UPPER LAKE, Calif. – So Be Free 25 will be being hosted by the Bryophyte and the local Sanhedrin Chapters of the California Native Plant Society from Friday, March 20, to Monday, March 23, in Upper Lake.

So Be Free is the silver anniversary of the Spring Outing Botanical Excursion and Escape to the Environment, an informal and informative event.

Beginners are very welcome to So Be Free, and this year they will again have a workshop/field session for beginners at the start of the event.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning we will have field trips to satisfy all participants from neophyte to nerd. There will be science and scenery, microscopes and Merlot. Come and enjoy.

Registrations will be processed by Kiamara Ludwig, Bryophyte Chapter treasurer. For details visit here.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with registration questions only.

Questions about the foray itself and room assignments will be coordinated by Bill Thiessen, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., telephone 559-623-1898.

Founded in 1996, So Be Free is a series of West Coast forays started by the Bryolab at UC Berkeley, but open to all botanists.

The main focus is on bryophytes, but they also encourage experts on other groups to come along and smell the liverworts. They welcome specialists and generalists, professionals and amateurs, master bryologists and rank beginners.

So Be Free is held each spring, somewhere in the Western US, associated with spring break at universities. Evening slide shows and informal talks are presented as well as keying sessions with microscopes.

In addition to seeing interesting wild areas and learning new plants, important goals for So Be Free include keeping West Coast bryologists (and friends) in touch with each other and teaching beginners.

To see pictures and information from past outings, visit the So Be Free website.