Although this guide can be taken into the field using a hand-held PC, we recognize that it will be used primarily in the office. We urge users to minimize collections made in the field, and to follow basic conservation-minded practices when collecting or viewing plants in the field. Please respect private property and access restrictions or permit requirements on public lands, and follow trails where appropriate. Take only a portion of any given plant you are collecting, and be sure to leave sufficient flowers and/or fruits for the plant to reproduce unless you are certain it is not native. Do not collect listed, rare, or even uncommon or unusual plants, instead, rely on photographs. Be aware of your impacts to the environment whenever you are in the field, avoid trampling plants and be particularly aware of the possibility of spreading seeds or other propagules of invasive species. After visiting a weedy site, be sure you wash the soles of your shoes and remove all seeds or propagules from your clothes before visiting another site. If you are certain that a plant you encounter is an invasive species (if there is any doubt, check first with a knowledgeable botanist), please DO remove it and any others nearby if they represent a new infestation that you can prevent from spreading further. If you find any rare, endangered, or invasive populations that you believe to be previously unrecorded, please feel free to contact us at andrea_pickart@fws.gov or gleppig@dfg.ca.gov
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