Chico Conference Attracts Experts;
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
