As the days grow shorter and the sun transitions from a harsh blast furnace to a gently warming fire, my attention turns to anticipation of the darker season—rain, holidays, and rekindling connections. This seems to be a good time to remind ourselves of the value of being together as a community. Covid has been a long, long slog, but we have survived this historic tragedy, and our native plants were there for us when we were alone. And perhaps the most hopeful news for our Chapter is this: our regular CNPS meetings have resumed! We invite you to come back, join us, and share your presence in person. I promise that our three-dimensional selves are much more interesting and fun than our pixelated and disembodied Zoom heads on tiny screens. Please join us!
On this note, we not only want to see you but we also need your help. Our Chapter has been getting by with the help of a very small number of dedicated volunteers, many of whom have served in their positions for far too long. We need new blood and fresh ideas. We want to hear from anyone desiring to channel their love of nature into action, education, stewardship, and community. We want your ideas for creating engaging programs during our in-person Chapter meetings, social media, and more. In short, it is time to take a deep look at the future of this Chapter if we are going to survive and thrive, and this can’t happen without you.
Please be on the lookout for a short survey in the coming weeks and, in the meantime, please reach out if you have any time at all. We would love to transform your passion for native plants into rewarding actions that will help to conserve our precious plant biodiversity.
Happy autumn, friends! ~Amy Henderson, President
