin at 6:30 pm, PT.
The Southern Nevada (HENDERSON) in-person meeting is held on the College of Southern Nevada campus. Refreshments are available at 6:30pm in the Niles Herbarium, Bldg A, RM A125. The meeting begins at 7 pm in Bldg C, RM C230. Parking is available at the College Drive lot.
OR You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Sep 5, 2024 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldeuorDwvGNQTL6byWJGta1yur9035v-w
After registering, you will receive a Zoom confirmation email with your unique link to join the meeting.

Doyle Field Trip
Mike Hagebusch will lead us to see the narrow endemic Eriogonum microtheca var. scholcraftii and its habitat. This yellow flowered buckwheat is only known from a 14-mile stretch along the east face of the Sierra Nevada and from the Fort Sage Range in California; and from one collection on Seven Lakes Mountain in Nevada! It is found on decomposed granite soil, most often sheltered among tall sagebrush.
Meet at the Lemmon Valley McDonalds at 8:15 am, we will leave at 8:30 to drive to the Doyle area. About 38 miles N of the McDonald's gathering point turn left (W) on Constantia Road (three miles past the Red Rock Road on 395). The steeper forest service road should probably be driven by high clearance vehicles (Subarus are great). We'll travel at 10 mph or less and go 0.8 mile to the viewing area.
This should be a quick trip as most of the area is toasted by the abnormal heat. Remnants of Asclepias cordifolia and CIrsium occidentalis are visible. Other plants of interest are Eriogonum elatum var. elatum and Heterotheca orovillosa (newly separated from H. villosa).
Bring water, snacks and wear sunscreen.
Photo credit (c) Jeff Bisbee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

Slide Mountain Field Trip
NOTE TIME CHANGE; NOW 7:30 FOR CARPOOLING AND 8AM AT THE MOUNT ROSE PARKING AREA.
Join us as we walk from Mt Rose Pass Parking area to the top of Slide Mountain to check out the variety of hardy plants that grow on the slopes. On this hike we will have the opportunity to examine many high elevation ground hugging endemics.
Four high elevation Eriogonums- ovalifolium var. eximium, marifolium, rosense, and lobbii.
Four Penstemon- davisonii, newberrii, speciosus, and gracilentus.
Two Drabas- oligosperma and asterophora
Other noteworthy plants colonizing the scree beds are – Chaenactis alpigena, Pakera cana, Erigeron pygmaeus, Ipomopsis congesta ssp. montana, Diplacus nanus, Hieracium horridum, Linanthus pungens and Astragalus austiniae.
We will start this field trip a little earlier than normal to help assure we have space to park in the Mount Rose Summit parking lot. This parking spot gets a lot of use on the weekends.
Our first car pooling location will be at the Dough Boys Donuts shop at 57 Damonte Ranch Pkwy in Reno. This shop is located in the South Towne Crossing mall. We will meet at 7:30 am to car pool and be on site by 8:00am.
Our course follows the unpaved service road for the Mount Rose Sky Resort as it ascends the west face of Slide Mountain. This road can be rutted and uneven in some places. We will hike about a mile with an elevation gain of approximately 600’. The first two thirds of our assent will be on a gradually sloping road that skirts open Jeffrey's pine forest. The last third of the hike will see a steeper incline as we negotiate the switch-back portion of the road. This last section of the trail accounts for 300’ of our elevation gain. As we proceed we will start to encounter decomposed granite scree beds hosting many of our target plants. When we reach our goal we will be walking across undulating scree beds strewn with boulders and outcroppings. The forest at this exposed location is somewhat stunted, gnarly, and wind blown but the views of Reno and Washoe Lake are outstanding. Plan on spending several hours on site.
Bring plenty of water, hats, walking sticks, lunch etc. The summit is exposed to the weather so be prepared for windy and possible chilly conditions. Watch the weather reports prepare, as you see fit.
Be aware that we will be required to walk across the Mount Rose Highway to get to our starting point and due to curves in the road at this location great care needs to be on ever-ones mind while crossing over.

Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Loop Field Trip
Join us for a flower filled ramble around the Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Loop. We will walk around wet meadows, past dry slopes and through a forested area to see a diversity of wildflowers including lupines, asters, orchids and more.
We will plan on meeting at 9am at the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead (39.301848, -119.918801). **NOTE the TRT parking lot is closed but there is a pull out and parking area at the side of the road!**
For folks that would prefer to carpool, we will meet at the Galena Creek Visitor's Center at 8:30am.
It is a roughly 1.3 mile loop on level ground, however, despite it's length, we plan to be walking between 2-3 hours given the immense number of fascinating plants that can be seen here. Among (many) others, we hope to see Veratrum, Sambucus, Eriogonum, Lupinus, Ligusticum, Erythranthe and Aquilegia genera.

Gary Monroe Madora Lake Memorial Field Trip
CANCELLED due to potential impact of Gold Complex Fire. 🔥
This will be a dual location trip, lead by John Weiser and John Dyer.
Location 1: Madora Lake, in the Plumas Eureka State Park, trip leader John Weiser. This will be an easy 1.9 mile walk on nearly level ground. There is a bathroom but no drinking water. Expect to see Chimaphila umbellata, Lilium washingtonianum, Pterospora andromedea, Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, Lilium pardalinum, and other forest gems.
Location 2: Greagle Lodge Meadow, in the Lakes basin Recreation Area, trip leader John Dyer (contact: 775.420.2197, moondog@gbis.com). This location features a lush plant habitat from free-flowing stream to springs to dryer forested ground. We will disperse to the various habitats with little actual hiking.
Expect to see a wide variety of dry soil to wet to saturated soil type plants. These may include at the very least Saxifraga oregana, Habenaria dilatata, Aconitum columbianum, Lilium pardalinum, Menyanthes trifoliata, and hopefully many more.
Directions: Parking at the trailheads is limited so carpooling is advised. Those traveling from Reno should meet at the McDonalds at US 395 and Lemmon Drive at 9:00 am. The second meeting place is in the parking lot on the north side of the Junction of CA 70 and CA 89 where you turn right to Blairsden and Graeagle at 10:15 am. We should be in the Madora Lake parking lot by 10:30.
Bring water, sun-screen, lunch and insect repellent. We plan to include a stop at Millie’s Ice cream and Coffee Co. (formerly Buckaroo’s). This location and the stop for ice cream was a favorite of former NNPS member Gary Monroe.

Spooner Lake State Park Field trip
Join us for a mellow 2.5 mile around Spooner Lake at the height of it's wildflower season. We will be meeting at the visitor center at 9am and will depart at 9:15am.
On this walk, we will see a great number of plant genera including: Penstemon, Apocynum, Agastache, Cirsium, Phacelia, Valeriana, Drymocallis, Allium, Ceanothus and Sidalcea; among others.
Park website: https://parks.nv.gov/parks/spooner-lake
We will be meeting at the Spooner Lake Visitor Center. Note parking is $10 for a vehicle with a NV license plate and $15 for non-NV license plates. Directions can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Spooner+Lake/@39.1069556,-119.913276,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x80999d93ecbc611b:0xa0788c14840e3c28!8m2!3d39.1076033!4d-119.9089976!16s%2Fg%2F11c53jkcwf?entry=ttu

Sagehen BioBlitz
On Saturday, July 13th, we will be taking a trip into California to participate in the annual Sagehen Creek Field Station Bioblitz. The blitz will officially run from 9am-12noon. If you wish to carpool, we will meet at 7:30 in the Cabela's parking lot (8650 Boomtown Garson Road, off I80 at Exit 4 near Verdi). We will be leaving at 7:45 SHARP. Address for Sagehen Creek Field Station is 11616 Sage Hen Rd, Truckee, CA 96161.
This area is one of the most ecologically diverse places in our region and is always an exciting area to explore. We will see a number of fascinating plants with a handful that cannot be seen anywhere else. Last year, there was also the option of joining birding, mammal or insect groups which will likely be the case this time as well.
Recommended items to bring are: water, proper clothing/footwear (long sleeve shirts/pants for sun/mosquito protection), lunch/snacks, sun hat and/or sunscreen, notebook/pen. In addition, you will need to download the iNaturalist app to your phone prior to Saturday to be able to participate in the BioBlitz. Experience using this is helpful but not necessary. NOTE: you must register for this event https://www.tinsweb.org/upcoming-events/bioblitz-at-sagehen-creek-field-station-2r932-8dzyr. Email president@nvnps.org if you have questions.

Pollinator Garden Tour
The Biggest Little Pollinator Garden is located on the campus of University of Nevada, Reno near the Fleischmann Agriculture Building, will be part of a Pollinator Garden Tour during Pollinator Week 2024. The garden is collaborativelymaintained by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Nevada Native Plants Society, University Museumof Natural History, College of Science, Master Gardeners, and University Facilities. It is one of the oldest and most established pollinator gardens in our region. Master Gardeners who help maintain the gardens will be present to answer questions, as will an NNPS member.
Register for this free event to receive a map of there gardens on the tour. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reno-pollinator-garden-tour-tickets-893931903387

Dog Valley Field Trip
We will be meeting to carpool at Cabela’s in Verdi (8650 Boomtown, Garson Road, Verdi, NV 89439) at 7:30am and will leave at 7:45am sharp! We will meet at our first location, Dog Valley Road Summit 1 (~39°32'56.3"N 120°02'23.3"W) at approximately 8:10am.
It will likely be fairly warm (82/48) so bring plenty of water (2L+ recommended), proper clothing and footwear, bug spray, food, sunscreen and/or hat, and anything else you might need for a 2-3 hour hike and wander.
Dog Valley is a great area to experience our native Sierra Nevada wildflowers, we hope to see a variety plant genera including: Camassia, Sarcodes, Triteleia, Sidalcea, Delphinium, Penstemon, Calochortus, Trifolium, Erythranthe, Wyethia and the elusive Ivesia aperta var. canina.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/regions/intermountain/DogValley/index.shtml
Dog Valley Meadow photo by Janel Johnson.

No Name Trail Field Trip
We are cancelling this field trip due to the presence of sheep in the area. The sheep are introduced into the area for fine fuel control, sadly they have eaten most of the plants we were hoping to see and degraded the edges of the trail.

Fallon Sand Dune Field Trip
First meeting place. Meet at 7:15 at Salomon Ct. west of Vista Blvd., north of I-80 . This is the first stop light north of the freeway entrance, turn right on Salomon Ct. Anyone wishing to carpool can leave their cars here. We plan on leaving at 7:30.
Second meeting place. Meet at 8:45 at the Fallon Nugget parking lot on SW corner of Maine Street and Highway 50 (this is called Williams Ave. in Fallon) in downtown Fallon. We will leave here at 9:00. Destination is the sand dunes north on Fallon on highway 95. After the dunes we will proceed north and then west through the Hot Springs Mts. This part will be about 15 miles on dirt roads, some of which are two-track. A high clearance vehicle is necessary for this part but 4-wheel drive is not. Here we will see 4 Nevada endemics, Penstemon arenarius, Astragalus porrectus, A. lentiginosus var. kennedyi, and Eriogonum lemmonii. We will also look for the endemic Atriplex phyllostegia. Round trip through the Hot Springs Mts. totals about 160 miles from Reno. Bring lunch, hat, water, sun block, and bug spray. On 12 May the areas near Fallon were mosquito city.

Garden Tour
We have the opportunity to visit the dryland garden of John Weiser. The garden will be available for viewing from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The fence at the garden gate has a sign that reads 'High Desert Haven'. Plan on street parking only.
This garden was first started twenty four years ago and features many dry land plants from around the world. You will see Yucca, Cacti, and Agave forming the backbone of the planting, filled in with an assortment of native and exotic herbaceous perennials. Note worthy are the collections of Eriogonum and Penstemons both great Western North American genera.
Copy and paste this link for a preview of the garden. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/albums/72157608573082260/
If you wish to visit John’s garden email emhwynn@gmail.com for the address.

Red Hill Field Trip
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

Tom Cooke Trail Field Trip
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.

Celebrate Washoe Valley
We will be part of the event to educate, inform and engage the community about the beauty and preservation of the Washoe Valley held at Washoe Lake State Park. Stop by and chat with us about the native vegetation in the area.

Riparian Plants of the Truckee River.
Nevada Native Plant Society & Trash Panda Permaculture will be combining forces to learn about and steward some of the prominent riparian plants in our area. While we are unlikely to find anything truly uncommon, it will be a nice introduction to one of our most important habitats of our area.
In addition to our typical botany, we will also have a strong focus on the current and historical ethnobotanical uses of many of the plants we will find there. Due to the heavily impacted nature of the Truckee we will also be identifying (and removing!) a number of non-native/invasive plants including Whitetop / Lepidium spp.
One unique aspect of this particular field trip is that, about halfway through, we will be taking about 15 minutes to help clear out some of the Whitetop / Lepidium sp. that is currently invading portions of the trail and crowding out our natives. While it can easily be hand-pulled, bring gloves or tools if you would like. Bags will be provided. It will also be a led walk unlike the more "wandering" ones we sometimes host 😉 !
Some plant genera we may see include:
(Native) Maianthemum, Asclepias, Ribes, Rosa, Equisetum, Populus, Lemna, Apocynum, Salix, Sambucus, Artemisia, Berberis, Prunus, Urtica, and Achillea
(Non-Native) Elaeagnus, Solanum, Saponaria, Lathyrus, Vinca, Lepidium, Verbascum, Tragopogon, Cichorium, Dipsacus, Rumex, and Conium
We will meet at the Oxbow Parking lot at 4:55pm and will depart at 5:05 sharp! The field trip will officially end at 6:30pm but folks are more than welcome to stay afterward to hang out and talk plants.
Recommended items to bring are: water, proper clothing/footwear, sun hate and/or sunscreen, notebook/pen and gloves/tools (if needed).
Registration is appreciated and can be done here - https://forms.gle/m8f9RDvMpbRgTpZ49

May Arboretum Plant Sale
We will be at the Plant Sale on Saturday May 11th to share our love of native plants and try to answer all your questions!

Washoe State Tree Nursery Tour
Join Washoe State Tree Nursery Director Cory King for a tour of the facility. If you are interested in this, please reach out to RSVP. We are planning on meeting at the nursery at 9am. It should be a great time learning about how many of our natives are propagated and the general in's and out's of this wonderful resource. RSVP to emhwynn@gmail.com
Location: 885 Eastlake Blvd, New Washoe City, NV 89704
map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/E7huCAW5s5r1sBvL9