Collaboration, Diversity, and Partnerships in Northern California Botany
Northern California Botanists hosted its 13th botanical symposium on January 13-14, 2025, on the campus of California State University in Chico. Optional workshops were held on Wednesday, January 15. A 2-day schedule of presentations by working botanists included sessions on Collaboration and Partnerships, Coastal Botany, Oak Restoration and Conservation, Pollinators and their Mutualism with Northern California Wildflowers, Locally Rare Plants, Now the Good News, New Discoveries, a dedicated poster session, and a session of Lightning Talks. This year's program can be opened by clicking on the program cover on the left side of this page or view the 2025 NCB Symposium Program here.
Wednesday workshops included a field trip on Riparian and floodplain habitat restoration at Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park led by Michael Rogner, River Partners and Ryan Martin, California Department of Parks and Recreation and a workshop on “Employing Climate Resilient Restoration Tools for Plant Selection” taught by Justin Luong, Kerry Byrne, Ernesto Chavez-Velasco, Cal Poly Humboldt and Erika Foster, Point Blue Conservation Science.
We will be posting videos of the talks in the near future. Scroll to the Poster Session section for pdfs of many of the posters presented at the Symposium.
And of course, we couldn't do this without our Sponsors! Thank you to everyone who donated and helped put the 2025 Symposium on.
Congratulations to our Student Poster Winners!
- First Place - Evan Fotakis, West Valley College
- Second Place - Garrett Goodrich, Claremont Graduate University
- Third Place - Rachel Tageant, Claremont Graduate University
- Third Place - Tawny Bolinas, California State University, Chico
- Third Place - Lynn Breithaupt, University of California, Merced
Symposium Presentations
Videos of the talks are available on our YouTube Channel or by clicking on the talk titles below. Click on the PDF to view a copy of their presentation. Abstracts of the talks can be found in the Symposium Program starting on Page 9.
Session 1: Collaboration and Partnership
Session Chair: Kerry Byrne, Cal Poly Humboldt
- Building Collaborations and Partnerships Along the North Coast. PDF
Crystal Kunz, Bureau of Land Management, Arcata Field Office - The Evolution of Public/Private Sector Partnerships for Building a Locally Sourced Seed. PDF
Ed Kleiner, Comstock Seeds - Collaborative Conservation: Community Action to Transform Sausal Creek. PDF
Kate Berlin, Friends of Sausal Creek - Ecological Restoration, Workforce Development, and Community Stewardship at Heron's Head, San Francisco Bay. PDF
Patrick Marley Rump, Literacy for Environmental Justice
Session 2: Coastal Botany: Plant Life, Restoration, and Management
Session Chair: Karen Holl, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Reintroduction of the Ben Lomond Wallflower (Erysimum teretifolium): Experimental Examination of the Roles of Soil Disturbance, Genetic Factors, and Habitat Conditions in Recovering an Endangered Plant Endemic to the Santa Cruz Sandhills. PDF
Jodi McGraw, Jodi McGraw Consulting - Restoring Coastal Grassland on Deeply Scraped Soils in Monterey County, California. PDF
Andrea Woolfolk, Elkhorn Slough National Research Reserve - Asilomar State Beach and Fort Ord Dunes State Park Restoration: Compare and Contrast the Past and Future. PDF
Amanda Preece and Nicole Leatherman, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Monterey District - Restoration of Native Coastal Salt Marsh and Dune Mat Communities at the Ocean Ranch Unit of the Eel River Wildlife Area, Humboldt County, California. PDF
Kelsey McDonald, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Session 3: Oak Restoration and Conservation
Session Chair: Nicole Jurjavcic, Stillwater Sciences
- Conifer Encroachment and Removal in Oak Woodlands: Influences on Ecosystem Physiology and Biodiversity. PDF
Lucy Kerhoulas, Cal Poly Humboldt - Novel Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Conserving Drought-Adaptive Blue Oak Genotypes in California. PDF
Alissa Fogg, Point Blue Conservation Science - Mediterranean Oak Borer and Other Pests and Diseases of Oaks. PDF
Michael Jones, U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cooperative Extension, Mendocino County. - North Coast Oak Woodland Restoration: Oregon White Oak and Black Oak Tree Response to Release from Douglas-fir Encroachment. PDF
Yana Valachovic, U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cooperative Extension, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
Session 4: New Discoveries
Session Chair: Len Lindstrand III, Sierra Pacific Industries
- Rediscoveries, Range Extensions, and Otherwise Notable Collections while Creating the Upcoming Flora of Nevada County. PDF
Shane Hanofee - A New Subspecies of Oenothera deltoides from the Eastern Antioch Dunes Sand Sheet in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Region. PDF
Molly Ferrell, California Department of Water Resources - Newly Described Atriplex gypsophila (Chenopodiaceae) and a Summary of the Annual Atriplex Species of California's Great Valley. PDF
Rob Preston - A New Carex for California: Carex holmgreniorum. PDF
Steve Matson
Session 5: Lightning Talks
Session Chair: Kristen Kaczynski, California State University, Chico
- Mysteries in the Mountains: the Flora of the McGee Creek Watershed, Mono County. PDF
Matthew Yamamoto, California Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University - Maintaining Healthy Stands of Stipa pulchra Using Fire and Grazing. PDF
Julia Michaels, Hedgerow Farm - Klamath Mountains Vegetation Mapping and Classification. PDF
Annie Allen, Cal Poly Humboldt - Post-Fire Seed Predation in a Mixed Conifer Forest. PDF
Victoria Mattsson, University of California, Davis - Visual Preferences of Stakeholders Along the Sacramento River. PDF
Brook Constantz, University of California, Santa Cruz - The Davis Rewilding Society: Lessons Learned from a Native Plant Student Organization. PDF
Kees Hood, University of California, Davis - High Elevation Jeffrey Pine in the Southern Sierra Nevada. PDF
Hugh Safford, University of California, Davis
Keynote Speaker
- Patrick Reynolds, Heritage Growers and River Partners
Title of Talk: Production of Seed Ecotypes to Support Diverse Large-scale Conservation Efforts in California. PDF
Session 7: Landscape Level Fire
Session Chair: Jane Van Susteren, California Board of Forestry
- Evaluation of Effects of the Dixie Forest Fire on the Ephemeral Geophytes, Dicentra uniflora and Dicentra pauciflora (Papaveraceae) at Three Long-Term Study Sites in Butte County, Northern California. PDF
Halkard Mackey - Manzanita Shrubs and Specialist Gall Aphids on Sites Recovering from Wildfire at Big Chico Creek Preserve. PDF
Don Miller, California State University, Chico - Fire and Vegetation Trends and Cycles in the Southern Mayacamas. PDF
Arthur Dawson, Baseline Consulting - Pírish stewardship: informal observations on the effect of repeated fire for plants stewardship at a Karuk-owned site.
Heather Rickard, Karuk Tribe, Department of Natural Resources
Session 8: Pollinators and their Mutualism with Northern California Wildflowers
Session Chair: Rebecca Nelson, University of California, Davis
- Floral Associations Documented in the California Bumble Bee Atlas. PDF
Dylan Winkler, California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Acquisition and Environmental Filtering of Introduced Floral Microbes in the Blue Orchard Bee, Osmia lignaria. PDF
Alexia Martin, University of California, Davis - Cross-Ecosystem Effects of Plant Invasions on Serpentine Plant-Pollinator Networks. PDF
Rebecca Nelson, University of California, Davis - Pesticide Contamination of Butterfly Host Plants in the Modified Landscapes of California's Central Valley. PDF
Angie Lenard, University of Nevada, Reno
Session 9: Now the Good News
Session Chair: Russell Huddleston, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Coastal Prairie Restoration and the Recovery of Endangered Western Lily (Lilium occidentale) at Table Bluff Ecological Reserve in Humboldt County, California. PDF
Kelsey McDonald, California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Why the Calflora Database if Such Good News. PDF
Cynthia Powell, Calflora - Mapping Individual Vernal Pools with the California Central Valley. PDF
Regan Murray, San Francisco Estuary Institute - Conservation Seed Collection for Rare Species Impacted by the Caldor Fire: Retractile Roots and Community Science Among the Lava Caps of Eldorado National Forest. PDF
Kristen Nelson, California Native Plant Society
Poster Session
Below are links to some of the posters presented at the symposium. Poster abstracts can be found in the Symposium Program starting on Page 23, listed alphabetically by presenting author name.
Site-specific variation in plant functional traits across microhabitats under solar panels in coastal grasslands. Abundis, G., Alfaro, C., Holey, L., Brito-Bersi, T., and Luong, J.
Coast redwood seedling survival across multiple years in regions modeled as no longer suitable for redwood establishment. Adams, J., Leonard, H., Belardes, D., Buckley, J., Clay, S., Crannell, M., Diaz, G., Ding, J., Ho, J., Luke, C., Mackenzie, M., Martinson, I., McCarthy, T., Wanless, C., Zarza, M., and Geary, M.
Pyrodiversity: prescribed fire intensity and the fuels that are left behind in California’s maritime chaparral. Allen, J., Ren, X., Brillon, H., Benterou, D., Cook, K., Klofas, A., Yang, B., Grupenhoff, A., Clements, C., and Wilkin, K.
Pine Hill Preserve - a biodiversity hotspot in El Dorado County. Ayres, D., and Meyers, V.
The effects of fire intensity on soil microbial communities and ectomycorrhizal fungi in Blue Oak Woodlands. Berdeja, M., and Cobian, G.
Priority effects of foliar fungal endophytes in leaf litter decomposition. Bolinas, T. and Cobian, G.
Evaluating local adaptation to drought in Erythranthe guttata across temporal and spatial scales. Breithaupt, L., and Sexton, J.
Drought weakens negative plant-soil feedback in medusahead. Forero, L., Halbrook, S., Watkins, C., Albert, J., Lange, K., Hallett, L., and Farrer, E.
Coast redwoods with signs of past drought stress make new needles that have modified hydraulic structure by reducing surface waxiness. Fotakis, E., Diaz, G., Ganesh, A., Grabbe, B., Lemas, M., McCarthy, T., Walters, L., Zarza, M., and Geary, M.
Assessing the impacts of drought and woody debris on Pleuropogon hooverianus development. Gomez, K., Brito-Bersi, T., and Luong, J.
Assessing soil properties under solar microgrids in coastal grasslands. Hernandez, C.A., Abundis, G., Holey, L., Brito-Bersi, T., and Luong, J.
Salvage and transplantation of Coast Lily, Swamp Harebell, and Point Reyes Ceanothus from roadside habitat in Sonoma County. Hiss, A., Dvorak, N., Carson, R., and Wentworth, S.
A preliminary look at species composition across Californian wetlands using the Bureau of Land Management's Wetland and Riparian Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Protocol. Huang, M., Martin, L., Hoeft, A., Heine, M. and King, B.
Investigating putative hybrids of Fremontodendron decumbens and F. californicum in the Sierra foothills. Kenny, R., McMahan, W., Ayers, D., Meyer, V., Grotkopp, E., Still, S. and Potter, D.
A functional assessment model for upland habitats: a new tool under development to measure ecological functions of upland habitats in California. Magney, D. and Danner, R.
Fine scale grassland mapping and sampling in select East Bay Regional Parks. McDermott, E., Benson, S., Burnett, B., Robertson, D. and Hammond, M.
Fire effects on the soil seed bank of blue oak woodlands in northern California. Michaelson, G.
The urban threat to Ótakim Séwi (Big Chico Creek). Nielson, S. and Edwards, A.
Seed and seedling functional trait variation across life history and experimental growth media. Shea, M. and Luong, J.
Bushy Lake Eco-Cultural Restoration Project design – integrating cultural keystone species and development of culturally significant plant associations. Stevens, M., Nessen, B., Martinez-Goodwin, D. and von Ehrenkrook, L.
A floristic inventory of the Owens River Headwater Area, Mono County, California. Tageant, R.
City versus country: Changes in Erodium cicutarium floral trait along an urban to rural gradient. Zomorrodi, C., Baragan-Rocha, B., and Lambrecht, S.
Thank you to our Symposium Sponsors!
Sponsors of $1,000 or more
- Bureau of Land Management
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - North Coast Chapter
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - State Office
- ICF Internation
- Kleinfelder
- NativeSeed Group
- Nomad Ecology
- Rincon Consultants, Inc.
- University and Jepson Herbaria (UC/JEPS)
Sponsors of $500 - $999
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - Mount Lassen Chapter
- Ecological Concerns
- John Gibson
- Julie Kierstead
- Lawrence Janeway
- Sierra Pacific Foundation
- Stillwater Sciences
Sponsors of $100 - $499
- California Botanical Society
- California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC)
- California Native Grasslands Association (CNGA)
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - Dorothy King Young Chapter
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - Sacramento Valley Chapter
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS) - Shasta Chapter
- Friends of the Ahart Herbarium
- Halkard Mackey
- Linnea Hanson
- Madrone Ecological Consulting
- Hedgerow Farms
- Heritage Growers / River Partners
2025 Keynote Speaker: Patrick Reynolds
The 2025 Symposium Keynote Speaker was Patrick Reynolds. Pat is the General Manager of Heritage Growers, a non-profit native plant materials production facility that is a part of River Partners. The subject of his talk was “Production of Native Seed Ecotypes to Support Diverse Large-scale Conservation Efforts in California."
Pat Reynolds is a restoration ecologist with more than 30 years of professional experience in the design, implementation and monitoring of habitat restoration projects including the effective use of native seed. He is the Director of River Partners’ Native Seed and Plant program, the former General Manager of Hedgerow Farms and a past Associate Restoration Ecologist at H.T. Harvey & Associates. Pat sits on the board of the California Native Grasslands Association, the Yolo County Planning Commission and is the Restoration Ecologist on the Science and Technical Advisory Committee for the Yolo County Habitat Agency. In the habitat restoration profession, Pat is known for his integrity, friendliness, and habitat restoration expertise. He brings his in-depth knowledge of habitat restoration to every project and particularly enjoys providing recommendations to clients and collaborating with partners.
River Partners was founded in 1999 to change the approach to large-scale habitat restoration in California. After two decades of driving large-scale habitat restoration, they learned that the quality of native seed used on restoration projects matters. Seeds and plants perform better if they originate from wildland locations with similar soils, hydrology and climate to sites being restored. At River Partners, they weren’t always able to obtain locally appropriate seeds for their restoration projects. In 2021, they created a new kind of seed and plant company to fill this gap, thus Heritage Growers was born.
The production of source-identified native seed (seed of known genetic origin) is an essential component of restoring and enhancing resilient, high-quality habitat. The numerous steps required to produce source-identified native seed are complex, detailed, and must be implemented carefully and correctly to produce habitat restoration appropriate native seed. Heritage Growers (HG) has taken on the ambitious task of developing new ecotypes and producing large quantities of source-identified native seed to support conservation efforts in California. HG is a fully integrated restoration-appropriate native seed and native plant producer that includes a wildland seed collection team, a large-scale farming operation with 208 acres of native seed production and growing, a demonstration and research garden, seed cleaning facility, seed storage facility, and a nursery operation all designed to support habitat restoration efforts in California. HG is partnering with Federal, State and local agencies, non-profit organizations, tribes, conservation bankers, restoration contractors and landowners to provide the seed, plants, and guidance needed to successfully establish native vegetation that is appropriate for each restoration project. Pat will take you through the native seed production process, talk to you about the numerous and diverse ways that HG is working with partners to help them achieve their habitat restoration goals while weaving in the many intricacies involved in running a non-profit organization program that provides products that do not follow the economic rules associated with the production and sales of most commodities.