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California Native Plant Society

Santa Clara Valley Chapter

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Berries for Birds: A Beginner’s Plant ID & Habitat Walk 
Sunday, November 05, 2023 10:00am
 

Fall is the time when seeds and fruit of many native plants ripen and mature. This coincides with the start of the wet season, maximizing the potential for germination and propagation of the species. The fruit and seed bonanza sustains a wide variety of wildlife, including many types of birds and mammals. Some fauna play a key role in the dispersal and improved germination of these plants.

Join Arvind Kumar and Ashok Jethanandani on this beginner’s plant ID and habitat walk to look for a variety of native berries and fruit such as oak acorns, bay laurel nuts, buckeye nuts, holly-leaved cherries and a wide range of berries: madrone, manzanita, toyon, poison oak, coffeeberry, honeysuckle, elderberry, redberry and snowberry. Beginners interested in plant identification are welcome; prior knowledge of native plants or botany is not required.

Note: we will focus on the wildlife value of these fruits, not on their edibility for humans. Picking plant material of any kind is prohibited in Open Space Authority lands.

Wear good hiking shoes. Bring a hat, a bag lunch and plenty of water/fluids. Drinking water is not available in the preserve. Dress in layers, and appropriately for late fall weather. Heavy rain cancels. We will walk the Mayfair Ranch Trail-Longwall Canyon Trail loop. The distance covered is 4.3 miles with 500’ of elevation gain. Meet in the preserve parking lot at 10am.

Space is limited. No drop-ins please. To complete the required RSVP, please visit our Chapter’s Meetup page. Driving directions and parking tips are provided on the Meetup page.

Or you may reserve your spot at the OSA Events page: page: www.openspaceauthority.org/visitors/events.html.

Location Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve (Morgan Hill)