JRBP('O'O) March 2025 Newsletter
March 2025
____________________________________
ANNOUNCEMENTS
____________________________________
Hot off the press! Explore the 2023-2024 Annual Report
The 2023-2024 Annual Report highlights our significant achievements in research, education, and stewardship, including the integration of Indigenous knowledge and practices into fuel reduction and vegetation management projects aimed at enhancing wildfire resilience. The report celebrates the 50th anniversary of our community and the preserve, noting its legacy of important contributions to ecological research and education. We are excited to continue our commitment to fostering scientific curiosity and addressing environmental challenges with you all onboard! Pick up your copy in the office, email us if you want a copy delivered to you, or see the online version here.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 4 PM: Evening Lectures with Dr. Laureano Gherardi, UC Berkeley
Join us on April 23, 2025, 4-6 PM to meet and be in conversation with Dr. Laureano Gherardi, from UC Berkeley. Laureano will share his presentation titled: “Grassland Ecology Upside Down: A roadmap to belowground processes”. Bring a friend with you! Visit our events page for more information.
Sunday, April 13, 2024, French broom pull with Sheena Sidhu and Kelly Chauvin.
If you’d like to sign up and learn more about the event contact Sheena. (cssidhu@stanford.edu).
Leslie Shao-ming Sun Field Station
We are resuming limited construction on the building over the next few weeks. During this phase, we will be installing the initial two rows of new siding. Once additional materials arrive, which we anticipate will take 5 to 7 weeks, the project will proceed in full. We expect to complete the project by the end of June.
____________________________________
RESEARCH
____________________________________
New Research
Yuerong Xiao, PhD student working with Prof. and Faculty Dir. Tad Fukami, is conducting surveys on the abundance of variable checkerspot butterfly larvae (Euphydryas chalcedona) on sticky monkeyflowers (Diplacus aurantiacus) to evaluate the effects of pile burning and mastication treatments on butterfly populations.
Remembering Dr. Irene Brown, connecting to past research
Dr. Irene Brown began a long-term study of the chalcedon checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas chalcedona) in 1968, aligning with the Edith checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha) research by Paul Ehrlich, which ended in 1998 upon the species' local extinction. Irene selected 34 study sites, primarily in chaparral, and periodically monitored them until 2007. She employed the capture-mark-release-recapture method to document flight timings. She found migration patterns, coloration patterns and distribution among many ecosystems at Jasper Ridge. You can read more about Irene’s research project in the website.
Oakmead Herbarium
The herbarium crew successfully completed another round of French broom removal in a mixed oak-California fescue woodland, removing over 3,700 plants. This has been an ongoing effort to deplete the seed bank since 2006. To read more about the herbarium’s documentation of weeds and weeding efforts, visit the herbariums weeds website.
____________________________________
EDUCATION
____________________________________
A classroom community, A legacy of teaching and learning!
The Earth Systems 10 “Introduction to Earth Systems” curriculum was recently featured in the Stanford Report. Check out the photos and description of their excursion to Jasper Ridge this fall! The article features several quotes from Aiyana Washington, EARTHSYS 10 TA and alum of the BIO/ESYS class of 2022.
50th anniversary of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve docent program. Help Us Sort JRBP ('O'O) Photos!
In the spirit of the 50th anniversary of the JRBP docent class (1975-2025), we are seeking your help to help us organize its rich history. Over the years, we have accumulated hundreds of photographs dating back to 1975 that capture countless of your field adventures! These photos, the people, the activities, all of the memories narrate part of our history, and we need your help to organize them. Feel free to stop by the preserve during working hours and help us sort them out.
____________________________________
STEWARDSHIP
____________________________________
Invasive plant management plan
Invasive plant species management is underway as spring is beginning. We are presently working on developing a comprehensive plan for the entire preserve as well as documenting the history of all ongoing projects that can be integrated into our research, education and stewardship activities. Sign up with Sheena Sidhu to receive these stewardship events, next one Sunday April 13!
____________________________________
GRACIAS! THANK YOU!
____________________________________
Thank you, docents for your help leading tours this month: Jackie Magno, Claire Elliot, Jonathan Segal, Catherine Magill, Dawn Neisser, Mary Bernstein, Jonathan Segal, Adelaide Nye, Jonathan Segal, Jonathan Segal, Cheryl Gold Shaffer, Adelaide, Eva Yu Shen, Zander Opperman, Caroline Blythe, Paul Heiple, Mary Bernstein, Jonathan Segal, Klaus Porzig, Dan Quinn, Helen Quinn.
Thank you, to docent Bill Gomez, for helping researchers!
Thank you to Rebecca Reynolds for leading the broom pull efforts, and for everyone who came out for the French broom pull: Diane Renshaw, Perry McCarty, Kit Gordon, Mary Bernstein, Paul Heiple, Dawn Neisser, Teal Derrer, Kelly Chauvin, with Jasper staff, Adriana, John, and Sheena.
____________________________________
SUPPORT JASPER RIDGE
____________________________________
To support JRBP ('O'O) in its new challenges, please visit our Donate page (link here), thank you!
____________________________________
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
____________________________________
Spring is here and the wildflowers are starting to bloom! Clockwise from top left: Mosquito bills / sailor caps (Primula hendersonii), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Hound’s tongue (Adelinia grandis ((Cynoglossum grande)) and warrior plume (Pedicularis densiflora). Photo credits Jorge Ramos. Please visit Oakmead Herbarium plant list for names, links to photos, and natural history notes!
