Conference on protecting California’s native plants and their habitat held in Riverside

By Jack Easton | Contributing Columnist

Botanists and plant enthusiasts from around the state converged on Riverside to celebrate native plants and share their expertise with one another.

The mission of the California Native Plant Society, or CNPS, is short and to the point, “to protect California’s native plants and their habitat.” California plants are the foundation of our ecosystems. Saving plants saves local places and, in turn, saves the California that we love. CNPS pursues this mission of preserving the flora of California by bringing together science, education, conservation and gardening.

As a statewide organization, CNPS has 35 local chapters and over 13,000 members. Every three years CNPS holds a conference and the 2026 conference, held in early February, was right here in Riverside. Over 1,000 people attended to speak, collaborate, learn, and network under the conference theme of “Growing the Movement Together for Native Plants.”

Presenters at the conference covered a range of subjects including coalition-building in the conservation movement, ecological restoration, cryptic biodiversity, taking action through community science, rare plants, grasslands and meadows, and how Indigenous knowledge and western science can work together toward healthier ecosystems and restorative justice in land management.

Michael Viramontes, stewardship manager of Rivers & Lands Conservancy, spoke on the restoration of sand dune habitat in the area, sharing information on the little-known local habitat and the unique species that depend on it.

Keynote speakers prompted the audience to consider other complex issues such as how the resilience seen in nature can be applied to conservation actions, Tribal stewardship in the 21st Century and in the context of restoration. Keynote speaker Zoe Schlanger even covered the topic of plant behavior and intelligence.

Attendees pondered if there were more to plants than we currently understand. Plants exhibit traits of behavioral consciousness including responding to changes in the environment, learning and memory, adaptive growth, and communication via release of chemicals. Do these behaviors indicate a level of consciousness or intelligence in plants we previously failed to see?

Attendees also considered plant resilience and the magic of wildflower super blooms, which only occur when various natural factors align for a spectacular show. Nature can create these moments, but sometimes humans can as well. This was true when leadership by local tribes resulted in the removal of dams from the Klamath River, restoring native habitats and the welcome return of salmon.

RELATED: Winter rains turn Death Valley National Park into fields of golden blooms

Every square foot of California is someone’s ancestral territory.

The state wants to establish a new era of tribal-state partnerships and conservation as a whole is acknowledging the expertise of Indigenous peoples in managing our state’s environment and natural resources. From tribal values we can learn to be better caretakers to all our brothers and sisters, including the plants. I found myself inspired by the message that we can build connection, extend care, be courageous in stewardship and be hopeful for the future.

Despite the deep subjects addressed, the conference was a festive event. Many attendees wore their botanical-themed attire from Hawaiian shirts with plant and flower prints to T-shirts illustrated with colorful wildflowers or majestic oaks. One evening there was a botanical tattoo contest. There were field trips to local conservation areas and botanical hotspots. Workshops focused on plant identification, landscaping with native plants, conservation advocacy, herbarium techniques, photography of plants and other timely and relevant subjects.

Music was also a highlight during an evening of plant karaoke and a music concert featuring the band Sage Against the Machine.  Photographs and artwork featuring botanical themes were on display. Attendees celebrated native plants and conservation accomplishments while expressing hope for the future of conservation in California.

Many there also took a few moments to pause on their lunch break at Rivers & Lands Conservancy’s native plant garden just outside of Simple Simon’s on Main Street. The small garden features blooming native plants and anyone can pause to admire it and get a little taste of the joys of a CNPS conference on their own. Maybe you will even be inspired to plant a few in your own garden and further the conservation of California native plants and wildlife.

Conservation is a long game; it predates us and will postdate us. Conservationists need to be aware of this long-term view but not as an endless grind. The work is meaningful, larger than ourselves, and there is much joy and satisfaction to be found even in the simple act of tending a native plant and celebrating its growth.

Rivers & Lands Conservancy connects our community to natural, wild, and open spaces of Southern California through land conservation, stewardship, and education.

Jack Easton is a member of the Rivers & Lands Conservancy’s Board of Directors.