VOLUME 41 NUMBER 3

MAY - JUNE 2021

Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter

CO-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Snowdy Dodson Monthly Tuesday
Greetings. It has been the worst of springs with our
dismal rainfall yet the best of springs as somehow our Programs
gardens are blooming and the perennial shrubs and trees in May 11, 2021 – 7:00 - 9:30pm
our wild lands are thriving, in flower, and setting seed. We Virtual Program via Zoom
have had two good years of rain and now are forgetting
that we are still in a major drought. We got used to California Native Pollinators,
wildflower springs of the past few years and must Plants, and Pollination
remember that they are epic, precious events. We are
Presenter: DeeDee Soto
privileged to be surrounded by California's native botanical
beauty and diversity. California has a vast and wonderful diversity of flora
and with it comes a great diversity of invertebrate
Recently, our governmental entities have woken up to this
pollinators! Join Xerces Pollinator Conservation Planner
fact. In October 2020, Gov. Newsom signed into law N-
Deedee Soto for a talk about the diverse groups of
82-20, an Executive Order on Biodiversity and Climate
native pollinators, some of the plants they use, and
Change, aiming to conserve a minimum of our state's land
unique pollination adaptations. The program will cover
and waters by the 2030. In January 2021, President Biden
the different groups of pollinators with a primary focus
signed a similar Executive Order directing the Interior Dept.
on native bees, some highlighted species of the different
to pursue the same conservation goal for the U.S.A. Our
groups, and a bit of their biology and ecology. The
state has really taken the lead on this effort, and the
program will also feature information on the new
California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and other
Xerces community science effort CA Bumble Bee Atlas.
state agencies are developing a 30x30 roadmap plan –
Join us and hear what all the buzz is about!
“Pathways to Reach 30x30” – by February 2022 together
continued on page 2
with a plan entitled “Natural and Working Lands Climate
Smart Strategy.” The CNRA is seeking public input to the
process and announced a series of stakeholder engagement
workshops. The virtual workshop for Los Angeles County June 8, 2021 – 7:00 - 9:30pm
is on May 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. Please visit the 'states website Virtual Program via Zoom
- https://www.californianature.ca.gov to register. Members Post Woolsey Fire
of our CNPS Chapter Board plan to attend and will be
giving input to the process via the CNPS state office. Plant Recovery
Contact me and/or Andrea Williams – awilliams@cnps.org Presenter: Mark Mendelsohn, Biologist,
if you wish to get involved. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The 30x30 planning process is an important opportunity Full description will be available prior to program via
for native plant advocates to ensure that California fully email, Facebook and LASMMCNPS.ORG.
incorporates CNPS priorities into its plans including: 1. A
strong definition of conservation; 2. The inclusion of CA Information for logging onto the Zoom presentation will be
Important Plant Areas (IPAs); 3. Biodiversity protection & posted on our website and Facebook twenty hours before
representation in protected areas; 4. Aligned land the event and announced via email blast
management approaches; 4. Access to nature for all
citizens; 5. Honoring Indigenous knowledge, sovereignty.
continued on page 3

CNPS BIG DAY OF GIVING - May 6, 2021

Please visit www.bigdayofgiving.org/CNPS for further information and to donate much needed funding for higher
education student grants, elementary school education programs and the general fund. If we reach donations of $25K
and above, the Caroline and Susan Spiller Wildflower Fund will do a matching donation.
 LOS ANGELES - SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CHAPTER
CNPS PROGRAMS
TUES 5/11 7:00-9:30PM
Virtual Program via Zoom
California Pollinators
Presenter DeeDee Soto
Continued from front page.
As a Pollinator Conservation Planner and NRCS
Partner Biologist, Deedee works in the Central Valley
of California providing support to agricultural
producers, ranchers, and landowners on the planning
and implementation of projects to benefit pollinators.
Deedee also has diverse experience in botany and
rangeland management; prior to joining Xerces, she
worked for several years as a botany and range
technician with the Forest Service in Colorado and
Washington. She holds a bachelor's degree in botany
and environmental biology, with a minor in rangeland
management, from Humboldt State University. When
Deedee isn't at work, you can catch her botanizing
outdoors!
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, May 29 and June 26 9am-4pm
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, May 29 8am - 11am - NEW
Saturday, June 26 8am - 11am - NEW
All Hikes and Restoration Activities - Rain Cancels
CHAPTER BOARD MEETING
June 1, 7pm (Tuesday)
By Zoom conference. All chapter members are
welcome. Contact Snowdy for link.
(snowdy.dodson@csun.edu)
Thanks to Mel Mason for donating his late
wife Halli’s large collection of natural history
books to our chapter. These and other used
books will be for sale at our next big event.
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May - June 2021
LOS ANGELES RIVER MASTER
PLAN & PEIR
The deadline for comments ends on May 13. For details
see https://pw.lacounty.gov.swq.peir
There are two planning documents that are relevant for
the continued health of our river and your input matters.
POPPY HOUR – THEODORE PAYNE
FOUNDATION
May 27 – 5:30-7 pm
Native Bees presented by Krystle Hickman who has
worked with gardens like the Los Angeles County
Arboretum and Arlington Garden; regularly
photographing and documenting their bee native
habitats. Her aim is to keep accurate records of
population changes. She is duplicating her research in
the Mojave Desert, the Santa Monica Mountains and
yards with native gardens. Throughout the process she
consults with experts in different areas of the scientific
study of native bees. Visit
https://theodorepayne.org/poppy-hour/ to register and
sign up.
UCLA PHENOLOGY NETWORK
The UCLA Herbarium needs your help to record when
and where plants were collected! As a part of the
California Phenology Network, an National Science
Foundation-funded collaboration to “digitize”
herbarium collections, the UCLA Herbarium has been
photographing its plant specimens and putting them on
the new online database for specimens from California
herbaria, CCH2 (CCH2.org). However, many of these
specimens are not searchable because the basic label data
are not transcribed into the database. You can help make
these data available using Notes from Nature
(notesfromnature.org), a user-friendly website that
enables you to view and transcribe specimens from a
browser window. Look at plants, read old labels, learn
about old collectors, and help science understand how
plants respond to a changing climate. Label transcription
is a critical but time-consuming step in digitization, yet
with the efforts of hundreds to thousands of volunteers,
many hands make light work.
To get started, visit NotesFromNature.org and click the
poppy icon. Then click on one of the buttons below Get
Started. The “UCLA Herbarium (part 2)” icon will take
you to the UCLA Herbarium expedition, but our
statewide collaborators also need help with their
herbarium specimen collections. Try them all and
experience the interesting flora collected across the state
and across the world!
 LOS ANGELES - SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CHAPTER
Conservation
Late Spring Update
Calabasas Housing Element
The chapter submitted public comment to the
Notice of Intent to be considered for the upcoming
draft Environmental Impact Report to the state-
required update of the city's Housing Element.
CNPS highlighted the needs for urban infill to avoid
environmental repercussions associated with sprawl
and avoidance of developing in Very High Fire
Severity Zone.
Gold-spotted Oak Borer
An invasion of this invasive non-native beetle was
found in 2015 at a private inholding of Angeles
National Forest. Los Angeles County Fire
Department - Forestry Division and USDA-Forest
Service have been collaborating to mitigate the
infestation. US Forest Service will soon deploy an
education and outreach program to the immediate
and surrounding communities. The foci will be
preventative: How to recognize and report the
beetles/possible infestations, and the importance of
not moving firewood or mulch into or out of the
area. For more information: http://gsob.org
Invasive Shot Hole Borers/Fusarium Dieback
Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner /
Weights and Measures is the lead agency for
trapping and sampling to detect this invasive non-
native pest/disease complex in the county. The
hosts for this complex include 66 native and non-
native woody species. Fifteen of those are more
susceptible to infestation. Recent new detections
were identified in the west San Fernando Valley and
Agoura Hills. For more information: http://ishb.org
Chapter Officers
Co-Presidents Secretary
Snowdy Dodson Susan Klenner
(818) 782-9346 susan@klenners.com
snowdy.dodson@csun.edu
Treasurer
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
Vol. 41, No. 3
Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing
The chapter submitted comments to the California
Department of Transportation (CAL TRANS) regarding
the draft landscaping palette for the bridge. The design
uses only California native plants that are endemic to the
Santa Monica Mountains region. Main remarks focused
on two primary issues:
A few proposed species might not be appropriate for growing
conditions on top of the bridge. Concern that the plant
spacing at maturity might create density that could challenge
wildlife use and passage
CAL TRANs will develop two landscaping plans associated
with the wildlife crossing. One is the palette that CNPS
recently commented on for the bridge. The other will be for
terrestrial and riparian areas on either side of the bridge.
Co-President’s Message
continued from page 1
In March, I attended an online workshop on “Restoring
Habitat for Pollinators” sponsored by The Western
Hummingbird Partnership - http://westernhummingbird.org
- to view the presentation search “restoring habitat for
pollinators” on YouTube. The presenters were
knowledgeable and varied, and the event was well worth
the time spent. Topics included pollinator conservation
in the western U.S., restoring bee habitat, CA
hummingbirds and their floral resources, and several
sessions on western monarch butterfly status and
conservation. One of my major takeaways was the depth
of the resources available on the publication pages –
https://xerces.org/publications - of the Xerces Society. Of
note is a new publication, 'Milkweeds: a Conservation
Practitioners Guide which can be downloaded as a PDF.
Another soon to be launched online source is the CA
Bumblebee Atlas. More workshops are planned by the
Western Hummingbird Partnership. Sign up for their
email list if you are interested. Thanks, everyone, for
your continued support and CNPS membership.
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,
Webmaster: Louise Ratliff Sacramento, CA 95816.
louise_ratliff@yahoo.com
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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