2026 NPSO Annual Meeting – Native Plant Society of Oregon

Save the Date!
2026 NPSO Annual Meeting May 29 to 31

Mark your calendar! The Willamette Valley Chapter is delighted to host the next NPSO statewide Annual Meeting May 29-31, 2026, at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem, Oregon.

Schedule Overview:Friday, May 29: Participants will be able to choose from six self-guided field trip options and attend a no-host dinner at Lively Station or another selected Salem-area restaurant. Attendees should bring a sack lunch and water. Saturday, May 30: There will be thirteen half- and full-day guided field trip options throughout the mid-Willamette Valley, Cascade foothills, and Oregon Coast, as well as two workshops and several presentations at the Willamette Heritage Center (see highlights, below). Lunch and dinner will be included. Sunday, May 31: The six self-guided field trip options will repeat on Sunday and participants are welcome to round out the Annual Meeting activities at a no-host brunch at Magnolia on the Green or another selected Salem-area restaurant. The NPSO state Board of Directors will meet at Pringle Community Hall in Salem on Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.Annual Meeting Highlights:A keynote presentation with Greg Archuleta, cultural educator and member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, on Indigenous uses of Willamette Valley native plants.A two-part guided wildflower hike along the North Fork of Silver Creek at Silver Falls State Park and at a vernally wet meadow adjacent to the park with Oregon State Parks Interpretive Ranger Matt Palmquist.A native plant pressing workshop using microwave-friendly plant presses with James Anello, cultural educator and member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.A presentation with Rose Grimson, Environmental Science major at Willamette University and recipient of a Jean Davis Memorial Scholarship, about her work to measure and map soil health and native plant populations at natural areas stewarded by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.A tour of Willamette University at Zena, a 305-acre natural area owned by the university that supports academic research and environmental education and serves as a “living laboratory” for sustainability practices, with Director Weston Miller.A comprehensive list of activities with descriptions and plant lists, as well as registration costs and lodging options will be shared with NPSO members in the coming months.

Registration for the meeting will open in Spring 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendance is limited to the first 150 members who register. Look for more information regarding registration and Annual Meeting activities in the Bulletin in February.

Call for Presentations:
Do you have an Oregon native plant-related talk, slideshow, or poster presentation that you’d like to share with NPSO members at the Annual Meeting? Contact John Savage at **********@*******on.org/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>wv**********@*******on.org or at wv****@***il.com to request the presentation guidelines and a proposal form.

Call for Exhibitors:
Do you have NPSO chapter activities or a native plant-related product, service, or nonprofit that you’d like to showcase at the Annual Meeting? Reserve your tabletop display space in the exhibitors’ area by emailing John Savage at the addresses above. Spaces are free for NPSO chapters and $50 for other nonprofit, for-profit, and government agencies and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibitors receive a listing in the Annual Meeting program.

Call for Sponsors:
Increase your company or organization’s visibility at the Annual Meeting! Become a supporting sponsor for $250 and receive a tabletop exhibitor space, a 2-inch by 3-inch ad and listing in the event program, the ability to include literature and giveaways in the participant welcome bags, and a listing in selected online materials. Become a presenting sponsor for $500 and receive a 10-foot by 10-foot exhibitor space, a full-page ad and logo placement in the event program, the ability to include literature and giveaways in the participant welcome bags, logo placement in selected online materials, and recognition from the podium during the evening program. Contact John Savage at wv****@***il.com for more information and to sign up for one of the above sponsorship opportunities.

Call for Field Trip Assistants:
The Willamette Valley Chapter is seeking volunteers to assist our field trip leaders during the guided field trips on Saturday, May 30. Field trip assistant responsibilities include:

Before the trip:Communicate with your leader to clarify responsibilities. (The leader or a WV Chapter member will contact you.)At the meeting place, hold a lollipop sign advertising the trip.Keep a list of participants (this will be emailed to the leader in advance and provided to you at the group meeting site) and check them off as they arrive.Have participants sign waivers, if this hasn’t been done. Help organize carpools at the meeting site, if needed.Distribute hard copies of the driving directions, plant list, and other helpful information (to be provided by the Willamette Valley Chapter).Make sure that all trip participants have cell phone numbers for you and the trip leader. During the trip:Take a headcount at the trailhead or parking area at the field trip site before the trip/tour begins.Serve as a “sweeper” (bring up the rear) and make sure everyone remains accounted for.Help ensure participants do not stray from the group or go off trail without the trip leader’s permission.Carry a first aid kit (to be provided by the Willamette Valley Chapter) and make it available for use by the participants as needed.Take a headcount at the trailhead or parking area at the field trip site after the trip/tour ends and before the participants depart.Be a timekeeper and monitor the time so the trip is completed, and participants are back at the meeting venue by 4:00 pm.Please reach out to John Savage at wv**********@*******on.org or at wv****@***il.com if you are interested in assisting the trip leaders on one of the following field trips:

Silver Falls State Park (Wet Meadow & North Fork, Silver Creek)
Kingston Prairie Preserve
Cascade Head Preserve
Oregon Garden
Shellburg Falls
Horse Rock Ridge
Heritage Seedlings
Baskett Slough
Delbert Hunter Arboretum
Herbert Farm & Natural Area
Willamette University at Zena
Oak Meadows Natural Area

NPSO Willamette Valley Chapter Members. Photo by Jose Linares

About the NPSO Willamette Valley Chapter:
Based in Salem, the Willamette Valley Chapter is one of eleven chapters comprising the Native Plant Society of Oregon. Our chapter, like the others, is dedicated to the enjoyment, conservation, and study of Oregon’s native plants and habitats.

Willamette Valley Chapter activities serve NPSO members residing in Salem, Marion County, and parts of Polk County. This region includes important botanical destinations such as Kingston Prairie, Silver Falls State Park, and Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge. However, our field trips are wide ranging, from the High Cascades and Columbia Gorge to the Oregon Coast.

Established in 1977, the Willamette Valley Chapter also organizes outreach activities at regional events, habitat restoration volunteer opportunities, and a lecture series. In addition, the chapter administers two scholarship funds for sophomore, junior, and senior students enrolled at an Oregon college or university and majoring in botany, ecology, conservation biology, horticulture, landscape architecture, or other plant-related fields: the Jean Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Augusta Rockafellar Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Join our Growing Community!
For more than 60 years, members of the NPSO have been visiting the wild places of Oregon to enjoy, conserve, and study their natural plants and habitats. Founded in 1961, NPSO has grown to more than 1,000 members (and counting)! Members receive announcements about plant walks, hikes, lectures, restoration projects, and other opportunities to learn about Oregon’s native plants. To become a member of NPSO, visit https://www.npsoregon.org/wp/membership/. –Catherine Natasha Alexander and John Savage