North American Native Plant Society

12/11/2024

Congratulations to our second place Native Plant Video Garden Contest winner, Brandie! Follow the link to join Brandie for a tour of her native plant garden. Learn how she got started growing native plants and pick up some tips along the way!

Brandie's submission to the 2024 Native Garden Conest

07/11/2024

Congratulations to the first place winner of our garden video contest, the King family - Nimkii King, Clyde King, and Fiona Caldwell-King! Please watch their inspiring video, Nimkii Wemtigwaaki-Tigaan, and learn about the many native plants the family grows for food, medicine, and to support biodiversity!

https://youtu.be/EyU4ArREKEk

Fiona's Submission to the Native Garden Contest 2024 Experienced Category.

06/11/2024

In case you missed it! The NANPS 2024 AGM took place on October 26th. A recording has now been posted for those who were interested in the proceedings but unable to attend. Hear about our year in review, meet our volunteer of the year, and watch our winning video contest entries!

******Please note: Stefan Weber's presentation, Ontario Seed Orchards, has not been included in this recording at the speaker's request.

NANPS 2024 AGM AgendaTimestamps00:00 Start2:40 Quorum and Agenda Motion and Vote2:56 2023 AGM Minutes Motion and Vote3:50 Financial Report15:30 Meet Your Boa...

17/10/2024

NANPS is excited to welcome guest Speaker Stefan Weber to our 2024 AGM.

His talk, Ontario Seed Orchards Project, will take place on Zoom from 1:45 - 2:15 pm on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The AGM starts at 1:00 and a full agenda can be found on our website. Come for the whole meeting or just us join for Stefan's talk! All are welcome (only NANPS members have voting privileges).

Stefan will speak about movements around the world and in Ontario to generate excellent native plant seeds in commercial quantities, with hints on how you can contribute.

Stefan has worked with seeds for more than fifteen years - in the lab, field and nursery. He has conducted research on local adaptation, and pollination ecology. He also has a background in popular science writing, and environmental education, and has spent the past eight years advocating for seed conservation to all levels of government with the Ontario Biodiversity Council, Carolinian Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Stefan currently coordinates the Seed and Climate Change Program with the Forest Gene Conservation Association including Certified Seed Collector training.

We hope you will join us in learning from Stefan! You can register for Stefan's talk by signing up for the AGM: https://nanps2024agm.eventbrite.ca

01/10/2024

All are invited to join us on October 26th, 2024 between 1:00 and 3:00 PM for NANPS’ 2024 AGM on Zoom. Anyone from across North America is welcome to attend but only members have voting privileges. The winners of the 2024 Native Plant Video Garden Contest will be announced. Guest speaker Stefan Weber will share a presentation on international, Canadian, and provincial seed strategies, starting a seed production area, and fundamentals of seed saving. Stefan has worked with seeds for more than fifteen years and is currently coordinator of the Seed and Climate Change Program with the Forest Gene Conservation Association. Register to attend: https://nanps2024agm.eventbrite.ca

19/09/2024

At NANPS, we’re big fans of goldenrod and asters. These late bloomers provide resources for pollinators in late summer and fall, after other species have flowered. Plus this yellow/purple combo is pretty unbeatable!

Thanks to Heather McDonald, a member of our restoration committee, who snapped this photo on a recent pollinator garden maintenance day on the West Toronto Railpath.

17/09/2024

The summer 2024 edition of NANPS’ Blazing Star Newsletter is out! If you are a NANPS member, this is a reminder to check your mailbox or inbox (depending on how you've chosen to receive your copy). In this edition:

• Native plant spotlight: Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• Harnessing native plants to combat invasive species
• ReLeaf Chatham Kent – restoring ecological diversity in an agricultural community

The Blazing Star, released quarterly, is one of the amazing benefits of NANPS membership. Learn more about membership on our website: https://nanps.org/become-a-member/

11/09/2024

Last Saturday, NANPs hosted our first ever garden tour and all we can say is wow! We are so grateful for the dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers and enthusiastic participants who took part in Sayeh’s Garden Tour and Scavenger Hunt - and of course to Sayeh herself who so generously volunteered her incredible garden to NANPS for this event and designed an information packed meander through its many interesting features. We learned about larval host plants, about the messy gardening method and boulevard gardens. We learned about native bees, winter sowing, the benefits of including a pond/wetland in your garden, and so much more. And then we all got to choose a native plant lovingly grown from seed by the Underhill Seed Sitters to transplant a little bit of the magic of Sayeh’s garden into our own.

Big, big thanks to all who participated! This was the first but hopefully not the last!

03/09/2024

September is here! This is your reminder to sign up for Sayeh's Garden Tour & Scavenger Hunt if you haven't already done so. There's only one space remaining at 11 am but there's still room to join the other time slots. We hope to see you there!

🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃🌱🌿🍃

Over the past 18 years, Sayeh Beheshti has been inviting the web of life into her garden and now she is opening it up to human visitors.

With the generous help of friends and volunteers, Sayeh has organized a fun scavenger hunt that offers visitors a chance to get to know the plants, healthy habitats, and the wildlife they support in her garden. Event attendees will also learn how to grow native plants from seed and take home a plant grown by the Underhill Seedsitters!

Sayeh has been volunteering with NANPS for many years. She is passionate about native plants and a recipient of the NANPS Native Plant Garden Video Award.

WHEN: September 7th, 2024. Tickets can be reserved for one of five one hour time slots (11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm). The rain date will be September 8th in the unlikely event of a downpour.

WHERE: Sayeh's garden is located in Toronto, east of DVP and Lawrence East, and easily accessed by TTC. The complete address will be provided upon registration.

This is a free event but you must reserve your place in advance as spaces are limited. You can sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sayehs-garden-tour-and-scavenger-hunt-tickets-969787629907?aff=oddtdtcreator

19/08/2024

NANPS is pleased to announce a very special event - our first garden tour! Over the past 18 years, Sayeh Beheshti has been inviting the web of life into her garden and now she is opening it up to human visitors.

With the generous help of friends and volunteers, Sayeh has organized a fun scavenger hunt that offers visitors a chance to get to know the plants, healthy habitats, and the wildlife they support in her garden. Event attendees will also learn how to grow native plants from seed and take home a plant grown by the Underhill Seedsitters!

Sayeh has been volunteering with NANPS for many years. She is passionate about native plants and a recipient of the NANPS Native Plant Garden Video Award.

WHEN: September 7th, 2024. Tickets can be reserved for one of five one hour time slots (11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm, or 3pm). The rain date will be September 8th in the unlikely event of a downpour.

WHERE: Sayeh's garden is located in Toronto, east of DVP and Lawrence East, and easily accessed by TTC. The complete address will be provided upon registration.

This is a free event but you must reserve your place in advance as spaces are limited. Reserve your ticket here: https://sayehsgardentour.eventbrite.ca

14/08/2024

Friends Peace Teams recently held a webinar with the owner of Morning Star Conservancy, Leonardo Mercado and his fascinating talk "The Native American Church and Pe**te Habitat Protection". Please take the time to watch this webinar, and check out Morningstar Conservancy's website!

14/08/2024

Hello everyone,
please remember that the deadline for submissions of your entry to the Native Garden Contest is September 1st! Submit to [email protected]

01/08/2024

Seeking volunteers for the NANPS Land Management Committee!

NANPS owns two conservation properties: Shining Tree Woods in the Carolinian zone of southern Ontario and Zinkan Island Cove on the west shore of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron. We are currently seeking volunteers to join our Land Management Committee whose work in the near future involves discussing the committee’s priorities, updating bioinventories, planning visits to and developing land management plans for the two properties.

The time commitment for the Land Management Committee is 4 to 6 hours per month. This includes one meeting in the month and other volunteer activities that the Committee might be doing.

If you would like to volunteer with the Land Management Committee, please contact [email protected] to learn more and apply.

29/07/2024

The summer is just flying by! We hope everyone is finding some time to soak up the sun like these dense blazing stars (Liatris spicata). Did you know that one of the benefits of NANPS memberships is our quarterly publication, The Blazing Star, which takes its name from these beautiful blooms? Back issues are also available for browsing on our website (no membership required) and a wealth of native plant knowledge is available within their pages. Learn more on our website: https://nanps.org/blazing-star/

08/07/2024

Registration for Ontario Invasive Plant Council's Emerging Invasive Pests Webinar is now open. Use code NANPS25 for a 25% discount!

Human-made pathways such as the movement of infested firewood, are one of the main ways invasive pests spread into new areas. Emerging invasive pests threaten the recreational, ecological and economic values of Ontario’s natural environment. Increasing awareness about emerging invasive pests, how to identify and report them is crucial to prevent their spread and impact. In this 1hr 45mins session, participants will be introduced to three emerging invasive species in Ontario and learn about identification, biology and life cycle, pathways of spread and impacts. This session will also include a guest speaker panel. This session will cover the following emerging invasive pests:

🌱Oak Wilt
🌱Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA)
🌱Spotted Lanternfly (SLF)

This webinar will take place on August 29th, 2024 12pm - 1:45pm EST
Cost: $25

Register Here: https://loom.ly/aXO_AFo

This webinar is eligible for 1.75 International Society for Arboriculture (Ontario) Continuing Education Units (CECs)

This webinar is eligible for 1.75 Integrated Pest Management Continuing Education Credits (CECs)

This webinar is eligible for 1 Society for Ecological Restoration Continuing Education Credit (CEC) under the Certified Ecological Restoration Practioner (CERP) Program

Direct all questions to: [email protected]

13/06/2024

NANPS’ Restoration Committee recently visited Toronto’s High Park to observe some of the native species in residence there and brainstorm activities for the year ahead. Just a few of the beauties spotted are pictured here.

1. Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
2. Sweet-fern (Comptonia peregrina)
3. Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
4. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum)

17/05/2024

IT’S ALMOST HERE!

Our spring native plant sale is happening tomorrow on Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

We hope you will join us in the Floral Hall at the Toronto Botanical Garden (777 Lawrence Ave. East in Toronto).

We’ll have wildflowers, vines, ferns, shrubs, grasses, sedges, and trees for all habitat types. Don’t hesitate to ask our knowledgeable volunteers about what will work best in your garden.

And please stop by the membership table to pick up resources on native plant gardening, become a NANPS member, or sign up to volunteer at future NANPS events!