The California Native Plant Society is hosting a Rare Plant Treasure Hunt weekend June 9 and 10 at several botanical hotspots in the Plumas National Forest near Quincy. Beginning and experienced botanists are welcome and will spend time searching for rare plants, geo-caching and photographing/documenting discoveries.

Activities include:

Saturday, June 9: Carpool to the Butterfly Valley Botanical Area (10-mile drive from Quincy) and search for rare carnivorous plants including the California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica), English sundew (Drosera anglica) and other unique plants. Following lunch, search for the pointed broom sedge (only two known populations in California) in the Snake Lake and Smith Lake areas nearby.

Sunday, June 10: Carpool to Bucks Lake (20-mile drive from Quincy) and search for the only known California populations of a rare orchid called northern coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida). Other interesting rare plants nearby include the buttercup-leaf suksdorfia (Hemieva ranunculifolia) and closed-throat beardtongue (Penstemon personatus).

Drivers and riders will meet at the northwest corner of the Safeway parking lot in Quincy (20 East Main St.) at 9:30 a.m. each day for carpooling, returning to Quincy around 5 or 6 p.m. both days, although some drivers may choose to leave earlier. Bring a lunch, plenty of water, sun protection and any fieldtrip supplies desired (cameras, GPS units, etc.). RSVP and send questions to Danny Slakey at dslakey@cnps.org.

Additional upcoming outings include:

Field work party to eradicate cheatgrass in Lassen Volcanic National Park Saturday, June 16. The general location of the work site will likely be near the south-central boundary or near Butte Lake in the northeast corner of the park. Work will be hand pulling and bagging small plants. The exact location will be selected at later date and will depend on weather and plant development. Overnight camping is optional. Call Susan at 892-1666 to sign up.

Deer Creek Falls and fish ladder walk Sunday, June 24. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Chico Park and Ride west lot with lunch, water, hiking gear, sun/insect protection and money for ride sharing. Outing follows a creekside trail for 1.5 miles through Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. The group will eat lunch at the falls surrounded by lots of flowers. A fish ladder and tunnel are adjacent to the falls. Return by the same trail. Call leader Gerry at 893-5123 for an alternate meeting site.

Valley Creek Special Interest Area walk, Plumas National Forest, Saturday, June 30. Meet at Chico Park and Ride west lot with lunch, water, hiking gear, sun/insect protection and money for ride sharing. Forest Service botanist Chris Christofferson will guide tour in the headwaters of the South Fork Feather River near the gold rush town of La Porte. An easy 2.5-mile hike goes though a ravine among giant old-growth conifers with a rich understory of native flowers and shrubs. Call leader Gerry at 893-5123 for an alternate meeting site.