Rare Plant Treasure Hunt

How to Get Involved

Coast yellow leptosiphon (Leptosiphon croceus), CNPS List 1B.1, is only known from a total of 4 occurrences in Marin and San Mateo Counties. © B. Patterson and CNPS.

Interested individuals, CNPS chapters, local organizations and volunteer teams can contact us at treasurehuntcnps.org. We will help you get started by:

• suggesting priority areas or rare plants to survey,
• making and printing maps containing occurrence data,
• providing photos and key characteristics needed to help identify the rare plants you are searching for
• providing logistical support
• matching volunteers with experienced trip leaders to form teams

To help us set up the best teams in different regions of the state with a mix of experienced and amateur botanists tell us:

• who you are and the area you live in
• where or what you would like to survey (if you already know)
• what level of experience you have

We have opportunities for you to contribute on many levels! If you have GIS experience, we need help preparing maps for the teams. If you know of or belong to church groups, scouting groups, biology clubs, botany clubs, groups and families that want to get out in nature and learn something, we can help you. If you are an amateur botanist or novice wanting to gain experience and spend time with a professional botanist or if you are good at navigating or geo-caching, we would love to have you join us as a part of the team. If you’d like to get started on your own you can download the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt survey form and mail it to us. Any hike can be a Rare Plant Treasure Hunt! To contribute on any of these levels, please send an email to treasurehuntcnps.org.

Call for Trip Leaders

If you have experience in the field and with plant identification we need your help. We need volunteers to lead groups of various sizes and experience on Treasure Hunts. These trips can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days long depending on your schedule and can be planned in your region or anywhere you’d like to survey. We offer training for trip leaders as well to give you the tools and know-how to lead a Rare Plant Treasure Hunt. Check the calendar of events or email us to find the next training near you.