About us
This is a group for anyone interested in supporting the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS). Our mission is to promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington's native plants and their habitats through study, education and advocacy.
The Central Puget Sound Chapter (CPS) hosts regular monthly membership meetings 7 times a year in Seattle and 4 times a year in Bellevue. Following a brief business discussion and announcements, each meeting features a guest speaker who is an expert on a native plant topic such as native plants found on WA hikes, the impact of climate change and wildfires on native plants, and landscaping with native plants. The Seattle meetings also have a plant identification workshop prior to the start of the meeting.
The CPS Chapter also sponsors a Native Plant Steward training program, which provides 100 hours of free instruction on native plants and environmental stewardship in exchange for a commitment of 100 hours of volunteer work. The organization also has 2 native plant sales a year, where you can find both common and rare species of plants.
For more details about our chapter see: http://www.wnps.org/cps/index3.html
Upcoming events
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UW Herbarium Tour
Hitchcock Hall (HCK), 1605 NE Pacific St #220, Seattle, WA 98195, USA, Seattle, WA, USEnjoy a tour of the UW Herbarium collection with Herbarium Collections Manager and Research Botanist, Dr. David Giblin, ahead of his evening presentation on the herbarium’s field- and collections-based activities over the past 25 years.
Maximum Participants: 12
Register: Email: laci.casto724@gmail.com
Getting here:
Hitchcock Hall, Room 30 (Floor “-1” on elevator)-Parking available in UW paid garages: W27 Portage Bay Lot (entrance on East side of building on 15th Ave NE) or Central Plaza Garage (entrance on West side of Red Square on 15th Ave NE.)
-Bus lines 43, 44, 45, 48, 65, 255, 270, & 542 stop just outside the North side of Hitchcock Hall on NE Pacific St.
See here for more information on his evening talk at The Mountaineers:
2 attendees
25 years of exploring the PNW Vascular Plant Flora at the UW Herbarium
The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA, Seattle, WA, USPlease note the change from the first to the second Thursday this month only.
David Giblin has graciously offered a tour of the UW Herbarium Collection in the afternoon prior to his evening talk at The Mountaineers. Please see the end of this announcement for details.
The University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum holds the largest collection of Pacific Northwest vascular plant specimens. This collection was built through nearly 150 years of plant collecting throughout the region. These specimens have been and continue to support a wide range of activities including the description of new species, the discovery and documentation of rare plant populations, the arrival and spread of invasive species, potential climate change impacts on native plants, and the production of multiple floras providing identification keys to and descriptions of the region's vascular plant diversity. In this presentation, Herbarium Collections Manager and Research Botanist, David Giblin will provide an overview of the Herbarium's field- and collections-based activities over the past 25 years.
David Giblin is Collections Manager and Research Botanist at the University of Washington Herbarium of the Burke Museum. David's research focuses on the distribution and diversity of the Pacific Northwest vascular plant flora, for which he has conducted extensive field work throughout the region. He manages the Plants of Washington Image Gallery, Washington Flora Checklist, and Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria online databases. He is lead editor and co-author for Flora of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd edition, co-author of wildflower guides to Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades national parks, co-creator of the Washington Wildflowers identification app, and Taxon Editor of several families for the Flora of North America Project.
Thursday Nov. 12, 2026, 7:00 PM
The Mountaineers, Cascade Room, 7700 Sand Point Way, NE, SeattleProgram will be in-person & live streamed via Zoom. For information on how to sign up for Zoom, please contact our event web page:
https://www.wnps.org/.../exploring-pacific-northwest...
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Stewart Wechsler, our Botanist Fellow, will host a plant ID workshops prior to this program at 6:30 PM. In addition to any plant samples the chapter botanists bring, attendees are welcome to bring in plant samples for identification.
Public invited, admission is free, donations appreciated
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UW Herbarium Tour details:
Date: November 12th, 2026
Time: 3:00pm-4:30pm
Location: University of Washington Campus, Hitchcock Hall, Room 30 (Floor “-1” on elevator)
UW Campus Map
Register: Email laci.casto724@gmail.com
Maximum Participants: 12
Getting There:-Parking available in UW paid garages: W27 Portage Bay Lot (entrance on East side of building on 15th Ave NE) or Central Plaza Garage (entrance on West side of Red Square on 15th Ave
NE.)-Bus lines 43, 44, 45, 48, 65, 255, 270, & 542 stop just outside the North side of Hitchcock Hall on NE Pacific St.
4 attendees
Native Plant and Bird Hike
East Sunset Way Trailhead, 661-831 E Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027, USA, Issaquah, WA, USOnce again, we are pleased to sponsor a joint hike with the Issaquah Alps Trails Club (IATC) and their Hikes with a Purpose program.
Join Mary Nakasone of the Washington Native Plant Society, Central Puget Sound Chapter and Joel Gartenberg, trail runner and IATC board member, for a 4-mile hike on Tradition Plateau, featuring about 600 feet of elevation gain. We'll take our time on the trail, making plenty of stops to observe and talk about the local plant life and spot birds—so it's perfect for curious hikers and nature enthusiasts alike. Expect forested paths, seasonal changes, and plenty of opportunities to learn about native flora and fauna in a beautiful Pacific Northwest setting. If you have binoculars, be sure to bring them. All experience levels are welcome, but please make sure you bring proper footwear and are prepared for a big, rocky climb at the beginning of the hike. The intended route is a loop that starts with a big, rocky climb and a brief 25% grade. This is followed by flat trails and a smooth, gradual downhill (see below.)
Distance: 4 miles
Duration: 3.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 600 ft.
What to Bring: Snacks, lots of water, shoes for the trail, weather-appropriate clothing, and sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
The group will meet in the parking lot of Senator Bill Ramos Memorial Trailhead (formerly East Sunset Way) 661-831 E Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027
To REGISTER and for more DETAILS: https://givebutter.com/wnps-sign-up-native-plant-and-bird...3 attendees
Past events
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