Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - Jan 6, 2026
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CNPS-SCV News
Jan 6, 2026, 4:10:10 PM (10 days ago) Jan 6
to CNPS-SCV News
Dear Friends,
Check out our chapter's upcoming events:
[1] Near-Future Events
The Year in Pictures: Your Best Nature Photos of 2025
Sunday, Jan 18, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Our CNPS Chapter has an annual tradition: a winter celebration of the beauty and diversity of native plant habitats and their denizens, as captured in photographs by you. This year, we will meet in person on Sunday, January 18, 1:30-4:30 pm to view photos of notable plant and nature excursions during the previous year. All are welcome
[2] Chapter Meetings
Field Trip Planning Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 13, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Please join us at our next field trip planning meeting, to identify leaders and trips with a focus on the first half of 2026 and perhaps into the summer. Please bring a list of trips that you would like to lead and be prepared to encourage others with trips you’d like to attend. All members are welcome to join in the discussion.
[3] Looking for a Hospitality Chair
CNPS SCV is a volunteer-run organization. Please consider if you have time to keep events running smoothly by filling this vital role..
Hospitality Chair
If you have organized food for large gatherings before, then you already have what it takes to be hospitality chair! The Hospitality Chair oversees food and beverage arrangements at chapter events including the Wildflower Show in April, the Fall Plant Sale in October and the potluck in November. There may be other smaller events throughout the year, like the mailing party that's usually held in April.
Your main tasks include shopping for food and drinks, and directing other chapter volunteers with set up before events and clean up afterwards.
If you are interested, please email Janet Hoffman (ja...@cnps-scv.org) or Toni Gregorio-Bunch (tidyt...@gmail.com).
[4] Chapter Restoration Activities
RSVP is required for all Chapter restoration activities, along with signed waiver forms. Please see the individual listings for details.
(a) Habitat Restoration at Alum Rock Park
Wednesday, Jan 7 and Monday, Jan 12, both at 8:30 am
Saturday Jan 10, 8:30 am
Location: Alum Rock Park, San Jose (meeting spot varies; email contact provided on page)
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 ultra...@gmail.com for more information and instructions on where to park.
(b) Friday Edgewood Restoration
Friday Jan 9, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve (Redwood City)
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-warr...@friendsofedgewood.org.
(c) Habitat Restoration at Cataldi Park
Saturday Jan 10, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Cataldi Park — 1797 Bethany Ave, San Jose
Join us to restore habitat in Cataldi Park, San Jose, attendance to prepare it for the 2026 Growing Natives Garden Tour. We are planting and maintaining native plants in a 1/2-acre area of the park off Bethany Ave. Activities include planting, pruning, sheet mulching, irrigation setup and general maintenance.
(d) Habitat Restoration at Cunningham Park
Saturday, Nov 29, 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Location: Native Garden Parking Lot, Lake Cunningham — 2305 S. White Road, San Jose, San Jose
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. See the Meetup link for detailed information about the location.
[5] Other Chapters & Organizations
(a) A Natural History of San Francisco (CNPS - Yerba Buena Chapter)
Thursday Jan 8, 7:00 pm
Location: ZOOM
Showing over a hundred historic photos of dunes, lakes, creeks, native and non-native trees, rock outcrops, the bay shore, and coastal prairies. Images will include numerous photos of native plant communities taken thirty years ago. We will view the evolution of our natural areas and discuss the ongoing restoration efforts to preserve San Francisco's natural heritage.
(b) Manzanitas and their animals – keys to evolution (Friends of San Pedro Valley Park)
Saturday Jan 17, 7:00 pm
Location: ZOOM
The Friends of San Pedro Valley Park will host Dr. Tom Parker, Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University, for a Zoom lecture titled “Manzanitas and their animals – keys to evolution.” The talk explores the remarkable diversity of manzanitas (genus Arctostaphylos), which includes over a hundred taxa and unique traits such as long-lasting soil seed banks and fire-dependent regeneration. Dr. Parker will present research on how animals—especially rodents that cache seeds—have influenced the evolution of these plants by shaping seed bank dynamics. He will discuss how these processes affect species survival in fire-prone, arid regions and what they reveal for managing chaparral ecosystems containing manzanitas.
(c) Going on a Grass Hunt (Midpen)
Friday Jan 9, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: La Honda Creek Preserve
Join a leisurely-paced hike with Docent Naturalists Frances Reneau and Helena Cohen on a quest to learn about grasses. California's Mediterranean, summer-dry climate spells doom for the annual, non-native species. By fall, they have long since dropped their seeds and turned to gold. In contrast, native perennial bunchgrasses with their deep roots survive the rainless months and stay green among the golden blades. How many can you find along the Grasshopper Loop and Harrington Creek trails?
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