News
Growing Grounds Farm is expanding the hours that the general public can shop at the Farm on Orcutt Road to 11am-4pm on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.
CNPS members receive a 20% discount off retail prices.
We Planted Good!
CNPS planted native plants around the ranch house of Chimineas Ecological Reserve on February 18. Thirteen of us had a beautiful weather day to garden. Thanks again to all who helped: Linda and Dave Chipping, John Doyle, Melinda and Bruce Elster, Craig Fiehler, Ken Hickman, Mardi Niles, Marti Rutherford, Nancy and Bill Shearer, Dirk Walters, and myself. We planted 25 plants, 15 species: Calif. and nude and long-stem buckwheat, interior goldenbush, scarlet bugler, nightshade, mountain mahogany, ceanothus, bladderpod, bush lupine, purple sage,...
read moreMalcolm McLeod Scholarship Fund
About Malcolm McLeod Dr. Malcolm McLeod was a professor of botany in the Biology Department at Cal Poly from 1979 until his full retirement in 1993 and an active member of the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (SLOCNPS) from 1973 until he died in 2006. Dr. McLeod was a charismatic and inspirational chapter leader that served tirelessly on numerous committees and held several offices including president, recording secretary, and rare plant botanist. He was an educator, rare plant advocate, pioneer of native...
read morePresident’s Message April 2012
Our annual North County meeting at the Atascadero AARP building was a success as Ryan O’Dell showed us serpentine-loving plants from all over California, and reinforced the unique nature of this difficult habitat. I expect we will have quite a few trips that will look at serpentine, especially in places like Reservoir Canyon. We also had a short but excellent presentation from the Atascadero Land Preservation Society, which has been very successful in protecting lands. Their most exciting current project is in the “Three Bridges” area of...
read moreMini Plant ID Workshop Series – Manzanita
Announcing a new offering from SLO-CNPS by Dr. Matt Ritter and Kristie Haydu Recently several members of SLO-CNPS were sharing ideas about how to incorporate more plant taxonomy, field botany, and actual plants into our monthly chapter meetings. We had the idea of having free mini plant ID workshops before the chapter meeting actually starts for our members and other participants who are interested in practicing their identification skills, learning the local flora, and looking at live material more closely in a casual and fun setting. We...
read morePresident’s Message March 2012
After our February show of wildflowers seen on favorite field trips in San Luis Obispo, we are coming to the AARP Center, adjacent to the Atascadero Lake Pavilion, for our annual North County meeting and some seriously good botany. This is an opportunity for those of you who don’t normally like to drive over the grade at night to hear our excellent speaker, look at our impressive book table and mix and mingle with other native plant fans. The Meeting is March 1, social at 7:00 p.m., program at 7:30. Ryan O’Dell will speak on the serpentine...
read moreFellow Award to Dr. Dirk Walters
Fellow of the California Native Plant Society CNPS presents the Fellow award once a year as a means of awarding special recognition to persons who have made an outstanding contribution to furthering appreciation and conservation of California native flora and to the success of the Society. On the recommendation of the Board of Directors of CNPS, the Chapter Council has elected Dr. Dirk Walters to be made a Fellow of the California Native Plant Society. Dirk Walters has been active in the conservation of native plants since his arrival in...
read moreNative Garden Tours
Our second annual native garden tour will take place April 15 through 21, 2012, as a part of California Native Plant Week, which overlaps with Earth Week. Last year we had city gardens, country gardens, large and small gardens, but all were interesting and educational. If you would be interested in having your garden on this year’s tour, please call Heather Johnson at 528-‐0446. Gardens should be open at least one day during Earth Week, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (your choice of day(s) of the week). Please let us know as soon as possible so...
read moreCommunity Recognition Award
The Community Recognition Award was presented to Susan Grimaud at the Annual Banquet for her work at Pismo State Beach, Oceano Campground Native Plant Garden, and North Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. The inscription reads, “With great appreciation of your dedication, knowledge and service in creating a California Native Plant Garden in the San Luis Obispo south county dunes area. Your extensive knowledge of, and gardening with, California native plants has enriched our community and visitors. Your contribution as Co-Chair, gardener, plant...
read morePresident’s Message January 2012
Another year! How they fly. I am hoping that the current rainfall deficit remedies itself and we will have a great year of wildflowers. As I write this I am preparing, along with several other chapter members, to attend the CNPS Conservation Conference in San Diego. When you look at the program and talk abstracts, it is clear that everything from art to anthropology, plant taxonomy to computer science, can play a role somewhere within the CNPS mission to protect our flora. The new school curriculum developed with John Muir Laws also shows...
read morePresident’s Message
I think our November meeting was the highest attendance we have ever had at a regular meeting, thanks mostly to the host of Cal Poly students. Randy Baldwin’s fine presentation of plants that are “in the trade” and the human interest of their history of introduction might reinforce the notion that study of native plants is not just about learning latin binomials. The key now is to find activities that will hold the interests of these students. Ideas? As I noted earlier, we are starting to mount plant lists on the web site on...
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