Meetings and Events

2017 Meetings

SPRING PROGRAMS
January, 2017: Henderson - no meeting scheduled. Have a Happy New Year!

February 2nd, 2017: Reno - Janel Johnson, Botanist and Wetland Ecologist with the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, will give apresentation on 2016's phenomenal Carson Valley monkeyflower super-bloom.

February 6th, 2017: Henderson - Melissa Sanders with Great Basin Institute and Southern Nevada Office of BLM will present her talk entitled "Seeds of Success and the Federal Native Plant Materials Development Program in Southern Nevada".
 
March 2nd, 2017: Reno - Annie Overlin, UNR Research Scientist, will give a talk entitled "Revegetation of an agricultural wetland: utilizing seed bank and response to biomass management to inform restoration and management". 

March 6th, 2017: Henderson - Dr. Jim Boone, Ecologist and founder of BirdandHike.com will present his talk entitled "Gold Butte and the Biology of Elevation Gradients".
 
April 3rd, 2017: Henderson - Mary Poelman, recent graduate from University of Wyoming will present on her thesis "Investigation into the Long-term Persistence of Cultivars along a 30-year Restoration Chronosequence"
 
April 6th, 2017: Reno - Arnold "Jerry" Tiehm, Herbarium Curator at UNR's Museum of Natural History, will provide the program on 2016's botanical surprises from northwestern Nevada. Title to be announced.
 
May 1st, 2017: Henderson, Lesley DeFalco, Research Plant Ecologist from US Geological Survey, Henderson Field Office will present "Our endangered Amargosa niterwort (Nitrophila mohavensis): how does it survive under stressful conditions at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada"
 
May 11th, 2017: Reno - Annual Garden Party. Join John Weiser at his dry land rock garden in Sparks, Nevada. The garden features many native species of desert, mountain, and steppe plants from across the west with extensive collections of Eriogonum, Penstemon, and cactus species. The party begins at 5:00 pm and goes until dark (in other words, until you can't see your hand in front of your face). Bring light snacks to share (utensils and beverages will be provided). Photos of the garden can be found here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskUYdCwW. John's address is 485 O'Brien Way Sparks, NV https://goo.gl/maps/r2sD8uUE7Rm. Contact John Weiser - johnpweiser@yahoo.com, 775-331-4485 - for any questions.
 
June 5th, 2017: Henderson, Southern Nevada Spring Photo- and Plant-share meeting. Bring in the best photos of native/unusual plants that you saw so far this spring (20-30 pics/person) to share with others. Please compile them on a USB drive and we will project them on the screen for all to view. Also, if you have live/dried plants that you can't seem to identify, or you have an unusual species to share, bring them along, too! We will have a dissection microscope and plant guides to highlight key characteristics so we can all learn how to identify them in the field.
 

July and August, 2017: Henderson and Reno - Summer Break! No meetings scheduled. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

 

FALL PROGRAMS

September 7th, 2017: Reno - Jim Bishop, California Native Plant Society Fellow, will give a presentation entitled Plant Colors…Beauty and Science all Around Us. Here are some details:  

    Plants offer endless, engaging beauty in their many colors.  There are the blooms of spring in our foothills, lovely desert and mountain wildflowers, the glorious leaves of autumn, and even the beauty of the universal greens of leaves before they turn.  There are interesting stories in all of that.  Part of the story will be about the science—how do plant colors arise, how do conditions such as acidity change pigment colors, what purpose do they serve?  The interesting questions are endless (and not all of the answers are known).  You’ll gain some background that will enrich your understanding and appreciation of plant colors…for example, the fact that plants provide us a key part of the visual means we use to see their beautiful colors…and you’ll have new questions of your own.  And much of the program will be just to enjoy the beauty of the rich and varied colors displayed by plants…flowers, fruits, leaves, and stems…from deserts to mountaintops, from shrublands to fall-color forests and woodlands. 

September 11, 2017: Henderson, Gayle Tyree with the Chicago Botanic Garden will discuss her collaboration with BLM and USGS on the Mojave Ecoregion Priority Species List for Restoration of Upland Habitats. Her talk will focus on how native plant species are selected for large-scale restoration projects and the importance of selecting species that support native pollinators for long-term restoration success. Please note the change in meeting from the first to the second Monday for this month due to the Labor Day holiday on the 4th.

October 2, 2017: Henderson, Tarl Norman, Biologist with National Park Service, will present his talk "Vegetation Management in Clark County: Eldorado Valley, the Muddy River, and beyond".

October 5th, 2017: Reno - Kris Kuyper, Biology Program Manager with EM Strategies, will present Rare Plants in Real Life. Case Studies from a Mine, a Water Pipeline, and a Highway.

November 2nd, 2017: Reno - Janel Johnson, NNPS President, will provide us with an overview of iNaturalist.org, a website to share your natural history observations and help others identify their contributions.

November 6, 2017: Henderson, Nicole Hupp, Ecologist with National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring Program will present her talk "Friends in Low Places: plant facilitation in Nevada's harsh ecosystems." Please note the rescheduling of this presentation from the original September meeting date.

December 4th, 2017: Henderson - Annual Holiday Potluck / Photo & Native Plant Share meeting. Please bring a dish/dessert/etc. to share with others. This is also a time to show your best photos of native/unusual plants from 2017 (20-30 best pics/person). Please compile them on a USB drive, and we will project them on the screen for all to view. Also, if you have live/dried plant specimens that you need help in identifying, or you have an unusual species that will stump us all, bring them along. And for the first time, we will have a native plant seed exchange: please bring native seeds that you have (responsibly) gathered over the past year. Coin envelopes / ziploc bags will be provided for folks to take home seeds.

2016 Meetings

FALL PROGRAMS
September 1, 2016: Reno - Julie Carville, author of Lingering in Tahoe’s Wild Gardens and Hiking Tahoe’s Wildflower Trails will feature her new book titled Tahoe’s Spectacular Wildflower Trails. The book includes 21 scenic wildflower trails along with a wildflower and tree guide with color photographs. She will have books available for purchase (think "Christmas gift!").
 
September 12, 2016: Henderson - Dr. Elisabeth Hausrath (Associate Professor, Department of Geoscience, UNLV) will present her research on Interactions of snow algae, minerals and microorganisms in low-nutrient snowy environments. Please note change of meeting date from the first Monday to second Monday due to the holiday.
 
October 3, 2016: Henderson - John Jones will present "Invasive Weed Priorities for Southern Nevada". The Southern Nevada Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) is a partnership of agencies, landowners and organizations working together to address invasive weed issues in our area.  Chair John Jones will present an introduction to the CWMA and the priority weed species that pose a threat to native plants and ecosystems as well as to our communities and agriculture.

October 6, 2016: Reno - Mare Nazaire, a 2011 recipient of NNPS' Margaret Williams Research Grant will give the evening presentation. The title of her talk is Diversification in Mertensia (Boraginaceae), with emphasis on Nevada's species.

November 3, 2016: Reno - Annual election of society officers; Brian Smithers, PhD candidate in Ecology at UC Davis and a recipient of NNPS' Margaret Williams Research Grant, will speak on Tree Species Range Shifts Above Treeline in the Great Basin and Our Disappearing Alpine Habitat.
 
SPRING PROGRAMS
February 4, 2016: Reno - Kevin Burls and/or Cynthia Scholl will present a program titled Nevada Bugs and Butterflies: Celebrating the invertebrates of the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada. This will be of interest to members of the plant society whom are often heard exclaiming "Who is that lovely pollinator?" 

March 3, 2016: Reno - Sarah Kulpa (Botanist, USFWS) and Erin Hourihan (Ecological Site Inventory Specialist, NRCS) will present a talk entitled, Why Should We Care about Soils and Native Plants.
 
April 7, 2016: Reno - Lea Condon, a 2013 recipient of NNPS' Margaret Williams Research Grant will give the talk entitled, Biological Soil Crusts of the Great Basin: An Examination of their Distribution, Recovery and Influences on Native Plant Communities Following Fire
Join Lea and Jan (Program Chair) for dinner at 5:30 prior to the meeting at Grate Full Gardens, 55 So. Virginia Street.

May 5, 2016: Reno - Our annual Garden Party will be held at the Pollinator Garden in the quad behind our normal meeting building at Fleishmann Ag on UNR campus. Starts at 5:30 pm, bring a hand lens, folding chair or lawn blanket, finger food to share, and your own beverage.

June  6, 2016: Henderson - Jaina Moan, Executive Director of Friends of Gold Butte, will present "Protecting Nevada's Piece of the Grand Canyon: An Update from Gold Butte".

 

2015 Meetings

FALL PROGRAMS
November 5, 2015: Reno - John Weiser, NNPS member and avid native plant gardener, will show highlights from the annual Eriogonum Society meeting field trips, which will be held in late July in the Reno vicinity, along with highlights from other NNPS field trips of the season.

October 1, 2015: Reno - Sarah Barga, UNR graduate student and recipient of the Margaret Williams Research Grant. She will present a program about her research on The Ecology of Great Basin Forbs.

September 3, 2015: Reno - Bill Harnach, NNPS member and Sierra Valley resident, will give a presentation on the rich flora of Sierra Valley. Sierra Valley is a huge down-faulted basin with Great Basin-like sagebrush vegetation but west-side Sierran hydrology which flows into the Feather River system. Come join us for our first fall meeting and program of the year.

PAST PROGRAMS

May 7, 2015: Reno - Notice: Change of venue due to wet weather! Tina Nappe has offered the use of her home (615 Robinson Court) as an alternate location. Map - Rancho San Rafael Regional Park Picnic and last gathering during the spring. Come celebrate the Nevada Native Plant Society's 40th Anniversary! We'll meet at the picnic tables south of the entrance to the Arboretum Loop near the east parking area on San Rafael Drive, anytime after 5 pm until dusk. Bring a dish or a beverage to share, your own tableware, and a folding chair, if you desire. There will be a special NNPS anniversary cake for everyone.

April 2, 2015: Reno - Steve Matson, Botanical photographer extraordinaire contributing to CalPhotos, will give a presentation titled Botanizing Big Pine.

March 5, 2015: Reno - Israel (Temitope) Borokini, UNR graduate student, will present The African death tree is dying about a species native to his homeland, Nigeria. Join us prior to the meeting at 5:30pm for dinner at Gratefull Gardens on the second floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union located just southeast of Lawlor Events Center and near the Virginia Street parking garage.

February 5, 2015: Reno - Dr. Beth Leger, UNR Associate Professor and Associate Director of Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, will present a talk entitled What can we learn from dry, dead plants? Why we all should contribute specimens to our local herbarium.


2014 Meetings

February 6, 2014: Reno - Gary Monroe, NNPS member and avid photographer, will present his botanical images from recent field trips with the Eriogonum Society and Penstemon Society.

March 6, 2014: Reno - Tom Schweich, an independent botanist living in the California Bay Area is currently studying the flora of the Mono Basin. He will provide a presentation on his project, A Checklist Flora of the Mono Lake Basin, Mono County, California and Mineral County, Nevada.

April 3, 2014: Reno - Kara Moore, U.C. Davis, will give a presentation on Reproductive biology, species interactions, and long term monitoring of rare plants at Ash Meadows.

May 1, 2014: Reno - John Weiser, gardener and NNPS Field Trip Coordinator in Reno, will host our annual local garden meeting at his home featuring numerous species of Eriogonum, Penstemon, and cacti. John's address is 485 O'Brien Way, Sparks, and it starts at 5 pm so come early to enjoy the sunshine. He will have non-alcoholic beverages (iced tea, coffee, water) and there will be an ice cooler available for those who bring sodas, wine or beer. Bring snacks or finger food to share and he will have paper plates, glasses and eating utensils there. Bring a camera for the photography opportunities. Please contact John at johnpweiser@yahoo.com or 775-331-4485 for any questions. 

September 4, 2014: Reno - Jan Nachlinger will give a talk entitled Alpine environments, flora, and the GLORIA project in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.

October 2, 2014: Reno - Janel Johnson will present photos from the cactus field trip in May.

November 6, 2014: Reno - Tom Schuster (Dipl.Ing.), NNPS member, adventurer, and landscape architecture engineer, will present images of Sierran Alpine Flora and Fauna (Mt Rose, Freel Peak, Castle Peak).

Upcoming Events

NNPS has several opportunities this summer to participate in local events where we can sell books and recruit new members.  Since NNPS is supported entirely through membership dues, donations, and book sales, this it's very important to attend these events and get our name and products out to a wider audience.  If you would like to help with an event, even if it's just for a couple of hours, please contact the person listed for the event.

June 1st ♦ Plant sale at the Wilbur D May Arboretum  NNPS will have a table at the sale.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact Pat Neyman at pf41n@yahoo.com
 
June 9th ♦ Native Species Day at Taylor Creek Visitor Center, South Lake Tahoe.  NNPS will have booth at this event.  If you would like to volunteer to help at the booth, please contact Cheryl Beyer at ltbmu.botanist.cherylbeyer@gmail.com.
 
Thank you,
Janel

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