Chapter Activities
The Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society covers Santa Clara County and southern San Mateo. Want to learn more about native plants? Support California's biodiversity? Join us! We welcome CNPS members and the public at our virtual and in-person activities.
- The Chapter's Online Nursery Store is a great place to buy plants and more (delivery and pickup available)
- Our Native Plant ID group meets every fourth Tuesday of the month at the Peninsula Conservation Center in Palo Alto.
- Our Native Plant Talks cover a wide variety of topics with a native plant focus. They are offered at libraries and virtually. You can view many past talks on our YouTube channel.
- The Lake Cunningham Native Plant Garden provides opportunities to preserve and restore native plants
To receive weekly updates about our upcoming events, please join our Chapter News list. Subscribe by sending an e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also learn about events on our Chapter's Facebook page and Meetup group.
Santa Clara Valley Chapter of CNPS
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of California’s native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy.
The Santa Clara Valley Chapter of CNPS covers Santa Clara County and southern San Mateo County. It offers activities focusing on the many aspects of native plants, from gardening, plant identification, and photography to conservation and rare plants. Activities include talks and lectures and workshops, field trips, native plant sales, wildflower show, restoration workdays, and more. The chapter was founded in 1972; more history can be found here.
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Help Wanted!
CNPS SCV is an all-volunteer organization -- our activities depend on our many volunteers. We welcome your help to fill these important volunteer roles.
Library Talk Helpers: We hold talks at libraries in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Several volunteers are for each talk to help with setup and check-ins. No experience is necessary. Sign up to help with an upcoming talk.
For more information on other volunteer opportunities, contact Stephen Buckhout, Chair of the Leadership Development Committee, (408) 255-6233 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Wanda Broadie Alexander - In Memoriam
Wanda Broadie Alexander
Wanda Broadie Alexander began life in a small town in the great open spaces of Midwestern Kansas. Born of parents who had escaped farm life by means of college and career, she enjoyed yearly family camping adventures to the various National Parks (relatively new in those days) and felt the excitement of seeing her first bear. Her real and abiding passion for nature and all its creatures came later with a trip to the Galapagos after a series of personal losses of husband and parents culminated by the tragic and untimely death of her sister in an airplane crash in the early 70’s. The Galapagos experience brought an in-depth knowledge and appreciation for our shared life processes and the transforming nature of life and death. This led her to became actively engaged in environmental issues.
When she inherited 80 acres of unbroken prairie in the flint hills of Kansas, she donated it to Bethel College in Kansas where students learn to understand prairie ecosystems. The Broadie Habitat Preserve in Montana, which helps to preserve one of North America’s smallest, most vulnerable grizzly bear populations, is another result of her generosity and support. After purchasing 2.5 acres of hillside land on a dead-end road in Los Gatos, CA, Wanda wanted to be sure that the wildlife corridor on her property would be preserved, which led her to obtain a conservation easement on her land through the Wildlife Land Trust.
Wanda was the CEO of ACT for Mental Health, a small mental health agency in downtown San Jose. She fostered this agency for many years with the mission of providing quality mental health care to folks who otherwise would not be able to afford it. She received a Jefferson Award in 2013 for her decades of leadership in offering mental health services. Throughout her professional life as therapist and mental health clinician, she sought to find ways to help clients and patients connect with nature as part of healing. She spent many holidays on eco travel, which spanned every continent, including the Antarctic. She was an avid photographer, capturing gorgeous images of animals, plants, people and landscapes.
Wanda was a frequent volunteer for our Chapter, and especially enjoyed helping with book and poster sales. She generously left her property to CNPS for an Environmental Education Center.
Brenda Butner - In Memoriam
Brenda Butner
May 5, 1939 – October 1, 1995
Brenda Butner was a key figure in the history of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. She began her horticultural work at Foothill College, where she, botanist and author Tony Corelli, and Mary Kay of Western Horticulture Society were students together. Brenda developed a major interest in native plants and was our Chapter President from 1989 to 1991.
Brenda was always interested in new developments in the native plant field. Whenever there was a field trip, large or small, she would be on it. An avid student, stimulating speaker, and very well organized, Brenda then became the Field Trip Chair; her tenure is recalled by others as one of the best field trip seasons ever. She also worked at Yerba Buena Nursery under Bart O’Brien where all became close friends. Brenda developed the student program at Yerba Buena Nursery.
Brenda’s involvement at Edgewood Park brought her in contact with politics. She was instrumental in helping to defeat the golf course project and saving the park from development. She also developed the Docent Program at Edgewood Park which continues to this day.
Whenever she traveled, botany and native plants were her prime motivating interests, whether it was in Australia, Himalaya, or Costa Rica.
After her death, the Brenda Butner Memorial Lecture was endowed by her husband, Al Butner, who continued to be a chapter member and native plant enthusiast until his passing in 2013. The endowment makes it possible for the chapter members to hear speakers of great accomplishment in the fields of California native plant horticulture, science, and conservation.
Remembering Brenda
By Jean Struthers (Blazing Star, Nov-Dec 1995)
Brenda was the first CNPS member I met. I volunteered to sell books and posters and took over that job from her. She assured me that it wasn’t too difficult, but what she did not tell me was that it would lead to total commitment to CNPS. Brenda's commitment was very contagious and inspiring.
From that small involvement and from my eagerness to grow native plants came the opportunity to work at Yerba Buena Nursery with Brenda. There she was instructive and patient with my learning. She even taught me to say “no” sometimes. She knew her own limits and how to manage her time. Together we chaired the Wildflower Show to a great financial and floristic success, largely due to Brenda's organizational ability.
Brenda became Chapter President and drew many new people to the Board. She followed that position with Field Trip Chair. I will always remember our first trip to the desert and how well it was organized. She keyed many plants that were new to the group, helped with the camping and photography efforts, and above all, ensured the enjoyment of every participant. She was particularly good about finding and making available information about our destinations. Brenda instituted the informal Friday plant walks in local parks and open space lands.
Brenda joined me on a Los Altos Hills town committee for Environmental Protection. She wrote guidelines for using native plants in town landscaping, and wrote the town's first Heritage Tree Protection Ordinance. … We planted a valley oak (Quercus lobata) for Arbor Day, and buckeye seeds on road edges.
Brenda was a docent at both the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and Edgewood Park Preserve. She worked three days a week at Yerba Buena Nursery. She became particularly skilled at propagation techniques, and was responsible for the manzanita cuttings. She started the Chapter's Gardening With Natives group, a very successful gathering which met once a month.
When Brenda got cancer she did not stop her numerous activities unless her treatments really disabled her. She still put in time at Yerba Buena Nursery, attended meetings, and took as many field trips as she had strength for. She organized the botanists for our 1995 Wildflower Show and spent hours helping identify our specimens.
Brenda was so very considerate of all the people around her. She kept us all informed and enthusiastic, and always thanked all the people who helped her. Did we ever thank her enough? I really miss her.
Alfred Butner
August 8, 1937 - November 27, 2013
Alfred was a general surgeon with El Camino Hospital, Stanford Hospital, and the VA Hospital until he retired in 2012. Al was a long-time chapter member and supported all of Brenda’s CNPS activities. Al was chapter Publicity Chair, a Going Native Garden Tour garden owner, and joined many chapter field trips and activities. He donated a used surgical table from El Camino Hospital to the chapter nursery, which was still in use over 20 years later. After Brenda’s passing, Al funded the Brenda Butner Memorial Fund in her memory.
Volunteer Opportunity: Growing Natives Garden Tour Co-chair
We are looking for a volunteer to co-chair our Growing Natives Garden Tour committee (https://gngt.org/). This annual spring tour of native plant gardens in the Santa Clara Valley & Peninsula has provided inspiration for thousands of people since its inception in 2003. The position is an excellent opportunity to use your project planning skills to put on one of the premier native plant tours in the state. You will be partnering with an experienced committee member as co-chair, so no prior experience with the tour is needed. The committee meets monthly throughout the year to prepare for the tour. Applicants should be willing to commit approximately 4 to 8 hours monthly to participate in meetings and other organizational activities. Additional hours are generally needed in the months immediately before and during the tour, which will be held on April 13/14, 2024. Interested and want to learn more? Please contact Madeline Morrow at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Volunteer Opportunity: Wildflower Show
We need help with the 2024 Wildflower Show! Sign up for any of the positions at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49A9A729AAFD0-46940248-2024#/.
Saturday, April 13th & April 20th
Farmers Market Information Table - Help advertise the Wildflower Show at the Saratoga Farmers Market. Staff information table, inform visitors about the Show. Wander the show handing out flyers, informing people about the Show, answering questions.
Friday, April 26th
Delivery Drivers - Pick up supplies from PCC and deliver to West Valley College for set up. Requires truck or other large vehicle.
Set Up Volunteers - Help unload and set up supplies, set up outdoor tables and chairs, directional signs, etc.
Runner Positions - Runners place plant samples in vases and set up them up on the appropriate community display tables. No plant knowledge needed. Great way learn plant identification.
Saturday, April 27th
Table Tidy-up Volunteers- Tidy-up table displays, clean up plant debris, top off vases, sweep floor, etc.
Greeters (Main Entrance) - Greet and provide information to visitors and guest speakers at the entry to the show. Greeters should arrive at least 30 minutes before their shift to walk through the show and familiarize themselves where things are. One greeter on each shift is dedicated to counting visitors.
Greeters (Back Entrance) - Staff back entrance and direct visitors to the main entrance to get maps, information and to be counted.
Roaming Greeters - Walk through the show engaging with visitors and answering questions.
Town Criers - Walk through Show announcing upcoming events.
Vendor Table Coverage - Offer table coverage while vendor gets food from farmers market
Book Sale Volunteers - Help Book Coordinator set up books, sell books, t-shirts posters, and other items.
Close Down Show Volunteers - Help return rooms to the way they were before. All the plant samples are collected and saved for the biology students. Vases are emptied and stacked back in boxes. Supplies are collected and packed up.
Supply Movers - Help load packed-up supplies into cars and drive them back to our office in Palo Alto. Our office is up one flight of stairs.
Save the Date!
