An introduction to the plants of the Sierra Nevada north of Lake Tahoe, including identification of Sierran flowering plants, conifers, and ferns, and plant communities of the region. Plan on learning:

• basic plant structure
• principal plant families of the region
• common trees and shrubs of the region, and how they are aggregated into plant communities
• how to identify vascular plants with the aid of a manual

CAR POOLING: We will be driving short distances to field sites, and this will require some car pooling. The longest distance will be slightly over 50 miles.

CLOTHING: Bring good walking shoes. Most days will be gentle with regard to walking, but on Thursday we may hike to the top of the Sierra Buttes. Plan for all kinds of weather. Days should be warm, but evenings can be cool. Bring short pants for warm hikes, and long pants for mosquito protection. It frequently rains in the Sierra in late June. Bring a hat and sunscreen for protection.

lensesHAND LENS. Everyone MUST have their own hand lens. There is no place where you can buy a lens near the field station. Amazon sells them, so do many University bookstores. They vary in cost from a few dollars to around $40. They're like wine — the more you pay, in general the better the quality. You'll want at least a 10X and not higher than a 14X. As soon as you buy one, tie a lanyard around it so you won't lose it.

TEXT: A Sierra Nevada Flora, by Norm Weeden, Wilderness Press, Berkeley.
Everyone MUST have their own copy of this book. Please arrive with it because there is no place to buy this book near the field station. It is for sale at many places on the Web. It commonly sells out early in the summer, so be sure to get a copy before it's too late.

If you own a copy of the new Jepson Manual of California Plants, bring it along; however, it is by no means mandatory.

TIMING: Plan to arrive at the camp by Sunday the 24th, preferably sometime prior to dinner. The first meeting will be at 8:00 am on Monday the 25th so be ready to go at that time. The class will break up around noon of Friday the 29th.

ENROLLMENT: You may obtain more information on this and related courses by visiting the Sierra Nevada Field Campus web page. If you'd like additional information, email me at patters@sfsu.edu