Join other CNPS members as we celebrate a Chapter tradition of welcom ing the New Year with a walk to and picnic at Franklin Point, which is part of the Año Nuevo State Preserve on the San Mateo County coast. We will be exploring as we casually walk towards Franklin Point, which is the most bo tanically interesting area of the park.

We will be starting from the North Whitehouse Creek Trai lhead which is located south of Pescadero on Highway 1, just north of t he Santa Cruz County line.

We’ll enjoy ocean views, coastal prairie i ncluding silver bur ragweed (Ambrosia chamissonis), California gol denbush (Ericameria ericoides), coastal sagewort (Artemisia py cnocephala) and Argentina anserina (Potentilla anserina); dun e including yellow sand verbena (Abronia latifolia), pink sand ver bena (Abronia umbellata), seaside heliotrope (Heliotropium cur assavicum) and American dunegrass (Eleymus mollis); sea cliff bluff lettuce (Dudleya farinosa), fleshy jaumea (Jaumea carno sa), raptors, songbirds and maybe marine mammals.

As this is a d ay to have fun at the beach with fellow Chapter members, the ending time an d depth of botanical discussion may be extended depending on participants.< /p>

Bring binoculars and layers of clothing for variable coastal conditio ns including wind, sun, precipitation and fog. We will be walking on sand d unes. Bring a lunch or snacks and fluids. Extreme bad weather cancels.

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No drop-ins please. To complete the required RSVP, please visit our Ch apter’s Meetup page at www.meetup.com/California-Native-Pl ant-Society-Santa-Clara-Valley-Chapter. Driving directions and parking tips are provided on the Meetup page.

Before signing up, please read the Año Nuevo State Park restrictions at www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523. Note that there are no ba throoms at Franklin Point. Flush toilets are located at the main entrance o f Año Nuevo State Park, which may require payment to enter. For more infor mation or questions, contact Dee Himes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.