Upcoming CNPS SCV Events and Activities - January 21, 2025

[CNPS-SCV News]

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

[1] The Year In Pictures: Your best nature photos of 2024
Thursday January 23, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Los Altos Library Orchard Room - 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/304849293/

Our 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 Thursday, January 23 to view photos of notable plant and nature excursions during the previous year. All are welcome.

Join us early for our social hour, 6-6:55 pm, to mingle with like-minded nature enthusiasts. The main program starts at 6:55 pm.

[2] Seed and Cutting Exchange & Plant Sale Pickup
Saturday January 25, 1:00 pm - 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/305241679/

This free event provides an opportunity to share and receive both seeds and cuttings of native plants. Browse the diverse offerings, ranging from easy-to-grow to hard-to-find, and go home with seeds and cuttings of new native plants! We will provide coin envelopes for seeds but bring containers to carry cuttings home.

If you have native plant material from your own garden to share, please bring some. Label your cuttings to make them easy to browse. You may find it convenient to use calscape.org for this – there is a link on each plant's information page to make a printable sign for most native species and cultivars.

Several popular books will be available for sale during the event.

Plant pickup from the online sales at CNPS SCV Nursery will also be available during the Exchange.

[3] Native Plant ID
Tuesday January 28, 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/305653781/

Have you been frustrated when trying to identify a plants in your photographs? This session will focus on resources for identifying native flowers in participants' photographs.

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 property where you have permission to collect or just come and work with the materials provided. If you have them, bring your own favorite guide and a hand lens. Microscopes will also be available.

The group meets at 7:00pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

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

[a] Habitat Restoration at Lake Cunningham Park
Saturday January 25, 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/305438940/

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

[b] Habitat Restoration at Cataldi Park
Saturday January 25, 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/305440514/

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 will be planting around 100 native plants between November - February. In preparation for planting, we will also be sheet mulching to control weeds.

[c] Community Work Day at Kirk Park
Saturday January 25, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Location: Kirk Park Native Garden - Briarwood Drive & Wawona Drive, San Jose
https://www.meetup.com/california-native-plant-society-santa-clara-valley-chapter/events/305440525/

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.

[d] Friday Edgewood Restoration
Friday January 24, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Varies - join the email group to receive weekly notices
https://www.cnps-scv.org/events/calendar/eventdetail/11395/-/edgewood-restoration

Help restore habitat at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve, known for fabulous wildflowers and amazing diversity. To participate, join the email list and sign the electronic volunteer agreement, by sending an email to weed-warriors-coord @ friendsofedgewood.org.