What we’re about
Want to learn more about Marin native plants? Join us for field trips, lectures, and work parties. Most of our events are free to our members and to the public. For more information, check out our website and subscribe to our newsletter.
For over 50 years, we have been dedicated to the conservation of California native plants and their natural habitats, and to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants. Annual membership donations to the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) support our programs and conservation work. Additional benefits include our quarterly magazine Flora, our twice-yearly scientific journal Artemisia, and discounts at local nurseries.
Please:
- Sign the Waiver for Marin Chapter 2025, if you have not done so already.
- Practice clean trail etiquette. Pocket Guide – Every Step Counts and Cleanliness Tips for Hikers
- Treat everyone with respect.
- No dogs at these events.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Ring MountainRing Mountain Open Space, Corte Madera, CA
Ring Mountain Field Trips
Leader: Alison Pence or Karen MadsenJoin Ring Mountain Docents Alison Pence and Karen Madsen for short wildflower forays 10 am to noon. Each few weeks different wildflowers become showy.
Meet at the Taylor Road Trailhead off Paradise Dr. or the Phyllis Ellman Trailhead on Paradise Dr. in Tiburon. See map below. From Taylor Road Trailhead, the group will walk out and back about 2 miles. The Phyllis Ellman/Loop trail hike is about 2.5 miles, with about 600 feet of elevation gain and drop.
Bring: Water, lunch/snack, and rain gear.
If you have not done so already, please sign the Waiver for Marin Chapter 2025
Note: Destructive invasive plant pathogens and weed seeds can be transported to sensitive plant habitats when contaminated soil or plant material is shed from footwear, equipment (such as hiking poles), and other personal items. See these 2 brochures for how you can minimize your impact. Pocket Guide – Every Step Counts and Cleanliness Tips for Hikers
- Abbot's LagoonAbbotts Lagoon Trailhead, Inverness, CA
Abbott’s Lagoon, Pt. Reyes National Seashore
Thursday, June 5, 10:30am – 2 pm
Leaders: Carolyn Longstreth, Stacey Pogorzelski, Caroline ChristmanThe gentle, flat two-mile long trail that leads out to Abbott’s Lagoon is a year-round favorite for plant lovers and bird watchers. It passes through coastal scrub, dotted by two marshes, passes over a stream between the upper and lower lagoon, and ends in the dunes near the beach. In early June we will see the end of the spring blooms and the beginning of the summer flower display. In the coastal scrub, we are likely to see yellow bush lupine, coast angelica, seaside daisy, possibly California golden-eyed grass in the wet areas, and a profusion of California poppies.
As we walk into the dunes, we’ll look for yellow sand verbena, beach evening primrose, Chamisso bush lupine, and the rare Tidestrom’s lupine. This will be a flat out and back walk of 4 or 5 miles. We plan to walk into the dunes, covering some areas of loose sand to reach the beach. Those who are not comfortable walking in the dunes can turn around at the end of the maintained path.
Plants lists for this area include Calflora’s Abbott’s Lagoon Trail and Dunes and the CNPS Abbott’s Lagoon Public Trail list.
Meet at the Abbotts Lagoon trailhead on Pierce Point Road. Dress in layers, bring lunch, water, and sun protection.
Max 15 people. Rain cancels.
- June Chapter General MeetingLink visible for attendees
"The Native Flora of Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge"
Speaker: Meg Marriott, Wildlife Biologist at San Pablo Bay and Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuges
Monday June 9, 7:30 pmRising 85 feet above water, Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge supports the largest heron and egret rookery in the San Francisco Bay Area. Situated in a prime location along the pacific flyway for migratory birds, the refuge provides submerged tidelands, mixed evergreen forest, coastal prairie, coastal salt marsh and northern coastal scrub habitat. Meg’s talk will highlight the history (natural and cultural) of the Marin Islands NWR, the species that occur on the Refuge, and the management the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are conducting today to protect the native species.
Meg Marriott has been a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for over 20 years. For the past 14 years, she has worked at the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge - two of the seven Refuges in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex . Meg works alongside her USFWS colleagues with partner agencies and organizations to conserve, protect and restore natural resources in the North San Francisco Bay. She specializes in tidal marsh restoration, Baylands ecosystems and threatened and endangered species of the North Baylands.
Meg received her Bachelor of Science in Biology/Animal Behavior from UC Davis, and her Master of Science in Natural Resources Management from Humboldt State University. She also has a degree in Graphic Design and has created various interpretive materials for the Refuges. Her favorite species is Reithrodontomys raviventris halicoetes - the salt marsh harvest mouse.
Meg is seeking stewardship volunteers for the Marin Islands NWR. Dates that she will be going to MINWR include: June 4, 5, 9, 10, 24, 25 and July 21, 22, 23, 24. Click this link for more information.
Contact her to join a trip. meg_marriott@fws.gov Work Phone: 510-391-3144, Cell Phone: 510-377-5926 or 707-769-4200 - Point Blue Novato Baylands Nursery WorkdayPoint Blue Novato Baylands Nursery , Novato, CA
Point Blue Novato Baylands Nursery Workday
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 9:30 am to Noon
Leader: Stacey PogorzelskiPlease join Point Blue Conservation Science staff at the Novato Baylands for a nursery workday! The Novato Baylands is a 2,600-acre restoration site consisting of a mosaic of tidal marsh, seasonal wetlands, and upland habitat. This is an amazing project, transforming/restoring a military airfield to a thriving wetland. Activities include potting up native plant seedlings and weeding within plant containers. Attendees will learn how their efforts will increase biodiversity, benefit wildlife and local communities, and make the landscape more resilient to climate change. Point Blue staff will also give a short overview of the history of the restoration.
Volunteers should wear sturdy, close-toed shoes and clothing layers they don't mind getting dirty. Please bring a hat and a water bottle. Gloves, tools, and snacks will be provided. No prior nursery experience required.
A Point Blue staff member will be waiting at the gate at the entrance to Aberdeen Rd. with a sign labeled "Marin CNPS Volunteers." Proceed through the gate (note: 15 mph speed limit), keeping to the right of the road until you reach the nursery.
Signups start Tuesday, May 20 at 8 am.
Limited to 12 attendees.
Sign the waiver if you haven't done so already.
