The Arizona Native Plant Society

Phoenix: Watch Party Arizona Grasses: Why We Are Unique
2026-08-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Phoenix) | via Zoom
Join us in watching a prerecorded lecture on Arizona Grasses by Debbie DeWolf Allen that highlights the uniqueness of Arizona grasses and explains why they deserve a closer look.
The lecture can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmNtUbfTGpg
If you have trouble accessing the Zoom link, please email phoenixaznps@gmail.com

Flagstaff Chapter Field Trip * Tentative date
2026-08-15 08:00 - 17:00
Anderson Mesa: Search for Arizona sunflower (Helianthus arizonensis)
Arizona sunflower. Photo: Debra Crisp
Tentative date: Saturday, August 15.
Arizona sunflower (Helianthus arizonensis) is critically imperiled in Arizona. Debra Crisp found a population in 2020 that had not been documented since 1945. We’ll go back to that population and make a collection

Please contact the chapter for additional details

Phoenix: Collaborative Presentation Building
2026-08-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Glendale Foothills Library, 19055 N 57th Ave, Glendale, Arizona, 85308, United States
Join us in this hybrid event as we work together to build presentation material and educational pamphlets.
We are meeting in the Foothills Library Study Room B.
This session will be hybrid, please email phoenixaznps@gmail.com if you have trouble accessing the zoom meeting.

Native Plant Society of New Mexico Annual Conference
2026-09-10 - 2026-09-13
Registration Opens for the Native Plant Society of New Mexico Annual Conference
The Native Plant Society of New Mexico’s annual conference will be held in Silver City this year, hosted by the Gila Chapter. Headquarters will be at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center at 3031 US-180. The conference, with the theme “Roots of Resilience: Native Plants in the Next 50 Years,” will be held Thursday through Sunday, September 10-13, 2026. However, the time to register is now! Early registration starts July 1 and is available through July 31. The fee increases on August 1, and registration closes altogether on August 21. Participation is open to anyone interested in native plants in our region but does require advance registration.
Since 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico, founded in 1976, the Gila Chapter is pulling out all the stops to make the annual conference a memorable event. The organizers have lined up exciting speakers, including Phil Connors, a fire lookout in the Gila since 2002 and the author of four award-winning memoirs, and Doug Tallamy, a nationally known author and advocate for the importance of backyard refuges to the survival of native plants, birds and insects.
Registrants will also have multiple opportunities to choose from among 30 field trips and 9 workshops. Field trips will cover many of the most scenic areas in the Gila region and range in difficulty from easy strolls in home gardens to exploration of the high Mogollons. Workshops will explore many ways to use native plants and venture into poetry and macrophotography. One highlight: Mike Kintgen, Curator of Alpine Collections for the Denver Botanic Gardens, will be coming down to offer a two-day workshop to create a crevice garden in the Silva Creek Botanical Garden.
The registration fee also includes a Meet-and-Greet on Thursday at the Murray Hotel, a reception on Friday evening at the historic Waterworks site, break snacks and two lunches. The banquet has an extra charge, and all registrants are welcome to come hear Doug Tallamy speak after the banquet.
To register, go online to https://www.npsnm.org/npsnm-state-conference-2026/ to see detailed information on the conference and reserve your spots. To choose the field trips or workshops that suit you best, please consult the full descriptions available on that website.

Phoenix: Shadow Mountain Nature Hike
2026-09-27 07:00 - 09:00 | Shadow Mountain, 2603 E Acoma Dr, Phoenix, Arizona, 85022, United States
Join us for a nature hike around Shadow Mountain! We will start with a short talk on plants then start the hike (2.6m). We will provide a wildflower field guide and magnifying glass. Be sure to bring plenty of water!
Trail can be seen here: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/shadow-mountain-trail
Please call 480-734-0180 if you have a hard time locating the trail.

Introduction to Grasses at University of Arizona Herbarium
2026-10-09 08:30 - 15:00 | University of Arizona Herbarium, Herring Hall
Workshop Offering – Introduction to the Grasses
The “Grass Class” is a two-day workshop jointly sponsored by the Arizona Native Plant Society and the University of Arizona Herbarium. This year’s workshop will take place on October 9 and October 16, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the Herbarium on the U of A Campus. Enrollment is limited to 20 people, and the charge is $40.00. This class is intended for botanists and natural resources practitioners who have a need to identify grasses in their work, and for serious amateurs who want to extend their botanical skills. You will learn the basic biology and morphology of grasses and will put that knowledge to work identifying living specimens of some representative local grasses. You will practice using a dichotomous key for grass ID, and will be introduced to resources to help you expand your knowledge of these essential plants. Registration is first-come, first-served. To register, email to Doug Ripley at jdougripley@gmail.com. Following your registration we will send you more details on how to pay the course fee, class location, course outline, and other miscellaneous details.
