Jepson Herbarium: Workshops

The 2020 workshop program will be announced soon. Members of the Friends of the Jepson Herbarium will receive a 1-week priority registration from December 2-8, 2019.

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2019 Jepson Workshop Series

Workshop fees are listed as: members of the Friends of the Jepson Herbarium/General Public.

Introduction to Bryophytes

March 2 – 3, 2019
Brent Mishler and Ken Kellman
UC Berkeley and Bay Area field sites

The bryophytes are a diverse group of plants with small stature and large ecological impact. There are some 23,000 described species worldwide, making it the largest group of land plants except for the flowering plants. The group includes three phylogenetically distinct lineages: mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. The bryophytes are a “key” group in our understanding of how the modern land plants (comprising the three bryophyte lineages plus the vascular plants) are related to each other phylogenetically and how they came to occupy the land environment. Although the bryophytes display much diversity, a major limitation in the use of bryophytes as study organisms has been the lack of basic floristic, ecological, and alpha-taxonomic knowledge of the plants in many regions, of which California and the southwestern United States are the most poorly known in North America.

The first day, participants will learn about basic bryophyte biology, some simple microtechniques in the lab, and the basic structure of bryophytes along with taxonomically useful characteristics. The second day, after a morning lab session, the class will drive to a local field site and learn to identify major bryophyte groups while discussing and observing their general ecology and evolutionary features. Participants should be prepared to hike up to four miles on Sunday, in possibly wet weather conditions.

Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Saturday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 5:00 pm.

Course Fee: $275/$305

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

50 Plant Families in the Field: San Francisco Bay Area — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

March 28 – 31, 2019
Linda Beidleman
UC Berkeley and Bay Area field sites

Are you ready to jump into botanical detective work? With a working knowledge of common plant families and comfort in using taxonomic keys, identification can be an enjoyable challenge. This workshop introduces students to the flora of the San Francisco Bay area and the techniques used to identify plants of California. Emphasis will be on learning to recognize characteristics of the Bay Area’s plant families. We will practice keying plants in the field using the third edition of the book Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey (Linda H. Beidleman and Eugene N. Kozloff, 2014). A general familiarity with morphological terms is helpful but not necessary; these will be reviewed during the introductory session. The workshop will be held outdoors (rain or shine). We will have one van available for transportation to field sites. Participants may drive up to 75 miles per day to the field sites and walk up to three miles each day (easy hiking). This workshop will not involve collection of plants. Students must attend all four days of the workshop, because the introductory information will lay the foundation for the rest of the workshop. Please note that this is an introductory workshop, geared towards beginning botanists. Participants must purchase their own copy of the book. Registration preference will be given to individuals who have not previously attended 50 Families in the Field.

Transportation: Personal vehicle required for field trip (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Thursday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $375/$405

This workshop has been approved for 4 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Botany of Borrego Springs with Emphasis on Borages — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

April 12 – 14, 2019
Michael G. Simpson
Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center

In this workshop, participants will learn to identify members of the plant family Boraginaceae, as now classified in the strict sense. We will review recent changes in the classification of this complex of plants and explain why such changes have been made. The focus will be on the "popcorn flowers" (subtribe Amsinckiinae), including the genera Cryptantha, Eremocarya, Greeneocharis, Johnstonella, and Plagiobothrys, especially those that occur in desert habitats. We will also consider taxa that occur in other bioregions, and we might examine other members of the order Boraginales, including Tiquilia (now in family Ehretiaceae), Pholisma (back in Lennoaceae), Nama (now in Namaceae), and even a few Phacelia and relatives (back in the Hydrophyllaceae).

We will botanize more broadly when out in the field, examining and reviewing all vascular plants. Field trips will alternate with labs and will be around Borrego Springs and in Anza Borrego State Park where we will collect material and review diagnostic features in the wild. We will be indoors or just outside the Desert Research Center on Friday and will plan some easy to moderate hikes Saturday and an optional stop on the way out Sunday morning.

Participants will learn basic morphological terminology and dissection skills. Lectures will alternate with lab activities using fresh samples, herbarium plant material, or fruits (nutlets) mounted on microscope slides. Workshop participants will have use of dissecting microscopes during the lab sessions; microscope experience is helpful but not necessary. The workshop will include use of the keys from the on-line Jepson eFlora. Some previous plant identification experience is encouraged but not required.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bunk beds. Potable water and bathrooms with showers and flush toilets are available. Tent camping is an option, and the venue has cots available for sleeping outside.
Meals: Not provided; shared kitchen available on site for food preparation and storage. Potluck dinner will be planned for Saturday night and restaurants are available in the town of Borrego Springs.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for field trip (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Easy to moderate.
Start/End: Friday, 12:00 pm – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $400/$430

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

The East Bay Flora: A land of convergence, surprising habitats, abundant diversity, and a rich history of botanical study — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

April 19 – 21, 2019
Heath Bartosh
East Bay Field Sites and Curry Canyon Ranch

The lands that comprise the East Bay (Alameda and Contra Costa counties) are located at the convergence of the San Francisco Bay, the North and South Coast Ranges, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the San Joaquin Valley. This area supports a unique congregation of ecological conditions and native plants results in an incredible richness of species. In fact, the East Bay contains 22% of the flora of California and the small area of Mount Diablo contains 10% of the state’s flora including seven regionally endemic species. During this workshop we will explore the East Bay, a biodiversity hotspot, and its amazingly diverse habitats such as the nearly 4,000-foot-tall Mount Diablo, a microcosm of the Carrizo Plain at Springtown Wetlands preserve, clay barrens at the edge of the San Joaquin Valley, and range limits at Black Diamond Mines, among others. Being so close to centers of west coast science, California Academy of Sciences and UC Berkeley, we will also reflect on the colorful botanical personalities of past and present that have explored this region and the stories and locations of some of their most significant East Bay collections. An overview of current conservation issues that put our botanical treasures at risk will also be provided.

Accommodations might become available at Curry Canyon Ranch – TBA. Local hotels and camping are also available in the area.

Transportation: Personal vehicle required for field trips (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Moderate to difficult; Will range from gently sloping valley bottom lands to higher elevation steep slopes and switchbacks.
Start/End: Friday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Introduction to California Fire Ecology

April 22 – 24, 2019
Hugh Safford
Hopland Research and Extension Center

California has been referred to as the “pyrostate.” In California’s Mediterranean-type climate, summers are warm and dry, and natural or human ignitions in the presence of flammable biomass often lead to wildfires. Many California ecosystems have close ecological and evolutionary associations with fire. The nature of these relationships varies substantially, depending on factors like the species involved, climate, history, and geography. Participants in this 3-day workshop will delve into the fire ecology of major vegetation types in the north Coast Ranges. Topics will include: fire as a physical process; fire effects on ecosystems and vegetation; fire as an evolutionary force; fire history and fire regimes (including an introduction to fire scar dendrochronology); fire geography; fire management and policy; and climate change and fire. The curriculum will include 2-3 field trips to Coast Range sites exemplifying the fire ecology of grassland, chaparral, knobcone pine, mixed evergreen, Douglas-fir and mixed conifer forest. Fire management and ecological consequences of current and projected future trends in wildfire will also be major focus areas of the field trips. The workshop will be held at the facilities of the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, where 3000 acres of this facility were burned in the River Fire in the summer of 2018.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bunk beds and bathrooms with showers and flush toilets. Tent camping will be available.
Meals: Not provided, but an optional potluck will be planned; a shared kitchen is available on site for food preparation and storage.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for accessing field sites (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Moderate to difficult.
Start/End: Instruction starts Monday, 9:00 am – Wednesday, 5:00 pm; Optional arrival Sunday evening.

Course Fee: $400/$430

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

50 Plant Families in the Field: Monterey Bay

April 25 – 28, 2019
Linda Beidleman
Hastings Natural History Reservation and Monterey Bay field sites

Are you ready to jump into botanical detective work? With a working knowledge of common plant families and comfort in using taxonomic keys, identification can be an enjoyable challenge. This workshop introduces students to the flora of the Monterey area and the techniques used to identify plants of California. Emphasis will be on learning to recognize characteristics of the Bay Area’s plant families. We will practice keying plants in the field using the third edition of the book Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region: Mendocino to Monterey (Linda H. Beidleman and Eugene N. Kozloff, 2014). A general familiarity with morphological terms is helpful but not necessary; these will be reviewed during the introductory session. The workshop will be held outdoors (rain or shine). Participants may drive up to 25 miles per day to the field sites and walk up to three miles each day (easy hiking). This workshop will not involve collection of plants. Students must attend all four days of the workshop, because the introductory information will lay the foundation for the rest of the workshop. Please note that this is an introductory workshop, geared towards beginning botanists. Participants must purchase their own copy of the book.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bunk beds and bathrooms with showers and flush toilets. Tent camping available.
Meals: Catered meals from dinner on Thursday through lunch on Sunday are included.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for field trip (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Thursday, 5:00 pm – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $550/$580

This workshop has been approved for 4 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Botany Basics: Morphology & Plant Families of California

May 2 – 3 and/or May 4 – 5, 2019
Allyson Greenlon and Keir Wefferling
UC Berkeley

Prepare to put on your “plant goggles” for this beginner's guide to botany. This course welcomes all novices who are ready and willing to expand their knowledge of plants, as well as enthusiasts that need a refresher.

During Part I of this workshop, students will learn plant morphology as a foundation to later identify plants by sight and under the microscope, providing the background necessary to use botanical keys like those in the second edition of The Jepson Manual. We will also learn about the diverse ways that plants adapt and present themselves to the world and how we can use this knowledge to inform plant identification. We will reveal the truth behind why oranges are in fact a berry but why a strawberry is actually not one, and explain what exactly is an artichoke!

During Part II of this workshop we will use plant morphology concepts to learn how to identify common plant families and genera of California. Working with fresh plant collections, we will discuss prominent characters that will forever change the way we see the world where plants are found—everywhere!

No previous botany or plant identification experience required.

PART I, May 2-3, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

This workshop has been approved for 2 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

PART II, May 4-5, Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

This workshop has been approved for 2 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Course Fee: PART I OR II: $145/$175
PART I AND II: $245/$275

Wetland Delineation

May 8 – 10, 2019
Terry Huffman
Rush Ranch, Suisun City, California

Wetlands are typically recognized as soggy portions of the landscape that are covered—often intermittently—with shallow water, have soils saturated with water, or have plants that look different from those in the surrounding areas. Scientific studies have shown that wetlands are essential to maintaining the biological, chemical, and physical integrity of the aquatic ecosystem. State and federal programs regulate impacts to wetlands as part of their overall water quality protection strategy. The agencies involved differ in how wetlands are defined and how they are geographically delineated.

This workshop will emphasize the definition and delineation method for wetlands used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to define their jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Wetland definitions and delineation methods used by state and other agencies in California, including the California Coastal Commission (CCC), State Water Quality Control Board and its Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also be discussed in comparison to wetland definitions and delineation methods used by the Corps and USEPA. Other types of aquatic habitats in addition to wetlands and how they are identified and delineated by the Corps, USEPA, and other state and federal agencies will also be discussed. The course offers a clear and concise explanation and comparison of wetland definitions and methods used by these agencies including the latest changes in methodology and approaches for determining jurisdictional boundaries, explanation of key terminology, and practical hands-on field experience for private consultants, agency personnel, attorneys, academics, and the general public who are involved with resource protection, impact assessment, environmental restoration, and/or seeking project authorization from the CCC, RWQCB, CDFW, or Corps. The course instructor’s primary method of instruction is “learning by doing” so prepare yourself to get dirty!

We will meet at Rush Ranch Wednesday mornings for classroom lectures and training exercises that will acquaint participants with the various definitions, terminology, and delineation approach methodologies. We will spend Thursday and Friday in the field gaining real-world experience with the meanings of definitions and associated terminology through hands-on experience using the various wetland delineation methodologies, with analysis of results and field delineation of wetland-upland boundaries. This will include exploring how and why the various definitions and associated methodologies produce different results in terms of wetland area. Class will be held rain or shine!

Presented in cooperation with the Solano Land Trust.

Meals: Not provided. Participants must bring sack lunch each day.
Hiking: Easy, flat terrain.
Start/End: Wednesday, 8:00 am – Friday, 5:00 pm.

Course Fee: $475/$505

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Poaceae — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

May 11 – 12, 2019
Travis Columbus
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). Its members include cool-season and warm-season species, annuals and perennials, natives and exotics, and widespread dominants and rare endemics. This workshop will provide a better understanding of this ubiquitous, species-rich family. Participants will be instructed in detail on the vegetative and reproductive features of grasses. Aspects of anatomy, physiology, and ecology will also be addressed. Most of our time will be spent learning to use the identification keys in the second edition of The Jepson Manual. Special attention will be given to difficult couplets and taxa. In addition, participants will learn how to identify common genera by using diagnostic characteristics. If conditions are favorable, we will go to the field on Sunday afternoon; most of this class will take place in a lab classroom.

Experience required: Some previous plant identification.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for possible field trip (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Saturday, 8:30 am – Sunday, 5:00 pm.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Lupinus

May 17 – 19, 2019
Teresa Sholars
Mendocino College, Fort Bragg, CA

Humbling to botanists for its cryptic diversity and distinguishable beauty amongst the landscape, the genus Lupinus includes 103 taxa in California--more than enough to demand its own workshop! Join us for an in depth look at lupines as we explore a brand new draft key for the genus that is intended to serve as a revision to the current key in the Jepson eFlora. The new California Lupine key is derived from the new, upcoming volume of Fabaceae for the Flora of North America North of Mexico. Using fresh material, herbarium specimens, and slides, we will demystify difficult taxa, review important diagnostic characters, and explain morphological variation observed among individuals. Participants will also get a preview of the upcoming book: A photographic display of California Lupines. Each taxon in the book has a unique description with the following characters: habit, leaves, flower, distinguishing characteristics, flowering time, habitat, elevation, distribution, and special notes. During the workshop we will also cover topics in lupine ecology, ethnobotany, specialized terminology and morphology, as well as the interesting case of the single leaf lupines (not present in CA). Participants are encouraged to bring both fresh and dried specimens to work on.

Meals and lodging not provided.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for possible field trip (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Friday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

California’s Native Bees: Biology, Ecology, and Identification

May 31 – June 2, 2019
Gordon Frankie, Robbin Thorp, Rollin Colville, and Jaime Pawelek
Hastings Natural History Reservation, Carmel Valley, California

Are you interested in learning more about the most important pollinators in your gardens? California’s native bees are extremely diverse (about 1,600 species) and are critical for providing ecosystem services not only in wild habitats but also in agricultural and urban settings.

This course will provide an introduction to native bee biology and ecology, and methods used to study them. Participants will learn how to observe, collect, pin, and label bees for permanent storage in museums. They will also be given an opportunity to learn some general field ID characteristics. Evening lectures on a variety of related topics will add to the field experiences.

Participants will also learn about bees' flower preferences, pollen and nectar behavior, information on how to create a bee-friendly garden, and bee photography techniques. There will be an opportunity to purchase California Bees and Blooms; G. Frankie, R. Thorp, R. Coville, and B. Ertter's 2014 book on urban CA bees and their preferred flowers.

Please note that this workshop involves collecting and killing insects for scientific study. Read more about the value of scientific insect collections.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bunk beds and bathrooms with showers and flush toilets. Tent camping will also be available.
Meals: Catered meals included.
Hiking: Easy.
Start/End: Friday, 1:00 pm (optional Friday morning scouting field sites with Gordon) – Sunday, 2:00 pm.

Course Fee: $475/$505

This workshop has been approved for 5 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Polemoniaceae

May 31 – June 2, 2019
Leigh Johnson
UC Berkeley

The phlox family, Polemoniaceae, is not large compared to many flowering plant families, yet its members are frequently encountered in the spring and summer floras of diverse California plant communities. Combined with a range of variation in floral form and a rich background of scientific inquiry, getting to know the genera and species of this family is rewarding. California is particularly rich in Polemoniaceae diversity, with 17 of 22 temperate genera and about 70% of the temperate species occurring within its borders. Key features for sight recognition of genera will be highlighted, including characters that distinguish Aliciella and Saltugilia from Gilia, and Linanthus from Leptosiphon. Features that delimit major groups within some of the more diverse genera such as Gilia and Navarrretia will also be emphasized. Freshly collected material and recently pressed specimens will be provided for hands-on keying using the second edition of The Jepson Manual (TJM2), and participants are encouraged to also bring any specimens in this family to try to key. The phylogenetic basis for the classification system used in TJM2 for Polemoniaceae and some interesting examples of cryptic speciation within Californian Polemoniaceae will also be discussed.

Experience required: Some previous plant identification required.
Start/End: Friday, 2:00 pm – Sunday, 5:00 pm.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Sky Island Flora of the White Mountains — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

July 11 – 14, 2019
Jim Morefield and Dylan Neubauer
White Mountain Research Center, Bishop and Crooked Creek

The White Mountains are located at the southwest corner of the Great Basin floristic region, and their geologic and habitat diversity, high relief (spanning 4,000-14,246 feet elevation), and proximity to the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert all contribute to an unusually rich and well-documented flora of over 1,100 taxa. They are also known for the oldest living trees, the highest point in Nevada, and the third highest peak in California. By mid-July, the subalpine and alpine floras are coming into their peak blooming periods.

Through driving tours (up to 50 miles each day) and easy to moderate hikes (up to 4 miles), participants will have the opportunity to explore the southern half of the White Mountains, observing and identifying diverse plants and learning to recognize various geologic and ecologic settings that influence species distributions and adaptations. Thursday morning, we will start from Bishop and stop at several points up the elevation gradient to our weekend base station at Crooked Creek (10,000 feet). Friday and Saturday will be spent visiting wetland and upland sites in various geologic settings at elevations up to 13,000 feet, depending on seasonal conditions. Sunday morning will include additional field time before our final lunch stop as we leave the mountains.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bathrooms.
Meals: Provided by field station.
Transportation: Vehicles must have good clearance and sturdy tires (including spare!). Carpooling possible. High clearance 4x4 with extra passenger space preferred.
Hiking: Easy to difficult: If we go up any steep and/or rocky hillsides, it will be very slowly while we look at plants, and the distances will be pretty short.
Start/End: Thursday morning – Sunday afternoon.

Participants should use their discretion if they will be able to adjust quickly to hiking at elevations above 10,000 feet.

Course Fee: $550/$580

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

A Klamath Range Study in Contrasts: Castle Crags Granitics and Eddys Ultramafics — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

July 29 – August 1, 2019
Julie Nelson and Heath Bartosh
U.M. Shasta Camp, Mount Shasta, California

The word is out! The eastern Klamath Mountains are a cornucopia of rock types that are richly endowed with California native plants and vegetation communities. This workshop will observe vegetation and species similarities and differences between two nearby locations with different geology of igneous and metamorphic origin. Each site has endemic plant species that do not occur at the other site. Species richness is high! In addition, northerly latitudes and high elevations offer an atypical opportunity to see this richness deep into the growing season. With a July date for the workshop, we will see a suite of late flowering summer species in bloom, including unusual grasses, sedges, rushes, gentians, aster family members, Eriogonum, and Parnassia. We will also observe species in fruit that we usually encounter in flower. And, of course, the Klamath Range is known for a high density of different cone-bearing tree species in a small area. This diversity of conifers will also be seen, including the Klamath Range endemic, Port-Orford-cedar. This workshop has it all—towering rock outcrops and lush wetlands (including fens and montane lakes) will also be highlights of our days in the field enjoying this little region of the Klamath nestled in the headwaters of the Shasta and Sacramento Rivers.

Accommodations: Shared, rustic rooms with cots at U.M. Shasta Camp. Tent camping will also be available.
Meals: Catered meals included.
Transportation: Personal vehicle required for field trips (carpooling possible).
Hiking: Moderate to occasionally strenuous.
Start/End: Monday, 4:00 pm – Thursday, 12:00 pm.

Limited enrollment available—priority will be given to those who were registered for this workshop in 2018 before it was canceled due to wildfire.

Course Fee: $550/$580

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

North Coast Seaweed Frolic

August 1 – 4, 2019
Kathy Ann Miller
Mendocino College Coastal Field Station, Point Arena

This workshop will focus on the common intertidal seaweeds in the vicinity of Point Arena, a wild and diverse area that serves as a good representative of the northern California coast. Our home base at the Mendocino College Coastal Field Station provides easy access to the field. The low tides on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are in the morning (~7:00 am, 7:40 am, and 8:20 am, respectively); we will try to get out to each site at least a half hour before the low tide. In the field, we will observe seaweed ecology and collect representative specimens. We will take a closer look at our catch in the lab during the afternoons to study seaweed form and identity together and to construct an illustrated species list to take home. Beginners and experienced seaweed enthusiasts are welcome. Please bring your camera.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bathrooms.
Meals: Catered meals included.
Start/End: Thursday afternoon – Sunday, 12:00 pm.

Course Fee: $550/$580

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Compositae, Especially Tarweeds — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

August 10 – 11, 2019
Bruce Baldwin
UC Berkeley

Beginning with an overview of morphological characteristics of composites (family-wide), including a review of terms used in descriptions and keys, we will provide a synopsis of diversity within Compositae and a brief introduction to recognition of tribes. Then, we will concentrate on identifying the diversity of summer/fall—flowering composites (especially tarweeds) that go unnoticed by spring-oriented botanists and will consider their evolutionary relationships and natural history. We hope this workshop will provide participants with botanical enthusiasm for California’s second spring, well after the last of the early-season bloom fades. This workshop does not include a field trip. Familiarity with a dissecting microscope and experience using dichotomous keys is useful but not essential.

Experience required: Some previous plant identification.
Start/End: Saturday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 5:00 pm.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

Some Like It Hot: Late Summer Flora of the Eastern Mojave Highlands — Workshop is full! Wait list only.

September 19 – 22, 2019
Jim André and Tasha La Doux
Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center

The Eastern Mojave Desert represents one of the most floristically diverse regions in California. This incredible diversity is, in part, due to the region’s proximity to the North American Monsoon and its prominent summer rainfall regime. Approximately 10% of eastern Mojave annuals are considered “summer annuals,” species that germinate following summer rainfall. In addition, more than 25% of perennial species in this region flower in late summer/early fall. Examples of plant families that respond to summer rain include: Nyctaginaceae, Amaranthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Polygonaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae. This course will introduce botanists to the ecology and taxonomy of the diverse late summer/early fall flora in the eastern Mojave Desert, with special emphasis on rare or unique species. Through field observation, lab identification, and evening presentations, participants will gain a better understanding for the major plant families that comprise the hot-season flora. This field-intensive workshop is intended for botanists with moderate to advanced taxonomic training, but also for those with an interest in learning more about this seldom-seen component of California’s flora. Field trips will target the mid to higher elevations of the Mojave National Preserve, planned in accordance to optimal blooming conditions.

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bathrooms. Tent camping will also be available.
Meals: Catering included.
Transportation: Vehicles must have good clearance and sturdy tires (including spare!). Carpooling possible. High clearance 4x4 with extra passenger space preferred.
Hiking: Easy to moderate; short hikes in sometimes rugged terrain.
Start/End: Thursday afternoon – Sunday 12:00 pm.

Course Fee: $570/600

This workshop has been approved for 7 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

GIS for Botanists

September 20 – 22, 2019
Heather Constable and Michelle Koo
Blue Oak Ranch Reserve, near San Jose

Join our introductory GIS (Geographic Information System) workshop where we will provide the fundamentals in software and concepts to create maps and conduct simple analyses. You will learn to map points, lines, and polygons with rasters for fun or work. We will cover the fundamentals in geography, mapping, land cover, and other spatial data, both working in a modern internet-accessible lab as well as in the field. We will learn how to use Quantum GIS program, where to get freely available data, and how to make maps. GIS need not be expensive or require a lot of specialized tools; we will teach the basics of the spatial technology necessary to answer questions about biodiversity, conservation, ecology, and related fields. The goal of this workshop is to provide skills on how GIS can be used to maximize projects for botanists, naturalists, and consultants working with field or historic data. This course will use Quantum GIS, a free, open-source GIS program that is PC, Mac, or Linux compatible. We ask you bring your own laptop so you will be able to leave with a fully operational GIS workflow by the end of the workshop. We invite you to spend a fun-filled weekend devoted to mapping!

Accommodations: Shared dormitories with bathrooms. Tent camping will also be available.
Meals: Not provided; an organized potluck will be planned. Large group kitchen with food storage, appliances, and potable water available for use.
Start/End: Saturday, 9:00 am – Sunday, 3:00 pm. Participants have the option of arriving on Friday evening.

Course Fee: $350/$380

This workshop has been approved for 4 Professional Development Credits by the California Consulting Botanist Board of Certification

About Our Instructors

Jim André has served as Director of the University of California’s Granite Mountains Desert Research Center since 1994. Jim’s academic training is in plant ecology, taxonomy, and rare plant population biology. With 35 years of experience conducting floristic studies throughout the desert southwest, Jim has contributed 45,000 herbarium specimens and discovered and published several species new to science. He is author of floras of the Mojave National Preserve and San Bernardino County Desert Region (in press), and is currently working on a Flora of the Mojave Desert, a lifelong endeavor that spans four states. Jim has been a strong advocate for native plant conservation and serves as the Senior Advisor to the California Native Plant Society’s Rare Plant Program. He is a frequent lecturer and field instructor, and has taught numerous workshops through the Jepson Herbarium at UC Berkeley.

Heath Bartosh is Co‐Founder and Senior Botanist of Nomad Ecology, based in Martinez, California, and a Research Associate at the University and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley. After graduating from Humboldt State University, Heath began his career as a professional botanist in 2002 and has been an earnest student of the California flora for nearly 20 years. His general research interests are in California vascular plant floristics with a focus on distribution, soil and geologic relationships, endemism, regional and local rarity, and habitat conservation. At a more specific level, his primary interests are floristics of the California Coast Ranges and the fire-following annual plant species found there. His research on post-fire floras focuses on the composition and duration of the eruptive dominance and subsequent fleeting abundance of annual plant species at regional scales within the California Coast Ranges. In 2009, he also became a member of the Rare Plant Program Committee at the state level of CNPS, helping to develop current and accurate information on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of California's rare and endangered plants and promoting the use of this information to influence plant conservation in California.

Bruce G. Baldwin is Curator of the Jepson Herbarium and Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. Bruce received his Ph.D. in Botany at UC Davis in 1989. His research emphasizes systematics (including the use of biosystematic, molecular, and phylogenetic methods) of Californian vascular-plant groups, especially our native Compositae. He is Convening Editor of the Jepson Flora Project, which has produced The Jepson Desert Manual (2002), the second edition of The Jepson Manual (2012), and the online Jepson eFlora since he arrived at Berkeley in 1994.

Linda Beidleman has an M.S. in Biology from Rice University. She is co-author of Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region and Plants of Rocky Mountain National Park. She has worked with the California Native Plant Society, especially as co-supervisor for the CNPS East Bay plant nursery. Linda has taught short flora and ornithology courses for the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.

Travis Columbus is a Research Scientist at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Professor of Botany at the Claremont Graduate University. He received a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, where he studied Bouteloua and related taxa. His current research focuses on the evolution and classification of the grass subfamily Chloridoideae.

Heather Constable is a GIS enthusiast, who has taught multiple workshops around the world in GIS, mapping, museum science, and biodiversity informatics. She is currently the coordinator for the Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology. Heather's publications, including her research on marine population genetics, can be found on Google Scholar.

Gordon Frankie is Professor of Insect Biology in the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. in Entomology from UC Berkeley. His research interests are in plant reproductive biology, pollination ecology, and solitary-bee biology. His field research is split equally between California and the seasonally dry tropical forests of Costa Rica. He teaches both lecture and field courses in Applied Conservation Biology at UC Berkeley and in Costa Rica.

Allyson Greenlon (née Ayalon) is the Public Programs Coordinator for the Jepson Herbarium. She received her B.S. in Plant Biology and M.S. in Horticulture & Agronomy, with an emphasis in Public Horticulture and Curatorial Science, at UC Davis. She has worked for both the UC Davis Arboretum & Public Garden and the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity (herbarium), and, as such, she developed a love for both living and dead plant collections, respectively. She has taught lab components of many botany and horticulture courses at UC Davis, as well as basic botany workshops through the Jepson Workshop program. Her greatest joy is to share her love of plants with others and ignite conservation through education.

Terry Huffman was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's (Corps) Chief Wetlands Scientist responsible for the development of technology directed toward assisting the Corps's Regulatory Program. While at the Corps’ Environmental Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Dr. Huffman developed the wetlands definition currently in use by the Corps and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Regulatory Program and conducted research and development activities which pioneered the use of multiple field indicators to determine the presence of wetland vegetation, soil, and hydrology conditions. This seminal work led to the development of the wetland delineation methodology in use by the Corps and EPA today. As noted in the preface to the Corps’ 1987 Wetlands Delineation Manual, Part II of the Manual is based on Dr. Huffman’s 1980 paper entitled Multiple Parameter Approach to the Field Identification and Delineation of Wetlands. He has also served as a technical member for the Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (RWQCB)Technical Advisory Team, which developed state wetlands, stream, and riparian definitions; identification criteria, indicator methodology; and technical memorandum for RWQCB regulatory use. Founder of the private consulting firm Huffman-Broadway Group, he has conducted wetland and other waters (aquatic resources) jurisdictional boundary determinations using various agency required methodologies, reviewed and developed regulatory programs and procedures, and developed evidence for litigation and provided expert testimony.

Leigh Johnson is a Professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, with over 25 years of field experience with Polemoniaceae in California and the western U.S. At BYU, he teaches courses in plant classification and identification, general botany, and species-level systematics. His research interests include species delimitation, phylogeny, phylogeography, comparative morphology, and conservation genetics. He has contributed to the Tree of Life Project, the second edition of The Jepson Manual, and Flora of North America North of Mexico.

Ken Kellman is a Field Associate at the California Academy of Sciences who has been studying bryophytes since 1995. Ken has published a catalog of the mosses of Santa Cruz County, California, and is currently working on a catalog of the bryophytes of Monterey County. He is largely self-taught, which puts him in the position of understanding how to teach and encourage beginning bryologists.

Michelle S. Koo is the Biodiversity Informatics and GIS Staff Curator at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), UC Berkeley. At the MVZ, she manages the informatics lab, archives, and collections database with other staff curators, while also collaborating on several informatics projects. She is the associate director of AmphibiaWeb. Her current research includes mapping endemism hotspots and regions of rapid evolutionary diversification in terrestrial vertebrates of California, essentially applying spatial analysis to understanding the biogeography and phylogeography of vertebrates. She spent almost a decade conducting herpetological surveys in the western U.S. for the California Academy of Sciences before coming to UC Berkeley.

Tasha La Doux attended UC San Diego to receive her B.S. in Ecology, Behavior, & Evolution in 1995, then received a Ph.D. in Botany from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (Claremont Graduate University) in 2004. She started working for the UC Natural Reserve System in 2007, continues to serve as the park botanist for Joshua Tree NP, and holds a Research Associate position at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. She has worked as a botanist in the arid lands of the Southwest since 1998 with special focus on plant mating systems, population genetics, desert floristics, and rare plant monitoring. Her floristic work at Joshua Tree National Park over the last 15 years has resulted in over 120 newly added species to the flora, and 1000’s of new rare plant localities, range extensions, and new county records. Over the years, she has been invited to numerous events to speak on desert floristics, taught many botanical workshops, and she leads 100’s of students each year on field trips in the California deserts.

Kathy Ann Miller has loved seaweeds since her first phycology class in 1976 at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. She earned her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Botany at UC Berkeley with Paul C. Silva and Donald Kaplan as her advisors. Her extensive time in the field over the last 40 years and her dedication to making specimens for the herbarium are the foundation of her knowledge of the seaweed flora of California. Kathy Ann is the Curator of Algae at the University Herbarium, UC Berkeley.

Brent D. Mishler is Director of the University and Jepson Herbaria as well as a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, where he teaches courses in plant systematics and plant diversity. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1984. His research interests are in the systematics, evolution, and ecology of bryophytes, especially the diverse moss genus Tortula, as well as in the phylogeny of green plants and theory of systematics.

Jim Morefield found love at first sight for the White Mountains while attending Deep Springs College between 1979-1981, which was followed by a B.S. in Botany and Geology at Northern Arizona University in 1986, and Ph.D. in Systematic Botany, focusing on Stylocline and Asteraceae, at Claremont Graduate University in 1992. Since then, he has been Lead Botanist for the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, specializing in rare plants of Nevada and the Great Basin, the flora of the White Mountains, and more broadly the desert flora of North America. He has contributed to several treatments of genera within the Asteraceae for both the Jepson Manual and the Flora of North America North of Mexico.

Dylan Neubauer has spent seven summers botanizing in the White Mountains. She is working on an annotated checklist of vascular plants in the vicinity of the UC White Mountain Research Center Crooked Creek Station.

Julie Nelson has spent her career promoting the discovery, enjoyment, and conservation of the flora of the western United States. Since 1989 she has been Forest Botanist for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in far Northern California. Before that, she started the Berry Botanic Garden Seed Bank for Rare and Endangered Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Julie’s current focus is to encourage exploration and understanding of the Klamath Mountains flora. In recent years, she has collaborated on publishing several newly discovered plants of the Klamath Mountains, including Shasta huckleberry (Vaccinium shastense), Shasta maidenhair fern (Adiantum shastense), and Shasta fawn lily (Erythronium shastense). She instigated a taxonomic overhaul of the stonecrop Sedum section Gormania group, resulting so far in publication of Sedum citrinum and S. kiersteadiae; several other new taxa and a field guide to sedums and their relatives in California and Oregon will be published soon. Julie has contributed over 2,300 free-use photos to CalPhotos and many hundreds of voucher specimens from the Klamath and Cascade Ranges to California herbaria

Hugh Safford is Regional Ecologist for the USDA-Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region (California, Hawaii, Pacific territories), and a member of the research faculty in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis. Hugh manages a staff of Forest Service ecologists that provide expertise in vegetation, fire, and restoration ecology, climate change, inventory, and monitoring to the 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region. The Safford Lab at UC Davis ( https://saffordlab.wordpress.com/ ) is focused on applied ecological support to resource and fire management in California, neighboring states, and other Mediterranean climate regions. Hugh is director of the Sierra Nevada section of the California Fire Science Consortium, co-chairman of the California Research Natural Areas committee, and serves on science advisory boards for a number of national environmental collaboratives and NGOs. Safford provides international technical assistance on fire, forest management, and climate change issues in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Program of the Forest Service. Hugh is a current Fulbright Global Scholars Program fellow, studying post-fire ecosystem restoration practices in the Mediterranean Basin. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis in 1999.

Teresa Sholars is an Adjunct Professor and Curator at the Herbarium and Natural History Collection, Mendocino College Coast Center; Professor Emeritus from College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg; and retired botanical and ecological consultant. She is co-author of the treatment for (perennial) Lupinus in the first edition of The Jepson Manual, author of Lupinus in the second edition of The Jepson Manual, and also author of new (perennial) Lupinus treatment for Flora of North America North of Mexico. She is the Rare Plant Chair as well as Vegetation Chair for the Dorothy King Young Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

Michael G. Simpson is a Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Diego State University (SDSU) and curator of the SDSU Herbarium. His area of expertise is taxonomy, the description, identification, naming, and classification of plants, plant systematics, inferring the pattern of evolutionary history (phylogeny) of plants, and floristics, assessing the taxon composition of a given region. His research has centered on the monocot family Haemodoraceae, and his current research focus is on the biogeography, evolution, and taxonomy of the Amsinckiinae, a subtribe of the family Boraginaceae. He also studies biogeographic patterns and processes of plants with an American amphitropical distribution (AAD), occurring in North America and South America but not in the intervening tropics. Dr. Simpson currently coordinates and co-teaches a spring course at SDSU called “Field Botany of San Diego County.” He is author of the widely used textbook Plant Systematics (Elsevier-Academic Press, 2006; 2nd ed. 2010), which received the 2006 Gleason Award given by the New York Botanical Garden.

Robbin Thorp is Professor Emeritus, Department of Entomology, UC Davis. He received a B.S. and an M.S. in zoology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his Ph.D. in entomology from UC Berkeley. During his tenure on the faculty at UC Davis, he taught courses in entomology, natural history of insects, insect classification, California insect diversity, and pollination ecology until his retirement in 1994. His continued research interests include ecology, systematics, biodiversity, conservation, and biology of bees.

Keir Wefferling is a postdoctoral research fellow studying fern systematics, cytology, and biogeography in the lab of Carl Rothfels at UC Berkeley. Before coming to Cal, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he studied sub-alpine marsh-marigolds (Caltha, Ranunculaceae) in western North America. Fieldwork for his doctoral degree brought him to the Sierra Nevada, the Southern Cascades, and the Klamath–Siskiyous of California. Before formally studying botany, Keir grew up in the Pacific Northwest, exploring first the mountain ranges and volcanoes around Seattle, then islands in the Salish Sea both south and north of the international border. He has taught vascular plant morphology and systematics (i.e., evolutionary relationships of plant families) to undergraduate and graduate students.