Chico Conference Attracts Experts

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Flowers, Shrimp, Birds, and Bees Also Have Their Day

The 2010 Vernal Pool Conference was tremendously successful. It was held in Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s Big Room and tackled the questions posed by the conference title: Vernal Pool Conservation: Research, Progress, and Problems. Is Recovery Possible?

Both attendees and speakers traveled from around the country to participate in the conference and field trips. One such individual works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and came all the way from Mississippi to hear the outstanding presentations made by scientists, government regulators, activists, a rangeland representative, and an attorney (see abstracts). Ellen Bauder of San Diego State University capped off the day with her keynote address during the banquet: Science and vernal pool conservation: research questions, methodologies and applications.
The field trip was held the following day with perfect weather. The participants explored the Meriam Park preserve first and found the local star, Butte County meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica), in rare form. Next the group took in the expanse of the former Bidwell Ranch property from a distance and heard about the 20-year effort to \protect it from 4,000 homes adjacent to Upper Bidwell Park. After lunch, the next stop was the Nature Conservancy’s Vina Plains Preserve where we found the pools teeming with life. The happy group disbanded around 3:30 p.m., departing with broad smiles and buoyed spirits.

The conference would not have been possible without the generous support of the sponsors, friends, and the dedicated Vernal Pool Landscapes Committee. AquAlliance deeply appreciates the contributions of each individual and entity that made the conference such a success!

Conference Sponsors

The Rose Foundation and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
California Department of Fish and Game, Friends of the Herbarium, CSU Chico Institute for Sustainable Development, New Urban Builders, Northern California Botanists, Rawlins Advisory Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Conference Friends

California Native Plant Society, Mount Lassen Chapter, Oxford Suites, the Nature Conservancy, USFWS Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, VernalPools.org

Special Thanks to the Vernal Pool Landscapes Committee and AquAlliance’s Webmaster!

Douglas Alexander, Barbara Castro, Francine Gair, Jake Jacobson, Jenny Marr, Robert Schlising, Joseph Silveira, Elizabeth Warne

Conference Materials

Presentations by Speaker