Filtering by: All Things Botanically Related
![Two Decades of Botanical Adventures with Lowell Ahart (2002-2024); A Pictorial Overview of Our Work and Explorations of Northern California Landscapes]()
Join us as we reminisce on the botanical works and travels of renowned Northern California botanist and plant collector Lowell Ahart, in accompaniment of John and his life and business partner, Josephine. Seasoned botanists and those “new to botany” alike will enjoy this story and visual overview of the landscapes explored, botanical discoveries made, and interesting people met along the way.
![Wildflowers of Table Mountain: Life between Rock and Water]()
Every year, thousands of visitors traverse North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Butte County, California. Most are drawn to the spectacular patterned displays of native wildflowers that peak for a few weeks during each spring. Which species are responsible for these displays? And how do the climate, geology, and hydrology of the Table Mountain mesa combine to create these striking floral designs? Learn from our speaker, Samantha (Sam) Hillaire, who is a co-author of the popular field guide, “Wildflowers of Table Mountain, a Naturalist’s Guide.”
![Hog Lake vernal pool and Rancho Briesgau riparian restoration – Bureau of Land Management’s Sacramento River Bend ACEC]()
Join BLM biologist Steve Laymon and botanist Brooke Thompson to learn about the unique flora of Hog Lake and the exciting Rancho Briesgau riparian restoration project in Tehama County.
![Look and You Will Find: A Snapshot of Biodiversity in the Lassen Foothills of California]()
Andrea Craig will take you on a tour of the rugged, remote, and richly biodiverse landscape of the Lassen Foothills. This conservation story will focus on Dye Creek Preserve and is about getting to know an elusive volcanic landscape, with over a century of grazing and development, and the diversity that has persevered.
![Seedbank Research in a Restored Wetland: Past, Present, Future]()
Through soil seedbank studies ‘lost’ vegetation may be rediscovered, past composition highlighted, resiliency potential established and future trajectory imagined. Join Chico State Masters student Kaylie DeLuca to hear about her research on the seedbank of a restored meadow in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
![Bombus – Living With, and the Natural History of - Bumble Bees]()
Bumble bees are among the most charismatic, noticeable (visible and audible!), as well as critically important pollinating insects. In this talk, John Whittlesey will share photos taken over the last 8 years of bumble bees while weaving a discussion of their life history along with anecdotes of “living with bumble bees,” ending the talk with plants to plant if you too would like to invite bumble bees to live in your garden.
![2023 Annual Meeting and Special Presentation]()
Join botanist Rob Preston to learn about the geophyte life style. Rob will share some of the findings from his research on Brodiaea and Dipterostemon and provide an overview of geophytes in the California flora.
![What We Sow: The Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds]()
Join author and radio host Jennifer Jewell to explore how the power of gardens and gardeners can be viewed through a lens of seeds, and the general state of seeds in our gardened lives: how they grow, where they grow, who grows them, who sells and/or controls them, and their care up and down the seedsheds of our world.
![Eriogonum (wild buckwheats) of California With Emphasis on Subgenus Oligogonum]()
Join Travis Columbus, Research Scientist at the California Botanic Garden, to learn about Eriogonum, one of the most diverse genera of California native plants. Travis will give an overview of California's wild buckwheats with a focus on the Oligogonum subgenus and including new findings from his research.
![An Introduction to Chico State’s Conservatory]()
Join Shaine Hill, the Chico State Biological Sciences Greenhouse Manager, to learn about the unique plants in the greenhouse, some of the accomplishments over the past year, and exciting plans for the Conservancy’s future.
![Stonecrops of Sedum section Gormania]()
Learn about the beautiful—and sometimes confusing—Sedums in section Gormania. Barbara Wilson, coauthor of the revised taxonomic treatment of the species, will guide us through the recent research and remaining mysteries surrounding this unique group of succulents.
![Whiskeytown: A Goldmine of Botanical Treasures]()
Join Chris McCarron from the Great Basin Institute to learn about the rich flora and exciting recent discoveries at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
![Distribution and Ecology of Vernal Pools]()
Carol Witham will help us to explore the short-lived, weird-looking, fascinating fauna that evolved millions of years ago, and dazzling swaths of tens of thousands of tiny flowers that change from week to week through a two- to- three month “season”.
![Creating High Value Habitat in the Built Environment]()
Join restoration ecologist Pat Reynolds to learn about the steps that go into the design, implementation and maintenance of habitat gardens dominated by native herbaceous vegetation and include the incorporation of habitat features designed to maximize ecological values and habitat function.
![The Fabulous Flora of California’s Desert Region]()
This talk will briefly discuss the ecology and natural history of the California Deserts, explore the adaptations of plants not only growing, but thriving in these environments, and take a virtual floristic tour of some of the beautiful desert wildflowers found in this region.
![A Sight For Sori: Ferns of the Northern Sierra Nevada]()
Shane Hanofee will take you on a tour of the ferns of the northern Sierra Nevada, discussing identification tips, highlighting adaptive traits, and sharing interesting factoids that will have you pushing past the flowers and cones in pursuit of fronds to flip.
![Timing Is Everything: What Preserved Specimens Can Tell Us About Risks for Plant-Pollinator Interactions]()
Do alpine communities experience greater plant-pollinator phenological mismatch than lowland habitats? Join Laura Lampe to hear about her research utilizing herbarium and insect specimen data to examine changes in the timing of flowering and flight periods of plants and pollinators in Northern California.
![EcoFlora for Everyone: Engaging your community in observing nature]()
Join Jennifer Ackerfield from the Denver Botanic Garden to learn about EcoFlora, an innovative program model for connecting people to plant life and plant science through public gardens in urban areas.
![Learn to Love Those Latin Names]()
Scientific names provide a common language to discuss and learn about plants from around the world. Join botanist and author, Ann Willyard to learn about scientific names for plants and how using them can strengthen collaborations between native plant enthusiasts, amateur naturalists, and academic botanists.
![Adventures in the Native Plant Program of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden]()
Join Brett Hall to learn about the wide ranging California native plant programs at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
![Hey, Hey we’re the Monkees! We’re too busy evolving to put anybody down]()
Identifying a monkeyflower to species isn’t quite as straightforward as it used to be, but don’t be discouraged! Join Steve Schoenig to become more familiar with the currently recognized monkeyflower species and get some tips to accurately identify these charismatic little plants.
![The Genus Clarkia – Botanical Adventures and Conservation Potential]()
![The Beauty and Complexity of Evolution]()
Join author and professor emeritus, Tom Parker, to learn about the complex pathways of evolution in Arctostaphylos, one of the most distinctive groups of California native plants.
View the presentation here.
![The Bryophytes: Evidence of Ectohydry is Everywhere]()
Join Butte College Biology professor, Nijmah Ali, to learn about the elegantly simple design of mosses, the “amphibians” of the plant world.
![Murderous plants--botanical predators that hunt on our planet]()
In this enlightening review, carnivorous plant expert, Barry Rice will review exactly what carnivorous plants are, and you'll see that the boundary between carnivorous and noncarnivorous plants is grayer than you might expect.
View the Presentation Here
![Species boundaries between Mimulus glaucescens and M. guttatus in Butte and Tehama counties, California]()
Join Chico State Biology professor Chris Ivey to learn about the reproductive barriers that may (or may not?) be keeping two northern California monkeyflower species distinct.
View the presentation here
![Fire and California’s High Elevation Five-Needle Pines]()
Learn about the influence of fire and fire severity on tree regeneration and understory diversity in California’s subalpine forests in this presentation by Emily Brodie, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology.
View the Presentation Here
![Alpine Plants…Making it in a Challenging Environment]()
How do alpine plants survive where trees cannot, and handle the severe environmental stresses? We’ll consider these questions and others, and we’ll look at the varied microclimatic conditions that shape the habitats for alpine plants, along with physiological adaptations that suit them to this demanding world.
Click Here to View the Presentation
![Gardening in Fire Landscapes]()
![Evidence of an Extinct Lake and Rapid Drainage Features in the Almanor Basin]()
