Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - July 15, 2025

[CNPS-SCV News]

Dear friends,
Check out our chapter's upcoming events:
  
[1] Maintain a Native Plant Garden, a talk by Stephanie Morris
Thursday July 24, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Cupertino Library Program Room (2nd floor) - 10800 Torre Ave, Cupertino
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/308982964/

Note: This talk is in-person only.

If you've wanted to learn how to maintain native plants, this talk is for you! Come get inspired and learn how to do it yourself. The talk will include pruning guidelines for native plants, information on the time of year to prune, strategies for weed control, an overview of basic irrigation scheduling, and a few favorite tools used in maintenance. 

This is Talk #3 in a 3-part series. Here are links to the previous two talks. Talk 1 was Designing a Native Plant Garden (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPCZhb3ScKc) and Talk 2 was How to Install Native Plants (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V6DAEmcoVU)

Stephanie Morris has been designing California native plant gardens since 1999 in the Bay Area. Her goal is to design creative, beautiful landscapes that are ecologically oriented and practical.

[2] One more greeter needed for Cupertino Library talk
Thursday July 24, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Cupertino Library Program Room (2nd floor) - 10800 Torre Ave, Cupertino
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f49a9a729aafd0-library#/

We need a second greeter for our upcoming library talk. Please sign up via the link above if you are able to help.

Library talks are an excellent opportunity to learn about what our chapter does. Worry not if you are new to this! You will have an experienced volunteer with you to assist you. The greeters' responsibilities are to staff the welcome table and answer basic questions about CNPS if attendees have any. Tables, chairs, and CNPS literature will be provided.
Questions? Contact Priya at: priya4cnps @gmail.com.
 

[3] Native Plant ID - Onagraceae and Polygonaceae
Tuesday July 22, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Peninsula Conservation Center (first floor), 3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/309057602/

This session will focus on Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) and Polygonaceae (Smartweed/Buckwheat) families. With hundreds of taxa, these families contain some of the most well-known plants in California. If you have any samples of plants from these families, please bring them to the meeting.

Native Plant ID is a Chapter group that works together to learn plant identification using botanical keys and other resources. Join us as we look at plant samples collected from local gardens and practice methods of identifying the native plants of our region. Bring in plant samples if you have some from a property where you have permission to collect or just come and work with the materials provided. The group meets at 7:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information please contact Janet Hoffmann at janet @ cnps-scv.org.

[4] Chapter Restoration Activities
RSVP is required for all Chapter restoration activities, along with signed waiver forms. Please see the individual Meetup listings for details.
 

[a] Habitat Restoration at Alum Rock Park
Wednesday July 16, and Monday July 21 at 8:30 am
Location: Alum Rock Park, San Jose
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11728/-/alum-rock-park-restoration

Join the Alum Rock Park Trail Crew to help weed non-native, invasive plants at this natural gem of San Jose. Our habitat restoration efforts allow the native plants to “come to light.”  Forms and reservations are required to volunteer. For the Monday/Wednesday workdays, the meeting spot varies, so please contact Todd Hayes at ultratoddh @ gmail.com for more information and instructions on where to park.

 

[b] Habitat Restoration at Lake Cunningham Park
Saturday July 19, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Location: Native Garden Parking Lot, Lake Cunningham - 2305 S. White Road, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/krnsrtyhckbzb/

Join us to restore habitat (weeding and mulching) in the Native Garden at Lake Cunningham Park.

 
[c] Habitat Restoration at Cataldi Park
Saturday July 19, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Cataldi Park - 1797 Bethany Ave, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/cpmfstyhckbzb/

Join us to restore habitat in Cataldi Park, San Jose. We are planting and maintaining native plants in a 1/4-acre area of the park off Bethany Ave. We planted more than 100 native plants last winter! Activities in the summer include weeding, sheet mulching, watering, irrigation setup and general maintenance.
 
[d] Community Work Day in Kirk Park - At Rainbow Park
Saturday, July 19, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Rainbow Park Native Garden - Donington Drive at Johnson Ave, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/309448711/

Note: We are meeting at Rainbow Park this week.

This week only we will be meeting at Rainbow Park instead of Kirk Park. We will be working at a native plant garden that needs some TLC. There will be opportunities for weeding and planting.
 
[e] Friday Edgewood Restoration
Friday, July 18, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Varies - join the email group to receive weekly notices
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11420/-/edgewood-restoration

Help restore habitat at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, known for fabulous wildflowers and amazing diversity. Weeders see far more than weeds: we get to be up close to the native plants, some of which are seen only by weeders. To participate, join the email list and sign the electronic volunteer agreement, by sending an email to weed-warriors-coord @ friendsofedgewood.org.

Here are some events from other chapters and organizations:

[5] Explorer Hike: Looking for Leopard Lily - by Midpen

Wednesday, July 16, 10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Location: El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve
https://www.openspace.org/events/guided-activities/explorer-hike-looking-leopard-lily

Can you spot the showy flowers of leopard lilies and other deep shade, summertime bloomers along the El Corte de Madera Creek Trail? Docent Naturalists Nick Yatsko, Kate Bauer, and Bobbie Riedel will lead you on this moderately-paced 4.5 mile hike through the forest. After descending, the route will take you back up via the Tafoni and the Fir trails.

[6] Summertime Birding on the Coastside - by Midpen

Friday, July 18, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: La Honda Creek Preserve
https://www.openspace.org/events/guided-activities/summertime-birding-coastside

Birds are quieter during summer, but that doesn't mean they're gone. Join Docent Naturalists Melissa Hero, Nick Yatsko, and Chris MacIntosh to look and listen for resident songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors, and hummingbirds, as well as for migrants who remain in their spring breeding area to molt during summertime to prepare for migration.