Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - Aug 5, 2025

[CNPS-SCV News]

Dear friends,
Check out our chapter's upcoming events:

[1] Transgenerational Justice for Native Plants, Animals and People, a talk by Christopher Telomen
Thursday Aug 7, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Online
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/309195805/

Native plants, animals and people deserve to live their lives with dignity and health on the land where they belong, with familiar care and in transgenerational community. Focusing on straight-species, locally-native plants and material support for indigenous people, we will explore how each/all of us can take accountability for the history of native plants, animals and people in so-called California, and build on our current conditions to create more opportunities for habitat and community in the future. Throughout the talk, photos and lessons will be drawn from recently-installed native gardens and projects. We will end with a walkthrough of how to design, install and maintain your own beginner-friendly, locally-native, straight-species habitat garden.

Christopher Telomen (they/any) is a white, queer, trans/NB, chronically ill, and ADHD California native habitat care worker. They design, install and maintain native gardens around the so-called San Francisco Bay Area on stolen indigenous land. Their work is necessarily intersectional, incorporating frameworks of pollinator relationships, sustainable material sourcing, invasive plant management, white supremacy, disability, settler-colonialism, land back, climate change, immigration and poverty. They center indigenous people, plants, and animals in their work and they provide sliding scale services for people who need them.

This talk will be live-streamed on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@CNPSSantaClaraValley - registration not required) and on Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xDjvJX4lRDWxG01mtklJVQ - registration required).

[2] Seed and Cutting Exchange and Plant Sale Pickup
Saturday Aug 9, 1:00 pm to 3:00 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/309423256/

This free event provides an opportunity to share and receive cuttings and seeds of native plants. Discover the diverse offerings, ranging from easy-to-grow varieties to rare finds, and leave with new native plant cuttings and seeds! We will supply coin envelopes for seeds but please bring your own containers for transporting cuttings home.

If you have native plant material from your garden that you would like to share, please bring it along. Be sure to label your contributions for easy browsing – helpful growing tips and photos of the plants in bloom are appreciated. You may find it useful to use Calscape.org for this purpose; there is a link on the plant’s information page that allows you to create a printable sign for most native species and cultivars. If you bring cuttings, keep them cool and moist in a bucket of water. Don’t have native plant material to share? No problem, as there is usually enough for all. 

Plant pickup from the online sale (Tue/Wed Aug 4/5) at the CNPS SCV Nursery will also be available during the Exchange.

[3] 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 Cataldi Park

Saturday Aug 9, 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/310064094/

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.
 
[b] Community Work Day at the Native Plant Garden in Kirk Park
Saturday, Aug 9, 9:00 am - 11:00 pm
Location: Kirk Park Native Garden - Briarwood Drive at Wawona Drive, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/310064750/

Volunteers meet at the garden on Saturdays, weather permitting, for weeding, watering and other maintenance activities. Occasionally there will be other tasks such as mulching and planting. Community volunteers, including families with children over 6, are always welcome!
 
[c] Friday Edgewood Restoration
Friday, Aug 8, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Varies - join the email group to receive weekly notices
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11423/-/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.

[d] Habitat Restoration at Alum Rock Park
Wednesday Aug 6, and Monday Aug 11 at 8:30 am, Saturday Aug 9, 8:45 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Alum Rock Park, San Jose
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11734/-/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.

 

Here is an event from the Santa Cruz County CNPS chapter:

[4] Cabrillo College Horticulture Tour and Native Garden Update - by CNPS

Monday, Aug 11, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Cabrillo College Horticulture, 1 Sanders Ave. Aptos
https://www.cnps.org/event/cabrillo-college-horticulture-tour-and-native-garden-update

A strolling tour of the Cabrillo College Horticulture Program and Garden. We’ll tour the facility including Santa Cruz Chapter’s propagation area, where you’ll get a sneak preview of what’s in production for the Fall Plant Sale. Nicky Hughes will showcase the new native plant landscape project in front of the main classroom building, designed with input from students, staff, faculty, and local tribal members. See you there!