The Hoover Award

In Recognition of Distinguished Service

The Hoover Award was established by the San Luis Obispo chapter in 1974 to recognize a person that has made significant contribution to the success and well being of the SLO chapter of CNPS.

The selection is made at a meeting of the past recipients, and the award is generally presented at the annual banquet.

Kristen Nelson

Kristen Nelson

2023

Kristen Nelson began her position as Vice President (2020-2023) during the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and was instrumental in allowing the Chapter to continue connecting with our members, creating a sense of normalcy through our monthly speaker programs. She arranged diverse, engaging speakers, and facilitated our Zoom virtual program meetings with her technical know-how and welcoming, warm demeanor. Other contributions include assisting at Chapter Plant Sales, participating on committees to update the Chapter website and McLeod Scholarship program, as well as designing Instagram posts advertising CNPS-SLO activities in an appealing way to inspire other young people. Kristen now serves as our Rare Plant Coordinator while managing the State CNPS Rare Plant Program, and successfully co-led the Chapter’s first plant keying workshop in the field (2023) with Dr. Dena Grossenbacher. Kristen’s interests outside of CNPS (e.g., CCSPA Monarch Butterfly Ball, Western Monarch Trail) have also been useful for improving the synergy of CNPS-SLO and other environmental groups in the area.

Cindy Roessler

Cindy Roessler

2022

Cindy Roessler served as Chapter Recording Secretary for several years, accomplishing tasks promptly and accurately, and making our transition to online meetings (for both Board and General Program Meetings) smooth during the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic. She’s been involved in a variety of committees, including Field Trips, Vegetation and Plant Communities, Website, Horticulture, Conservation, and Education. Her keen sense of observation in the field and garden translate into enthusiastically sharing her knowledge of native bees and other pollinators with the Chapter and public. For the last couple years, Cindy has coordinated the Chapter’s annual participation in the Sudden Oak Death Blitz County for San Luis Obispo County along with the University of California and SLO County Dept. of Agriculture.

John Doyle

John Doyle

2019

John Doyle has been making significant contributions to the Chapter’s horticultural program since 2011, serving as the Chair of this committee since 2016. At Chapter Plant Sales, he regularly assists customers with his practical knowledge of using natives in landscapes and contributes by bringing his own plants and seed to the sale. He also contributed to the Chapter’s renewed seed collection and packaging effort with Marti Rutherford in 2013. John serves as an important voice in our Chapter for promoting the use of natives, from UC Master Gardeners of SLO County presentations to organizing the “CNPS-SLO Landscape with Natives” workshop in October 2019 with Mindy Trask. He advised on the production of our “Landscaping with Natives” brochure and has participated in various Chapter restoration projects (e.g., Chimineas Ecological Reserve, San Luis Obispo Creek restoration in the City of SLO, and the Rodriguez Adobe). He’s been a participant in many Chapter activities, including co-leading field trips.

(J.Doyle on left)

Melissa Mooney

Melissa Mooney

2018

Melissa Mooney’s involvement with CNPS-SLO dates back to 1993 when she served for several years as our Rare Plant Coordinator, a position shared with LynneDee Althouse. At that time, she prepared an organized list/schedule of rare plants to search for in the field to update occurrences and publication information, in addition to leading hikes and presenting programs to the Chapter (including for Wildflower Weekends). Since retiring from her job as Santa Barbara County Biologist, she’s assumed a more active role in our Chapter again as our Chapter Council Representative, and as Recording Secretary where she’s taken the lead in updating our Chapter operating guidelines and creating a working Chapter Handbook. Melissa’s most important recent contribution has been her valuable work as the CNPS-SLO Plant Communities Chair, instigating the effort to sample the 30 rare natural plant communities known to occur in San Luis Obispo County, as defined by the Manual of California Vegetation. Melissa was just about to assume the role of Vice President when she received this award, and subsequently also served as President (2020-22).

Marti Rutherford

Marti Rutherford

2017

Besides serving ably as our Chapter’s Corresponding Secretary since 2013, Marti Rutherford’s most important contribution may be conceiving and orchestrating a successful native seed exchange at the October general meetings for the last two years. For many years, she has also organized and provided seed for the annual Plant Sale, including preparation of leftover donated seed from the exchange. Marti assembled our Chapter’s Seed Collecting and Seed Saving Guidelines, and is responsible for the much-needed updating of our native plant list handouts, originally created in the early 1980s on a typewriter. She also updated the list of plants available at our Plant Sale to account for name changes and supplied new signage photographs. Marti is an influential native plant ambassador through her participation with groups such as the SLO Botanic Garden and the Master Gardeners Program, and since 2015 also actively served as one of the core leaders in San Luis Obispo Creek restoration efforts in Mission Plaza.
Bill Waycott

Bill Waycott

2016

Bill Waycott has served as the Field Trip Chair since 2011, organizing many fieldtrips as well as leading them. He has an interest in furthering CNPS outreach, demonstrated by co-sponsoring fieldtrips with Audubon and Sierra Club, as well as hosting educational tables with non-traditional partners like Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers. Along with John Chesnut, Bill brought the State Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, a citizen-science program, to San Luis Obispo County. He has participated in many rare plant hunts statewide and was recognized for attending the most outings in 2014. In 2015, Bill was elected our  President and continues to create outreach opportunities for the Chapter, including a partnership with the City of San Luis Obispo to restore the native flora along San Luis Obispo Creek in Mission Plaza. Bill has grown plants for the Plant Sale and has served as Chapter Council Representative to the State Board. Bill subsequently served as Vice President for the State Board after receiving the Hoover Award.

Neil Havlik

Neil Havlik

2015

Neil Havlik was an early contributor to our Chapter; by 1969 he was already part of a Native Plant Sale Committee and planning and leading field trips as part of the Outings Committee. Initially serving our Chapter as President in 1970, Neil has been an essential proponent for preservation of the San Luis Obispo open space. As San Luis Obispo City Natural Resources Manager until his retirement in 2012, he oversaw the creation of the city greenbelt through acquisition of key parcels, protection of other private parcels, and the expansion of trail systems. He was the guiding force behind the City’s and CNPS-SLO’s 2010 joint publication of the immensely popular Wildflowers of San Luis Obispo guidebook. Since retirement, Neil has contributed greatly to developing a local Carrizo Plains Conservancy initiative, a special purpose land trust targeted on bringing more property under protection in our Carrizo region. Neil Havlik also serves on the board of the Coastal San Luis Resources Conservation District, projects of which play an essential role in furthering preservation of our rural landscape.

(N.Havlik on right)

Judi Young

Judi Young

2014

Since 2010, Judi Young has been instrumental in updating our ‘bare-bones’ Chapter website into something that is beautiful and informative. (She continued to update the website until 2022.) In 2012, Judi also took on Publicity duties for our Chapter, keeping the public updated on events and news through Community Calendar posts. She created and helps oversee our Chapter’s Facebook page, and maintains our email subscriber list which sends an electronic version of the Chapter’s newsletter directly to us. Judi is very important to our Chapter’s appeal to younger people who use social media to connect with causes and attend events. In addition, she is also a big help in many other aspects of the local Chapter, including as a regular Plant Sale cashier.

(J.Young on right)

Suzette Girouard

Suzette Girouard

2013

Suzette Girouard joined CNPS SLO after attending her very first meeting. Not long after, she started volunteering for our Chapter in many ways, and is one of our most reliable helpers. Suzette has been a participant on weed removal projects and our Chapter’s first Sudden Oak Death Blitz in SLO County in 2013 (and subsequent years), and regularly assists with preparation and cleanup at Chapter meetings and at our annual banquet. Most importantly, Suzette now coordinates our annual Plant Sale with John Nowak.
Matt Ritter

Matt Ritter

2012

Matt Ritter joined the Chapter shortly after arriving at Cal Poly to teach botany, and has successfully encouraged his students to attend our Chapter meetings (and become members) ever since. Early on, he assumed the Vice President/Program Chair role; due to his high regard in the academic community, Matt brought high quality speakers to our meetings, many of whom came from outside of our County. With Dave Keil, he has conducted very organized and popular pre-meeting keying workshops. Matt has led several field trips into our native habitats and urban treescapes, and his enthusiasm for teaching others has resulted in his authorship of two popular books: Plants of San Luis Obispo, their Lives and Stories and A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us. As part of his efforts to better connect students with our Chapter, Matt has volunteered to oversee the Malcolm McLeod Scholarship Program.

(M.Ritter on left)

Bill Shearer

Bill Shearer

2011

Bill Shearer is an enthusiastic native plant gardener, having transformed his home garden into a beautiful oak woodland in an urban portion of Arroyo Grande. He has generously shared his garden and his expertise on many CNPS Garden Tours, and coordinated the tour of gardens on Nipomo Mesa in 2008. Bill has also contributed by propagating and delivering native plants to our Plant Sales and helping out at our monthly meetings, our annual potluck banquet, and at work parties throughout the County. In addition, Bill has contributed countless hours to the development of the Oceano Campground’s Native Plant Garden, as well as working on restoration and weed removal projects in the Oceano Campground, Oceano Lagoon peninsula, and North Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove.

(B.Shearer on left)

Marlin Harms

Marlin Harms

2010

Marlin Harms’ wondrous photographs are vital to both conservation and appreciation of our County’s wildflowers. His photos have been featured prominently throughout the Wildflowers of San Luis Obispo CA flower guide book, produced by our Chapter and the City of San Luis Obispo in 2010. He’s helping with photo selection and editing of the Chapter’s next publication, Plants of the Carrizo Plain. Marlin’s photos have been vital in the successful conservation campaigns preserving so much of our county: Hollister Peak, the El Sur Ranch, the East West Ranch, and the Palisades property in Los Osos. Additionally, Marlin has contributed plants he’s grown from seed to our annual Plant Sale for more than 15 years and served as an enthusiastic helper for Wildflower Weekend when that was part of our Chapter’s annual offerings.

George Butterworth

George Butterworth

2009

George Butterworth contributed distinguished and unstinting contributions to our County’s flora. Examples include his work describing the flora of the Carrizo and the Chimeneas Ranch Reserve; the herbarium he created for Chimeneas and the Carrizo; and his expertise and work in the substantial State and CNPS plant association mapping effort for valley grassland. In addition, George has provided well-planned and delightful field trips into the Chimeneas, Carrizo and Elkhorn Plains for the Chapter, complete with his annotated checklists. He has also created a local butterfly and plant associate checklist in support of our Chapter’s community outreach goals. He was already assisting our Chapter by 1994 at the Wildflower Weekend hikes.

Heather and Jim Johnson

Heather and Jim Johnson

2008

Heather and Jim Johnson quickly became involved in our Chapter after moving to San Luis Obispo County. Heather became Sales Table Manager in 2005, immediately ramping up both the inventory and presentation of the sales table with an excellent selection of books. In addition to helping Heather behind the scenes with logistics and inventory storage, in 2007 Jim headed both the Publications and (previously dormant) Photographic Committees. He also revitalized the first iteration of our Chapter’s website in 2008, keeping it up to date.

Lauren Brown

Lauren Brown

2007

Joining our Chapter in 2000, Lauren Brown first served as the Chairperson for our newly-formed Invasive Plants Control Committee (focused on aggressive exotic weeds), acting as our liaison with several local governmental agencies responsible for weed control. She assisted John Chesnut and others in 2003 in an effort to document all CNPS List 1B rare plants in our County with information and photos on a Rare Plants of SLO County CD, and she volunteered frequently at outreach events and the Chapter’s Plant Sale. Lauren later served as the Chapter President for two years (2006-07), helping in many ways including masterminding the Chapter’s hosting of the State Board Meeting. As President of the Chapter, Lauren also served as our Chapter representative to the State CNPS Board. The State Board is large, and most of the Chapter participants attend and then go back to their chapters without much State involvement. However, State Officials thought enough of Lauren’s work on the Board that she was asked to run for State office.

John Chesnut

John Chesnut

2006

John Chesnut has made significant contributions in all three important functions of our Statewide society: our scientific authority represented by our Rare Plant and Vegetation programs of which John leads; our Conservation program, in which we fight for pro-conservation actions of government and the private sector and oppose destructive activities; and our education programs that involve public field trips, horticultural programs and other forms of public outreach. John has been essential to the success of the native plant propagation/installation program serving the science classes of Los Osos Middle School. John has been part of our Chapter’s Board as early as 1998, co-chairing the Rare Plant Coordinator position before taking on the role entirely in 2003.
Mardi Niles

Mardi Niles

2005

Mardi Niles became our Chapter’s Field Trip Committee chairperson in 2003, planning and leading excellent, well-attended trips and making all participants feel welcome. Mardi takes great care to plan her walks and line up other leaders well in advance. In addition to the reliable favorite locations, her fieldtrips have included unusual excursions to Wind Wolves Preserve in the San Joaquin Valley, the Indians/Arroyo Seco River in Monterey County, and private landowner holdings. She also helped to orchestrate our Chapter’s first horticultural tour of native home gardens in Arroyo Grande in 2005, which was so successful that the tour expanded in subsequent years to gardens in Los Osos and Atascadero. At our Chapter General Meetings, Mardi sets up a beautiful refreshment table complete with native plant bouquets, and warmly welcomes newcomers. Mardi developed a children’s plant identification memory matching game to use at outreach events, in which she often participates. She is also skilled at creating beautiful portraits of native plants, some of which have been used for our newsletter covers (e.g., Pismo Clarkia in 2003) and as greeting cards available at our Chapter’s sales tables.

Larry Vierheilig

Larry Vierheilig

2004

Larry Vierheilig was very active in encouraging the public to adopt native plants into their gardens. He was a regular attendee of Chapter Board Meetings, was always ready to remind the Board about the importance of native plant horticulture, and never missed helping with the Chapter’s annual Plant Sale. For over two years, Larry wrote monthly native plant gardening articles for the Adobe Press; subsequently, he donated them to the SLO Chapter for publication in Obispoensis. He kept his eye on conservation issues related to South San Luis Obispo County for the Chapter. As part of that effort, he rescued hundreds of native plants from the corner of Pomeroy and Willow (“Ceanothus Corner”) for use by the community, and helped locate and establish a permanent preserve at the Knollwood Estates development for the endemic population of Pismo clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata). He also obtained Federal and State agency permission for the Nipomo Native Garden to serve as a recovery site for the endangered marsh sandwort (Arenaria paludicola) and Gambel’s watercress (Nasturtium [Rorippa] gambelii). In addition to CNPS, Larry worked with the Nipomo Native Garden, Dunes Forum, Dunes Collaborative and People for Nipomo Dunes. He worked with the Land Conservancy of SLO County to identify and preserve special places in the Nipomo area.
Susi Bernstein

Susi Bernstein

2003

Serving as Education Chair, Susi Bernstein’s major focus since 2000 has been assisting a seventh grade science teacher at Los Osos Middle School with the development of a native dune scrub community curriculum. She taught the students about the local plant community, and led the effort in growing native plants and installing them at and adjacent to the school with the students. For several years, Susi has also helped in public outreach events for CNPS, providing an informational table at Creek Day, Bob Jones Trail Day, and occasionally at the San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market.

Charlie Blair

Charlie Blair

2002

Charlie Blair was instrumental in creating and leading a CNPS subchapter in Lompoc in 1996 to serve people in the Northern Santa Barbara County area, and contributed to our Chapter Board as the Northern Santa Barbara County Liaison. Charlie is the one who organizes field trips and finds monthly speakers for the Lompoc subchapter, in addition to attending Chapter and State board meetings. He contributes frequently to the Chapter newsletter, and leads regular fieldtrips to the Burton Mesa Chaparral at the La Purisima Mission and driving tours of spring wildflowers at Figueroa Mt (with Los Padres Nat’l Forest staff). He was subsequently our Chapter President in 2005 and chaired the State CNPS Volunteer Recognition Committee.

Eleanor Williams

Eleanor Williams

2000

Eleanor Williams has served as our Chapter’s Field Trip Chair (as early as 1989), planning trips to a wide variety of distant locations (e.g., Pinnacles Nat’l Park, Joshua Tree Nat’l Park), and continuing this role until 1996. Other field activities included leading Wildflower Weekend hikes (in addition to other essential tasks at this large event), working with the C.C.C. on creek-side vegetation restoration, and co-leading a German Ivy Bash at the Los Osos Oak Preserve with Dagmar Collins. Aside from serving as the Membership Committee Chair for many years, she chaired Full Display Sales and volunteered every year at our Plant Sale, staffing the information and sales booth. At the time of the award, Eleanor was currently working with the docents to maintain the demonstration garden at Montano de Oro.

Bob Hotaling

Bob Hotaling

1999

Bob Hotaling was an important volunteer to the Wildflower Weekend, helping out from the very early days of the event until its last occurrence in 1997. He helped with the organization and coordination of field trips for the event, as well as grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup. His efforts were essential and really helped to enhance the event. Bob took on the Editorship of our Chapter newsletter in 1995; his tenure as editor ultimately lasted twenty years until 2015. He has been a consistent and active participant at almost every Chapter meeting, at our Plant Sales and on our field trips.

Eric Greening

Eric Greening

1998

Eric Greening is very active in the local environmental movement, devoting much time and energy to being an informed citizen who regularly attends and comments at public meetings. He likely serves as the most ardent champion of environmental issues in the Chapter area. Eric has also been a regular attendee of our Chapter’s General Meetings, providing important updates to the membership audience about local government issues concerning protection and impacts to our natural environment.

Shirley Sparling

Shirley Sparling

1997

Shirley Sparling was already leading fieldtrips to the intertidal coast for the Chapter by 1969, discussing the ocean’s plant life with her expertise as an algologist. She continued to regularly lead these intertidal hikes (and occasionally more-upland outings) through at least 1996. She also served as Corresponding Secretary in 1977. Shirley became more active in the Chapter after she retired as a professor in Cal Poly’s Biology Department in 1991, taking on several Chapter roles such as Recording Secretary, assisting with outreach and Wildflower Weekend, and continuing to present programs for the Chapter’s general meetings until she later moved away to Monterey. In addition to leading CNPS field trips, she led trips for other groups such as SWAP, SLO Botanical Garden and Morro Bay Natural History Museum.
Jack & Grace Beigle

Jack & Grace Beigle

1996

Jack and Grace Beigle retired to Southern San Luis Obispo County where they became involved as docents at the Pismo Dunes State Beach. Ultimately, they got involved with and significantly aided Kathleen Jones’ dune preservation work and became public advocates for the Nipomo Dunes, including a drive to create a national seashore (now the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Nat’l Wildlife Refuge, established in 2000). In addition to pampas grass removal, willow plantings, and leading field trips in the dunes and elsewhere (including by boat), Jack and Grace planted a native garden at the Oceano Campground; this garden then led to a larger effort restoring native plants at the Pismo Area State Parks. They became involved with the Chapter in 1988 and served several roles prior to receiving the Hoover Award, but are also known for directing the preparation and publication of the Chapter’s 2001 Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide. Jack was also one of the founders of the California Exotic Pest Plant Council (now California Invasive Plant Council), and helped bring the very first conference of that newly formed organization to Morro Bay in 1991.
John Nowak

John Nowak

1995

John Nowak was a horticulture student in the 1970s and visited Alice Meyer’s native plant garden on a fieldtrip. Enough interest was shown that Alice recruited John to help her with the Chapter Plant Sales and to provide plant donations. When Alice retired as Plant Sale Boss in the late 1980s, John took over. With the assistance of different Co-Chairs through the years, John served in this position, which has become a very big and complicated job, until 2021 (30 years). In addition to his Plant Sale duties, he offered plant propagation workshops to members. John has also regularly contributed native plant horticultural articles to the Chapter newsletter and presented native plant horticulture programs at Chapter meetings. He was active on the Conservation Committee, serving as Co-Chair for several years. John also spent many hours with the Pampas Grass Bashers/Pampas Police, removing this weed from coastal habitat in San Luis Obispo County, as well as participating in monthly restoration work parties at the Los Osos Sweet Springs Audubon Preserve. Following receipt of the Hoover Award, John served three years as Chapter President (1999-2001) and as a representative to the State Chapter Council; he was named for a Volunteer Service Award from the State CNPS in 2005.

David & Linda Chipping

David & Linda Chipping

1994

David and Linda Chipping have a long history of leadership in the Chapter. They both have served as Chapter President as well as several other offices, often concurrently. They ought to have been given a separate award as their individual contributions to the Chapter are deserving. Both David and Linda are responsible for coordinating the printing and mailing of our newsletters, for maintaining the Chapter’s PO Box, and for generously housing the CNPS books/t-shirt inventory in their garage for many years.

Linda’s first real interest in CA native plants came from attending Alice Myers and Tim Gaskin’s plant propagation workshop, and then she soon became the Chapter’s Vice President in 1987. At the time of this award, Linda had served as President for four terms; her quiet leadership was particularly important for re-invigorating the Chapter when it went through a weak period. She also served in many other important capacities: from overseeing the publicity (amongst other duties) for Wildflower Weekend in the 1980s and 1990s, to managing the wholesale inventory and Chapter membership, and serving as the Chapter’s Treasurer. She looks after the many little things that allow the Chapter business to be done. David Chipping has chaired the Chapter Conservation Committee for many years, starting in 1989 as Vice Chair, and clearly communicating conservation issues to our members through regular newsletter updates. David was part of the effort, along with Malcolm McLeod, to create a Rare Plant Photo Album of San Luis Obispo County which could be used for identification purposes by the Conservation Committee. He has also served on the State CNPS Board of Directors and as their Conservation Chair for many years. David was later to become our Chapter President for eight terms and recognized as a Fellow of the CNPS State organization in 2012. His dedication to the Chapter continues with his role as Acting President (2023-2024).

Mary Coffeen

Mary Coffeen

1993

After retiring as a docent at the Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Southern California, Mary Coffeen came to our County. She immediately became an active member and fieldtrip participant in the Chapter. She was Outings Committee Chair by 1983, offering trips that included overnight stays as well as many visits to Cerro Alto. In 1982, Mary (along with Bert Wilson, “the brainchild”) came up with the idea of a Wildflower Weekend to inspire visitors to visit our County during the springtime wildflower displays, and this successful event occurred almost annually until 1997. Her interest in native plants led her to write an identification book called Central Coast Wildflowers in 1993, identifying coastal flowers of Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

(Photo courtesy of Nancy Mann, Feb 2021 Obispoensis; M.Coffeen on left.)

David Krause

David Krause

1992

David Krause has served the Chapter since 1980 in many roles including Recording Secretary, Chapter Council delegate, Plant Sale helper (notably cashier), and a long, consistent role as the Chapter Treasurer since 1999 to date. He has led many a Chapter outing, starting with plant-keying fieldtrips beginning in 1983. He is especially known for his early rainy-season Fungal Foray trips dedicated to mushrooms and toadstools in Cambria. In addition, David started helping with the Chapter’s Wildflower Weekend at Rancho El Chorro from the beginning, taking over leadership duties in 1987 until the final year in 1997. The annual event was very popular with state-wide significance and interest, bringing in new CNPS members, and advertised primarily by word-of-mouth. David has also served three years as Chapter President (1995-97) subsequent to receiving the Hoover Award, and was presented with a Volunteer Service Award from State CNPS in 2009 for his long service to the Chapter.

David Fross

David Fross

1991

David Fross has supported the Chapter Plant Sale since 1980 by offering specially-selected native plants wholesale from his Native Sons Nursery (and continuing to supply plants for at least 20 more years after receiving the Hoover Award). He made generous donations of plants and trucks for the plant sale in the early days, and served as a Co-Chair for the Plant Sale with Alice Meyer for several years (1981-87). Examples of service include donation of his nursery to propagate dune plants as part of initial studies to revegetate Nipomo Dunes by CalPoly/CNPS in 1982; maintenance of plants salvaged by CNPS members from a CalTrans Hwy 101 widening project until replanting time; and growing young oaks from CNPS-collected acorns for Arbor Day distribution/planting in 1992. David invited CNPS to his nursery and demonstration gardens (including for Wildflower Weekend), and offered native plant and propagation workshops to membership (to supply the 1992 Plant Sale). David also served as Vice President for a couple years and participated on the Photographic Committee, working to make the Chapter’s slide collection more available at Cal Poly.
Eileen Pritchard

Eileen Pritchard

1990

Prior to serving as Chapter President in 1982, Eileen had helped in various Board positions since 1978 (Treasurer, Corresponding and Recording Secretary, Programs) and led hikes starting in the 1980s, most frequently to Lopez Lake. She served as Co-Chair of the newly-formed Education Committee in early 1983 (with Linda Seek), assembling what came to be known as the Plant Sale Reference Books (composed of C. Cunningham’s plant photos and horticultural information); these appealing books were available for the public to browse at the Chapter’s Plant Sales.

David Keil

David Keil

1989

David Keil joined the Chapter shortly after becoming part of the Cal Poly faculty in 1976, where he was later appointed as Director of the Robert F. Hoover Herbarium. He taught Plant Taxonomy and Field Botany for many years, and has made significant plant collection additions to the Herbarium. In addition to first serving as Chapter President in 1978, David has made himself available for answering question about our local native flora. He’s led numerous Chapter fieldtrips, and has presented Chapter meeting programs many times over the years. Subsequent to 1989, David served as Chapter Vice President, responsible for arranging program speakers, and was named a Fellow of the CNPS State organization in 2018. He devoted many years and significant effort in updating Dr. Hoover’s San Luis Obispo County Flora, with the 2nd revised edition finally published in 2023.

Eileen & Craig Cunningham

Eileen & Craig Cunningham

1988

Joining the Chapter in 1977, Craig and Eileen Cunningham become active participants almost immediately by leading field trips, assisting at Plant Sales, and working on committees. In addition to serving as Chair of the Conservation Committee, Craig was a fantastic photographer of nature, especially native plants, with a goal to photograph all the flowering plants of our County. This  led to production of a video discussing the plants of Coast San Luis Obispo County. Craig chaired the Chapter’s Photography Committee for many years, organizing a long-running photo contest for part of that time and spearheading a Color Slide Reference Library of native plants housed at the Cal Poly Herbarium (1981). He shared his native plant photos as slide show programs in numerous Chapter meetings, as well as for the informational Plant Sale Reference photo albums used at the annual Plant Sale. In years following receipt of the Hoover Award, Craig collaborated with Malcolm McLeod to supply photographs for the Wildflowers of the Carrizo Plain Area guide as well as the majority of photos used for the dune plant identification guide (Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide). Craig was also an enthusiastic participant and leader on rare plant field trips, using his expertise to document rare plants. Eileen served as Publicity Chair, in addition to acting as Recording Secretary for the Chapter and the Conservation Committee, and was a regular participant on Craig’s photographic expeditions to the Carrizo Plain and surrounding area. Both Eileen and Craig were diligent and articulate in letters and statements promoting CNPS views.

Lee & Lillian Wilson

1987

CHARTER MEMBERS
Lee and Lillian Wilson both served the Chapter from the very beginning as charter members: Lillian as Chair of the Membership Committee, and Lee on the Photography Committee starting in 1966. Together they were active members, regularly attending Chapter meetings and hikes, some of which were led by Lee. Lee researched and photographed native plants of the County with Robert F. Hoover for many years; photographs from these trips helped to illustrate the 1974 color supplement that the Chapter later produced to accompany Dr. Hoover’s 1969 Flora of SLO. Both Lee and Lillian were very active in Conservation in CNPS; Lee was also active in the local Sierra Club Chapter for which he was also a founding member in 1961. He worked on campaigns to preserve the Pismo Beach Dunes and Oso Flaco Lake, and, with other local conservationists like Ian McMillan, worked to eliminate off-road vehicles in local wilderness areas and to designate the Santa Lucia area as wilderness. In this context, Lee testified in front of Congress in Washington D.C. in support of preservation (Lee Wilson Papers, SLO County Environmental Archives, Cal Poly State Univ, San Luis Obispo, CA).

Bill Deneen

Bill Deneen

1986

CHARTER MEMBER
Bill Deneen was one of the original charter member of our CNPS Chapter in 1966. He was the first Chapter Conservation Chair, and very active in conservation issues. He was also already leading hikes for the Outings Committee by 1969, and Board Meeting minutes from that time indicate he was tasked to pursue establishment of hiking trails throughout SLO County to connect with those of Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties. Even after leaving the Chapter as an officer, he continued to be active in conservation work, working with Kathleen Jones in preservation of the South County Coastal Dunes, as well as leading hikes in the dunes for many years. In addition to his field-related work, Bill was the editor of the Chapter’s first newsletters (1966-72), preparing and distributing the issues. Bill was also a strong advocate for the limitation of nuclear power.
Bonnie Walters

Bonnie Walters

1985

Bonnie Walters was a zoologist, as well as a great pen and ink drawing artist. She was the primary artist for the early editions of Drs. Walters and Keil’s Vascular Plant Taxonomy textbook used in their Cal Poly taxonomy class. She then donated many of those drawings for covers of the Chapter newsletter starting in 1974. Once all those drawings had been used, she continued to create well over 100 new drawings for the Obispoensis covers. At the behest of newsletter editor Alice Meyer, Bonnie created our CNPS Chapter’s logo of the locally endemic Obispo star tulip (Calochortus obispoensis) in the 1970s. Bonnie’s plant drawings also adorned the program for the Annual Banquets (her San Luis Obispo Lupine illustration later decorated Chapter tote bags and t-shirts by 1987, subsequent to her Hoover Award). Some of Bonnie’s illustrations were included in a guidebook to non-destructive recreational activities at Lopez Lake (by B. Badaracco); the 1984 Chapter Board supported the effort to prepare/publish this guidebook. In addition to her artistic assistance, Bonnie helped at the Plant Sales from the very early days, which included many years of housing plants at the Walters’ residence prior to the sale. Along with husband Dirk, Bonnie was later awarded the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation’s award for Sustained Environmental Contribution in 2007.
Timothy Gaskin

Timothy Gaskin

1984

Tim Gaskin was a professor specializing in native plants within Cal Poly’s Horticulture Department. He was an important supporter of the Chapter’s Plant Sales, often providing plant material. Tim was very active in the Chapter, leading fieldtrips, serving as Chair for committees such as Programs, Publicity, and Conservation during his time, as well as serving two terms as Chapter President (1983-84). He served with Dirk Walters as Co-Chair of the Symposium Committee in 1977, headed the Chapter’s cultivated native plant and wildflower slide show and display for the public in San Luis Obispo in 1980-81, and prepared and printed a CNPS booklet called “Saving Our Oaks” to distribute to realtors, developers, etc. to make them aware of the value of native oak trees (1980). Tim was also an active participant in the Wildflower Weekend, taking over the initial leadership role from Mary Coffeen and Bert Wilson until David Krause’s tenure began in 1987.

Lela & Bernard Burdett

Lela & Bernard Burdett

1983

Lela and Bernard Burdett led many a field trip for the Chapter, with Lela providing plant lists made during those trips for the newsletter as early as 1976. Lela was Historian and Vice President prior to serving two terms as Chapter President (1980-81). Bernard participated on the Photographic Committee. They both were active in the Conservation Committee, including in the protection of the Nipomo Dunes. They participated in the Rare Plants Committee of 1983, marking the locations of rare plants in San Luis Obispo County.

Margaret & Herman Bender

Margaret & Herman Bender

1982

CHARTER MEMBERS
Margaret and Herman Bender were charter members of the local Chapter, with Herman serving on the Photography Committee and Margaret as Chair of the Telephone Committee (to notify members of meetings/field trips) in 1966. They were early helpers with the Chapter Plant Sale and clearly enjoyed gardening with natives; the 1969 Chapter Bulletin indicates they’d invite members to view their home’s native plant garden. Herman was part of a committee responsible for producing the supplement to Dr. Hoover’s Flora of SLO County, which was published by the Chapter in 1974. Herman was also active on the Conservation Committee. Together, Margaret and Herman represented the Chapter in seeking support of the South Bay Advisory Committee to preserve the Bishop Pine area of Los Osos.

(M.Bender on left, H.Bender on right)

Malcolm McLeod

Malcolm McLeod

1981

Starting in 1979, Malcolm McLeod spent many years as the Rare Plant Coordinator, which required him to find and map the locations of rare plant populations. Consequently, Malcolm led many Chapter field trips with his increasing knowledge of the area, and he presented numerous Chapter Programs from his extensive native plant photos. Malcolm McLeod was Chapter President for two years (1976-77), during which the Chapter participated in a symposium about the value and uses of native plants developed by Cal Poly’s Ornamental Horticulture and Bio Science Departments; the Chapter then published the Conference Proceedings from this event. As early as the 1970s, as part of the Scholarship Committee, Malcolm McLeod helped to award small scholarships to encourage the study of native plants.

In years after receiving the Hoover Award, Malcolm authored wildflower photo guides (e.g., Wildflowers of the Carrizo Plain Area and Wildflowers of Highway 58.), including a dune plant identification guide conceived by Kathleen Jones (Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide), and prepared copies of a Rare Plants in SLO County photo album to be used by the Conservation Committee for plant identification. Malcolm was later recognized by the CNPS State organization with the 1988 Award for Rare Plant Conservation prior to being named a Fellow of the CNPS State organization in 2004.

Christine & Louis Wilson

Christine & Louis Wilson

1980

CHARTER MEMBERS
Together, Christine and Louis Wilson were serving on the Board and heading committees from the very beginning as charter members of the Chapter; in 1966-67, Christine was Historian for the Chapter, and Louis was Vice President (and serving on the Photography Committee and Advisory Board). Christine propagated and grew plants for the early Plant Sales, assisted by Louis. Records from 1972 show that the two were vital volunteers in preparing plants for the sale, including arranging the agricultural inspection and serving as cashier. Louis Wilson served as an active member of the Conservation Committee. He was part of a committee responsible for producing the supplement to Dr. Hoover’s Flora of SLO County, published by the Chapter in 1974.

Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan

1979

CHARTER MEMBER
As a rancher-turned-conservationist, Ian McMillan was an original charter member of the Chapter and very active on the Conservation Committee, especially on issues of the East County from where he lived and hailed. He did much early work in the study of quail habitat preservation. Ian worked with other local environmentalists to establish the Santa Lucia [Lopez] Wilderness Area and to preserve Morro Rock in Morro Bay (Ian McMillan Papers, SLO County Environmental Archives, Cal Poly State Univ, San Luis Obispo, CA).
Dorothea Rible

Dorothea Rible

1978

As one of the Chapter’s first members, Dorothea Rible served as Recording Secretary through the 1970s and subsequently handled CNPS book and poster (and t-shirt) sales from the 1980s into the early 1990s. She staffed sales and informational tables at various CNPS gatherings in addition to that of the Plant Sales, and was also an active member of the Conservation Committee. Dorothea’s assistance extended beyond her receipt of the Hoover Award. Those who remember when our Chapter ran the Wildflower Weekend event at Rancho El Chorro (1982 to 1997) will attest to the effort Dorothea made (along with David Krause, Tim Gaskin and others) in creating a successful event and a major fund raiser for the Chapter.
Dirk Walters

Dirk Walters

1977

At the time of the award, Dirk Walters had already served three terms as the Chapter’s President; he went on to serve an additional six terms, the most of any other CNPS SLO President to date (as of 2023). Representing the Chapter along with Malcolm McLeod, Dirk provided input on the State’s Rare and Endangered Plant Species Project for California publication, initiating an annotated list of rare plants of SLO County in 1975. He also served with Tim Gaskin as Co-Chair of the Symposium Committee in 1977, which brought a native plant symposium to Cal Poly. Dirk regularly grew/tended plants for Chapter Plant Sales, offering his and Bonnie Walters’ home for price/labeling workdays at least until 1988, and providing long-standing assistance and information at the Plant Sales. He has regularly written a “Plant of the Issue” article for the Obispoensis since the early 1970s, and started to pair the plant descriptions with his wife Bonnie’s illustrated newsletter covers beginning in 1983. Dirk subsequently held several other offices including Vice President, Historian and Conservation Committee Chair, and became a Fellow of the CNPS State organization in 2011. Along with Bonnie, Dirk was also later awarded the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation’s award for Sustained Environmental Contribution in 2007.
Kathleen & Gaylord Jones

Kathleen & Gaylord Jones

1976

CHARTER MEMBER (K.JONES)
Together, Kathy and Gaylord Jones were instrumental for the ongoing preservation of the South County’s Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, which included saving the dunes from being the site of a proposed nuclear power plant. The two were active participants in a very active CNPS Conservation Committee at the time. They led many field trips, especially into the dunes, and were presented with a State CNPS Rare Plant Conservation Award in 1990. As a talented photographer, Gaylord was part of the Chapter’s Photographic Committee and a committee responsible for producing the photographic supplement to Dr. Hoover’s Flora of SLO Count, published by the Chapter in 1974. In later years of their participation with CNPS, they assembled a group of people who organized a wildflower book on the South County Dunes, Dune Mother’s Wildflower Guide, published by the Chapter in 2001.

As one of the original charter members of CNPS-SLO, Kathy was one of five citizens in the United States selected to receive the national Sol Feinstone Environmental Award in 1993 to acknowledge 30 years of preserving the Nipomo Dunes. Kathy was also instrumental in founding early versions of the Santa Barbara and the San Luis Obispo chapters of the Sierra Club as a charter member, and helped form an organization called People for the Nipomo Dunes with the mission of formal protection for the dunes.

Ralph Baker

Ralph Baker

1975

As one of the Chapter’s first members, Ralph Baker served as President of the Chapter from 1970 to 1971, completing Neil Havlik’s 1969-70 term as President when Neil left for graduate school. In subsequent years, Ralph helped to lead field trips and prepare plant lists from the trips, and assisted the Photographic Committee in organizing requests of plant photos. He chaired the newly established Conservation Committee in 1974 in time to voice CNPS concerns over ecologically sensitive issues like the Nipomo Dunes, Pismo State Beach, Santa Lucia [Lopez] Wilderness Area, and the proposed Standard Oil monobuoy in Estero Bay. Ralph organized the first Chapter Banquets during his presidency, and grew lots of Clarkia which he brought to the Plant Sale where he was a vital volunteer.

Alice & Bud Meyer

Alice & Bud Meyer

1974

Alice and Bud Meyer were the first recipients of the Hoover Award, a recognition created by Dr. VL Holland who was Chapter President at the time.

Alice Meyer was an early mainstay in the Chapter once she and Bud joined in 1968. After attending one of the Chapter’s first plant sales, she set out to improve it. She organized early Chapter Plant Sales and many of the plants sold were grown in the Meyers’ backyard. Alice and Bud made a series of trips to collect seed and cuttings, and solicited seed collection by members to be packaged and sold at the sales. She continued to be involved in propagation and the Plant Sales until the late 1980s. She devoted the majority of her garden to natives, and for several years shared her expertise with Cal Poly students who were invited to tour it. Not only was Alice the first editor of the Chapter newsletter, continuing this work until 1990, her line drawings often illustrated the early versions and she gave the newsletter its name in 1977: Obispoensis. Alice later organized the first CNPS native plant symposium in 1977, and helped to edit and organize the proceedings of that event. She also managed the State CNPS educational trust fund for several years. She fulfilled many roles on the Board, including a long-lasting role as Membership Chair. Bud Meyer was very active on the Conservation Committee and Rare Plant Committee, and worked on a flora of the Morro Bay area. Along with Alice, Bud had a particular interest in Los Osos area rare plants; his interest in local native plants developed when he found and mapped hybrid Abronia stands in the Los Osos Dunes. Bud was part of a committee responsible for producing the supplement to Dr. Hoover’s Flora of SLO County, which was published by the Chapter in 1974. He was an early proponent of preserving the Carrizo Plains and Soda Lake, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Carrizo Plains National Monument, and, together with Alice, fought with success against the construction of a large marine terminal in Estero Bay. Both Alice and Bud led field trips for the Chapter throughout their tenure, with Bud serving as the Outings Chair at the time when they received the Hoover Award. Both Bud and Alice were later made Fellows of the State CNPS organization in 1988.