Flora of Joshua Tree National Park

6554 Park Blvd,Joshua Tree CA 922552

11 March, 2023

Description

Students in this informal but purposeful class will have the opportunity to observe many of the flowering plants in Joshua Tree National Park, learn their names and something about their different places in the Park’s greater plant community. Discussions in the field will also include plant families, pollinators and other insect associations, and general natural history. In addition, students will gain familiarity with the tools necessary to identify plants on their own. Friday nights’ class will include a basic botany lecture with emphasis on local desert plants. This will be followed by an introduction to basic field guides, and to the use of plant keys in identification. We will preview many of the expected annuals we hope to find during the field portion of the class. Saturday and Sunday are field days and will be spent in various regions of the park. With instructor assistance, students will practice identifying flowering plants as we wander through Joshua Tree’s different plant communities, learning as we go along. Walking distances for this class will be moderate, so bring comfortable hiking shoes. This class is offered for credit through the UCR extension program. Activity Level: ModerateActivity Details: Flora of Joshua Tree National Park, Spring 2023Participant Waiver: Please fill out and return the participant waiver within seven days of your event to [email protected] (digital signature or photo of signed doc is ok)To receive your $10 off Membership Discount, please enter your membership code at the checkout! important, class meeting times and locations!Tuesday, March 7th, 7-8:30p: zoom lecture sessionSaturday, March 11th, 7:30a-3:30p Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center on Park Blvd.Sunday, March 12th, 8:30a-1p, Cottonwood Visitor Center on Pinto Basin Rd. optional college creditThis course is offered for 1,5 units through the University of California Riverside Extension (additional fees applied at checkout) Course number: BPSC X420.5, section 223CPD901 (1.5 units) learn about your instructor, kurtKurt Leuschner, M.S., Wildlife Ecology, is a Professor of Natural Resources at College of the Desert. Leuschner's specialties include: ornithology, entomology, and desert ecology. He has led hundreds of field trips both locally and as far afield as Africa. He teaches natural history courses for the Bureau of Land Management, UCR Extension, the Desert Institute, the Living Desert, California State Parks, Riverside County Parks, and many other conservation organizations.