========================================================================
BAY AREA CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
Fall 2000
Geoff Wong, Editor
If you wish to be added or removed from the distribution list, please send
a message to bill_weaver@hp.com. This document is designed for courier 10
point font or equivalent.
========================================================================
========================================================================
NEXT MEETING
Date: November 4, 2000, Saturday
Time: 12:00 Noon
Place: Conservatory, San Francisco
Program: Behind the Scenes Tour of the Conservatory
The Conservatory in San Franciso's Golden Gate Park holds the distinction
of being the world's only surviving wood greenhouse of Victorian
architecture. It was inspired by a visit to Kew Gardens by James Lick, a
local philanthropist also reponsible for the Lick Observatory and other
major Bay Area buildings. The Conservatory, listed on both international
and national historic registers, is also recognized as the second oldest
public conservatory in the United States. In 1995 a vicious windstorm
caused severe damage to the structure, resulting in its closure to visitors
for the past several years. The Conservatory staff has offered BACPS a
rare private tour and preview of the upcoming reconstruction plans. Come
join us for this opportunity to view the carnivorous plant and other exotic
collections that have been hidden from public view for half a decade. We
will also have a chance to see the propagating areas behind the scenes.
Our gathering will start at noon with the usual social, display, and plant
sale. The main activity of the general meeting will be to elect new
officers for next year. The tour will follow, after which the auction,
raffle, and business meeting will be held.
Members are encouraged to bring plants for the display, auction, and
raffle. Due to space and concern about introducing diseases and pests into
the Conservatory, the display, auction, and raffle will be held outdoors in
a space covered by a roof but open on all sides, so please plan
accordingly.
DIRECTIONS: The Conservatory is located in Golden Gate Park on John F.
Kennedy Drive just west of Stanyan Street. From either the Bay Bridge or
Peninsula follow the signs toward Mission Street/Fell Street. Go all the
way to the Fell Street exit, which is the end of the freeway. Bear
slightly to the left onto Fell Street. Stay in the second lane from the
right. Continue on Fell Street for almost 2 miles, where the main road
curves slightly to the left, becomes John F. Kennedy Drive, and enters
Golden Gate Park. Continue straight on Kennedy Drive (do not bear left).
After the stop sign, look for the Conservatory of Flowers, the large
glasshouse on the right. Park and walk to the right hand side of the
building, enter the chain link fence gate, and continue to the rear
entrance of the Conservatory. (Note: Just before the stop sign there is a
sign labeled "Dahlia Garden" and a small driveway into a parking area near
the Conservatory.)
For more information on the Conservatory, see
http://showcase.netins.net/web/novacon/cyphaven/foundtn1.htm.
========================================================================
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Mike Ross
Welcome to the new "E-newsletter." I hope this new format meets your needs
as a BACPS Member. I think this will aid in keeping our expenses down and
provide faster service to you. Your responsibility in this is
simple....please keep us informed of any changes to your e-mail address.
We are fortunate to have a special tour of the San Francisco Conservatory
for our next meeting. This will be described further in this newsletter.
November is our traditional "election" time. Please submit nominations to
Larry Logoteta via snail mail (use the BACPS mailing address below) or
e-mail (sarracina@hotmail.com). Qualified nominees will be invited to
introduce themselves and provide their visions for the BACPS to the
membership. Nominees unable to attend may submit a written statement which
will be read to the membership prior to balloting. Voting will proceed
after all nominee's have spoken.
I look forward to seeing all our members at this special venue at the
Conservatory....
Cheers, Mike
========================================================================
BUG DAYS
Geoff Wong
Each year the Randall Museum, a children's science and art center in San
Francisco, organizes this major event to introduce kids to the wonders of
the bug world. Because carnivorous plants are a perfect bridge from the
insect realm to the plant kingdom, the Museum staff was extremely
enthusiastic that BACPS will be joining forces with them next year. The
tentative plan is for us to provide display plants, short educational
lectures (15 minute talks and demonstrations on culture, habitats, flowers,
digestion, etc.), hands-on stations where volunteers show kids how the
different plants trap insects (live plants and hands-on models), and plants
for sale.
Ramona Sadtler and I will be coordinating the BACPS end of things and
encourage anyone interested in participating to contact one of us. Ramona
(rsadtler@hotmail.com) will be developing activities for the stations and
would welcome help from those of you who are interested in designing
educational activities. If you would like to give a 10-15 minute
lecture/demonstration on some topic related to CP aimed to the elementary
grade level, please contact Geoff Wong at gbwong@iname.com. No commitment
is necessary at this time. Just let us know your interest so we can keep
you informed as things develop. The kick-off planning meeting at the
Randall Museum will be on Wednesday, January 31, 2001. The actual Bug Days
event will take place on Saturday, May 19.
========================================================================
MINUTES FROM MEETING ON AUGUST 19, 2000
Judith Finn
The BACPS meeting was held on August 19 at the U. C. Botanical Garden.
Approximately 30 people attended. There were a plant display of
beautifully grown specimens, plants for sale (but no plant auction), a
business meeting, and a very informative lecture and slide presentation on
the tepuis of Venezuela by Bill Baumgartl.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUSINESS MEETING
Geoff Wong talked about the newly introduced electronic BACPS Newsletter.
He reminded everybody about the importance of submitting to us their e-mail
address so that everyone can participate in this quicker, less expensive
way of communicating. Members were also encouraged to visit the website
"www.jps.net/cgardner/bacps/bacps.html."
The dates and locations of next year's meetings in 2001 were tentatively
set as follows.
February: Randall Museum, San Francisco
May: U. C. Botanical Garden, Berkeley
August: Randall Museum
November: U. C. Botanical Garden
There will be a separate event at the Randall Museum in May, when we will
join forces with the Museum in their Bug Days event, celebrating insects
and the plants that love them. Peter D'Amato will give a lecture on
Carnivorous Plants. Members are encouraged to volunteer to help with plant
displays and educational activities. The program is designed for
elementary school children.
Members at the meeting agreed to keep the $5 annual dues to help cover
expenses.
We discussed the need for greater publicity for the club's meetings, such
as notices sent to newspapers, chatlines, and general flyers that could be
distributed at plant stores, other societies, shows, and events. Ramona
Sadtler agreed to take on the job of Educational Activities Coordinator and
will produce a flyer. Gary Ockey will distribute the flyers in plant
stores. Margaret Boomer will distribute the flyers at a display table at
the Orchid Society shows.
Bill Weaver has agreed to be the disseminator of information by e-mail.
Members can send announcements to him at bill_weaver@hp.com.
Gary Dughi is still Editor of the hard copy Newsletter. Geoff Wong will be
Editor of the electronic version of the Newsletter. The Web Page manager
is still Craig Gardner.
DISPLAY PLANTS
Larry Logoteta brought in his large specimen of Pinguicula moranensis. He
said he was growing it in 50% sand to 50% peat. He also showed us his
Drosera schizandra, which he grows in 50% perlite and 50% peat. He told us
the secret of growing it well was to cover the top of the plant with a
plastic container, which gives it high humidity. He grows it in indirect
morning light and tries to keep it under 80 F.
Geoff Wong displayed a large specimen of Cephalotus in a nicely glazed 8
inch pot. He said it was a 'Giant' clone (originally from John Hummer)
which he started from 3 small cuttings about 6 years ago. He grows it in
80% perlite to 20% peat in a saucer with 1 inch water. He warned that
repotting sets this plant back. He keeps it in an unheated porch at his
San Francisco home, protected from the wind.
Art Junier displayed a Sarracenia alata, which was impressively large for a
3 year old plant that he had grown from seed. He uses 50-60% perlite to
40% peat and gives the plant full sun exposure. He also had a Drosophyllum
which he had grown from seed 3 years ago. Art also displayed a Nepenthes
truncata, a Nepenthes maxima and a Nepenthes rafflesiana.
PROGRAM: Bill Baumgartl, "Expedition to the Tepuis"
Bill Baumgartl gave an excellent talk and slide show of his 1991 expedition
to the tepuis of Venezuela. He began by explaining that he had been on 6
trips to Venezuela since 1987. He began his trip by going to the Caracas
Botanical Garden to study their specimens of Carnivorous Plants in the
Herbarium. He was especially interested in the genus, Heliamphora. Bill's
slide presentation was on his exploration of the tallest tepui, Mt.
Roraima.
The adventure started with a 26 mile hike to get to the sheer sided
sandstone cliffs of the table top mountain. The area surrounding the
mountain is flat and dry but the top is a cool, wet cloud forest. Bill
made the trip with 4 other people and 2 porters to carry their supplies.
It took them 5 days to reach the summit where they explored for an
additional 2 days. They saw their first carnivorous plants at 2000 ft.
There were Drosera and Brocchinia reducta. Bill noted that in the wild
their foliage is yellow, and they form tight tubes, possibly to hold water
in the dry, sun-baked area. Normally, in cultivation, they are a darker
green, with a more open, vase-like tube. They also saw, growing in water
seeps, Utricularia humboldtii with remarkable 4 foot tall flower stalks and
very brittle leaves. When they reached 6000 ft., Bill noted that the most
abundant plant, which was responsible for keeping the steep sides of the
tepuis from eroding away, was an unusual plant called Stegalepus (not
carnivorous). When they finally reached the top, at 9000 ft., they
discovered that a dark gray lichen covered the rock and that the area was
composed of a pink sandstone. There were rock mazes, caverns, and craters
filled with water and fish to explore. Best of all, the sought after
Heliamphora was there. Temperatures ranged from 60-70 degrees F. in the
day and 40-50 degrees F. at night. They never experience a freeze but
plenty of rainfall.
Bill informed us that each tepui has its own species of Heliamphora. On
Mt. Roraima it was the species, H. nutans. Each plant produces only 3 or 4
leaves annually. The soil, which is composed of dead grass and leaves over
pink sandstone, is slightly acidic at pH 6.8. Bill warned that there is
now an ever increasing danger to the plants by the growing tourist
population. In 1991, when he and his fellow explorers visited this region,
there were very few people who came to the mountain tops. Now, as many as
2000 people climb the Mt. Roraima annually. We all enjoyed Bill's
presentation, his beautiful photographs, and his insightful observations.
========================================================================
TREASURER'S REPORT
Not available at time of press.
========================================================================
BACPS CALENDAR
2000-2001
November 4 Fall Meeting
February 3 (tentative) Winter Meeting, Randall Museum
May 19 Bug Days, Randall Museum
May 26 (tentative) Spring Meeting, U. C. Botanical Garden
August ? Summer Meeting, Randall Museum
November 17 Fall Meeting, U. C. Botanical Garden
========================================================================
BACPS CONTACTS
President Mike Ross msross@aol.com
Vice-President (shared) Larry Logoteta sarracina@hotmail.com
& Bill Weaver bill_weaver@hp.com
Secretary Judith Finn jfinn@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Treasurer Joe Mazrimas sundew@pacbell.net
Program Coordinator Geoff Wong gbwong@iname.com
Newsletter Editor (print) Gary Dughi gary_dughi@dot.ca.gov
Newsletter Editor (e-mail) Geoff Wong gbwong@iname.com
E-mail Distributor Bill Weaver bill_weaver@hp.com
Business Manager Larry Logotetta sarracina@hotmail.com
Auction Manager Glen Rankin ngrankin@pacbell.net
Auctioneer Peter D'Amato califcarn@aol.com
Raffle Manager (temporary) Larry Logotetta sarracina@hotmail.com
Education Coordinator Ramona Sadtler rsadtler@hotmail.com
Website Manager Craig Gardner cgardner@jps.net
Website: www.jps.net/cgardner/bacps/bacps.html
Mailing address: BACPS, 825 Bennington Street, Manteca, CA 95336
========================================================================
© Copyright 2026Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society