VOLUME 41 NUMBERS 4-5
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021
CO-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Snowdy Dodson
Greetings. Hope you are well and ready to volunteer for
our CNPS Chapter Fall Plant Sale. This year the plant
sale will be handled differently in that all orders will be
done online and prepaid.
Our pickup date is Sat. Oct. 16, 2021.
The plants will be delivered on Oct. 14, and we will need
help organizing the individual orders on Oct. 15. Our
CNPS members, the general public, and customers of the
water district are invited to purchase plants via our online
inventory.
The sale will be at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water
District HQ, 4232 Las Virgenes Rd., Calabasas (this is on
Malibu Canyon Rd. just off the 101).
We especially need your assistance on Oct. 15 with
organizing the plants into the individual plants for pickup.
This should be an all-hands event so we can get the task
done in the morning before it gets hot. We'll do some
stooping and lifting of gallon pots, so you need to be in
good physical condition and be able to work outside in the
sun. We need help on Oct. 14 with inventorying the plants
coming off the trucks; and on Oct. 16 we need several
people throughout the day to help load the plants into the
vehicles of our buyers. The pick-ups are timed so
everyone does not show up at once. We will comply with
all LA County covid masking and distancing requirements.
The sale will be handled in the back parking lot of the
venue. We will have drinking water available and restrooms
and some easy ups for shade. The venue also has a lovely
mostly native demonstration garden. Please let me know if
you are available for any or all of the above dates. Thanks
for all your past support.
Contact me via snowdy.dodson@csun.edu
or 818-782-9346. The sale depends on your volunteer help
to be successful; this is a new way of doing business for us
with no crystal ball telling us how many orders to expect.
continued on page 4
Chapter Elections
Our Chapter will be holding elections for our Board
positions in Dec. 2021. If you are a CNPS Chapter
member and are interested in getting involved, please
contact us via lacnps@lacnps.org with a brief statement of
your interest and background.
Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter
Monthly Tuesday
Programs
September 14, 2021 – 7:00 - 9:30pm
Virtual Program via Zoom
"Containing Our Enthusiasm"
Some Notes On Growing California
Native Plants In Containers
Presenter: Steven Gerischer, vice-president
Southern California Horticultural Society
Steve Gerischer will present the challenges and
wonderful rewards of growing California natives in
containers. Understanding the dynamics of growing any
plant in a container as opposed to the open ground goes
a long way towards creating a healthy environment for
your potted natives. He will cover the basics of soil,
drainage, sun and shade, watering and the different ways
native plants can adapt to the confines of a pot or other
container.
continued on page 2
October 12, 2021 – 7:00 - 9:30pm
Virtual Program via Zoom
The influence of native plants
on urban wildlife in
Southern California
residential yards
Presenter: Noriko Smallwood
Greater Los Angeles is nestled within a biodiversity
hotspot but is vastly urbanized with little representation
of the natural ecosystems that occurred throughout the
region. This loss of habitat presents challenges for
numerous species of wildlife. One form of urban land
use that may provide habitat for wildlife is residential
yards. However, most residential yards are landscaped
with ornamental plants and manicured lawns that are not
native to the area and thus likely provide limited value
for native wildlife.
continued on page 2
Information for logging onto the Zoom presentation will be
posted on our website twenty hours before the event and
announced via email blast
 LOS ANGELES - SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CHAPTER
CNPS PROGRAMS
TUES 9/14 7:00-9:30PM
Virtual Program via Zoom
Containing Our Enthusiasm
Presenter Steve Gerischer
Continued from front page.
Growing native plants in containers may be the only
way for some gardeners to enjoy the splendor of some
of our native treasures. Some gardeners may just wish
to add more drama to existing gardens without a major
overhaul. And all of us probably wish to make the
most of spots that would otherwise go without plants
of any kind-think of that blank corner of the driveway!
Steve is an award-winning landscape designer, teacher,
and Vice-President of the Southern Calif. Horticulture
Society.
TUES 10/12 7:00-9:30PM
Virtual Program via Zoom
Influence of Native Plants
Presenter Noriko Smallwood
Continued from front page.
Recently, some homeowners have been converting their
traditional yards into those dominated by native
vegetation, which presents an opportunity to improve
conditions for wildlife in the region by creating patches
of habitat within the cityscape. For my master's
research, I quantified the importance of native yards to
wildlife throughout L.A. by comparing birds and
insects in 22 native and 22 paired non-native yards.
Additionally, I investigated the drivers behind these
patterns and identified particular plants that were used
by birds in greater proportion than their availability,
indicating preference. In this presentation, I will share
the results of my study and will provide
recommendations for wildlife-friendly landscaping.
RESTORATION
The N/E/X/T/Garden in Pacific Palisades
The Native Plant Garden in the City of L.A.’s Temescal
Canyon Park
Last Saturdays, Sept. 25 and Oct. 30 9am-4pm
September - October 2021
26th Annual River Rally Cleanup Event
September 18 (Saturday)
Sign-up to volunteer today for the City of Santa Clarita's
26th Annual River Rally Cleanup and Environmental
Expo on Saturday, September 18, from 8:00 a.m. to
11:00 a.m. behind the shopping center at 18386 Soledad
Canyon Road. Those interested in participating are
required to register in advance starting August 2 at
santaclaritavolunteers.com.
All volunteers, regardless of age, are required to pre-
register online by September 17.
P-22 Cougar Festival
Oct. 23, 2021, 11 am – 4 pm (Saturday)
Griffith Park
This year's celebration will be in person and virtual with
entertainment, exhibitions, activities, and more.
California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC)
Symposium
Oct. 26-29
This is the 30th anniversary of the Symposium aimed at
invasive plant management to protect biodiversity in
California. Please see –Symposium Registration
California Invasive Plant Council (cal-ipc.org)
for registration details.
CHAPTER BOARD MEETING
October 5, 7pm (Tuesday)
By Zoom conference. All chapter members are
welcome. Contact Snowdy for link.
(snowdy.dodson@csun.edu)
A big THANK YOU to Cynthia Jackson for
helping out with the end-of-the-year financial
reports.
- Steve Hartman, Treasurer
Desert Willow by Steve Hartman

Just a few steps east of ~700 Temescal Canyon Road,

Pacific Palisades, 90272 (between the PCH & Sunset,
below Bowdoin Street). Community Service Credit.
Subject to cancellation – confirm ahead of time with
Michael G. Terry at michaelgterry@hotmail.com.
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, Van Nuys
Tuesdays and Thursdays Dawn - 9:30am
Saturday, September 25 8am - 11am - NEW
Saturday, October 23 8am - 11am - NEW
Help remove non-native plants. To sign up and get
All Hikes and Restoration Activities - Rain Cancels 2
LOS ANGELES - SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CHAPTER Vol. 41, No. 4-5

OCT. 2021 NATIVE PLANT SALE

Our Fall Plant Sale will be done through advance online ordering Oct. 2-9 with timed pick-ups on Sat. Oct. 16. A
URL specific to our chapter sale will be posted on our website and sent out in an email blast on Sat. Oct. 2, 2021.
The link will be available for orders from that date until Sat. Oct. 9, 2021. You must order and pay for your plants
on those dates.
When ordering plants make sure you're in our chapter inventory.
We plan to have more than 50 different native plant species for sale.
Make sure on the checkout page that it says Oct 16.
When you order your plants and pay for them, you will be given a time to pick them up in the Las Virgenes
Municipal Water District parking lot. All times are for Saturday Oct. 16, between 9am and 4 pm.
Please wear a face mask to protect you, staff, and volunteers.
Address of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is: 4232 Las Virgenes Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302
Las Virgenes Rd. (a.k.a. Malibu Canyon Rd.) is just off the 101 freeway. Look for the CNPS sign which will be at
the entrance to the pick-up site. All plants MUST be picked up on Saturday Oct. 16 with no exceptions. Should
you have a true emergency on that Saturday, you can call Mary Montes (747-282-6540) or Snowdy Dodson (818-
257-0309). Both will be at the site all that day and will have cell phones.
General instructions for ordering are:
* Click on the plant you want, select an option (if there is one) of size and make sure the LA Chapter is after the
option you select.
* Select the quantity you would like.
* Click on Orange Add to Cart button.
* Repeat for additional plants.
* Fill in your contact information, your phone number and e-mail, in case there is a pickup or inventory problem.
* In the pickup window, schedule your pickup time when you place your order.
* Fill in your payment information.
* Submit your order, and print out a copy to bring with you when for pickup
Available inventory will be tracked online as the sale proceeds. Your orders are not guaranteed until payment is
completed.
Thank you in advance for supporting the Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter of CNPS and continuing
to enjoy the beauty of native plants. All proceeds from this plant sale support the conservation and education
programs of Chapter.

CNPS WORKSHOPS & WEBINARS

California Native Plant Society plant science training workshops provide botanists, biologists, land managers, and
ecologists the scientific skills and practical experience necessary to assess, manage, and protect native plants and
lands in California and beyond. Pre-registration is required and many workshops sell out early. Sign up now and
secure your spot for 2021 workshops! Several for fee workshops are scheduled for the fall; see Workshops -
California Native Plant Society (cnps.org) for registration information
Vegetation Sampling – Sept. 8-9 – Truckee, CA
CEQA Impact Assessment – Sept. 14-15 – via Zoom
Mitigations Measures & Monitoring – Oct. 4-6 – Ventura, CA
Online Tools for Vegetation Data – Oct. 25 – via Zoom
CNPS now offers free online Native Gardening Webinars to get you growing with California native plants - register
via Native Gardening Webinars - California Native Plant Society (cnps.org)
Gardening in a Drought – Sept. 2 – 5:30 pm
Native Gardening 101: “Plant Selection 101” – recorded
“Planting 101” – Oct. 7 – 5:30 pm
“Watering 101” – Dec. 2 – 5:30 pm

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 LOS ANGELES - SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CHAPTER
Conservation
Late Summer Update
The Ave - City of Agoura Hills
City Planning Commission denied this project.
Rationale for denial included design elements and
CEQA documents. This project was slated to be the
first within the Agoura Village project. It was to
have been situated on the southeast corner of
Agoura and Kanan Roads adjacent to Medea Creek.
The Ave proposed a large hotel, residential units,
retail, and eateries.
West Village - Calabasas
City Council denied the project citing deviation
from allowed development for the site, scale of the
development and disturbance, adjacency or impacts
to perpetually preserved open space and important
biological resources, increased traffic and wildfire
risks. The proposed project was the third time the
developer submitted versions of the project over
several years. The site is located on the eastern
terminus of Agoura Road at Las Virgenes Canyon
Road. The proposed project would have offered
housing and retail. The developer filed suit against
the city citing Calabasas is not adhering to state
housing mandates. A preliminary hearing is
scheduled for mid-September.
DAYS TO CELEBRATE
Sept. 7 – California Biodiversity Day
Sept. 24 – 54th California Native American Day
Oct. 11 – Indigenous Peoples' Day
Chapter Officers
Co-Presidents Secretary
Snowdy Dodson Susan Klenner
(818) 782-9346 susan@klenners.com
snowdy.dodson@csun.edu
Webmaster: Louise Ratliff
Treasurer louise_ratliff@yahoo.com
Bill Neill Steven Hartman
(818) 769-0678 (818) 881-3521
bgneill@earthlink.net naturebase@aol.com
Vice President TOYON Edited by Steven L. Hartman
Mary Montes
(747) 282-6540
mcmontes100@hotmail.com
September - October 2021
Co-President’s Message
continued from page 1
Shifting gears here. I've been reviewing my copy of A
State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California
by Laura Cunningham (Berkeley : Heyday : 2010). This
exhaustively researched and delightfully illustrated look at
the origins of our CA landscapes especially our native flora
puts into perspective how far back our natural history
goes. For instance, the Stipeae group to which our native
needlegrasses belong have origins 20-2 million years ago,
and other native grasses may have evolved since the
Tertiary 65-2 million years ago. These are the grasses that
together with native forbs made up the tall grass prairies
of our state up until the 250 years ago introduction of
non-native, invasive plants such as mustard and European
annual grasses.
I am pointing out this vast pre-historic evolution to put in
perspective how much evolutionary adaptation has gone
into our CA native flora. Our CNPS core values dictate
that we give utmost priority to preserving this diversity. It
is disingenuous to state that the weeds that often dominate
our landscapes have naturalized and provide valuable
habitat for our native fauna. These insects and other
animals have evolved to eat CA native plants. I have had
people tell me that any tree (e.g., tree of heaven) is better
that none in the inner city; don't people and other animals
in urban areas deserve better? Invasive plants are costing
our state millions of dollars as they adversely impact our
open spaces and agricultural lands. It is our mission as
CNPS members to advocate for the preservation and
promotion of our native flora. If you have any hesitancy
concerning the impact of invasive plants, attend the Oct.
26-29 California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC)
Symposium - –Symposium Registration California
Invasive Plant Council (cal-ipc.org).
Chapter Message Phone: CHAPTER RENEWALS &
(818) 782-9346 NEW MEMBERSHIPS
Chapter Website: Send check to David Hollombe, 6223 San
lasmmcnps.org Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
90048 or to CNPS, 2707 K Street, Suite 1,
Sacramento, CA 95816.
Current CNPS memberships levels are:
Chapter email: $25, $50, $120, $500, $1000, $2500.
lacnps@lacnps.org Make checks payable to CNPS.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Contact
naturebase@aol.com David Hollombe at
davhlmbe@pacbell.net.
Include your e-mail address. Be sure to
notify State CNPS Office, 2707 K Street,
Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816.
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