WILDFLOWER HIKES

At Southwestern Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve, Spring 2003

 

From Tony Mann, SWRCMSRP

 

Spring wildflowers and wildlife will be the focus of our naturalist-led hikes at the Southwestern Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve at Lake Skinner. Meet at the Alamos Schoolhouse Interpretive Center located at Lake Skinner Regional Park, 37701 Warren Road near Temecula.

 

Pre-registration is recommended since each hike is limited to 20 participants. Hikes will be held on the 3rd Saturday of each month between February 15th through June 21st at 9:00 a.m. and ending about 12:00 p.m. Depending on the group, the distance we travel may be approximately 3 to 5 miles, with some hilly terrain. Please note that no facilities will be available during the hike. Participants should bring water and other field supplies including hats, field guides, notebooks and binoculars.

 

The cost is $2 per person. Call (909) 926-4119 for reservations or more information.

 

See the March 26th Chapter Meeting Announcement on page 6 for the map and directions to the Reserve.

CNPS Desert Field Trip & Meeting

APRIL 4-6, 2003

 

From Steve Hartman

 

CNPS members are invited to attend a field trip on April 4-6 at Joshua Tree National Park. We will be camping at the Lost Horse Campground, reserved especially for our group. We will have field trips, some weeding, a meeting (Saturday late afternoon / evening), followed by a campfire sing-along / music making session (bring your guitar / fiddle / harmonica / mandolin / drum / etc. if you have one). The meeting is to discuss current environmental issues facing the desert and how CNPS can empower volunteers to get involved. The Friday morning agenda is optional, so it is OK to arrive late Friday afternoon or evening or to arrive Saturday morning before 10am. There has been rainfall in the desert this winter so we are hoping for wildflowers.

 

The tentative agenda will be:

 

Friday, April 4, 8:00am meet at Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve for bird watching and nature walk. At around noon we will leave Big Morongo and drive into Joshua Tree NP as a caravan, stopping along the way if there are flowers, and then on to Lost Horse Campground to set up camp. Friday afternoon will include various hikes in the vicinity of the campground, and Friday night will include a night hike. Lost Horse Campground has a porta-potty but no water.

 

Saturday, April 5. At 10:00am sharp, begin caravan to hiking / weeding locations during the day. Meeting around the campfire in the evening.

 

Sunday, April 6. Drive south to Cottonwood Springs with stops on the way at various places and visit "Native Canyon" to pull weeds, then go home.

 

Please RSVP Steve Hartman at 818-881-3706 or naturebase@aol.com

 

Detailed instructions will be sent via email to all respondents prior to trip.

Mission Creek, a Wildlands Conservancy preserve just north of Palm Springs.

 

Saturday, March 22, 2003, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

The rains promise a great wildflower display with a rich mix of Colorado desert, mojave desert, and some coastal flora. Join us for an exploration of the spring wildflowers – Canterbury bells, blooming ocotillo, beavertail cactus, sand blazing star, and much more  We’ll also explore other areas, and return to our starting point in Palm Springs. We’ll take short walks in the canyons, and exploring roadside areas; no strenuous hikes. Please bring water, snacks & lunch, wear sturdy walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, field guides, camera, hand lens etc.

 

Meet at the BLM Palm Springs Area Field Office parking lot on the west side of the building at 9 a.m. Take the Indian Avenue exit south from the I-10 and turn right at the first signal at Garnet Avenue (Wendy’s & Jack in the Box on corners). The BLM office is 1/2 mile on the north side of Garnet Ave. We’ll carpool to the Mission Creek area.

 

Please call Leaders: Katie Barrows (760) 564-2413 or kate.cnb@verizon.net, or Lorrae Fuentes (909) 625-8767 or Lorrae.Fuentes@cgu.edu.

RSB Chapter does not arrange carpools, but our Chapter Contact will relay phone numbers upon request for persons making their trip arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Contact Person, Carpool Information & Coordination: Sheila McMahon, 909-683-8850