Join Arvind Kumar and Ashok Jethanandani for a Beginner’s Plant Identification walk along Alum Rock Park’s South Rim Trail. This year’s steady and long precipitation patterns have produced an extended and floriferous wildflower season. We expect to see clarkia, dudleya, soap lily, sticky monkeyflower, blue witch, hillside gooseberry, blue elderberry, buckeye and holly- leaved cherry in bloom. We will also encounter coffeeberry, holly-leaved redberry, toyon, bay laurel, gray pine and majestic native oaks.

We’ll cover 2 miles distance with 600’ of elevation gain/loss. Wear good walking/hiking shoes. Bring a sack lunch and plenty of fluids. We will return to the parking lot by 3pm.

Reservations are required. Please RSVP at www.meetup.com (“California Native Plant Society – Santa Clara Valley Chapter”) or through the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) Events page www.openspaceauthority.org/visitors/events.html. This plant walk is jointly organized by CNPS and OSA.

Alum Rock Park is located at 15350 Penitencia Creek Road in San Jose. We’ll meet outside the Youth Science Institute building at 9:45am. See directions at the Meetup or OSA listing. Parking is $6.