Native Plants and Wildflowers

This is a general education natural history class designed to encourage students to become more interested and more knowledgeable about the natural world around us. One of the principle objectives that I have for this class is to teach the students the skills (and the patience required) to identify plants for themselves.  I spent 4 years working as a resident naturalist and guide in the Amazonian Rainforest. Initially the biodiversity and complexity of the rainforest plants was overwhelming. However, by spending a lot of time out in the forest, and by repeatedly looking at the same unknown mysterious plants, and with a little help from the native Quichua guides, I began to recognize and be able to name some of the plants we commonly saw. Once I had a few names it became easier to see the similarities and differences in what had been an impenetrable wall of greenness. Along with the names I learned their indigenous uses, fibrous bark was used to build shelters, or to haul dugout canoes, red sap used to treat cuts, leaves used to weave baskets, black dye used as warpaint. The more I learned the more I wanted to now. This is what I want you to be able to do at the end of the class; not to know everything about the plants of California, but to want to know more than you do.