California Native Plant Society - Alta Peak Chapter

02/21/2026

I just received this fantastic field guide - Wildflowers of Orange County & the Santa Ana Mountains by Fred Roberts & Bob Allen - relevant not only to southern California, but throughout the state! We're in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills & I can clearly see its value and application for plant as well as associated invertebrate identification in our area. Photography & detail is exceptional. I wish I'd purchased this for my library sooner. Awesome publication.

Books – California Native Plant Society https://share.google/P2ugdb24OCNeDKAqj

02/18/2026

This Friday, 2/20
Audubon/Alta Peak Speaker Meeting: Clark's Nutcracker is Key to Whitebark Pine Survival

Join Sylvia Haultain, ecologist with the National Park Service, to learn about whitebark pine conservation in the Sierra Nevada—and how the partnership between this high elevation tree and Clark’s Nutcracker is key to its survival.

Whitebark pine is often the highest elevation pine tree found in our mountains, and can live as long as 1,000 years. It has been classified by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as endangered, due to multiple factors. It also is intimately linked to Clark's Nutcracker, a bird in the jay family that harvests and caches the seeds of this species.

Tulare Kings Audubon Speaker Meetings are held at Cafe 210, 210 W. Center Ave., Visalia. Meeting begins at 6:30 pm.

See you there!

02/05/2026

Read this fascinating account of the recent acquisition of the Hershey and Carothers Ranch, and learn about the pivotal role Alta Peak Chapter President Barbara Brydolf and others played in securing the deal to return nearly 20,000 acres to the Tule River Tribe. Congratulations and thanks Barbara and to the many organizations and individuals involved in this significant achievement, which benefits both conservation and tribal sovereignty. https://share.google/wHCW4o6t8zJNzIjsc Barbara Brydolf

The Tule River Tribe reclaimed 17,000 acres of ancestral land—an important win for both tribal sovereignty and conservation in California.

01/17/2026

By the same author of one of my all time favorite books, "Tending the Wild," our dear friend, ethno-ecologist, M. Kat Anderson, has written and published a brand new book, "I Sing to the Earth and She Sings Back." I am really excited to read this book! Kat has spent her lifetime studying & documenting indigenous knowledge & usage of California native plants. Kat's unparalleled knowledge and sensitivity to many of California's fascinating indigenous cultures makes her a national treasure and a joy to read.

10/22/2025

Alta Peak will be there. Come and enjoy the place, music, artists, and plant an oak acorn to take home.

Saturday, November 4th @ Noon

Food and beverages for sale, live music, art, crafts,
visit our great partners' tables,
wander the river and ranch

Free admission.

09/19/2025

Online Native Plant Sale Open Now thru 9/28: https://secure2.convio.net/cnps/site/R?i=l2aeAzmCK0dJD6RrxbmQC8SVz6DUeFdBi8aa-tGua7cY-jScA_0XxQ

09/05/2025

9/6 9 - 11:30 am iNaturalist BioBlitz at The Blue Oak in Springville. Co-sponsored by Alta Peak and The Blue Oak Nursery and led by Alta Peak President Barbara Brydolf

Hands on training- Learn how to use the iNaturalist app and use it to record nature. If you can, please download the iNaturalist Classic app and join the California Biodiversity Day 2025 - Tulare County Bioblitz project before coming.

theblueoaknursery.com
35211 Hwy 190
Springville

08/26/2025

Join us for-

9/6 - 9/14 California Biodiversity Day

Celebrate California's Biodiversity by joining one of our events or take on the Biodiversity Challenge to document 30 species on iNaturalist. https://chapters.cnps.org/altapeak/

9/6 9 - 11:30 am iNaturalist BioBlitz at The Blue Oak in Springville. Co-sponsored by Alta Peak and The Blue Oak Nursery and led by Alta Peak President Barbara Brydolf

iNaturalist training & kickoff to CA BioDiversity Week
Hands on training- Learn how to use the iNaturalist app and use it to record nature. If you can, please download the iNaturalist app and join the California Biodiversity Day 2025 - Tulare County Bioblitz project before coming.

9/13 9 am - 12 pm at Tule River Parkway in Porterville

Three activites to choose from: Art, Gardening, or Science. Science includes an introduction to the INaturalist and Merlin apps. Please load these free apps to your cell phone or tablet before the event.
https://www.tuleriverparkwayassociation.org/garden-work-days

08/19/2025

Get ready for our online native plant sale! Coming up September 15 - 28, working on the plant list now. What do you want to plant in your garden this fall?

08/05/2025

Last minute opportunity to learn about risks to rare species protections. Register to join meeting or get the recording.

🗣️ Old. Outdated. A tool for NIMBYs. All of these words have been used in recent attacks on the California Environmental Quality (CEQA). While CEQA may have room for improvement in some areas, we are fortunate in CA to have this important tool to protect communities and the environment. 💪🏽💪🏾💪🏼

We recognize the need for more effective and innovative solutions for California's housing crisis and this challenge is at the forefront of the minds and hearts of many Californians, including the CNPS community. That is why we hope to hold space for deeper discussion and education on this timely topic.

🏛️ Join the CNPS Advocacy Corps for an interactive webinar on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and recent passage of SB 131
📅 Tuesday, August 5th
📅 6pm-7pm
📨 Register at https://heyor.ca/odo0ep

We are so excited to have Rachel Hooper and Gabriel Tolson from CEQA Works and the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) join us as guest speakers. Together, we will highlight CEQA's important role in protecting California’s people, places, and plants, and share an overview of the recent changes enacted through SB 131 and how to advocate for necessary amendments.

Come ready to learn, engage, and advocate – we can’t wait to see you there!


📷 Nick Jensen

07/20/2025

SB 131 was pushed through at the eleventh hour attached to the budget. Many legislators were not in favor of it but felt they couldn’t oppose because the budget needed to get passed. We need to fix this asap for all the reasons outlined in the video.