In case you missed it: Botanists Jessie Vinje (Conservation Biology Institute) and Margie Mulligan (San Diego Natural History Museum Botany Department Associate), with identification help from John Rebman (San Diego Natural History Museum Curator of Botany) and J. Travis Columbus (research scientist and professor at the California Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University, respectively) have rediscovered Baja California oatgrass (Sphenopholis interrupta ssp. californica), a species thought to be extinct.  It was last seen in 1886 in northwestern Baja California and has never before been observed in the United States!  They observed this clay specialist species in Carlsbad, California.  Be on the lookout for this annual species as you survey clay soils.  See the 17 September 2021 issue of Madrono and https://consbio.org/newsroom/news/discovery-lost-grass-species for more information and photos.  Congratulations botanists!

Dulzura kangaroo rat

Michelle Balk, CEO