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The CNPS Plant Science Training Program Presents…
Rare Plant Survey Protocols: A Scientific Approach
*May be taken with the CNDDB & BIOS workshop on March 26
Tuesday, March 24 & Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Borges Ranch, Walnut Creek, CA
Instructors: Heath Bartosh, Senior Botanist, Nomad Ecology; Aaron Sims, Rare Plant Botanist, CNPS
Will also include a lecture by Roxanne Bittman, former Coordinator for the California Natural Diversity Database
(CNDDB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Please visit www.cnps.org/workshops for full details on this workshop, instructor bios, and the schedule for the
course.
Target Audience: Professional botanists, ecologists, land managers, resource specialists, academics, and
conservationists. Participants should have an understanding of plant terminology and capable plant identification skills.
Description: This course is designed to approach rare plant surveys using the best scientific information available. This
scientific approach is built on conducting proper background review and literature searches, evaluating ecological
information, assessing annual phenology, appropriate study design based on the scale of the survey area, survey
execution, and adequate documentation of rare plant populations encountered.
This is a two-day course set in the Mount Diablo region, a hot-spot of endemism as well as home to many peripheral
populations of our native flora. Both days will include classroom and field settings where the instructors will cover three
topic areas: preparing for surveys, conducting surveys, and reporting findings. These topics will be discussed based on
applicable botanical survey guidelines. Time spent in the field will be applying the concepts learned during classroom
sessions. A small amount of time will also be spent on the proper methods of collecting voucher specimens. This course
includes a certificate of completion for participants who complete CNDDB forms satisfactorily and pass an open book
exam at the end of the course.
Optional Day 3: The CNDDB & BIOS: Online Resources for Botanists, Biologists, & Ecologists class is a six-hour
course describing the background, purpose, and use of both the CNDDB dataset and the BIOS web-based map viewing
tool (which includes access to the CNDDB). It complements what is learned in the preceding two-day course by
providing detailed instructions on how to effectively utilize the state’s largest repository of rare plant and animal
information. This portion of the course will be held at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) Office of
Training & Development in Sacramento (approx. 1 hour and 15 minute drive from Walnut Creek). Visit
www.cnps.org/workshops for more details on this course.
Participants will learn:
 How to properly prepare and conduct background research prior to initiating rare plant surveys
 How to design and conduct rare plant surveys focusing on the size and topography of the study area, ecological
niches, the importance of reference sites, etc.
 California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CNPS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and other relevant botanical field
survey protocols
 How to use online databases and resources such as: California Natural Diversity Data Base (CNDDB), the CNPS
Online Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants, the Jepson eFlora/Interchange, Consortium of California
Herbaria, among others
 To fill out CNDDB forms correctly and thoroughly
 A brief overview of laws pertaining to rare plants
 A brief overview of voucher specimen collecting techniques
Registration: Visit www.cnps.org/workshops to register for this and other CNPS workshops. Registration fees are
discounted for CNPS members. If you are not a CNPS member, visit www.cnps.org/join to join now and save!
Rare Plant Survey Protocols (2-day course)
CNDDB & BIOS (optional 3rd day)
March 24-25
March 26
CNPS Member Rate
$310
$160
Non-Member Rate
$335
$175
Please visit www.cnps.org/workshops for full details on this workshop, instructor bios, and the schedule for the
course.
Other CNPS Plant Science Workshops in 2015
Visit www.cnps.org/workshops for details, updates, and the latest schedule of offerings.
Workshop
Measuring & Monitoring Plant Populations
Vegetation Mapping
Introduction to Plant Family Identification
Vegetation Rapid Assessment/Rélevé
Introduction to Plant Family Identification
Vegetation Rapid Assessment/Rélevé
CEQA Impact Assessment
Location
Browns Valley
Sacramento Area
Ojai
Yosemite National Park
Truckee
Redding Area
Ventura Area
Dates
April 21-23
TBD
May 6-7
June 3-5
July 6-8
Mid/Late Oct.
Nov. 4-5
If you have questions about this or any other CNPS workshops, please contact Becky Reilly, CNPS Events
Coordinator, at 916-447-2677 x207 or breilly@cnps.org.
These workshops are part of the statewide CNPS Plant Science Training Program and the CNPS Education Program. Our goals are to: (1)
promote the optimal use of good science in the protection of native plants through plant science education, and (2) strengthen the network of
people involved in native plant protection through outreach and education. You may find out more about this program and CNPS, join our
organization, and/or access this and other CNPS workshop announcements on our website, www.cnps.org.