Join Don Thomas along with members of the Santa Clara Valley and Ye rba Buena CNPS Chapters for our fall fountain thistle habitat restorat ion work party near the intersection of I-280 and Hwy. 92. We’ll meet on Saturday, November 21 and work from 10:00am to noon.
Fountain t histle (Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale) is a feder ally endangered plant species that grows in an unusual and specialized habitat – serpentine seeps – and is only found at our work location a nd in a few other nearby locations on the Peninsula.
Fountain th istle’s recovery here is a restoration success story. Once almost comp letely displaced by jubatagrass (Andean pampas grass), it has largely recovered here as a result of the work done by CNPS volunteers. The CN PS project is a cooperative effort of the Santa Clara Valley and Yerba Buena Chapters. However, fountain thistle is still under threat from invasion by new jubata grass seedlings, by other non-native plant s and by woody plants threatening to convert the area to shrubland or woodland. In addition, the bordering dry serpentine zone is habitat to another rare plant, Crystal Springs lessingia (Lessingia arachnoi dea), which is threatened by invasion of yellow star-thistle,&nbs p;fennel, tufted wallaby grass (Rytidosperma caespitosum) and other non-native plants.
Sturdy gloves are recommended; you might al so want to wear long sleeves/pants and bring sunscreen, water, a hat&n bsp;and layered clothing. If you have them, bring tools, such as trowe ls, spades and shovels. Some tools will also be provided.
Sign up on the Chapter’s Meetup page, here: ww w.meetup.com/California-Native-Plant-Society-Santa-Clara-Valley-Chapter/. If heavy rain is forecast, we will move the event to Saturday, November 28, from 10:00am to noo n.
We’ll meet at the end of Lessingia Court in San Mateo. Fo
r more information, contact Don at