Come join us for our first meeting back after a long, dry summer, on Thursday, September 19, 2024! As the heat abates in a prelude to fall, Shasta Chapter shakes off its summer-hibernation daze and rejoices in a flurry of activity!
And it will be a particularly lush re-green this year! Not only do we have a cool topic and speaker to start things out right, but we also have a new meeting venue, a new meeting time, and a new pre-meeting activity!
First, the cool speaker!
His name is Piper Lawrence and he is a botanist with the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG). If that’s not cool enough on it’s own, he was the team leader this field season right here in the North State, working on a project to collect native seeds for the national Seeds of Success (SOS) program. The CBG is an active partner in SOS, led by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, that collects seeds for conservation, research, and ecosystem restoration. And Piper will be here himself to tell us all about it!
Unfortunately, that’s about all we know at this point as Piper contracted Covid before he could get us further details. But we will share them with you just as soon as we know them—watch this space! In the meantime, the Shasta Chapter CNPS wishes Piper a very speedy recovery!
The new meeting venue
With sincere gratitude to McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, we are delighted to announce that Shasta Chapter CNPS will now be meeting in the brand new Turtle Bay Nursery Classroom, 1125 Arboretum Drive, Redding. There is lots of free, paved parking just steps away from the classroom building, and nice, curbed sidewalks. To get to the new venue, from South Market Street, turn east onto Arboretum Drive. Veer right at the first opportunity (so you don’t end up at Turtle Bay Elementary School!), and drive a short way to the “curvy” parking lot to the east of Arboretum Drive.
The Nursery Classroom is just inside a large wrought-iron double gate, which is just north of the entrance to the botanical gardens proper.
Photo taken August 30, 2024, by Don Burk.
The new meeting time
We will get the show on the road a little earlier than in the past. Please be ready to go no later than 6 PM for our short Chapter meeting and announcements and speaker presentation. Or come earlier and participate in our pre-meeting activity, which will start at 5:30 PM!
The pre-meeting activity
Come a wee bit early and join Western Shasta Resource Conservation District Field Staff Supervisor, Jeremey Kelley, on a short guided tour of a pond located just outside the classroom. Jeremey worked long and hard creating this pond where there was once nothing but mine tailings. It is now restored to a thriving natural area, complete with a resident beaver!
What a great re-green—so much new to look forward to! And on top of all that, we will be celebrating the Shasta Chapter’s 40th anniversary. With cake. Do join us! That’s 5:30 to 6 PM on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the new Turtle Bay Nursery Classroom. See you there! ~Shasta Chapter CNPS