Introduction to Morphology and Identification of Flowering Plants
March 21 – 22, 2009
Anna Larsen and Bianca Knoll Nakayama
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

Would you like to learn how to identify wildflowers or refine your skills and expand your botanical vocabulary? If so, join us for this workshop where we will explore plant classification and the detailed morphology of flowers and fruits. Emphasis will be on learning the floral characters needed to identify plants using The Jepson Manual and other identification guides. Throughout the class, participants will be introduced to plant families that are commonly encountered in California. This workshop is designed to start at an introductory level and is appropriate for both beginners and those seeking an in-depth review.

Course fee $125/$150 Registration information

Fifty Plant Families in the Field
March 28 – 29 and April 4 – 5, 2009
Linda Beidleman and Richard Beidleman
Location: UC Berkeley and field regions in the greater Bay Area

This course will be an introduction to the flora of the San Francisco Bay region and the techniques used to identify plants of California. It is designed for those unfamiliar with plant identification keys who are ready to jump into botanical detective work. Emphasis will be on the recognition and keying of plant families encountered in the field. With a working knowledge of common plant families, and comfort in using plant keys, identification is an enjoyable challenge. This is also a great way to appreciate plants and take the time to look at them closely. Although this course will involve no collecting of plants, we will discuss the nature, use, and importance of herbarium collections. There will also be an introduction to reference books valuable for the identification of plants in California. An historical perspective on botanical collecting in California will also be presented.

Class will be outdoors except the first morning, which will be held on the UC Berkeley campus in the Valley Life Sciences Building. Participants in the class may drive up to 75 miles per day to the field sites and hike up to 3 miles each day. Students must take day 1 before days 2–4, because the introductory information will lay the foundation for the rest of the course. Enrollment is limited to 14 participants.

Course fee $185/$210 Registration information

From Plant Press to Publication: An Introduction to Herbarium Specimen Curation
October 10, 2009
Andrew Doran
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

The collection and storage of plant specimens in herbaria remains an important aspect of systematic botany. Whether such material is used for molecular or morphological studies, all relevant specimens must be cited and catalogued. This workshop is designed to lead participants through each of the steps of specimen preparation from collecting, pressing, and drying, to inclusion in an herbarium and citation in research publications. Topics will include the proper handling and storage of specimens, specimen labeling and databasing, and nomenclature and the ethics of collecting. Students will practice pressing, drying and mounting specimens of mosses, conifers, and flowering plants. Methods for preparing difficult to handle specimens such as cacti and other succulents, palms, and conifers will also be discussed. This workshop will include a tour of the University and Jepson Herbaria to familiarize participants with the general organization of an herbarium as well as the manner in which specimens are stored. Enrollment is limited to 14 participants.

Course fee $60/$85 Registration information

Tree of Life

California Biogeography and Phylogenetics
March 7, 2009
Ben Carter and Ekaphan "Bier" Kraichak
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

Biogeography is the field that aims to understand broad patterns of species distributions across the globe, and perhaps more importantly, to reveal the evolutionary processes that dictate why species live where they do. Historically, biogeographers studied these patterns and processes using current species distributions and the fossil record. Today, phylogenetic methods are being increasingly used in biogeography because they allow us to not only understand the evolutionary relationships among species, but also the way in which historical processes that shape current distribution patterns are related to the patterns we see today.

The first segments of this seminar will introduce the fields of biogeography and phylogenetics. We will then use case studies to examine how phylogenetics has aided biogeographers in answering question like: Where do island biotas come from? Are geographically separated populations the result of dispersal or vicariance? How have historical events like glaciation and changes in sea level influenced the current patterns of diversity? We will be focusing on California, but will explore the general utility of phylogenies across a wide range of scales, from very broad (distributions of plant and animal families, development of continental biotas) to very narrow (geographic patterns within a single species). We will conclude with a segment on the influence of phylogenetics in understanding the mechanisms that have driven the incredible species richness that is present in California. Participants will come away from this workshop with a better understanding of why organisms live where they do, some of the influential geologic and environmental events in California's history, and the approaches used to study these patterns and processes.

Course fee ($50/$65) Registration information

The Origin and Evolution of Dinosaurs (co-sponsored by the University of California Museum of Paleontology)
April 25, 2009
Mathew Wedel
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

Dinosaurs have always attracted the interest of both evolutionary biologists and the public, and that is especially true today. In the past decade, remarkably preserved feathered dinosaurs from China have cemented the evolutionary link between non-avian dinosaurs and their living descendants—birds. But to paraphrase paleontologist Tom Holtz, dinosaur evolution was more than just a bird factory. Recent research focuses on the many evolutionary radiations of dinosaurs, from their origin as just one of many groups of successful reptiles during the Triassic, through their rise to dominate terrestrial ecosystems in the Jurassic, to the diversification of increasingly sophisticated herbivores and their predators during the Cretaceous. Independent origins of quadrupedality, herbivory, and large body size in different clades of dinosaurs provide insights into parallel evolution, and into the paleobiology of these amazing animals. Why were dinosaurs so big, so weird, and so different from animals living today? We will explore all of these questions through the lens of evolution, and conclude by discussing what birds can teach us about dinosaurs, and vice versa.

Course fee ($50/$65) Registration information

Weekend Workshops

Intermediate Bryology
February 21 – 22, 2009
Brent D. Mishler and Ken Kellman
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

This two-day class will build upon the skills taught in the Jepson Herbarium introductory bryology class (or equivalent preparation elsewhere). Specifically, we will work towards genus recognition of all California mosses and liverworts, and use more advanced keys than those used in the beginner's class. Emphasis will be on the bryoflora of the central coast, but participants are encouraged to bring their own collections to work on. Lecture time will be kept to a minimum, so that students will be able to maximize time in the lab working with microscopes collaboratively on plants. There will be no field trip.

Participants will be expected to know beginning dissection techniques, and to understand basic bryophyte biology and morphology. Participants will need the Norris and Shevock "Key to the Mosses" (Madroño vol. 51(2)) and the Doyle and Stotler "Keys and Annotated Species Catalogue for Liverworts and Hornworts" (Madroño vol. 53(2)). Copies will be available for purchase.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Grimmia
February 28 – March 1, 2009
Roxanne Hastings
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

The genus Grimmia is the most diverse and abundant group of moss to inhabit the higher and dryer parts of western North America. Given California's diversity of such habitats, it is not surprising that the state has the highest species richness and the most endemic species of Grimmia anywhere in the world! Grimmia form an important component of the saxicolous bryoflora and their prevalence makes them difficult to ignore. However, Grimmia species have the reputation of being notoriously difficult to recognize. This is due, in part, to the use of microscopic features to identify species, and also because most species are distinguished by a suite of intergrading, relative characters. This makes dichotomous keys inappropriate tools for identifying species.

This workshop will introduce a series of tables that can be used to identify species. When the genus is broken into four easily recognized subgenera, identification can be rapidly and reliably accomplished by comparing a diversity of characters with the tables. Through lectures and hands-on experience participants will learn the key characters of Grimmia that are critical to using the tables and dissecting techniques that will maximize the probability of correct identification.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Flora of Saline Valley
April 16 – 19, 2009
Dana York
Location: Lower Warm Springs in Saline Valley, Death Valley National Park

Saline Valley is one of the largest nearly uninhabited desert valleys in North America. It is bounded by spectacular mountain ranges that tower up to 10,000 feet above the valley floor: on the west by the Inyo Mountains and on the east by the Saline, Last Chance, and Nelson ranges. In many ways, Saline Valley is much like Death Valley, except without the development and crowds. The workshop participants will experience desert wildflowers including rare species, a variety of desert wildlife, hot springs, salt flats, a saline lake, desert springs, historic artifacts, prehistoric rock art, precipitous canyons, waterfalls, silence, and solitude.

During this workshop, we will explore canyons of the Saline Range and the Inyo Mountains' eastern escarpment. We will also hike into Saline Valley's sand dunes, and explore the marshes and shoreline of Salt Lake. We will be camping near the Saline Valley Warm Springs, a very remote desert oasis that attracts people of all walks of life, including naturalists, 4WD adventurers, and many others. In the evenings, participants will have the opportunity to soak in the hot springs or just relax around the campfire listening to music. Participants will come away with a unique experience that only a remote desert valley can provide.

Course fee ($460/$485) includes campground facilities, meals, and transportation for the duration of the workshop. Campground facilities include a pit toilet and running non-potable water.

Registration information

Poaceae
May 2 – 3, 2009
Barbara Wilson, Nick Otting, Richard Brainerd
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

The grass family is arguably the most economically and ecologically important flowering plant family. It is also amazingly diverse (250 kinds of grass in the Bay Area!). This class provides the identification tools needed to put names on grasses and thus open up the whole literature on individual grass species. Topics covered include structure of the grass inflorescence, vegetative features that help identify grasses all year round, and tips for using grass identification keys including the Jepson Manual. The first day we will learn grass plant parts and terminology, then identify grasses in the lab, using microscopes. The second day we will go out into the field, key more grasses, and discuss grass ecology.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Poaceae
May 9 – 10, 2009
Travis Columbus
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

"I am the grass; I cover all" (Carl Sandburg, Grass).

Prominent in plant communities throughout California, the grass family (Poaceae) is the state's second most diverse plant family (after Asteraceae). A species-rich assemblage, its members include cool-season and warm-season species, annuals and perennials, natives and exotics, and widespread dominants to rare endemics. A better understanding of this ubiquitous and diverse family can be gained through this workshop. Participants will be instructed in detail on the vegetative and reproductive features of grasses. Aspects of anatomy, physiology, ecology, and ethnobotany will also be addressed. Most time will be spent learning to use the identification keys in The Jepson Manual. Special attention will be given to difficult couplets and taxa. In addition, participants will learn how to determine major tribes and common genera by use of diagnostic characteristics. On Sunday, there will be a field trip to a serpentine prairie to examine grasses in a natural setting.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Wetland Restoration
May 16 – 17, 2009
John Callaway
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building and field locations in the greater Bay Area

Population growth and sprawling development in California—and the Bay Area in particular—have had significant impacts on our wetland habitats, and have led to an explosion of interest in wetland restoration. This short course will consider a range of issues related to wetland ecology (with a focus on plants, soils, and hydrology), as well as applied wetland restoration techniques. We will discuss site assessment, the restoration of natural processes, and planting of wetland species.

Saturday morning, we will meet on the UC Berkeley campus for a series of lectures. We will spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday in the field visiting wetland restoration projects around San Francisco Bay, including a range of ecosystems from salt marshes to riparian wetlands.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Flora of the San Jacinto Mountains
May 28 – 31, 2009
Tim Krantz
Location: San Jacinto Mountains, James Reserve

The San Jacinto Mountains are the highest of the Peninsular Ranges, with San Jacinto Peak reaching 10,804 feet. The San Jacinto Mountains are adjacent to the Coachella Valley, with an elevation of only several hundred feet above sea level. The close proximity of the two features creates abrupt vertical relief and a region of particularly high biodiversity that ranges from the lower Sonora Desert to the alpine summit and steep north escarpment of the peak. This is the most abrupt vertical relief and range of Life Zones in North America, the equivalent of going from the sub-tropics to the Arctic tundra in about 10 kilometers! This area hosts a unique assemblage of species with very restricted distributions, including the Hidden Lake blue-curls, Tahquitz ivesia, and Johnston's rock-cress.

We will explore the variety of habitats in the region, including the lush mixed conifer forest area of Idyllwild and wildflower meadows of Garner Valley, to the pinyon woodlands (including Pinus quadrifolia) and agave scrub at the headwaters of Palm Canyon. Highlights will include a breath-taking 20-minute tram ride from Palm Springs to the San Jacinto High Country. Depending on extent of late snow cover, we will explore the summit region for early wildflowers and visit sand dunes and the palm oases of the Indian Canyons at lower elevations.

Course fee ($460/$485) includes tram fee and Indian Canyon entrance fee, transportation (12-passenger van), meals, and accommodations from Thursday evening through Sunday lunch. Lodging is at a field station with indoor bathrooms and showers and dormitory-style twin beds. Camping is also available.

Registration information

Mid-elevation Flora of the White Mountains
June 11 – 14, 2009
Jim Morefield
Location: White Mountain Research Station, Crooked Creek Facility

The White Mountains are located at the southwest corner of the Great Basin floristic region, and their geologic and habitat diversity, high relief (over 10,000 feet from bottom to top), and proximity to the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert all contribute to an unusually rich flora. They contain one of the most thoroughly documented vascular floras of any desert mountain range, although the early-season flora at middle and higher elevations is relatively unexplored. At middle elevations, the flora is dominated by woody Great Basin species, with a relatively high diversity of herbaceous and annual forms reflecting adjacent desert floras, and with Sierra Nevada taxa increasing upward and northward.

Friday morning through Sunday afternoon will involve day trips to areas between Crooked Creek and the Westgard Pass area, and to other mostly subalpine and pinyon-juniper locations. The focus may shift to higher or lower elevations depending on seasonal conditions. Through driving tours (limited to 50 miles each day) and easy to moderate walks (elevations generally 6,000 to 10,500 ft), participants will have the opportunity to explore the southern White Mountains, observing and identifing the flora of several different montane communities and habitats, and learning to recognize some of the geographic and ecologic factors influencing species distributions and adaptations.

Course fee ($460/$485) includes transportation (12-passenger van), meals, and accommodations from Thursday evening through Sunday lunch. Lodging is at a field station with indoor bathrooms and showers and dormitory-style twin beds.

Registration information

The Inland Flora of Humboldt County
June 18 – 21, 2009
Michael Mesler and John O. Sawyer
Location: Boise Creek Campground, Humboldt County

Humboldt County boasts a diversity of spectacular habitats, including miles of unspoiled rugged coastline, sand dunes, redwood forests, and some of California's most pristine wild rivers. The area is known for over a dozen state parks as well as Redwood National Park, a United Nations Biosphere Region and World Heritage Site. Less appreciated by many are the lands away from the immediate coast. During this workshop, we will explore the floristic diversity of several inland habitats, with an emphasis on the wealth of rare and endemic plants.

The workshop will begin Thursday night with an introduction to the region. Friday, we will botanize the Horse Mountain Botanical Area—and its serpentine hotspots—and Grouse Mountain. Saturday, we will explore the country around North Trinity Mountain, a fantastic venue on the west side of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Saturday evening's lecture will provide a background for Sunday's coastal field trip to the Lanphere dunes.

Course fee ($460/$485) includes transportation (12-passenger van), meals, and campground fees from Thursday evening through Sunday lunch. Campground has vault toilets and running water.

Registration information

Alpine and Subalpine Flora of Yosemite National Park: Habitats and Rare Plants
July 30 – August 2, 2009
Steve Botti
Location: Tuolumne Meadows Campground, Yosemite National Park

The alpine and subalpine zones of the Sierra Nevada are harsh environments, characterized by thin, rocky soils, swept by desiccating winds, covered by snow much of the year, and subject to drought and freezing temperatures during much of the snow-free period. Yosemite National Park is home to vast tracts of these majestic and unique habitats. This workshop will provide an introduction to the diversity of alpine and subalpine plant communities in the Park and hikes to visit populations of rare plants. There will be an introductory slide show to illustrate many of the characteristic species and their habitats, as well as lectures conducted in the field. Discussion topics will include how plants have adapted to harsh alpine conditions, theories about the reasons for rarity, and the possible fate of rare species in times of climate change. Daily field excursions will involve less than one hour of driving and moderately strenuous, 4 – 6 mile hikes with elevation gains of up to 3,000 feet at elevations up to 12,000 feet above sea level.

Course fee ($460/$485) includes park entrance fee, transportation (12-passenger van), meals, and campground fees from Thursday evening through Sunday lunch. Campground facilities include potable water and flush toilets.

Registration information

Carex
August 21 – 23, 2009; August 23 – 25, 2009
Peter Zika
Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station and surrounding locations

It is nice to know your grasses and rushes, but you must master sedges to understand California's meadows, many of which are dominated by the genus Carex. Come to the Sierra and sample its rich spectrum of Carex diversity. With ample fresh material, we will learn the groups of Carex, using existing keys and some new materials. Several species not included in The Jepson Manual will be included. We will study the plants in the field, with dissecting scopes in the lab, and encourage students to bring fresh or pressed sedges from other parts of the state.

Course fee ($360/$385) includes transportation (12-passenger van), meals, and accommodations from Friday evening through Sunday lunch. Lodging is at a field station with dormitory-style bunk beds. Facilities include potable water, flush toilets, and showers.

Registration information

Intermediate Plant Identification: Spotlight on Asteraceae and Grass-like Plants
September 19 – 20, 2009
September 26 – 27, 2009
Linda Ann Vorobik
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

This course is designed for people who are comfortable using dichotomous keys for plant identification but haven't made the leap into the Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae keys. Over the course of the weekend, participants will become familiar with the morphology of these challenging groups and will learn the specialized terminology used in keys. The majority of the weekend will be spent keying live material with The Jepson Manual.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Evolution and Diversity of Mushrooms
December 12 – 13, 2009
Tom Bruns and Else Vellinga
Location: Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley and a local field site

The warm, wet winters and the variety of habitats found in California make it one of the best places in North America to find both an abundance and a high diversity of fungi. This workshop will provide an introduction to the biology and identification of California's mushrooms. Through a combination of lectures and discussions, workshop participants will learn about the evolutionary history of fungi and the ecological role of fungi in nature. Most of the time will be spent with fresh mushrooms in the lab. This will create hands-on opportunities for learning how to identify mushrooms. A field trip on Saturday will be a highlight of the weekend.

Course fee ($235/$260) Registration information

Forest Service-Sponsored Student Opportunities

The Jepson Herbarium Public Programs and the USDA Forest Service are co-sponsoring a student fellowship program. A minimum of one student fellowship will be available for each of the following two workshops and fellows will attend free of charge. To apply, please complete the application on the reverse and return to the Jepson Herbarium. These workshops are otherwise not open to the public.

Bee Pollination Ecology of Spring Wildflowers
June 4 – 6, 2009
Gordon Frankie and Robbin Thorp
Location: UC Hastings Reserve, Carmel Valley, CA

During this workshop we examine selected aspects of the pollination ecology of the Hastings Reserve's spring wildflowers. Field exercises will be used to demonstratehow and when flowers make their pollen and nectar rewards available to pollinators and how pollinators use their adaptations to extract floral resources. Various bee groups will be examined under magnification to observe relevant morphological adaptations. Participants will be instructed on the wide variety of methods that are used to study pollination relationships. Talks will be presented on the topics of pollination syndromes in plants, bee diversity, global pollinator decline, and encouraging pollinators in your backyard environment.

Student participation includes lodging, meals, and transportation for the duration of the workshop. Most participants will be accommodated in twin or bunk-style beds. Space outside the bunkhouse is also available for camping.
Fellowship application: PDF version or text version

Poaceae
June 25 – 27, 2009
Travis Columbus
Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station, Truckee, CA

Prominent in plant communities throughout California, the grass family (Poaceae) is the state's second most diverse plant family (after Asteraceae). A species-rich assemblage, its members include cool-season and warm-season species, annuals and perennials, natives and exotics, and widespread dominants to rare endemics. Participants will be instructed in detail on the vegetative and reproductive features of grasses. Aspects of anatomy, physiology, ecology, and ethnobotany will also be addressed. Most time will be spent learning to use the identification keys in The Jepson Manual. Special attention will be given to difficult couplets and taxa. In addition, participants will learn how to determine major tribes and common genera by use of diagnostic characteristics.

Student participation includes lodging, meals, and transportation for the duration of the workshop. Most participants will be accommodated in twin or bunk-style beds. Space outside the bunkhouse is also available for camping.
Fellowship application: PDF version or text version