Stewardship
Guiding sustainable native plant diversity
California’s Indigenous people have stewarded California’s plant biodiversity for millennia. That biodiversity depends on people using both traditional and modern scientific knowledge. At CNPS, we promote land management that supports native plant diversity, and restoration that is informed by pathogens and genetics. We work on invasive plant removal, prescribed fire and fuel reduction, and restoration planting done in partnership with our chapters, Indigenous groups, and other organizations.
Recentering Ecological Restoration with Tribal Perspectives
by Jonathan W. Long, Ron W. Goode, and Frank K. Lake
“Despite having more tribes and more Native Americans than any other state, California has less land under tribal control than most of the states west of the Continental Divide. Consequently, tribes in the state disproportionately depend on public lands for their well-being (Long and Lake 2018). However, through ‘ecocultural restoration,’ both ecosystems and their interconnected Indigenous communities can once again flourish. . . “
Read the full article: Recentering Ecological Restoration with Tribal Perspectives in Fremontia Vol. 48, No.1 (November 2020), beginning on page 14.
Stewardship Opportunities
CNPS Fire Recovery Guide
Learn what to do with your land after a wildfire.
Working with Nature Guide
Help us bring the Working with Nature Guide to communities.
Hands-on stewardship
California’s plants need you to be a steward. Connect with your local chapter today.
Recommended Resources
California Invasive Plant Council
Protecting California’s environment and economy from invasive plants.
SERCAL, The California Society for Ecological Restoration
Advancing the science, art, and practice of restoring native California habitats.
Karuk Tribe
Restoring and preserving Tribal traditions, customs, language, and ancestral rights.
Genetic Considerations for Native Planting and Restoration
In 2020, CNPS hosted a virtual symposium to bring together leading experts in the biology, conservation, and management of California flora to review the best available science on the genetic risks associated with moving native plants and explore innovative approaches for addressing these issues from a management perspective.