Native Plant Society of Oregon

Program: Lichen Habitats in the Pacific Northwest
2025-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Monday, October 20, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Title: Lichen Habitats in the Pacific Northwest
Presenter: Dr. Daphne Stone, Lichenologist
Location: Amazon Community Center, 2700 Hilyard St, Eugene
Lichens grow all over the Pacific Northwest, but most are restricted to specific habitats. This is because they are very sensitive to the moisture, light, and nutrients available to them. The talk will cover a few habitats in which Dr. Stone has worked during her career, showing interesting lichens found in each.

Event: High Desert Chapter Board Meeting
2025-10-20 09:00 - 11:00
Monday, October 20, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Event: High Desert Chapter Board Meeting
Location: Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall St, Bend, OR
This meeting will have new and old Board members together, passing the torch on to the new members. The President will discuss the NPSO strategic planning session they attended. Further discuss upcoming events, meetings, and fun activities for our chapter members. Contact us at Hi************@***il.com for information about web access.

Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
2025-10-19 13:00 - 15:00
Sunday, October 19, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
Leader: Esther McEvoy
Location: Avery House Nature Center, Avery Park, Corvallis
Come for fall pruning and mulching. Bring gloves, clippers, trowel, and bucket. Contact Esther for more information or to RSVP at 541-990-0948 or es******@**ak.org.

Field Trip: Mushrooms of the Southern Oregon Cascades
2025-10-19 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday, October 19th, 9:00 am
Field Trip: Mushrooms of the Southern Oregon Cascades
Trip Leaders: Wayne Rolle and Cesar Garcia
Meeting Location: Medford BLM parking lot, 3040 Biddle Road
Join Wayne Rolle and Cesar Garcia for an all-day field trip to look for mushrooms in the southern Oregon Cascades. The focus will be on finding, learning to identify, and appreciating our local fungi. Please meet for carpooling at 9:00 am at the Medford BLM parking lot, located at 3040 Biddle Road. There will be 60-90 minutes of driving in each direction, and the specific destinations will be based on seasonal factors. The group will move slowly and won’t cover many miles; however, participants should be comfortable traveling cross-country in forested habitat with insecure footing. All NPSO Siskiyou Chapter field trips are free and open to the public. For more information and to sign up for this hike, please visit: Mushrooms of the Southern Oregon Cascades

Field Trip: Willamette University at Zena
2025-10-18 09:30 - 13:00
Saturday, October 18, 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Field Trip: Willamette University at Zena
Trip Leader: Weston Miller
Willamette University Professor Weston Miller – Director of Willamette University at Zena and Center for Land-based Learning – will lead a tour of Willamette University’s 305 acre “Willamette University at Zena” property west of Salem. The property supports academic research and environmental education and serves as a “living laboratory” for sustainability practices. It features oak and mixed woodlands, Oregon oak savanna, upland prairie, riparian zones, wetlands, and freshwater habitats, and has diverse native plants and forbs including Roemer’s fescue, yarrow, Oregon sunshine, common selfheal, checkermallows, and cinquefoils. The walk will cover 1.5 miles with a 250-foot elevation gain. For more information and to register for this field trip, email John Savage at wv****@***il.com

Work Party: Native Planting Day at Crooked River Park
2025-10-18 09:00 - 15:00
Saturday, October 18, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Work Party: Native Planting Day at Crooked River Park
Location: Crooked River Park, S Main St, Prineville, OR
Join ThinkWild in planting native plants at their newly acquired land in Crooked River Park in Prineville. If interested, please sign up here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/O_skyOZBymofW1P_GH6D5A

Presentation: After the dams: Plant community recruitment in the Klamath reservoirs
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00
Thursday, October 16, 7:00 pm
Presentation: After the dams: Plant community recruitment in the Klamath reservoirs
Presenter: Dr. Chhaya Werner
Location: In-person presentation at the Siskiyou chapter meeting at Southern Oregon University Science Building, Room 161. Join us in-person or via Zoom in from home. To register for Zoom, go to https://bit.ly/npsotalks.
The removal of four dams on the Klamath River marks one of the largest river restoration projects ever conducted. The drained reservoirs – over 2,000 acres of bare ground – will change rapidly as plants come into this space, both through intentional seeding and planting of native species and unassisted spread of native and nonnative species common in our region. Our research group at Southern Oregon University worked in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe’s Revegetation and Monitoring Branch to study plant community response in seeded and unseeded sections of the reservoirs. We present our observations of establishment patterns in the years immediately following dam removal, with a particular focus on the recruitment of willows and oaks, both species of high ecological and cultural importance.
Chhaya Werner, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Ecology in the department of Environmental Science, Policy and Sustainability at SOU. Her doctoral work at the University of California Davis examined the impacts of fire, drought, and priority effects on plant communities, and was advised by Dr. Truman Young and Dr. Susan Harrison. Her postdoctoral research included developing methods to quantify species interactions in diverse communities, applied to patterns of coexistence in California grasslands. Her current research focuses on mechanisms underpinning plant community dynamics in fire-dependent systems, mountain meadows, and the Klamath reservoirs.

Zoom Program: Plants, People, and Common Ground
2025-10-16 18:30 - 19:30
Thursday, October 16, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Zoom Program: Plants, People, and Common Ground
Presenter: Rose Grimson
Rose Grimson – a senior in environmental science at Willamette University and the 2025 winner of a Jean Davis Scholarship from the Willamette Valley Chapter NPSO – will talk about her work to measure and map soil health, native plant populations, and First Food plant populations at the native plant nursery and restoration sites at the Natural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. She will discuss her measurement methods; how interactive mapping tools can be used to support restoration work, community-based foraging, landscape histories, and ecological education; and her plans to replicate her work at other sites. For more information and to register for this Zoom presentation, email John Savage at wv****@***il.com.

Program: Research and Internships at the Institute for Applied Ecology
2025-10-13 19:30 - 20:30
Monday, October 13, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Program: Research and Internships at the Institute for Applied Ecology
Presenters: Interns Emme Obermire and Cole Hanson, Ecologist Denise Giles, and Research Director Scott Harris
Location: Cordley Hall Room #2602. Oregon State University and via Zoom
Researchers from the Institute for Applied Ecology will provide a brief overview of recent plant research initiatives and our internship program. Our interns from this past summer will present their projects: assisted migration and microhabitats for Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly host plants.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://oregonstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/HVm2cjTdSOO3JpSHUgRlrw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Field Trip: Siskiyou Plant Explorers Trip to Lithia Park Trail
2025-10-11 09:00 - 13:00
Saturday, October 11, 9:00 am -1:00 pm
Field Trip: Siskiyou Plant Explorers Trip to Lithia Park Trail
Trip Leader: Matt Dybala
Meeting Location: Pioneer Hall, 73 Winburn Way, Ashland
As summer flowers have all but faded, the Siskiyou Plant Explorers will adjust our focus to an incredible diversity of trees located within Lithia Park. On this guided hike, we will explore the evolutionary history, reproductive cycles, and unique characteristics of trees. From ancient conifers to flowering hardwoods, we’ll uncover how trees have adapted over millions of years, how they reproduce, and what makes each species distinct. Perfect for curious minds who want to learn more about the secret life of trees while visiting a public park from a unique perspective. The total hike consists of a 2.1 mile loop trail with minor changes in elevation If you are interested in joining, please send an email in advance to si************@***il.com

Portland State University Herbarium and Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank Open House
2025-10-06 12:00 - 15:00
Portland State University Herbarium and Rae
Selling Berry Seed Bank Open House
Tour historical botanical collections, a seed bank, and see live rare plants!
Portland State University Herbarium OPEN HOUSE!
Science Research and Teaching Center
1719 SW 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97201
Herbarium Room B1-34
Seed Bank Lab B1-81
Enter through the doors down the accessibility ramp on 10th ave.
Tours from the Seed Bank Lab to the Research Greenhouse will start every 45 min.
Park on street or use PSU public pay parking structures.

Field Trip: Ramble at Wild Iris Ridge Park
2025-10-04 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, October 4, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Field Trip: Ramble at Wild Iris Ridge Park
Organizer: Karl Anderson
Location: Wild Iris Ridge Park, Summit Sky Trail Head, 3184 Summit Sky Blvd, Eugene
Rambles are leaderless walks where participants point out plants they see to each other and share their knowledge about them. Rambles are a fun way to meet other botanists in the community and check out local parks in the “off” season. Come join organizer, Karl Anderson, and explore what plants Wild Iris Ridge Park has on display. You can be a beginner or advanced- everyone is welcome! Sign up here

Work Party: Soil Prep Day for Native Planting at Crooked River
2025-10-04 09:00 - 15:00
Saturday, October 4, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Work Party: Soil Prep Day for Native Planting at Crooked River
Location: Crooked River Park, S Main St, Prineville, OR
Help ThinkWild prepare soil at their newest acquired land for native planting by Crooked River Park in Prineville. If interested, sign up here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/zi7VQD-Kv3VYvC_gbejjOA

Event: Seed collection for endangered pink sand-verbena
2025-10-01 08:00 - 2025-10-10 17:00
Between September 16 to October 10, Date and time to be determined. More details will be provided soon.
Event: Seed collection for endangered pink sand-verbena
Contact: Jeanne Standley, js******@*****er.net, (541) 294-2113
Location: Coos Bay North Spit, meet at Bureau of Land Management boat launch parking lot. Participants will be taken to the site by four-wheel drive.
The Coos Bay District, Bureau of Land Management, needs help collecting seed from pink sand-verbena on the North Spit of Coos Bay. Pink sand- verbena (Abronia umbellata ssp. breviflora) is listed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture as endangered. The population of pink sand- verbena on the Coos Bay North Spit is the largest known population in Oregon and currently the only population large enough to provide significant quantities of seed for restoration of the species.

Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, September 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
Leader: Esther McEvoy
Location: Avery House Nature Center, Avery Park, Corvallis
Come help with fall clean up including pruning and weeding. Bring gloves, clippers, trowel, and bucket. Contact Esther for more information or to RSVP at 541-990-0948 or es******@**ak.org.

Work Party #307: Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library
2025-09-27 09:00 - 11:00
Saturday, September 27, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Work Party #307: Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library
Location: McMinnville Public Library
Help the garden crew with maintaining the Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library. The garden has matured and will be beautiful this month, making our work very enjoyable! Bring gloves, bucket, and gardening tools if you have them. For more information, contact Catie Anderson at ca************@***il.com or 971-241-7634.
The library is located at 225 NW Adams Street (corner of Highway 99 W and SW Second Street), McMinnville, Oregon. The library parking lot may be entered from either Adams or Second Streets.

Presentation: Oregon Native Seed Strategy
2025-09-25 19:00 - 21:00
Monday, September 25, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Presentation: Oregon Native Seed Strategy
Presenter: Danielle Marshall, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Location: Amazon Community Center, 2700 Hilyard St, Eugene
The Oregon Native Seed Strategy is a new guidance document developed by numerous government, non-profit, and academic partners to address native seed needs in Oregon. Come learn from Dani Mitchell, state conservation biologist, how Oregon is planning to coordinate and expand the state’s native seed supply chain to implement landscape-scale restoration as our state experiences unprecedented environmental pressures such as the 2020 fires, a depleted seed bank, and various impacts of climate change.

Zoom Program: Protecting Oregon’s Wild Forests and Rivers
2025-09-18 18:30 - 19:30
Thursday, September 18, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Zoom Program: Protecting Oregon’s Wild Forests and Rivers
Presenter: Chandra LeGue
The wild places, forests, and rivers we enjoy exploring in Oregon all have stories to tell – ecological and political. Oregon Wild’s Senior Conservation Advocate, Chandra LeGue, joins us to explore Oregon’s forests and wild lands: what makes them so important, the changes and challenges they experience over time, and some of the advocacy work that goes into preserving Oregon’s most treasured places. Chandra has been focused on public forest policy, community engagement, and education on this topic for the past twenty years. A self-described “nature nerd,” Chandra has degrees in biology and environmental studies and is author of “Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide.”
For more information and to register for this Zoom presentation, email John Savage at wv****@***il.com.

Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
2025-08-30 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, August 30, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Event: Work Party at the Avery Native Plant Garden
Leader: Esther McEvoy
Location: Avery House Nature Center, Avery Park, Corvallis
Come help with summer clean up. Bring gloves, clippers, trowel, and bucket. Contact Esther for more information or to RSVP at 541-990-0948 or es******@**ak.org.

Field Trip: Three Mile Prairie County Park, Florence
2025-08-23 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday, August 23, 9:00 am
Field Trip: Three Mile Prairie County Park, Florence
Leader: Ed Alverson
Join leader Ed Alverson for a cool exploration of the urban sand dune ecosystem at Three Mile Prairie County Park in Florence. The 170-acre park supports native plants associated with open dunes, seasonal ponds/wet meadows, shore pine forest, as well as several rare native plant communities.
Meet at South Eugene High School at 9:00 am, or at 10:30 am at the parking lot just north of the Fred Meyer store on Hwy 101 in Florence. Bring lunch and water, and appropriate gear for wind and sun while walking on bright open sand. Look for the sign up under events at the Emerald chapter website: https://emerald.npsoregon.org/emchapevents/

Work Party #306: Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library
2025-08-23 09:00 - 10:00
Saturday, August 23, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Work Party #306: Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library
Location: McMinnville Public Library
Help the garden crew with maintaining the Native Plant Garden at McMinnville Public Library. The garden has matured and will be beautiful this month, making our work very enjoyable! Bring gloves, bucket, and gardening tools if you have them. For more information, contact Catie Anderson at ca************@***il.com or 971-241-7634.
The library is located at 225 NW Adams Street (corner of Highway 99 W and SW Second Street), McMinnville, Oregon. The library parking lot may be entered from either Adams or Second Streets.

Field trip: Plant Walk at Lolo Lake Coastal Trail (Pistol River)
2025-08-16 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, August 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Field trip: Plant Walk at Lolo Lake Coastal Trail (Pistol River)
Leader: Julia Bott, jb***@****et.com or 650-520-5673
Location: 23844-23642 Oregon Coast Hwy, Gold Beach, OR 97444
On this hike, we will visit a recent restoration project to restore bear berry (kinnikinnick) (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) groundcover. We’ll also see lots of moss and lichens and many small forbs, including giant rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia). The walk will be approximately 2 miles in total distance, moderately difficult, with some sand and elevation.

Field Trip: Beaver Creek State Natural Area and Ona Beach in Newport
2025-08-16 09:00 - 15:00
Saturday, August 16, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Field Trip: Beaver Creek State Natural Area and Ona Beach in Newport
Leader: Alexandria Kurokowski
Join Alexandria Kurowski to escape the late-summer heat with an easy field trip to a unique and diverse set of plant habitats! We’ll start the morning observing various wetland plant species on a brief hike through the Beaver Marsh area south of Newport, Oregon. After lunch, we’ll travel over to Ona Beach across Highway 101 to see coastal plants and the ocean!
At Beaver Creek, we’ll have a short (about 1/2 mile) hike to the boardwalk area from the visitors’ center at Beaver Creek, and as far down the Beaver Marsh Trail as people dare to go due to the trail being wet (generally only a few yards). Afterwards, we’ll drive over to Ona Beach parking area and walk to the beach from there, about another 0.3 miles for a total of a little over a mile of walking for the entire trip. There is very minimal elevation gain.
Please bring lunch and water, dress appropriately for variable weather conditions (could be quite warm at the marsh and windy and cold at the beach), and I’d suggest bringing binoculars if you have an interest in birdwatching.
We will meet at the Oregon State University, Wilkinson Hall parking lot (44.569, -123.281) southwest of Java Crew coffee shop, at 26th and Monroe in Corvallis at 9:00 am. To sign up for this field trip, please contact Alex at: al************@***il.com.

Field Trip: Anvil Lake, Black Wolf Meadows
2025-08-16 08:30 - 15:00
Saturday, August 16, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Field Trip: Anvil Lake, Black Wolf Meadows
Leader: Clarice Johnston
Location: Anvil Lake, Oregon
Black Wolf Meadows (4,165 ft) and nearby Anvil Lake is a beautiful, secluded, and little visited setting, northwest of Timothy Lake. It provides a chance to view a variety of high marsh, bog, and forest wildflowers depending on the timing.
This trip may include Kalmia (bog laurel, probably past bloom), staghorn clubmoss, elephant’s head lousewort, gentian (pre-bloom), buckbean, bog orchids, western false asphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa), sundew (Drosera sp.), and gnome plant (but only if we’re very lucky.) This will be a 3-mile round trip hike.
Carpooling is strongly recommended as parking space is limited. The driving time is 2 hours from Portland, via Highway 26 and 42 towards Timothy Lake, etc. Meet in Portland at 8:30 am. Group size is limited to ten people and is currently full. Contact Clarice Johnston ec*******@***il.com or 503-860-9808 to sign up for the waitlist.
To sign up: https://forms.gle/cLoNS3FMAup8Fo51A)
Black Wolf Meadow/Anvil Lake

Field Trip: Bird Lake, Mount Adams
2025-08-16 08:00 - 12:00
Saturday, August 16, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Field Trip: Bird Lake, Mount Adams
Leaders: Mary Hayden and Elly Adelman
Check back later on our public events calendar for details https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/1?cid=bnBzb3BkeGNoYXB0ZXJAZ21haWwuY29t
Follow Instagram @npsopdx for final details a week in advance!

Event: Englewood Forest Festival
2025-08-09 10:00 - 16:00
Saturday, August 9, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Event: Englewood Forest Festival
The Willamette Valley Chapter will have an outreach table at the Englewood Forest Festival at Englewood Park in Salem and offer a “Plant a Wildflower” activity for kids and festivalgoers. Join us at this fun, family-friendly event. For more information about the festival, visit https://www.englewoodforestfestival.org/.

Event: Quarterly Membership Meeting
2025-08-09 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday, August 9, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Event: Quarterly Membership Meeting
Leader: Gail Perrotti,

Siskiyou Plant Explorers Hike to Bigelow Lakes
2025-08-09 08:00 - 15:00
Saturday, August 9, 8am-3pm
Siskiyou Plant Explorers Hike to Bigelow Lakes
Meeting Location: Williams Grange, 20100 Williams Hwy, Williams OR
Hike Leader: Matt Dybala
This outing will explore plant identification in mature subalpine forests, meadows and wetlands. We will be hiking 1.5+ miles to the water’s edge at Bigelow Lake. The first half of the hike follows a level old forest road, then turns uphill towards the meadow and lake, which is an additional 1/2 mile of hiking uphill on a slight ascent. The open meadow is full of endemic and Siskiyou native wildflowers, but it can be challenging crossing over shallow wet areas to arrive at the lake. The lake is too shallow for swimming and more bog-like. Please come prepared with plenty of food, water, and footwear suitable for any type of hiking conditions. To register or for more information email Matt at si************@***il.com.

Event: Pollinator Trivia Night
2025-08-06 18:30 - 20:30
Wednesday, August 6, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Event: Pollinator Trivia Night
Location: Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend, OR
Do you love native plants? Do you love pollinators? Well, take a shot at Pollinator Trivia night at Silver Moon Brewing! We will have prizes for 1st and 2nd place winners. Teams of six maximum. Co-sponsored by High Desert Chapter of NPSO and Pollinator Pathway of Bend.

Field Trip: haich ikt'at'uu, a tidal estuary restoration
2025-07-30 08:00 - 14:00
Wednesday, July 30, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Field Trip: haich ikt’at’uu, a tidal estuary restoration
Leader: Nathan LeClear, McKenzie River Trust
Join Emerald Chapter member Nathan LeClear of McKenzie River Trust on a tour of haich ikt’at’uu, a project that is returning a diked and drained pasture to a network of tidal channels, marsh, and tidal swamp. The vegetation is still primarily non-native, but the planting plan for the revegetation phase will be shared for discussion. Meet at Lowe’s parking lot in west Eugene under the tall conifers to carpool to the site. The tour will begin around 9:30 am and go until around noon. We’ll walk about 2.5 miles round trip on a road with some forays into marshy habitat. Bring lunch, water, hat, and shoes that can get wet. Sign up here
