CNPS Announces California Native Plant Week 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liv O’Keeffe
CNPS Senior Director, Communications and Engagement
lokeeffe@cnps.org
916-447-2677, ext. 202

Apr. 12, 2019, Sacramento, CA — Tomorrow is the first day of California Native Plant Week (April 13 – 21), and the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is celebrating with events and education across the state.

“The worldwide coverage of California’s super bloom shows us just how much we have to celebrate – and protect — here in California,” said Liv O’Keeffe, senior director of communications and engagement for the California Native Plant Society (CNPS).

But California’s celebrated super bloom sites like Tejon Ranch, Paradise Valley, and Carrizo Plain, are facing serious threats. Last year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors advanced plans for the massive Centennial development project on Tejon Ranch, and the Bureau of Land Management approved the creation of a new oil well and pipeline in Carrizo Plain National Monument. In May, Riverside County will consider approval of an 1,800 acre development at the southern border of Joshua Tree National Park.

“Wherever you live in California, you’ll find incredible native plants and landscapes that deserve our attention and care,” O’Keeffe said. “California Native Plant Week is a great time to get to know the plants in your own community and see how you can help.”

CNPS has 35 chapters throughout California and Baja California, offering  California Native Plant Week events like plant ID hikes, wildflower shows, garden tours, native plant sales, and expert talks. See a full listing of events at cnps.org/npw-events.

California’s plants are important.

California has approximately 6,500 types of native plants, more than any other state in the U.S. A third of those species exist only in California, which means these plants are endemic to California and found nowhere else on Earth. California’s plant diversity makes it one of the world’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots, according to Conservation International. California’s plant diversity makes it one of the world’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots, according to Conservation International.

“Native plants are the foundation of ecosystems, supporting pollinators, birds, and the natural resources we all need for survival,” O’Keeffe said. “Saving native plants is really the shortcut to saving everything else. Insects are in decline, development pressure is rising, and we’re seeing the real-time effects of climate change. We urgently need to conserve native plant habitat and plant native gardens to help restore balance.”

Last year, the state of California took formal steps to protect and restore California’s unusual biodiversity by launching the California Biodiversity Initiative. The initiative provides state funding and a seven-part roadmap to guide state agencies and partners in their work on behalf of California’s native plants and wildlife. In support of the effort, hundreds of biodiversity scientists have signed onto A Charter to Secure the Future of California’s Native Biodiversity, which defined the vision for California’s Biodiversity Initiative.

A growing number of leaders and Californians now recognize the importance of California’s flora, thanks in large part to the 2010 California State Assembly Resolution 173, which established the third week of April as California Native Plant Week.

Learn more about California’s native plants and ways you can help at cnps.org/nativeplantweek.

About the California Native Plant Society:
The California Native Plant Society is a statewide organization working to save and celebrate California’s native plants and places via plant science, advocacy, education, and horticulture. CNPS staff scientists work closely with thousands of volunteers in 35 chapters throughout California and Baja to promote its mission at the local level. www.cnps.org