2015 Field Trips

This is a tentative listing of scheduled field trips for the 2015 season. It will be updated as field trip details are finalized or new trips added.

It is suggested that you check this page before the dates of scheduled field trips to see if changes and updates have been posted. We have several dates open if a member wishes to schedule additional field trips feel free to contact John Weiser at to=johnpweiser@yahoo.com" target="_blank">johnpweiser@yahoo.com or 775-331-4485.  

Bring plenty of water, lunch, hiking gear, appropriate clothing, wide brimmed hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. Don’t forget your cameras.

 April 18^th - Eagle Canyon  Our leaders for this trip will be Gary Monroe and Ray Fletcher We will be exploring sagebrush steppe habitat along Eagle Canyon Road, located to the north west of Spanish Springs. We should see various wildflowers typical of the sagebrush steppe habitat. Calochortus bruneaunis, Balsamorhiza hookeri, various  Lomatiums and spring annuals.  We are especially hoping to see Ivesia webberi (a rare endemic).   

  We will meet at the parking lot of the Albertsons store located at 9750 Pyramid Way at 10:00 a.m. For those traveling up from Carson, meet at the U.S. Forest Service Offices located at 1536 South Carson Street, Carson City by 9:00am. Head north to Reno, take exit 70A from US-395 on to N McCarran Blvd. Travel east to NV-445 N/Pyramid Way and hang a left turn at the intersection, proceeding north to the rendezvous site. 

Ray Fletcher at plant_man@sbcglobal.net or 775-852-4296 – Gary Monroe at g.monroe@att.net or 775-359-4863

 April 24^th- 26^th – Summit Lake   The Summit Lake Paiute Tribe has asked for our assistance in conducting a sensitive plant survey on seven acres of BLM land just to the south of the reservation, on the lowers entrance to Tollhouse Canyon. We will if surveying the future site of a gravel pit, to be used when Humboldt County and the Tribe reroute a section of Soldier Meadows Rode in order to bypass a degraded section of the existing roadway.

  The Summit Lake Reservation is one of the most remote, pristine areas of Nevada and a hotspot for biodiversity in Nevada. It supports one of only two naturally breeding populations of Lahontan cutthroat trout and prime Greater Sage-grouse habitat.  The Reservation is located about 140 miles north of Fernley on the northwest arm of the Black Rock Desert, a 4.5 hour drive. The Main road from the south into the Summit Lake Reservation is Soldier Meadows Road which passes through Gerlach on its way north.

  This trip will involve a two night stay. We will be staying overnight on the Summit Lake Reservation in a primitive bunk house.  Volunteers will need to bring a sleeping bag, sleeping pad and sheet. The bunk house is heated, and has a place to store food and cook on a small propane stove, plus a microwave. There is no running water however we will have access to additional tribal facilities for water, bathroom etc.  Bring your own food and water for a two day stay. Transportation provided by the Summit Lake Tribe, may also be possible but not confirmed at this time it all depends upon available vehicles and number of participants.

  We will be provided with a list and photos of the sensitive plants we are looking for ahead of the trip.

I will need to provide Emily Gibson the Natural Resources Environmental Specialist in charge of the survey with a list of volunteers so she is can to be sure there is room for everyone. Be sure and contact me by Monday the 20th so I can confirm the number of participants.

  This will be a great chance to build organizational relationships while doing conservation work and best of all,  we will be viewing habitats that few people are invited to visit. Emily will also attempt to take us on a short tour of the reservation Sunday.

  For further information on the Summit Lake Reservation follow this link http://www.summitlaketribe.org/About_Us.html  Contact John Weiser at johnpweiser@yahoo.com

 April 26^th - Earth Day – NNPS will have a booth at the Reno Earth Day celebration at Idlewild Park.  If you would like to help out, please email Sarah Kulpa at vicepresident@nvnps.org.

 May 2^th - open at this time

 May 9^th - Peavine Mountain, Our leader for this trip will be Ray Fletcher. We will travel from the base of the east side of Peavine Mountain to the summit. We will pay special attention to species and habitat variation as we travel uphill toward the summit.  Peavine is a special place where Great Basin plant species mingle with those of the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada.  Even after four years of drought, we are sure to find species and habitat of interest and should not be disappointed.

Those traveling from the Carson area should meet at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets, in Carson City at 9:00 a.m. to carpool.  Our final meeting place will be at the McDonalds Restaurant parking lot located at 120 Lemmon Drive in North Reno at 10:00 a.m.  Take exit 74 from HWY 395 to Lemmon Drive and take a right into the first shopping center and park in front of the McDonalds.  After meeting up, we will carpool to Peavine.  The road to the summit is generally a good one and four-wheel drive vehicles should not be required. However, there are a few rocks, pot holes and ruts to negotiate en route to the summit.

Contact John Weiser at 775-331-4485  johnpweiser@yahoo.com or Ray Fletcher at 775-852-4296  plant_man@sbcglobal.net , before the trip, if you have any questions.  The day of the trip, I can be reached by cell phone at 775-230-2750.  Hope to see you there!

 May 16^{th -} open at this time

 May23^rd - open at this time

 Memorial Day May 25th - Feather River Sierra County - Our Leaders will be Bill and Nancy Harnach we are invited to join in their Annual Memorial Day Plant Foray. They conduct this event for the local public so this will not be a typical NNPS field trip. The plan is to explore the edges of the Feather River as it passes through Sierra Valley. We will meet the group under the bridge at the intersection of Hwy 70 and Co. Rd. A23; our goal is to be on site by 10:00 am.Those traveling from the Carson area should meet at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets, in Carson City at 7:50 am to carpool. Plan on heading to the McDonalds Restaurant located at 120 Lemon Drive in north Reno by 8:00 am. Those traveling from Reno will meet at the Lemon Drive McDonalds at 9:00 am to await the arrival of the southern contingent. We will leave the second meeting point at 9:15 am traveling north on Hwy 395 to Hwy  70 (Quincy turnoff). Just past the town of Beckwourth is the Calpine turnoff (Co. Rd. A23). Turn left, cross over the Bridge and promptly turn left at the end of the bridge, traveling down hill into the parking lot

For further information contact Bill Harnach at 530-944-3464 or John Weiser at johnpweiser@yahoo.com 775-331-4485 

 June 6^th - Slaughter House Canyon Trail to Prey Meadows - Our leaders will be Charlene Duncan and Gary Monroe.  We will be hiking through a classic Sierra meadow off the east shore of Lake Tahoe.  We will look for Penstemon sp. (beardtongue), Diplacus sp. (formerly Mimulus; monkeyflower), Ceanothus sp. (California lilac or soap bush), and Sidalcea oregana (Oregon checkermallow).  There may still be Sarcodes sanguinea (snow plant) in bloom.  Hiking will be easy and suitable for all age and experience levels. 

We will arrive at Prey Meadows by 10:30 am.  Parking is limited at the trail head, so carpooling is recommended. Those traveling from Reno should meet at the Southwest Pavilion Shopping Center near the pink Scolari's located at 8165 South Virginia Street at 8:45 am. Those traveling from Carson City can meet at the U.S. Forest Service Office on south Carson Street at 9:30 am.  From there, we will drive up Hwy 50 towards Lake Tahoe.  At the intersection with Hwy 28, we will turn right and proceed north about 2.25 miles to an access gate for Skunk Harbor/Prey Meadows.  Make sure to bring lunch, water, and insect repellent.  

For further information contact Charlene Duncan at 775-530-7458 (cell), cirsium.down@gmail.com or Gary Monroe at 775-359-4863 (home), g.monroe@att.net

June 13^th - Lemmon Canyon Ranch, Sierra Valley. Our leaders for this trip will be Nancy and Bill Harnach.  The property is a botanically historic spot. We will be meeting the Harnach's at the intersection of Hwy 49 and Lemon Canyon Road on the east edge of Sierraville (Sierra Hot Springs turnoff)Those traveling from the Carson area should meet at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets, in Carson City at 7:50 am to carpool. Plan on heading to the McDonalds Restaurant located at 120 Lemon Drive in north Reno by 8:00 am. Those traveling from Reno will meet at the Lemon Drive McDonalds at 9:00 am to await the arrival of the southern contingent. We will leave the second meeting point at 9:10 traveling north on Hwy 395 to Hwy 70 (Quincy turnoff). Turn right on to Hwy 49  and drive south 23 miles toward Sierraville. 

For further information contact Bill Harnach at 530-944-3464 or John Weiser at johnpweiser@yahoo.com 775-331-4485 

 June 21^st - Madora Lake – Madora Lake, Plumas Co., CA. Those travelling from Carson City should meet at the Save Mart Shopping Center at 3620 North Carson Street at 8:00 am. Those travelling from Reno should meet at the McDonalds at US 395 and Lemmon Drive at 8:45. The third meeting place is in the parking lot on the north side of the Junction of CA 70 and CA 89 just north of Graeagle at 10:00. This will be an easy 1.9 mile walk on nearly level ground. Bring water, lunch and insect repellent. The roads are suitable for standard sedans. After the hike, join us for ice cream in Graeagle at Buckaroo Chocolates.

Leader: Gary Monroe Call (775) 359-4863 (home),  (775) 276-3441 (cell) or email g.monroe@att.net

  (For information about the convention mentioned above go to www.eriogonum.org  or see July 24th - 27th.

 July 4^th – No trip this weekend

 July 10^th - July13^th - Penstemon Society Annual Meeting in Chico CA. (We can still schedule a trip for those who are not involved with this organization.)

 July 18^th - open at this time

 July 24^th - July27^{th  -} Eriogonum Society Annual Meeting co hosted by the Nevada Native Plant Society. This will be a series of field trips and social activities conducted in the Reno area in conjunction with the Eriogonum Society.  The event is open to Eriogonum Society and Nevada Native Plant Society members only. This is a unique opportunity to meet plant enthusiasts from around the country and learn about the many Eriogonum species inhabiting the region.

Visit the following link to learn more about the agenda, fieldtrips and registration. http://www.eriogonum.org/ and click on the Annual Meeting tab. You can register as an active member of the Nevada Native Plant Society.

We highly encourage you to consider attending; it will be educational as well as fun. (You will see many familiar faces involved in the planning and execution of this function. We currently have about thirteen members of NNPS who also belong to the Eriogonum Society)

 August 8^th - open at this time

 August 15^th - open at this time

 August 22^nd - open at this time

 August 29^th - open at this time