2024.05.02 | A Blooming Success
Cambria’s 16th Wildflower Show was a hit thanks to many dedicated volunteers and delightful visitors. More than 500 people enjoyed the spectacular displays of native and exotic species.
From securing collecting permits to securing the Veterans Memorial Hall reservation, it takes a huge amount of coordination to pull off the show. Marcelle Bakula summarized the event: “It takes a village”, a concept that was in full display at this show. The event was a culmination of the efforts of many, including a few very knowledgeable botanists as well as a core group of volunteers from the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.
Names of volunteers filled four full pages including permitted collectors who collected more than 520 specimens from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. the day before the show, and volunteers who set-up tables and cleared out the stacks of chairs; brought in from storage and unpacked the vases and jars and filled them with water; prepared café food and baked goodies; decorated throughout the Halland and made bouquets from leftover flowers; and staffed the Wildflower Café, the front desk, and the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve and California Native Plant Society tables.
In addition, this year all the identification cards were newly formatted following the updated Vascular Plants of San Luis Obispo County, California, a project that took months to complete and touches on the scientific value of the program. Careful records of plant identification, collection locations, and bloom period are an intentional product of the Cambria Wildflower Show. In years to come this detailed information may provide vital data in tracking the effects of climate change on the spread of invasive species and life cycle of native plant populations.
Looking forward, FFRP invites the public to enjoy music with friends at this summer’s Open Mic Nights at Moonstone Cellars, the first and third Wednesday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m. at 812 Cornwall Street. Moonstone Cellars has adopted FFRP as their charity for Open Mic donations through August. See you there!
Article first published in https://cambriaca.org/