Foothills Sentry May 2021

Foothills Sentry May 2021 Page 10 Into the wild If, while hiking in the Cleve- land National Forest north of Silverado, you encounter a tall young man hunched over a tiny wildflower, holding a ruler next to it with one hand while snap- ping a cellphone photo of it with the other, that’s probably botany student Daniel Donovan. For his master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Donovan is conducting a floristic survey of Ladd Canyon. “Ladd Canyon” here doesn’t mean the road in Silverado, but the national forest land northeast of it, all the way to the Riverside County line. Since recording all the flow- ers in an area this big could take some time, Donovan is making several trips. Fortunately, he en- joys backpacking, whenever that is required. Botanists have collected Ladd Canyon plants before, but one reason that Donovan chose this area is that it has not been studied as much as other places. Part of Donovan’s work involves revis- iting sites of historic specimen collection to see if the same spe- cies are still present. He will also explore new territory. In order to collect specimens, he had to ob- tain a permit from the Forest Ser- vice. Along with Silverado resident Anthony Mack, personnel from the Canyon Beat Botanical Re- search Division had the opportu- nity to accompany Donovan on a collecting hike, April 8. Whenev- er he noticed a species of interest, Donovan followed a procedure that he described as basically un- changed since the time of natural- ist Alexander von Humboldt, who died in 1859: He wrote down a description of the site, including location, elevation, and names of nearby species. He also took photos, and if there were enough samples present, he collected a few of them. Ideally, each sam- ple would include flower, fruit, leaves, and even roots, but that isn’t always possible. After specimens are collected from the field, they are arranged, pressed using blotting paper and cardboard, and fan-dried for archival preservation. In the field, though, Donovan carries a large flat pack in which to press flowers temporarily between cardboard and newspaper. He is partial to the Long Beach Grunion Gazette because of its size. The similar- sized Foothills Sentry , therefore, should also work, if pressing flowers against large color illustrations can be avoided. A collection of plants preserved like this for scientific purposes is called a “herbarium.” Some well-known local herbaria are at UC Riverside and at Clare- mont’s California Botanical Gar- den. Donovan’s collection, along with his notes, will become part of the CSULB herbarium, which, he said, contains “only” about 20,000 specimens. (There is a herbarium at UC Berkeley con- taining over two million speci- mens.) You can view some of Dono- van’s nature photos by searching for ddonovan17 under the “com- munity” tab at inaturalist.org . Coping with cats You can’t herd them, so some- times you have to put up barriers. That’s what the Cougar Conser- vancy did for Modjeska resident Vallary Townsell in March, after a local mountain lion apparently mistook her goats for the Cleve- land National Forest deli section. The LA-based Cougar Con- servancy is a nonprofit organiza- tion dedicated to preventing hu- man/wildlife conflict by provid- ing information and assistance to residents living in mountain lion country. Founder Korinna Domingo gave a presentation at the April 6 Inter-Canyon League (ICL) meeting in which she re- lated cougar facts, described ser- vices offered by the Conservancy, and gave safety tips for ensuring peaceful coexistence with large felines. Assistance services offered by the Cougar Conservancy include pre-conflict and post-conflict vis- its. Upon request, team members will inspect a resident’s property and make recommendations that are specific to both the area (like the Santa Ana Mountains) and to the site (like a back yard) for safeguarding pets and livestock. Residents who qualify may re- ceive assistance in building cou- gar-proof animal enclosures. Some enclosures can be retro- fitted to be cougar-proof. Mea- sures include providing a roof that can support 200 pounds, and closing all gaps wider than four inches. (“Mountain lions are liq- uid,” says Domingo.) The Con- servancy can also design secure roofs for structures like dog ken- nels, for instance. One tip: Doors should be secured with a welded chain and quick link, not a pad- lock. This allows quick evacua- tion in a wildfire. Domingo encouraged everyone to call the Conservancy hot line to report any mountain lion sight- ings or incidents, or to request information or assistance: (800) 930-1087. Information is also available at cougarconservancy. org and on YouTube. Human happenings The ICL History Committee plans to meet May 1 for the first time in a year. Friends of the Li- brary has tentatively set a June date for its swap meet, as has the Fire Safe Council for its Chipper Day. Such events, of course, are due to progress in the fight against COVID-19. Vaccinations cannot protect you against everything, though. The Forest Service still advises against donning a deer costume and sauntering out at dawn to try to lure a mountain lion into petting range. Florence Morrow to celebrate 100th birthday Florence Morrow, known as Flossie, will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 18. A longtime Villa Park resident and communi- ty volunteer, her Villa Park home is on the property purchased by her grandfather many years ago. Flossie was born in Kansas and came to Villa Park after high school. She likes to tell stories of work- ing in the WW II factories as Rosie the Riveter. She was mar- ried to Bill Morrow for 38 years, until his passing in 1988. They have two children, five grand- children and three great-grand- children, all living in Orange and Riverside County. Florence always says that “we are in this world to help others,” and exemplified that as an active volunteer at St. Johns Church, the Villa Park Women’s League, Villa Park Fire Department fundraisers, RIO, 4-H and the Good Shepherd Home. Her favorite childhood memory is watching her father put out fires on the church Christmas tree during services. They would attach real candles as decorations! Though bedridden, she still beats her daughter at cards, and would welcome birthday greet- ings, c/o 2712 E. Grove Ave., Or- ange, CA 92867. OUSD slates 2021 graduations Orange Unified School District has announced that high school graduations will be held in- person on June 9 and 10 at Fred Kelly Stadium. At this time, each graduating senior is allowed only two guests. The schedule is as follows: Richland and Parkside, 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9; Orange High, 7 p.m. on June 9. On Thursday, June 10, El Modena graduates will receive their diplomas, beginning at 1 p.m.; Canyon at 4 p.m. on June 10; and Villa Park graduates will be recognized at 7 p.m. on June 10. Young Women of the Month named by TAWC The Tustin Area Woman’s Club has named Maya Vicario, Crystal Miller and Rumjhum Hemnani as the Young Women of the Month for April. Maya Vicario, from Foothill High School, will be attending UC Davis, majoring in Sustain- able Environmental Design in the field of environmental sci- ence. She is president of the Go Green Club at Foothill, and created the “Monarch” Project, where she supplied butterfly gar- den kits for a second grade class at a local elementary school. Vicario is involved in her school, community projects and has been a member of the As- sistance League of Tustin As- sisteens Auxiliary since eighth grade. She has been on the prin- cipal’s honor roll for four years, and received an MVP award in tennis. During her four years at Tus- tin High, Crystal Miller has been involved in various activities, including sports, academic pur- suits and college preparation. She has applied for a number of scholarships, including inter- viewing for the coveted Gates Scholarship. She has received acceptances from UCLA, USC, Claremont McKenna and NYU. Based on her experience in the United Nations Program at Tustin High, she plans to major in political science, envisioning studying abroad, or attending law school and working for government entities or nonprofits. Rumjhum Hemnani, from Beckman High, has earned Aca- demic Honor Roll every semes- ter of high school and held quali- fying Scholarship Federation status for multiple years. She is enrolled in the Beckman Early College program and will receive her high school diploma along with her associate college degree at graduation. She is involved in many aca- demic programs, community ser- vice and creative projects. TAWC Young Women of the Month are nominated by their school counselors. Maya Vicario Crystal Miller Rumjhum Hemnani Daniel Donovan