Past Annual Banquets and Meetings

Annual Mixer and Banquet,
Saturday April 25, 2025,
5pm mixer & posters, 6pm dinner

The Annual Society Banquet will be held at UC Merced. The banquet speaker will be Dr Dena Grossenbacher, a professor of Botany at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, presenting on “California’s high mountain species: persistence in the face of change.”

Featuring a Student Research Poster session!

Sign up using this form by April 15 to reserve a spot in the poster session. All students working in Western American botany are encouraged to present.

Field Trips and Tours

Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10-12pm: UC Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve with Lynn Breithaupt & Reserve Director Joy Baccei

Saturday afternoon, April 25, 2026, 3:30-4:30pm: Campus tour through eyes of a botanist with Peter Nguyen

Sunday, April 26, 2026, 9-11:30am: Foothill wildflowers with Jason Sexton

Nearby accommodations

El Capitan Hotel downtown (recommended!), Best Western, Hampton Inn, and many other nearby options.

Local campground information (external site).

Calochortus obispoensis artwork by Emma Fryer.

Photos by Andy Cabrera

Photos by Kathleen Kay

Photos by Lynn Breithaupt

Schedule

Graduate Student Symposium, Saturday April 5, 2025, 8am – 5pm

The 30th Graduate Student Symposium will be held at Fisher Science Building at Cal Poly, SLO. Concurrent talk sessions, a poster session, and ample breaks for conversation and strolls up poly canyon will occur until 5pm. Lunch will be provided.

Annual Banquet, Saturday April 5, 2025, 6pm

SOLD OUT

The Annual Society Banquet will be held in the Multi-Activity Center at Cal Poly. SLO. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Lúcia G. Lohmann, entitled “The Origin and Evolution of Amazonian Biodiversity: Why it matters for California and the World”. Dr Lohmann is the new President and Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Banquet Presentation

The Origin and Evolution of Amazonian Biodiversity: Why it matters for California and the World

Born in Brazil, Dr. Lúcia G. Lohmann earned her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of São Paulo, where she documented the biodiversity of the Amazon Basin. She later earned a master’s and PhD degrees in Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she studied the biogeography and evolutionary history of the trumpet-creeper plant family.

After receiving her PhD, Lohmann worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development (CCSD) where she used specimens from the Garden’s globally renowned Herbarium and geospatial tools to address evolutionary, ecological, and conservation questions. Before her most recent tenure as Director of the University and Jepson Herbaria and Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, Lohmann held a faculty position in the Department of Botany of the University of São Paulo, where she remains as an Adjunct Professor. Her research focuses on neotropical biodiversity, with a special focus on the Amazon basin. Lohmann is now the 8th President and Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and a George Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis.

Lohmann is deeply involved in efforts to study and conserve biodiversity worldwide. In this context, she also serves as Executive Director of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) and President of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT).

Calochortus obispoensis artwork by Emma Fryer.

Field Trips

Friday, April 4, 2025 (2:30pm to ~5pm): Serpentine Rocks! with Dena Grossenbacher and Mike Butler

Park and meet at the trailhead by the Costco gas station, San Luis Obispo, 35.250889, -120.691507 (1540 Froom Ranch, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405).

Sunday, April 6, 2025 (8:30 – 11am): Shell Creek Road, a famous wildflower viewing location in Eastern San Luis Obispo County, with Jenn Yost and Matt Ritter. Trip information here.

Nearby accommodations

Mid-range hotel: Wayfare Hotel (recently renovated)

Budget hotels: Peach Tree Inn, San Luis Creek Lodge, Inn At San Luis Obispo, University Inn

Camping: El Chorro Regional Park (~6 miles from event; ~40$/night/site and allows up to 8 people per site; has restrooms and coin operated showers; reserve here)

Schedule

Saturday, April 13, 2024

3:00-3:30 PM – Check-in at Bacon Pavilion

3:30-4:30 PM – Tour session A (see below)

4:30-5:30 PM – Tour session B (see below)

5:30-6:30 PM – Opening remarks, reception, poster session

6:30-7:30 PM – Dinner

7:30-8:30 PM – Keynote presentation

The following tours are available to attendees at no cost, with a maximum capacity per tour of 20 attendees:

Herbarium & Greenhouse Tour: Session A – 3:30-4:30 PM || Session B – 4:30-5:30 PM

Arboretum & Botanical Garden Tour: Session A – 3:30-4:30 PM || Session B – 4:30-5:30 PM

Sunday, April 14, 2024

8:30 AM departure – Field trip to Canyon Ecological Reserve

Banquet Presentation

Bloodworts, Popcorn Flowers, and American Amphitropical Disjuncts (AADs):
The Wonder of Botanical Discovery

Dr. Michael G. Simpson is a Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Diego State University (SDSU) and curator of the SDSU Herbarium.  He has been with the university since 1986. His areas of expertise are plant taxonomy, plant molecular phylogenetics, and floristics. He currently coordinates and co-teaches a spring course at SDSU, Field Botany of San Diego County. In addition to publishing articles in technical journals, Dr. Simpson is author of the widely used textbook Plant Systematics (Elsevier-Academic Press, 2006; 3rd ed. 2019), winner of the Gleason award given by the New York Botanical Garden.

NEW this year:
Posters during the reception!

Poster session: 6:30-7:30 PM before dinner

Research projects in any botanical field are welcome.

Abstract deadline: April 6, 2024

Presenters must also register for the banquet.

Banquet Dinner

A buffet dinner will be provided by Collette’s Catering and will include chicken verdicchio, a vegan pasta dish, roasted vegetables, herb roasted potatoes, and warm croissant pudding for dessert. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served with dinner. Attendees should specify dietary preferences when purchasing a ticket.

Field Trip: Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Departing from CSU Fullerton campus at 8:30 AM
Field trip cost: $10. Registration required.

Photos by Kathleen Kay

Photos by Amy Litt

Photos by Joshua Der

29th Graduate Student Symposium at Cal Poly Humboldt makes news!

Please join us on Saturday, April 1, 2023
and Sunday, April 2, 2023
at Cal Poly Humboldt

Banquet Speaker

Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas, Associate Professor, Forest Ecophysiology, Department of Forestry, Fire, and Rangeland Management, California State Polytechnic University – Humboldt

Details and Registration

Photos by Rachael Olliff Yang

Please join us on Saturday, April 30, 2022
at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
& Botanic Garden

Our 2022 annual banquet and related events will be held in compliance with University of California COVID-19 policies and requirements. Each attendee must show proof of vaccination with vaccination exceptions only as permitted by such policies. We will also require masks indoors when appropriate.

Schedule

10:00 AM – Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve field trip (optional)
1:00 PM – Upper Marshall Fields field trip (optional)
3:00 PM – UCSC Arboretum tour and book signing of Field Guide to Manzanitas, 2nd Edition
3:00 PM – Banksia Field informal meeting spot for socializing
5:00 PM – Mixer (Ticket/Cash Bar) with Rachel Meyer of Shoots & Roots Bitters & Annual Meeting (outdoors)
6:00 PM – Dinner (outdoors) and presentation (indoors)

Banquet Presentation

The evolution of serpentine specialists and generalists in the California flora
Dr. Kathleen Kay, Associate Professor and Jean H. Langenheim Chair in Plant Ecology and Evolution, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Santa Cruz

Annual Banquet

Our annual banquet will be a buffet dinner (vegan and gluten-free options available) and is $25 for student members of the Society, $60 for non-student members (which helps subsidize the student rate), and $100 for non-members (includes one year membership to the Society). Late registrations after April 15 will be accepted if space is available at an extra charge of $10. Registration will be online only.

Sponsors of Student Tickets

Morgan Sitckrod
Justen Whittall

Online Registration Only

Field Trip to Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve SOLD OUT!

Banksia Field Informal Meeting Spot

An area of Banksia Field where our mixer and banquet will be held will also be designated as an informal gathering spot where members can socialize and picnic (if you bring your own drinks, snacks, blankets and portable chairs) before we formally start our meeting.

Location of Banquet

UCSC Arboretum, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Banksia Field

Mixer (Ticket/Cash Bar)

Rachel Meyer from Shoots & Roots Bitters and a research director in conservation genomics at the University of California, will be mixing botanical cocktails for us from arboretum plants, including gin & ‘coastal redwood forest’ tonics, mezcal/tequila ‘flower power’ margaritas, bourbon ‘sage-scrub’ sours, and pickled mushroom vodka martinis. Beer and wine will also be available. Attendees will receive two free drink tickets upon registration. Additional drinks must be purchased.

Field Trips

Copies of Field Guide to Manzanitas, 2nd Edition will be available for purchase
Maps to field trip locations with parking information will be provided
Bring your own lunch

10:00 AM – Field Trip 1: Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve (about 1/2 hour drive from Arboretum)
SOLD OUT!
Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve is an upland Ponderosa Pine, Knob cone, Santa Cruz Cypress and rare maritime chaparral oasis. This assemblage of communities and associations is unique. Portions of the reserve burned in 2008 and in 2020.
Limited to 30.
Leader: Brett Hall
Fee/Registration: $5/person. Pre-registration required.
Start time: 10:00 AM
Meeting place: UCSC Arboretum at 10:00 AM to carpool to Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve
or meet at Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve at 10:15 AM. Use 975 Martin Rd, Bonny Doon, CA 95060 or 37.050836,-122.138466

12:00 PM – Lunch (bring your own)

1:00 PM – Field Trip 2: Rare coastal prairie vegetation at Upper Marshall Fields (5 miles from Arboretum)
Marshall Fields is a rare coastal prairie habitat with scattered ponderosa pines transitioning into redwood, Douglas fir, coast live oak, tan oak forest with scattered knob cone pine and Shreve oak. It’s very exceptional!
Limited to 30.
Leader: Brett Hall & friends
Fee/Registration: $5/person. Pre-registration required.
Start time: 1:15 PM
Meeting place: Carpool from Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve or meet at Upper Marshall Fields at 1:15 PM. Use 37.021821, -122.085137

3:00 PM – Return to Arboretum

UCSC Arboretum Tour

Book signing of Field Guide to Manzanitas, 2nd Edition and informal guided tour(s) of the Arboretum which is beautiful in late April. Come and see our collections from around the globe and California. If you are planning to come for a tour, please send an email to brett@ucsc.edu and lferneyh@ucsc.edu so we can make plans.

Camping Opportunity

The UCSC Arboretum can accommodate 20 tent spots comfortably (with a maximum of 30) at no charge. Camping is on a need-basis with preference to students. For reservations and other information concerning the limited availability of camping arrangements for both Friday and Saturday nights (April 29 and 30), please contact Brett Hall.

Photos by Rachael Olliff Yang

Photos by Liz Rennie

CANCELLED

Saturday, April 4, 2020
at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum
& Botanic Garden

March 13, 2020

Dear Friends and Colleagues of the California Botanical Society,

With a heavy heart (but with lots of company), due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of the California Botanical Society has decided to cancel the upcoming annual banquet, which was to have taken place on Saturday, April 4, 2020, at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. We hope that you, your families, and friends (and, well, everyone) all stay well during this unpredictable time.

The Society extends our warmest appreciation to Brett Hall, the Arboretum’s California Native Plant Program Director, who organized the banquet this year. Brett did an incredible job over the last few months, reserving the venue, hiring the caterer, organizing the field trips and Arboretum tours, and, especially, catalyzing the recent rains, which were destined to promote excellent wildflower-viewing! We were also greatly looking forward to a reception in honor of Professor Emeritus (and botanical trailblazer) Jean Langenheim and to the after-dinner talk on The evolution of serpentine specialists and generalists, by UC Santa Cruz Professor Kathleen Kay.

Excellent (mitigating) news is that Brett has offered to be the organizer and host for next year’s California Botanical Society Graduate Symposium, along with its evening banquet, both to be held at UC Santa Cruz. So…please be on the look-out for future announcements of what we anticipate will be the Society’s next Great Event.

Three other announcements merit your attention:

First, if you already paid for your 2020 banquet dinner (and any field trip fees), please write immediately to our Administrator, Lynn Yamashita (admin@calbotsoc.org), and let her know which of the following three options you would like her to do:

a) Refund your fee to your credit card

b) Roll over your fee, giving you credit for next year’s banquet and Graduate Symposium

c) Donate your fee to the California Botanical Society’s Education Fund

Second, you may recall that, at each banquet, we have the tradition of introducing and electing (by affirmation) new Council members and — when the timing is right — the new President of the Society. Due to the cancellation of the banquet, the Council is working on enabling on-line voting so that you may participate in the affirmation of two new Council Members-at-Large and of the new President (who will replace me), as soon as these positions are filled. This on-line voting capacity should be available within the next few weeks, and we will write again to invite you to participate.

Third, the Council has learned that some members have had trouble accessing Madroño through the BioOne portal on the Society’s website. We’re in the process of transitioning to a newly designed website, on which one of the features is that members will be able to set up their own password-protected account. Through this account, members will be able to access all issues of Madroño, along with a number of other members-only features (including a forum on which to ask questions or solicit assistance and a registry of botanical expertise). We aim to send you instructions for how to set up this account within the next few weeks.

As always, the Council greatly appreciates your membership in the Society, and we are always eager to hear your suggestions for ways in which we may more deeply engage western U.S. botanists in fulfilling our collective goals and aspirations. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions.

Sincerely,
Susan J. Mazer

President, California Botanical Society
Professor of Ecology and Evolution
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Email: sjmazer@ucsb.edu

Please join us on Saturday, April 6, 2019
at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Registration closes on March 29, 2019

Schedule

Friday, April 5, 2019
2:45 PM – Serpentine rock outcrops field trip

Saturday, April 6, 2019
8:00 AM – 27th Graduate Student Symposium
5:00 PM – Social & Annual Meeting (No-host Bar)
6:00 PM – Dinner and presentation

Sunday, April 7, 2019
8:30 AM – Shell Creek Road wildflower field trip

Banquet Presentation

Mechanisms of local adaptations to California’s coastal and inland habitats in the yellow monkey flower
Dr. David Lowry, Assistant Professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State University.

Field Trips

Friday, April 5, 2019
Local serpentine rock outcrops
Leader: Nishi Rajakaruna
Fee/Registration: $5/person. Pre-registration required.
NEW Start time: 2:45 PM
Meeting place: Froom Creek, Johnson Ranch
Please park and meet at the trailhead by the Costco gas station, San Luis Obispo,
35.250889N -120.691507W.

Sunday, April 7, 2019
Shell Creek Road wildflowers
Leader: David Keil
Fee/Registration: $5/person. Pre-registration required.
NEW Start time: 8:15 AM
Meeting place: Santa Margarita Park and Ride, just off US 101 at the Santa Margarita exit

NEW Location of Banquet

PAC Pavilion
on the Cal Poly Campus at 1 Grand Ave.

Parking for the Banquet: Lot G-S on Grand Ave.
See interactive map of the Cal Poly campus

Hotels & Other Accommodations

Please join us on Saturday, April 14, 2018
at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

Registration closes on April 6, 2018

Schedule

Saturday, April 14, 2018
8:30 AM – Vernal pools field trip
5:00 PM – Social & Annual Meeting (No-host Bar)
6:30 PM – Dinner and presentation

Sunday, April 15, 2018
9:00 AM – Russell Ranch field trip

Presentation

How (and why) to cultivate our next crop of botanists
Dr. Maureen Stanton
Distinguished Professor Emerita of Evolution and Ecology, UC Davis

Field Trips

Saturday, April 14, 2018
Vernal pools
Leader: Carol Witham
Start time: 8:30 AM
Meeting place: Gateway parking structure (next to the Mondavi Center), and carpooling to site(s)
See map of campus parking structures
$5/person. Pre-registration required.
Vernal pools in California are unique. Not only do we have an abundance of geomorphic conditions that give rise to spring pools, but we also have mild wet winters and hot dry summers. This combination of environmental factors has led to a profusion of neoendemics, primarily in the genera Downingia, Lasthenia, Limnanthes, Pogogyne, Plagiobothrys, and Eryngium. At least 200 plant species have been recorded in California vernal pools, over half of which only occur in this habitat.

We will visit one or more vernal pool sites in Solano, Yolo or Sacramento Counties. Sites will be chosen just before the field trip to maximize the floral display, observe local endemism, and perhaps see rare, threatened or endangered species.

Plan to meet at Gateway parking structure (next to the Mondavi Center) at 8:30 AM and carpool to the site(s). Bring water, snacks, lunch, layered clothing, and whatever field gear you usually carry.

You will be asked to sign a liability waiver in order to access the private properties.

Carol W. Witham is a recognized expert in vernal pools and a strong conservation advocate. As she explains: “I am a belly-botanist at heart. There is nothing more rewarding to me than to get everyone down on their hands and knees to get a closer look at the diminutive plants so characteristic of vernal pools and many other California plant communities. I also like to remind everyone that plants form the basis of most terrestrial ecosystems. Without native plants, many animal species will perish. Endangered and even common animals cannot be conserved without preserving the native plant communities upon which they or their prey depend.”

Sunday, April 15, 2018
Russell Ranch
Leader: J.P. Marie, Manager, Putah Creek Riparian Reserve
Start time: 9:00 AM
Meeting place: Putah Creek Riparian Reserve on County Road 98 in Davis.
Directions will follow via email or be provided in person at the banquet.
Arrange to carpool or drive on your own.
$5-$20/person donation to CNGA at event
Limited to 60 persons, pre-registration required.

The Russell Ranch field trip will include stops at two great locations managed by the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden staff.

The first will be a stop at the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, which is on the outskirts of the UC Davis campus. Here the group will take a quick look at the riparian ecosystem managed by UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden staff, and specifically by tour leader J.P. Marie. We will take a short hike around the property to see how the team has managed this area.

We will then drive about 15 minutes to Russell Ranch, our second stop. Russell Ranch is also managed by J.P. Marie. We will hike around both cattle-grazed and fire-controlled grasslands areas as J.P. explains how the site has changed over the years due to the different management regimes.

We expect that the wildflowers will be up at this time of year and that both areas will be looking quite spectacular.

The field trip will begin at 9 AM and end at around 1 PM so participants will be able to travel home at a reasonable hour. We will spend a couple of hours at each stop as J.P. explains the history of the sites and how the staff has worked to return the areas to a more natural environment.

There will be light hiking at both sites and sturdy shoes or boots are recommended, especially if the sites are wet. Please bring water/drinks, a hat, sunscreen, snacks or anything else you require during light hiking. There are no facilities to purchase food.

Putah Creek Riparian Reserve is a stream, riparian and grassland ecosystem managed for teaching, research, and wildlife and habitat protection. The Reserve is approximately 640 acres, along 5.5 miles of Putah Creek, on the UC Davis campus.

UC Davis Russell Ranch, a little-known, but heavily-utilized part of our campus land, is located 5 miles west of the main campus and is approximately 380 acres. The land was acquired by the university in 1990 to provide an area for the expansion of agricultural and environmental research. In 2003, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden team members Andrew Fulks and J.P. Marié began work on the ranch to convert 50 acres from row crops to native perennial grasslands; this effort served not only to mitigate the loss of habitat for the Swainson’s hawks and burrowing owls disturbed by campus construction, but also to provide researchers an area to conduct forb studies. Forbs, or wildflowers, are an important part of a grassland ecosystem, providing habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. They are, however, less ‘predictable’ than grasses, as their germination and subsequent growth is extremely variable based on rainfall and other weather conditions. Management of the forb and grassland areas continues to use a combination of mowing, grazing, burning, and selective herbicide to control annual exotic weeds and keep the grasslands healthy and diverse.

Location of Banquet and Meeting

Davis Alumni Center, AGR Room
530 Alumni Lane
Davis, CA 95616

Please join us on Saturday, April 8, 2017
at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Register Online

Annual Banquet SOLD OUT

Schedule

Saturday, April 8, 2017
8:00 AM – 26th Graduate Student Symposium
8:45 – 2:45 PM — Contributed Talks
4:00 – 5:30 PM — Poster Session
6:00 PM – Social & Annual Banquet (No-host Bar)
7:00 PM – Dinner and presentation

Location of Symposium and Annual Banquet

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
1212 Mission Canyon Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Annual Banquet

The annual banquet will be a Mexican Buffet and is $30 for students, and $75 for non-students, which helps subsidize the student rate.

Annual Banquet Presentation

A Short History of Botanical Exploration on the California Islands: Some of the Amazing People Who Were Involved and Their Exciting Discoveries
Steve Junak, Former Herbarium Curator, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

European naturalists began exploring central and southern California in the 1760s, but the history of botanical discovery on the California Islands did not begin until many decades later. The first botanical collections were made in 1842 on Catalina Island and, not until the 1860s and 1870s, on several other islands. Unfortunately, sheep and goats were turned loose on many of the islands before botanists had a chance to visit. Nevertheless, amazing discoveries have been made on the islands. There are over 100 endemic plant taxa on the California Islands, many of which are now important ornamental plants on the mainland. Some of the plant collectors had amazing adventures during their explorations, such as being mistaken for smugglers and being shot at while trying to enter the Santa Barbara harbor area, lassoing plants on steep cliffs, shooting plant specimens off inaccessible rocks with a shotgun, or being stranded on a remote island for two months when their boat to the mainland was delayed. Tragically, one well-known collector lost his life while trying to reach plants on a steep cliff. Our knowledge of the flora of the islands, both past and present, is the result of the cooperative efforts of the long list of botanical explorers and collectors.

Field Trips

In conjunction with the Symposium and Annual Meeting, the Society is hosting two field trips:

Friday, April 7, 2017: Santa Cruz Island. Led by Steve Junak and Matt Guilliams.
Meet at Ventura Harbor at 8:40 AM (Ferry departs at 9:00 AM, returns around 5:00 PM.) Limited to 20 members attending the annual banquet and 26th Graduate Student Symposium. Cost: $65. Registration will only be available through Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Lunch not included.
SOLD OUT

Sunday, April 9, 2017: Figueroa Mountain. Led by Larry Ballard and Matt Guilliams.
Meeting place and time TBA. Cost: FREE. Lunch not included.

Please join us on Saturday, April 9, 2016
at the Padre Hotel in Bakersfield, CA.

Registration closes March 31, 2016

Schedule

Saturday, April 9, 2016
8:45 AM – Field trip to Tejon Ranch
6:00 PM – Social & Annual Meeting (No-host Bar)
7:00 PM – Dinner and presentation

Presentation

Mediterranean Biomes: Evolution of their Vegetation, Floras, and Climate
Dr. Phil Rundel
Distinguished Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
UCLA

Field Trip

Saturday, April 9, 2016, 8:45 AM
Tejon Ranch
$5/person
Limited to 20 persons
SOLD OUT!

Location of Banquet and Meeting

The Padre Hotel
1702 18th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301

Register Online

SOLD OUT!

Please join us on Saturday, April 11, 2015
at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA

The Banquet and Meeting follow the 25th Graduate Student Symposium

Schedule

Friday, April 10, 2015
4:00 PM – tour of RSA herbarium
4:30 PM – tour of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

Saturday, April 11, 2015
8:00 AM – 5 PM – Graduate Student Symposium
6:00 PM – Mixer & Annual Meeting (No-host Bar)
7:00 PM – Dinner and presentation

Sunday, April 12, 2015
8:00 AM – Field trip to Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve

Presentation

Botanical Adventures in Baja California
Dr. Jon Rebman
Mary and Dallas Clark Endowed Chair/Curator of Botany
San Diego Natural History Museum

Field Trip

Sunday, April 12, 2015, 8:00 AM
Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve
$5/person due morning of trip.
Sold out! No more seats left.

Surrounded by a sea of Pinyon trees, Junipers, and the occasional Yucca brevifolia characteristic of the nearby Mojave desert, the pebble plains of North Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve along highway 18 at the eastern end of Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains harbor some extraordinary “gems” hidden among the abundant quartzite cobbles that dominate this unique habitat type. Referred to also as belly plants, these gems are not extraordinarily large, but this in no way detracts from their magnificent floral morphologies. Furthermore, one cannot beat a fantastic spring carpet at 7000 feet in elevation when adjacent wooded hillsides are still covered in feet of snow!

Bring water and a lunch for a day out in the sun (potential for high winds, so layers also recommended). Transportation will be provided, but the number of available seats is limited. Please meet at the kiosk area of RSABG between 8:00-8:15 AM.

Tommy Stoughton, a graduate student at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, will lead this field trip. Email any questions to him at tstoughton@rsabg.org.

Location of Banquet and Meeting

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Claremont, California
1500 North College Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711

Please join us on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University in Tiburon, CA

Registration closes April 18, 2014

Schedule

Saturday, April 26, 2014
11:00 AM – Field trip to Ring Mountain and Old Saint Hilary’s Wildflower Preserve
5:00 PM – Social & Annual Meeting
6:30 PM – Dinner and presentation

Presentation

Ecological Contingency in the Effects of Climate on Serpentine Plant Communities
Dr. Susan Harrison
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
University of California, Davis

Location

Bay Conference Center
Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies
San Francisco State University
3152 Paradise Drive
Tiburon, CA 94920, CA