The Arizona Native Plant Society

Habitat Restoration at Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
2026-04-18 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Phoenix) | Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd, Glendale, AZ, 85308, United States
Join us in habitat restoration in partnership with the Maricopa Bird Alliance. The work will involve digging a water source for native wildlife, planting native plants, removing invasive stinknet, and dispersing native seeds.

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2026-04-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Northern Arizona University Biology Sciences Building, Room 328., Flagstaff, Arizona
Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 PM.
Claire Reynolds and Olivia Steinmetz: Pollination of
Globemallow (Sphaeralcea), Thistle (Cirsium) and Pediocactus
NAU student Claire Reynolds and recent NAU graduate Olivia Steinmetz will each give a short presentation on plants and their pollinators. Steinmetz will discuss the pollination and reproductive biology of two endemic cacti of northern Arizona (Pediocactus peeblesianus var. fickeiseniae and Pediocactus paradinei) and Reynolds will discuss the pollination of Globemallow (Sphaeralcea) and Thistle (Cirsium) and the changes due to climate change.
Hybrid meeting: In-person and via Zoom

Deem Hills Nature Hike
2026-04-26 08:00 - 10:00 | Deem Hills Recreation Area, 5050 W Andrea Ln, Phoenix, AZ, 85083, United States
Join us for a nature hike through Deem Hills! We will start with a short presentation on plants then start the hike (2.8m).

Tonto Basin Field Trip
2026-05-01 10:00 - 12:00 | ASU Herbarium, 734 W Alameda, Tempe, AZ, 85281
Friday, May 1, 10:00 – noon. Liz Makings, Collections Manager,
Arizona State University Herbarium: Tour of the Herbarium
ASU Herbarium, 734 W Alameda, Tempe.

Flagstaff Invasive Plant Pull
2026-05-02 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-30 09:00 - 12:00 | Bushmaster Park, Flagstaff
Invasive Plant Pulls
Please save these dates for Invasive Plant Pulls in Flagstaff. Watch for more details or contact
PlantRestorationProject@gmail.com
Saturday, April 18, 8:00 – 10:00 AM, in collaboration with the City’s Earth Day events
Saturday, May 2, 9:00 AM – noon
Saturday, May 30, 9:00 AM – noon
Meet at the east entrance to Bushmaster Park

Phoenix Chapter: In Person Monthly Members Meeting
2026-05-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Tempe Events Center, 1606 E Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States
Our monthly members only meeting where we do a quick review of past events, an overview of the next month’s events and discuss any topics of interest by volunteers. This meeting will be hybrid with an in person meeting in Tempe and a Zoom link for those who can’t make it in person. We will do our regular members only meeting then listen to a one hour talk by John Fugelsang on the Waterman Mountains Restoration Project.
The speaker will be John Scheuring, AZNPS State Conservation Chairman. John will give an overview of the Waterman Restoration Project that is now in its 16th year. The badly disturbed site known as the “Mother of all buffelgrass patches” has slowly been restored to a recovering natural desert bajada with over 130 native plant species.
Please RSVP using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KTCk2ZfvT7WQM-5iqU3t5A

Seed Packing with the Maricopa Native Seed Library
2026-05-06 17:00 - 19:00 | South Mountain Community Library, 7050 S 24th St, Phoenix, AZ, 85042, United States
We will be helping the Maricopa Native Seed Library in building seed packets and then packing native seeds. These packets will be added to their stock of seeds that are given out to the community for free. Learn more about the seed library here: https://libguides.maricopa.edu/seed
This event is open to members and non-members.

Flagstaff Chapter Field Trip
2026-05-09 00:00
Lake View Trail at Double Springs
Tentative Date: Saturday, May 9
This is an easy 2.5 mile hike near Mormon Lake. We’ll be looking for early spring bloomers like dwarf monkey fiddle (Hesperochiron pumilis), western springbeauty (Claytonia lanceolata), short-sepal bitterroot (Lewisia brachycalyx), slender woodland star (Lithophragma tenellum), and Macdougal’s bluebells (Mertensia macdougalii).
Contact Kirstin at flagstaffAZNPS@gmail.com if you are interested in joining

Tucson Chapter Meeting
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | U of A campus, Environment and Natural Resources Building (ENR2), Room S225 — 1064 E. Lowell Street, Tucson AZ, 1064 E. Lowell ST, Tucson
Thursday, May 14, 7:00 PM.
Linda Kennedy and Dan Robinett: A Beginner’s Guide to Grasses
This program will cover techniques for identifying grasses without a microscope.

Virtual Book Talk - The Unruly Wild: Why is the Flora Changing?
2026-05-19 18:00 - 19:00 | via Zoom
Sign up for this zoom talk to hear stories about plants in the American Southwest! Drawing on four decades of field work as a plant ecologist, Dr. Julie Stromberg discusses how and why the local flora is changing. Sharing tales from her recent book, she challenges us to form deeper relationships with the plant communities around us as a basis for forging a more sustainable future.
This event is open to members and non-members.

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2026-05-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Northern Arizona University Biology Sciences Building, Room 328., Flagstaff, Arizona
Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 PM. Emily Palmquist and James Holderer: Let’s Talk About Phragmites australis: Changing Distributions of Native, Nonnative, and Gulf Coast Common Reed in Arizona
Emily Palmquist and James Holderer will each discuss their research into common reed (Phragmites australis) and whether the subspecies that are encroaching into the Colorado River in
the Grand Canyon and the Verde River are the native, nonnative, or Gulf Coast subspecies.
Dr. Emily Palmquist is a research ecologist for the USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center. She studies the effects of river regulation on riparian vegetation communities, riparian plant population genetics in a restoration context, and physiological responses of riparian plants to flooding and climate.
James Holderer is a research affiliate at the Natural History Institute and a local field botanist. He focuses on special status plant and noxious weed surveys, botanical inventories, and riparian ecology monitoring projects throughout the southwest.
Hybrid meeting: In-person and via Zoom

Phoenix Chapter: Piestewa Nature Hike
2026-05-31 07:30 - 09:30 | Phoenix Mountain Preserve, 7232 Piestewa Peak Dr #7200, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Phoenix, AZ, United States
Join us in a hike in the Piestewa mountain preserve! We’ll be hiking the Phoenix Mountain Nature Trail 304 which is a 1.5 mile hike rated as moderate. Meet at the Piestewa Peak Trails parking lot at 7:30AM. We will begin with a short presentation on plant heat adaptions and plant pollinators. Please be sure to bring plenty of water!
Those wishing for a more difficult hike are welcome to break off from the main group and tackle the Freedom Trail and / or the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail.
This event is open to members and non-members.

Phoenix Chapter Monthly Members Meeting
2026-06-01 19:00 - 20:00
Our monthly members only meeting where we do a quick review of past events, an overview of the next month’s events and discuss any topics of interest by members and volunteers. This is a virtual event done through Zoom, please contact phoenixaznps@gmail.com if you have any questions.

White Mountains Chapter Plant Walk
2026-06-05 09:00 - 22:30 | 1020 W. Starr Pass Blvd, Tucson AZ 85713
June 5, 9:00 AM: Native Plant Walk at Show Low Creek.
We will explore and help you to identify some of the many native species that grow on this small, popular trail in town.

Native Seed Packing at Glendale Community College
2026-06-05 16:00 - 18:00 | Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave, Glendale, AZ, Glendale, AZ

White Mountain Chapter Sketch and Photo Walk
2026-06-12 09:00 - 22:30
June 12, 9:00 AM:
Join us at Woodland Lake Park for another sketch and photo walk hosted by Jess Rollar,
Karen Suedmeier, and Bob Rollar. Participants will have the option of joining either the sketching or photography groups.

AZNPS Botany Conference June 12-15, 2026
2026-06-13 08:00 - 2026-06-14 17:00 | Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff AZ
The 2026 Annual AZNPS Botany Conference will be held on June 12 – 15 in Flagstaff, in conjunction with the American Penstemon Society Annual Meeting. The conference theme, Exploring the Botanical Diversity, Ecology, and History of Arizona’s Native Flora and the Special Contributions to the Arizona Flora by Penstemons , will offer presentations and posters on a wide range of Arizona native plant topics.
Conference registration and additional details, including tentative field trips to public and private gardens, can be found on the APS website, American Penstemon Society Meetings.
Formal conference announcements will be forthcoming soon with additional details. Please contact Doug Ripley if you have questions or would like to present a talk or poster, or volunteer to help run the conference. Phone: 520-909-3132, email: jdougripley@gmail.com.

Phoenix Chapter Monthly Meeting
2026-07-07 19:00 - 20:00 | via Zoom
Join us for our virtual monthly chapter meeting where we discuss current and upcoming events about the chapter.
Time: Jul 7, 2026 07:00 PM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88428312289?pwd=[REDACTED]

Cancelled: Flagstaff Chapter Field Trip due to wildfire in the area
2026-07-11 08:00 - 17:00
Tentative date: Saturday, July 11.
The sweetgrass in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass grows in
northern Arizona. According to Kimmerer, sweetgrass increases in abundance
after being harvested. We’ll check out the population at the Michael Moore
Medicinal Garden at the Museum of Northern Arizona on the way to Sycamore
Canyon.

Please contact the chapter for specific details. Carpooling is usually available.

CANCELLED Phoenix Chapter: Building Native Seed Packets
2026-07-17 13:00 - 16:00 | Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave, Glendale, AZ, Glendale, AZ
Join us in building seed packs and packing them with native seeds for the Maricopa Native Seed Library. Seed packs will be given to the library for them to distribute to the community. All materials and seeds are provided, all you need to do is show up and have fun. All are welcome, you don’t need to attend the entire event.
If you have trouble finding it, please text or call Daniela Howe: 480-734-0180

Phoenix Chapter: Presentation Material Collaboration
2026-07-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Glendale Foothills Library, 19055 N 57th Ave, Glendale, Arizona, 85308, United States
This is an in person session for anyone interested in building reusable presentation material to collaborate on presentations and discuss native plants. Anything from a short 10 minute lesson to something more substantial that is a few hours long. Presentations can be about native plants or their ecology (so birds, insects, fish ext) and can be something more loose like a craft night with light educational content.
Meet in study room A, please contact 480-734-0180 if you have trouble finding it.

Flagstaff Chapter Meeting
2026-07-21 19:00 - 20:30
Tuesday, July 21, 7:00 PM. Ries Lindley: What is a Moss? A Short Story About
a Walk in the Woods
When we walk through the woods and get swept away by the beauty of what we see, we don’t always have time to stop and think about the various microcosms that make up the ecology we see in nature. What are those tiny green plants that can grow in hot, dry deserts or under ice and snow? Ries will take us through an introduction to the wonderful world of mosses. What are they, where can they be found, do they have names, and a few other things you may find interesting.
Ries is a retired city bureaucrat who took up botany in retirement and is still working his way through the plants of Arizona. His interest in mosses was given a big boost by the pandemic of 2019.
Hybrid meeting: in-person and via Zoom.
The meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the month, March through October, at 7:00 PM and are held at the Northern Arizona University Biology Sciences Building, Room 328. Street parking is available nearby.
Register in advance once in order to attend any of the meetings virtually:
(https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/gWhRf79ZSEuoMH8rpAf91g)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Use the link Zoom sends or the passcode Flagstaff! to join the meeting.

Phoenix Chapter: Estrella Park - Native Seed Harvest (registration required)
2026-07-25 07:30 - 10:30 | Estrella Mountain Regional Park, 14805 W. Vineyard Ave., Goodyear, AZ, 85338, United States
Collect native seeds while learning to identify native plants in their seed stage and how to harvest and clean native seeds sustainably. Collected seeds are for the Desert Defenders and will be used for restoration projects. Event hosted by the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation department and the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance.
Please bring work gloves, water, and a snack. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and closed-toed shoes. We will be meeting at the park’s Nature Center.
To learn more about the Parks Desert Defender Program, visit https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/about-us/desert-defenders/
Registration is required: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/109393081406/false#/invitation

Botanical Society of America Meeting
2026-08-01 - 2026-10-05

Phoenix: Watch Party Arizona Grasses: Why We Are Unique
2026-08-12 18:00 - 19:00 | 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 A.
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.

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.
