Past Field Trips

The Basin and Range National Monument is hosting a Bioblitz in June to gather data about the biodiversity of the monument. Created in 2015, the monument includes elements of both Great Basin and Mojave ecosystems and includes varied terrain of mountains, hills, and valleys. The area has not been extensively surveyed in the past so there are many discoveries waiting to be made.

There will be a group camping area (location TBD) and daily treks with biologists and botanists. The area has no services, the nearest gas, motel, and food is in Alamo to the south. It also has no water sources so be prepared for dry camping.

Join the project for updates (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/basin-and-range-national-monument-bioblitz-2021) or contact Alicia Styles (astyles@blm.gov) for more information.

February 24th, 9 am - Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Larry Lodwick will lead a field trip to the meadows and share his vast knowledge of the botany in this unique area of southern Nevada. Larry thinks it might still be early for many of the species of plants at Ash Meadows, but he expects to see the Ash Meadows and Preusii’s milkvetches (Astragalus phoenix and A. preussii) yellow pepperweed (Lepidium flavum), and Anderson’s Wolfberry (Lycium andersonii), and perhaps other early bloomers. Field trip participants will visit several interesting habitats within the refuge including sand dunes, springs and other habitats. Anyone interested can contact Larry directly for directions and meeting location. Should be a great early spring trip to the meadows! Hope you can make it! llodwick@lodwick.com, (805) 844-9499

May 6 – Field trip to Comstock Seed in Gardnerville. Comstock Seed is a wholesale supplier of native seed for restoration projects. comstockseed.com. We will tour the facility and nursery. Those carpooling from Reno should meet at the DoughBoys Donuts shop in the South Town Shopping Center at 57 Damonte Ranch Parkway at 9:00 am. We will meet members from Carson City at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets in Carson City at 9:30 am. We should arrive on site by 10:00-10:30 am.Directions are at this link: https://goo.gl/maps/vRxjH5mtTkQ2 Charlene Duncan will lead the trip. Contact her at cirsium.down@gmail.com or (775) 530-7458.

May 12 – Red Hill. This unique location on the north edge of Reno supports populations of seven Eriogonum species which we hope see in bloom. John Weiser will lead the trip and discuss the genus Eriogonum and its distribution across western North America. There is plenty of parking on site so we will not meet to carpool from Reno. If you are from the Carson area and wish to carpool, meet at the Save Mart on the corner of College and Carson Street in Carson City at 9:15 am. The destination is the west end of Dandini Road in Reno. Be on site by 10:00 am. https://goo.gl/maps/veoyMSzMWx22 Contact John Weiser at johnpweiser@yahoo.com or (775) 331- 4485.

May 20 – Wildflower hike at Galena Creek Recreation Area, 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Join Janel Johnson for a guided tour of Galena Creek’s native flowers. Meet at the Visitor Center located six miles up the Mt. Rose Highway from south Reno.

Saturday, June 16^th- Dog Valley, Sierra County, CA.  Dog Valley, a short drive from Verdi, NV, is an area rich in botanical diversity surrounded by Jeffery Pine forest.  Dog Creek, which flows through the valley, forms wet meadows along its course through the valley providing valuable habitat for wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Some of the plants growing in the area include: camas lily, shooting star, blue-eyed grass, white brodiacea, yampah, larkspur, groundsel and many more.  Of special interest is the rare Dog Valley ivesia (Ivesia aperta var. canina) and Webber's ivesia (Ivesia webberi), which grow in the drier upper reaches of the valley.

We will meet in northwest Reno in the Safeway shopping center at 5148 Mae Anne Avenue near the McDonald’s by 9:00 a.m.  We will carpool and leave the McDonald’s for Dog Valley at 9:00 a.m. Directions to the McDonald’s are as follows: Driving west on I-80, take a right at the North McCarran exit and proceed north a short distance to the Safeway shopping center on your left.  We will park in the spaces near the entrance to the McDonald’s. 

Remember to bring a lunch, hat and sunblock. It’s also a good idea to bring mosquito repellent and the meadow can be soggy so be prepared to get your feet wet.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ray Fletcher at plant_man@sbcglobal.net or on his cell phone at 775-771-4226.

Saturday, June 16^th- Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, southern Nevada. You saw Ash Meadows in the early spring with Larry Lodwick during his February field trip. Now you have the opportunity to see the summer rare native plants. Larry expects we will see a wide variety of plants including the Ash Meadows Ladies’ Tresses Orchid (in flower), the Spring-loving Centaury (in flower), the Ash Meadows Milkvetch (post flowering), the Ash Meadows Ivesia (possibly flowering), possibly the Tecopa Bird’s Beak (possibly flowering), as well as a host of other plant species in flower.  The refuge also has beautiful springs and a variety of habitats. Bring field shoes (may get muddy or wet), insect repellent (two species of annoying flies) and lunch.

Field trippers will meet at 9:00 am at the Horizon Market on Bell Vista Road. The Horizon Market is on the northwest corner of Bell Vista Road and North Leslie Street, on the north side of Pahrump.  Take highway 160 through Pahrump to Bell Vista Road.  There are highway signs that point to Death Valley and to Ash Meadows Wildlife Area from both the north and the south. Take Bell Vista Road west, two stop signs, and the Horizon Market is at the second stop sign, across from the Family Dollar Store – Not the Dollar Store at the corner of Highway 160 and Bell Vista Road.  Larry drives a small silver Madza so you can find him in the parking lot. Note:  The road into the refuge is gravel, dusty, and rough, so we may want to carpool from the meeting location. If you are interested in going, please email or text Larry (or call if you like) so he knows who to meet at the market.  llodwick@lodwick.com, (805)844-9499. If anyone wants to carpool from Henderson or south Las Vegas, let Larry know.  He has room for two people.

April 8 – Caughlin Ranch area west side of Reno. We should have the opportunity to see Beckwith violets, and Ranunculus glaberrimus var. glaberrimus. Also found on this alluvial fan are Astragalus purshii var. tinctus, Lewisia rediviva var. minor, Erigeron bloomeri var. bloomer, Eriogonum douglasii var. meridionale, Allium parvum, Toxicoscordion venenosum, Lithophragma glabrum, Trifolium macrocephalum, and several Lomatiums. Add Delphinium andersonii and Fritillaria atropurpurea to the list if we climb to base of the hills that skirt the fan.

        We will not car pool for this trip since it is on the outskirts of Reno. We will start at 10:00 am and meet at the intersection of Sierra Pine Drive and Pinehaven Road in Reno. Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/Gj8NSAyc45k Contact John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

April 23 – Hot Spring Mountain. The Carson Valley monkeyflower is blooming again! Join us for the second annual great monkeyflower hunt. This year we will be surveying the area on the east side of Hot Spring Mountain in northern Carson Valley.

      Meet at in the northeast corner of the Target parking lot (910 Jacks Valley Road) at 10:00 am. Contact Janel Johnson: jdjohnson@heritage.nv.gov, 775-684-2911.

May 6 – Deadman’s Creek Trail. The 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 riparian and steppe vegetative communities. Plants of interest include Phlox diffusa, Ranunculus andersonii, Erigeron glacialis, Phacelia curvipes, Prunus andersonii, and Lupinus arbustus to name a few.

      There is a pull-off that can handle four or five vehicles at the trail head. Those who wish to carpool from Carson should meet at meet at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets in Carson City at 9:45 am. 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 9:45 am. We should be on site by 10:00 am. Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/HE6kq7jUdvA2. Contact John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

May 7 - Pine Nut Foothills and Mountains. Join us for an opportunity to visit a private residence on 5 acres in the foothills and follow Pine Nut Creek towards towards Sugar Loaf mountain. This region includes several soil and habitat types, so we are hoping to see a plethora of spring bloomers! To those who wish to carpool from Reno, meet at the Doughboy's Donuts shop located in the South Town shopping center at 57 Damonte Ranch Parkway by 8:30 am to meet at the residence at 9:30 am. Those interested in carpooling from Carson should meet at the Save Mart on the corner of College and Carson Street at 9:00 am to join us at 9:30 am on site. There will be parking at the residence (1266 Jo Lane, Gardnerville 89410) and for those who wish to travel further upwards can group in the high clearance vehicles. Contact John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485 orAlison Agneray: aagneray@gmail.com, 775-501-4159

May 11 – Annual Garden Party. Join John Weiser at his dry land rock garden in Sparks, Nevada. The garden features many native species of desert, mountain, and steppe plants from across the west with extensive collections of Eriogonum, Penstemon, and cactus species. The party begins at 5:00 pm and goes until dark (in other words, until you can't see your hand in front of your face). Bring light snacks to share (utensils and beverages will be provided). Photos of the garden can be found here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskUYdCwW. John's address is 485 O'Brien Way Sparks, NV https://goo.gl/maps/r2sD8uUE7Rm. Contact John Weiser - johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485 - for any questions. 

May 13 – Red Hill. This unique location on the north edge of Reno supports populations of seven species of eriogonum along with Lewisia rediviva var. minor, Prunus andersonii, Minuartia nuttallii var. fragilis, and Allium parvum. We hope to see early spring flowers on the slopes of altered andesite. There is plenty of parking on site.

      Those who wish to carpool from Carson should meet at the Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets in Carson City at 9:30 am. The destination is on the west end of Dandini Road in north Reno. Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/veoyMSzMWx22. Contact John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

May 20 – East Walker River. Tour the East Walker River from Rosachi Ranch to the future Walker River State Recreation Area. We will stop to see rare plants, upland areas, and the riparian corridor. This will be a long day with a lot of driving on dirt roads and vehicles must be able to cross a creek about 8 inches deep at Nine Mile Ranch.

     Meet at the Carson City Save Mart at the corner of College and Carson Streets at 9:00 am. Bring food and water for a full day, we should be back to Carson City by 5pm. Contact Janel Johnson: jdjohnson@heritage.nv.gov, 775-684-2911.

May 29 – Annual Memorial Day Foray with Bill and Nancy Harnach along the Feather River in Plumas County, CA . Bill and Nancy conduct this event for the local public so this will not be a typical NNPS field trip. The plan is to explore the newly designated Sierra Valley Preserve. The preserve’s 2,500 acres includes channels of the Feather River’s middle fork and offer a rich variety of habitats with wetland marshes, montane meadows, dune habitat, and upland areas with sagebrush and bitterbrush scrub. Spring wild flowers and native bunchgrasses abound.

      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. Drive to the McDonalds Restaurant located at 120 Lemon Drive in north Reno. 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). We will then proceed west toward Beckwourth. Turn left on Co. Rd. A-23 (Calpine turnoff) and go 2.6 miles south to the gate on the left hand side of the road https://goo.gl/maps/SuEpvP7Cfqt. Contact Bill Harnach: billh@digitalpath.net, 530-944-3464 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

June 2 to June 5 – Penstemon Annual Meeting in Vernal, UT.

June 3 – May Arboretum Society annual plant sale. Join the Nevada Native Plant Society at the May Arboretum from 8:00 am to noon. The arboretum is located in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park at 1595 North Sierra Street in Reno. The sale benefits the May Arboretum.

June 10 – Churchill Narrows. Join us to see Eriogonum diatomaceum, a rare endemic restricted to the diatomaceous deposits of the Churchill Narrows area in Lyon County. There are many other interesting plants to see growing on these unique soils including Eriogonum lemmonii, Nama aretioides, Phacelia fremontii, Abronia turbinate, Eschscholzia minutiflora, Psorothamnus polydenius, Glyptopleura marginata, and Eriogonum heermannii var. humilius. Species List: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_EVm95nC4SoUHZPX19OYUVjMk0/view?usp=sharing

      Those leaving from Reno should meet at the Doughboy’s Donuts shop located in the South Town Shopping Center at 57 Damonte Ranch Parkway by 9:00 am. We will meet Carson City area members at the Save Mart at 3620 N. Carson St. located at the intersection of West College Parkway and North Carson Street and depart for Churchill Narrows at 9:30 am. Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/m3ZWiRTpzAJ2. Contact Gary Monroe: g.monroe@att.net, 775-359-4863 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

June 11 – Anderson Ranch Preserve. Our leader for this trip will be Marco Sandi. At an elevation of 4800 ft, wedged between the Sierra Nevada, Diamond Mountains, and Cascades, the preserve features bountiful meadows. These meadows are surrounded by sagebrush steepe, and a forest of Black Oak, Jeffrey Pine, and Incense Cedar. Come celebrate our recent conservation agreement on this extremely wet year and compare to past NNPS visits to this private property. Many Astragalus including pulsiferae var. pulsiferae, Caulanthus major var. nevadensis, a number of Eriogonums, Phacelia’s, etc. The edible and medicinal plants should be super-abundant such as Cammasia quamash, and peonia brownii.

       Those traveling from Carson City should meet at the Save Mart Shopping Center at 3620 North Carson Street at 8:30 am. Those traveling from Reno should meet at the McDonalds at US 395 and Lemmon Drive at 9:00 am. After we carpool in Reno we will meet our leader at the Hallelujah Junction Chevron station by 9:45 am. It is a 6 mile drive to ranch headquarters. Bring lunch and water bottle. Bathrooms and spring water available. Contact Marco Sandi: mvsandi@gmail.com, 530-827-3328 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485. 

June 17 – Sand Mountain. This “singing” sand dune 20 miles (32 km) east of Fallon along U.S. Route 50 is the only home of the critically imperiled Sand Mountain blue butterfly. The ruins of the Pony Express, Sand Springs Station also located within the protected area. We will look for Penstemon acuminatus var. latebracteatus, Astragalus lentiginosus var. kennedyi, Castilleja angustifolia var. flavescens, Cymopterus corrugatus, Chylismia claviformis ssp. integrior, Oenothera deltoides ssp. piperi, and a pink flowered form of Castilleja chromosa.

      For this trip we will leave Carson and Reno as separate groups and meet in Fallon. Those traveling from Reno may meet at the parking lot on the north side of the Sparks Marina at located at 300 Howard Drive east side of the Sparks Marina near Lowes (off Sparks Blvd.) by 8:00 am. Those traveling from Carson meet at the Save Mart at 3620 N. Carson St. located at the intersection of West College Parkway and north Carson Street by 8:00 am. We will meet in Fallon at the Fox Peak Station on the east side of the city by 9:30 am. Map to the location: https://goo.gl/maps/2axqxrK86Un. Contact Gary Monroe: g.monroe@att.net, 775-359-4863 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

June 17 – Pollinator Day at University of Nevada, Reno.  Come celebrate pollinators and native plants at the UNR Biggest Little Pollinator Garden on June 17, 2017 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Located in the courtyard of the Fleischmann Agriculture building at the south end of the UNR campus. There will be garden tours, pollinator and native plants presentations from local experts, native bee and butterfly specimens, a bug petting zoo, kids crafts, and much more! 

June 24 and June 25 –  This trip has been postponed, new date TBD, check here for updates. Treasure Hill/Hamilton. Treasure Hill is a spur of the White Pine Range in White Pine County; the ghost town of Hamilton is located nearby. This area has terrain composed of limestone, so we should see a different group of plants than we normally see in western Nevada.

      This will be an overnight trip, the drive from Reno/Carson will take 4½ to 5 hours on Highway 50. Camping is available at the BLM’s Illipah Reservoir Campground, with 17 camp sites at an elevation of 6,840 feet. Reservations not required. The nearest cities are Eureka, 43 miles to the west, and Ely, 39 miles to the east. Both cities have hotels and motels. Contact Charlene Duncan: cirsium.down@gmail.com, 775-530-7458.

July 2 – Summit of Peavine Mountain. The last time we had substantial snow on Peavine, the summit was a virtual rock garden on July 4th. The wind blown scree at the peak had Phlox condensata, Boechera puberula, Lewisia rediviva var. minor, Phacelia linearis, Castilleja chromosa, Phacelia linearis, Erigeron aphanactis, and Astragalus purshii var. tinctus simultaneously in full bloom. Hopefully this year will be similar.

      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 am 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 am. 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. Contact John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

July 15 – Pinenut Mountains. Details TBA.

July 21 to July 24 – Eriogonum Society meeting in the Siskiyou Mountains.

July 29 – Paige Meadows.  Trip cancelled, looking for a new trip leader. Contact John Weiser if you would like to volunteer  This interconnected series of five meadows ranging in elevation of 6,500 to 6,800 feet is above Tahoe City near the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Fields of camas lilies, buttercups, and bistort form massive carpets over most of the meadows.

      Drive south on Highway 89 and turn right on Pine Avenue (approx. two miles south of Tahoe City). Go to Tahoe Park Heights Drive, turn right and continue all the way to the top to Big Pine Drive (the middle of three roads at the top). Continue on Big Pine Drive, turning left onto Silvertip Drive and proceeding to the end of the road and park. The trail is half a mile straight ahead. The trail to the first meadow goes off to the right. Map to location: https://goo.gl/maps/8H4o17Yp6dP2. Contact Gary Monroe: g.monroe@att.net, 775-359-4863 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

August 6 – Buckaroo Chocolates and Ice Cream Parlor in Graeagle. As summer’s heat bears down upon us, our priorities shift and we visit this excellent ice cream shop. We’ll also take a side trip to Madora Lake in Plumas County, CA to see Chimaphila umbellata, Lilium washingtonianum, Pterospora andromedea, Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys, Lilium pardalinum, and other forest gems.

      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 am. 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 am. This will be an easy 1.9 mile walk on nearly level ground. After the hike, join us for ice cream. Contact Gary Monroe: g.monroe@att.net, 775-359-4863 or John Weiser: johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485.

April 15^th 5:30 pm - Red Hill, Reno.  A short mid- week trip to Red Hills to see early spring flowers on the slopes of altered andesite. Our Leaders for this trip will be Rose Strickland and Dennis Ghiglieri. The destination is on the west end of Dandini Road in north Reno directions are in the following link https://goo.gl/maps/veoyMSzMWx22 We will meet in the gravel parking lot just northeast of the roundabout. Contact rosenreno@sbcglobal.net  (775) 329-6118 dnnevada@sbcglobal.net. Delayed due to muddy conditions.

 April 16^th 10:00 am  Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area, Carson City. Celebrate national Citizen Science day with the second annual Great Monkey Flower Hunt. It’s been a good year for monkey-flowers and they are already starting to bloom in late March. This year’s monkey-flower search will be at Jack’s Valley at 10 am in the area south of the elementary school. Park in the dirt lot on the west side of the Jack’s Valley Elementary School on Jack’s Valley Road (south end of Carson City). We will walk east and south from the parking area toward the city wells (large concrete boxes.)

April 23^rd - Peavine Mountain, Reno. Trip to summit of Peavine Mountain to see Claytonia umbellatum. This tiny succulent grows in the sharp broken basalt scree veins near the summit blooming just as the snow leaves. Our leader for this trip will be John Weiser.

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.  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. Contact johnpweiser@yahoo.com  (775) 331-4485

April 24th^th 10:00am – 6:00pm Idlewild Park, Reno.  Earth Day If you would like to help out, please email Sarah Kulpa at vicepresident@nvnps.org.

April 30^th-May 1^st open

May 5^th 5:30 pm - UNR, Reno.  Pot Luck Picnic at Pollinator Garden, located north of the Max Fleischmann Agricultural Building on the UNR campus. Due to the forecast for bad weather and construction in the garden, we will be meeting in the usual classroom upstairs. Contact John Weiser johnpweiser@yahoo.com  775-331-4485 or Sarah Kulpa vicepresident@nvnps.org 775-861-6340.

 May 5^th - 7:00 pm - Moana Nursery, Reno. We have been invited to attend a presentation sponsored by the Orchid Society of Northern Nevada at Moana Nursery Landscape and Design Center located at 1100 W Moana Ln, Reno, NV (NW corner of parking lot). The talk will be an overview of orchid species native to the Sierra Nevada Range.

May 7^th open

May 8^th Mother’s Day

May 12th - 6:30 pm Wilbur D. May Museum, Reno, NV.  Nevada Bugs and Butterflies and the UNR Museum of Natural History are sponsoring a talk entitled "Getting to Know the Bees in your Backyard" by Dr. Joseph Wilson.  Dr. Wilson is an assistant professor of biology at Utah State University and author of the newly published (and beautiful) book The bees in your backyard: A guide to North America's bees. Copies of the book will be for sale and Dr. Wilson will be signing books following the talk.  Located at the Wilbur D. May Museum which is inside Rancho San Rafael Park at 1596 North Sierra St., Reno.  Please visit http://nevadabugs.org/ for more informaton.  

May 22^nd 10 am-3:00 pm - Sparks. Open house at the John Weiser’s dry land native garden. Located at 485 O’Brien Way, Sparks NV. Contact johnpweiser@yahoo.com (775) 331-4485

May 26^th  5:30pm - Red Hill, Reno. A short mid- week trip to Red Hills to see six species of Eriogonum in bloom on the slopes of altered andesite. Our Leaders for this trip will be Rose Strickland and Dennis Ghiglieri. The destination is on the west end of Dandini Road in north Reno directions are in the following link https://goo.gl/maps/veoyMSzMWx22 We will meet in the gravel parking lot just northeast of the roundabout. Steep rocky slopes and narrow trails.  Please wear sturdy shoes.  Contact rosenreno@sbcglobal.net  (775) 329-6118 dnnevada@sbcglobal.net.

May 28^th open

May 30^th - Beckwourth, CA. Annual Memorial Day Foray with Bill and Nancy Harnach along the Feather River in Plumas County, CA .  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 downhill into the parking lot. Contact billh@digitalpath.net (530) 944 3464 or John Weiser at johnpweiser@yahoo.com 775-331-4485

June 4^th 8am to noon - Reno. May Arboretum Society annual plant sale.

June 5^th - Plumas County, CA.  Trip to see the vernal pool areas of Sierra Valley. This will be a joint field trip in conjunction with the CNPS Council meeting. The Leader for this trip will be Bill Harnach.  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 to Reno, meeting Reno members at the McDonalds Restaurant located at 120 Lemon Drive in north Reno by 9:00 am. We will leave 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, heading south 9.8 miles to Calpine Rd., turn right  travel 1.3 miles to Calpine--turn right onto Hwy 89--left onto Main Street--right on to County Road the Post Office Park will be .2 miles ahead on the left.

June 10^th-12^th Sunflower Flat, Wild Horse, NV.  Canceled due to injury. Contact Janel for more info.

Sunflower Flat is located in Elko County on the Mountain City Ranger District north of Wild Horse Reservoir. There are several rare plants species found in this area including meadow pussytoes, Owyhee sagebrush, least Phacelia, and Sunflower Flat buckwheat.

There are three camping options and one lodging option.

-Dispersed camping is allowed up to 16 days per site on Forest Service land.  No amenities, no fees, please use pre-existing campsites within 100 feet of a road and more than 100 feet from water.

-The nearest campground is at Big Bend campground, which can accommodate tents and small trailers/campers.  There are pit toilets and picnic tables, no water available, $8 per night. This campground will be our meeting spot and we will leave announcements about our planned activities here.

-Wild Horse State Park is about 35 minutes south at Wild Horse Reservoir. It can accommodate large RVs, offers toilets and showers, and is $14 per night.

-Dunn’s Wild Horse Ranch and Resort is about 45 minutes south and offers rooms, an RV park, restaurant, convenience store, and gas.  Call 775-758-6472 for reservations. More lodging and dining options are available in Mountain City, about an hour west of Big Bend.

The main roads in the area of Sunflower Flat are dirt and gravel, easily navigated by Subarus and mid-clearance vehicles. Some of the side trips may require higher clearance vehicles. A Forest Service District map is highly recommended to reference road numbers for navigation.

Janel will be working in the area from the afternoon of June 9th until the morning of June 12th, check at Big Bend campground for daily activities. Meet at Big Bend Campground at 8 am each morning to discuss sites to visit during the day.

Map Link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-f34WXvgPG2Oehnz7o9B4WC14Wg&usp=sharing

Contact Janel Johnson if you have questions: jdjohnson@heritage.nv.gov, 775-684-2911.

June 18^th open

June 19^th - Peavine Mountain, Reno. Base of Peavine Mountain to see the only known population of Lilium kelleyanumin in NV. Meet at the McDonalds on Lemmon Valley Drive at 10:00. Bring water and lunch. The road is too rough for sedans. Need something with a high clearance. No sedans. Our leader will be Gary Monroe. Contact g.monroe@att.net (775) 359-4863

June 25^th open

June 26^th open

June 23^rd-27^th Penstemon Society meeting in Fairmont, MT

July 2^nd - Peavine Mountain, Reno.  Trip to summit of Peavine Mountain to see Phlox condensata and numerous other flowers in bloom. With the extra moisture we had this winter we should have a great show on Peavine this season Our leader will be John Weiser. 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.  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. Contact johnpweiser@yahoo.com  (775) 331 4485

July 3^rd-4^th Independence Day weekend

July 9^th-10^th open

July 16^th-17^th open

July 23^rd open

July 24^th - Reno. Bioblitz Idelwild Park,  organized by the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation.

July 30^th - Squaw Valley, California 10:40am-2pm/6pm. WILDFLOWER HIKE AT SQUAW VALLEY HIGH CAMP AND OPTIONAL SHIRLEY CANYON TRAIL Joint venture of Tahoe Institute of Natural Science and Nevada Native Plant Society – Public attendance welcome

Trip leader: Tom Schuster (Dipl.-Ing.)

This trip will focus primarily on wildflowers but may also include some observations of birds, insects and mammals. Hopefully we will encounter the following in bloom: Buckwheats, Beardtongues, Jewelflowers, Monkeyflowers, Columbines, Orchids, Monkshoods, Lilies, Lupines, Paintbrushes, Larkspurs, Ferns and many more. This shall be a magnificent day!

Meet at the tram lobby at 10.15am to catch the first tram at 10:40am (Park at the main parking lot of the Village at Squaw Valley). Tram cost: $44; $10 discount for anyone purchasing their ticket at a minimum of 24 hours in advance online directly through the following Squaw’s website:

https://store.squawalpine.com/eStore/Content/Commerce/Products/DisplayProducts.aspx?ProductGroupCode=8&ProductCategoryCode=579

(Please make sure to obtain tickets in time to not jeopardize your ride of the first tram.)

Those traveling from the Reno/Carson area should meet in North West Reno at
the IHOP parking lot at the corner of I-80 and West McCarran at 9:15 a.m. sharp to
carpool – carpool with people with the same interest in trip choice!

Hike details:

First part: Our starting point will be High Camp (Elev.: 8,200’) from where we will hike and explore the gentle trail of the High Camp Loop. Approximately 1.3miles round trip. This part of the hike will be easy to moderate and probably will last 2 hours. This should be lots of fun seeing many flowers without a great effort to get to a high elevation and great views.

Subsequent lunch around High Camp (starting point). Attendees who do not want to / cannot hike down the Shirley Canyon Trail can opt to end their trip at this time, sign out and descend via tram.

Second part: From High Camp we will descend (via a short section of Solitude Trail) the Shirley Canyon Trail. Elev. loss 2,100‘; length 3.6miles. This part of the trip is very well-known for its abundance and diversity of habitats and wildflowers, spectacular granite boulders and waterfalls. However, we will traverse some technical steep granite boulder and rock areas (see below hiking equipment). Assumed duration for this part approximately 4 hours. Since descending is faster/easier than ascending I believe we have more time to focus on wildflowers than breathing. J

Bring sufficient water and food (depending on your choice of parts of trip), sunscreen, good hiking boots (and maybe walking sticks) and your favorite wildflower guide, hand lenses, binoculars and dress appropriately for alpine hiking in general.

I would be thrilled to have you join me on this trip.

Further general information: http://squawalpine.com/

Check our websites before trip date in case of cancellations due to inclement mountain weather!

Trip leader: Tom Schuster (Dipl.-Ing), tom-mail@sbcglobal.net / (775) 247-9312.
Additional contacts: John Weiser, johnpweiser@yahoo.com, (775)-331-4485 and T. Will Richardson, Ph.D., will@tinsweb.org, (530)-587-6895.

Aug 6^th-7^th open

Aug 13^th-14^th or Aug 20^th -21^st - Truckee, CA. Trip to Castle Peak to find Lewisia longipetala. Canceled. If you would like to volunteer to lead this trip in Gary's place, please contact John Weiser, johnpweiser@yahoo.com, (775) 331 4485.

Aug 27^th - Tahoe City, CA. Barker Pass southwest of Tahoe City. We hope to see Primula suffrutescens, Epilobium canum ssp. Latifolium and Gentiana calycosa.  We will have great vistas of the Desolation  Wilderness to the west and Lake Tahoe to the east. This is a moderate hike on established trails and ridge tops.

Sep. 3^rd - 4^th open

Sep.9^th - 10^th open

Sep 17^th -18^th open

Sep 15^th-19^th Eriogonum Society Annual Meeting in Baker, CA