CNPS- Willis L Jepson Chapter

08/21/2026

08/19/2026

Join community scientists across California in a new Biodiversity in Urban Gardens (BUG) statewide study of native plants and the wildlife they support. Your observations of native bees, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife interacting with native plants will provide much-needed on-the-ground data about the relationship between native plants and wildlife and help all of us better advocate for biodiversity in urban areas.

08/17/2026

Please join us for a nature hike at Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park. Located among the ridges that overlook the Suisun Valley, is a 1,500-acre park featuring stands of blue and live oak, chaparral landscapes, and stunning views from its ridges. The hike will begin on the .6-mile accessible loop trail. We will continue on for those interested in an approximate two-mile hike that will include moderate uphill and downhill trails. The hike will be led by Pam Muick, CNPS Jepson Chapter President.

08/11/2026

CNPS Jepson volunteers work hard in our native plant nursery 🌱 every Monday and Thursday from 10AM-12PM in Vallejo!

Zander and Rachael Nichols helped w**d and care for a variety of our native plant species. Steve Goetz is seen here participating in AIR (Accreditation in Restoration clean nursery protocols) testing for on-site oak seedlings. 🔬

08/05/2026

Adult monarchs are out and about! The host plant species for Monarchs to lay their eggs on is narrowleaf milkw**d (asclepias fasciculatum), which is a Solano county native.

(Photo location: Lake Solano Park)

07/27/2026

Volunteers have been working hard at the CNPS Jepson Native Plant Nursery! 💪

(Photo 1) Rachael and Alexander Nichols from Vacaville use the cement mixer to prep soil for sterilizing. This is a part of our Clean Nursery Protocols to ensure our plants are disease and pathogen free!

(Photo 2) Patricia, Wendy, and Nicky transplant small narrowleaf milkw**d into larger containers. This is one of our most popular species as it’s the preferred host for the Monarch Butterfly!

Interested in getting involved? Volunteer workdays are located in Vallejo on Mondays and Thursdays from 10AM-12PM. Registration is required, please reach out to [email protected]

07/20/2026

One of the most common questions we get is: Are there ANY California natives that look good during summer? 🤔

The answer is: Yes, of course! While many of our traditional spring-blooming friends may be going dormant, there’s quite a variety of natives that will provide you with color this time of year. 🤗
Seen in this post are:
- Sacred Datura
- Hooker’s evening primrose
- Narrowleaf milkw**d
- Common spikew**d

07/04/2026

The Willis Jepson Chapter will be selling native plants at Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District’s open house event on July 11, called Behind the Flush. It is free but you need to register in advance. VFWD is the landlord for our native plant nursery and has been our partner in growing native plants for Solano County since 2002. We hope to see you there.

06/24/2026

Happy Pollinator Week! 🐝🦋🦇 One of the best ways to support pollinators (especially endangered and endemic ones) is by planting native species and/or supporting the conservation of native plants.

- California Pipevine swallowtail butterfly on coyote mint (monardella villosa)
- Honey bee on a pacific aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)
- Monarch butterfly on coyote mint
- Honey bee on tansy-leaved phacelia (phacelia tanacetifolia)
- Common checkered skipper on California goldentop (Euthamia occidentalis)

06/17/2026

The 2026 Bay Area Butterfly Festival was amazing! We sold over 50 California native plants, and made lots of great conversations with folks interested in conservation.

Thank you to Vallejo People's Garden for hosting us! The garden is amazing, and it was great to direct interested people to fully established native plants right on site. :)

We hope to attend again next year!