Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - Aug 19, 2025

[CNPS-SCV News]

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

[1] Photo Group Meeting

Friday Aug 22, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Online
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/306327985/
 
The CNPS SCV Photo Group meets via Zoom on the fourth Friday of every month. In this supportive peer group, beginners and experts are equally welcome. Folks who just want to see pictures and hear photo tips are welcome too. If you have pictures to share, sign up for a slot. Share your pictures, techniques, and ideas from your desktop via zoom. Slots are 20 minutes each; plan your photos and discussions accordingly. Presenters receive a 1-minute-remaining alert. Signup for a slot at the link below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f49a9a729aafd0-cnps18#/

[2] Mulch Day at Cahalan Park - Help prepare for a new pollinator garden!
Saturday Aug 23, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Cahalan Park; Cahalan & Pearlwood, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/310566242/

Come help us sheet mulch to prepare for our new Children's Pollinator Garden to be planted in the fall. We will be covering the area with cardboard as a weed barrier and spreading mulch on top of the cardboard. Learn how you can use this technique in your own garden.

Help us help the endangered Monarch Butterfly!

 

[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 Lake Cunningham Park
Saturday Aug 23, 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/310340655/

Join us to restore habitat (weeding and mulching) in the Native Garden at Lake Cunningham Park. During the summer months, we water, weed, and mulch.

 

[b] Habitat Restoration at Cataldi Park
Saturday Aug 23, 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/310341595/

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.
 
[c] Friday Edgewood Restoration

Friday, Aug 22, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Varies - join the email group to receive weekly notices
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11425/-/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 20, and Monday Aug 25 at 8:30 am
Location: Alum Rock Park, San Jose
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11738/-/alum-rock-park-restoration

Come help us 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 are some events from Grassroots Ecology:

[4] Burrowing Owl Project - by Grassroots Ecology

Wednesday, Aug 20, 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Location: 150 Nortech Pkwy San Jose
https://www.grassrootsecology.org/event-calendar/2025/08/20/alviso-san-jose-burrowing-owl-project

Together we will be working to improve habitat for the resident burrowing owl population by removing invasive plants and watering native plants. By helping native plants thrive, we are attracting the owls' prey base (insects and rodents). Activities may involve digging with hand tools, bending, kneeling, carrying buckets of water and/or mulch, as well as walking on uneven terrain.

[5] Oaks and Galls Naturalist Walk and Bioblitz - by Grassroots Ecology

Friday, Aug 22, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, 1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto

https://www.grassrootsecology.org/event-calendar/2025/08/22/oaks-and-galls-naturalist-walk-pearson-arastradero-preserve

Get outside, escape the summer heat, and learn more about local oak tree species! On this 2.5 - 3 mile guided walk, participants will explore oak ecology and how these trees define many of our local open space preserves. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve has a mosaic of ecosystems where native oak trees are keystone species. Oaks dot Arastradero's grasslands, provide shade to its creeks, and support thousands of other species with habitat. We'll appreciate their beauty in the golden hours of the day before the sun sets!

For our bioblitz, we will stop half-way through our walk to explore an area with abundant oaks, and document every living thing (especially galls!) usuing iNaturalist. No previous knowledge necessary, but be ready to take pictures with a phone or camera.