Native Plant Tours – August, 2026

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August 24, 2026 Larkspur Library Habitat Garden

Refugia Marin hosted us with snacks and a recounting of the history of this urban native garden suggested to them by the late Laura Lovett. Although recently planted by CNL Nursery, the garden seemed full and thriving. Refugia Marin is planning educational signage as well as integrating the garden into Library programming.

August 28, 2026 Novato Baylands Restoration Tour

This ambitious project is restoring acres of former army base into coastal marsh and tidelands. A large group of us enjoyed a tour of Point Blue’s nursery, viewed their techniques to control pathogens, learned about the history of the restoration, and walked up Reservoir Hill to see a view of the levee breach. We heard that the restoration in the Bel Marin Keys parcel is on pause due to lack of Grant funding from the Army Corps of Engineers.

August 28, 2026 Roy’s Redwoods Restoration Tour

Julian Geoghegan, Senior Conservation Science Coordinator for Marin County Parks, showed us around the Roy’s Redwoods restoration project while relating about historical use through project conception, public input, funding, planning, implementation, and ongoing planting and maintenance. Roy’s Redwoods is heavily used by local residents, so the project incudes aspects preserving the traditional uses of the area: walking trails, pet exercise, outdoor exploration and even fort building. It includes the only accessible trail and restroom in Marin County Open Space. The beautiful redwood board walks built from reclaimed logs allow access across the restored seasonal flow of Larson Creek.

The thousands of native seeds and plants that have been planted by staff and volunteers has improved the appearance and function of the section in the project: restored meadow, oak-bay woodland, and redwood grove. In late August we caught the last blooms of Pacific enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea alpina ssp. pacifica), an uncommon species in Marin and the rare woollyhead lessingia (Lessingia hololeuca).

August 30, 2026 Restoration, Remnant Communities, Targeted Grazing on the Point Reyes Peninsula

Tom Gaman and other from Tomales Bay Foundation and SPAWN showed us the amazing transformation of a weedy Acacia forest to a vibrant wetland that will filter water contaminants before flowing to a well-used Marin County Chicken Ranch Beach. Planting is ongoing as water levels in the ponds recede this fall.

Two projects are underway and planned for in the forests of Tomales Bay State Park. Marin Wildfire has been creating defensible space between the park and neighboring parcels where heavy brush has accumulated. CA State Parks is planning some small restoration projects over the next 10 years to improve the Bishop Pine Forest. Bishop pine stands have become decadent without the occasional renewing fires to which they are adapted.

Along Marshall Beach road we explored some patches of remnant coastal prairie which have not been grazed by cattle in decades. Native grasses and forbs were thriving along with patches of coyote brush.

At Bull Point, we viewed the results of target grazing of cattle contracted by The Nature Conservancy. Invasive purple velvet grass as well as coyote brush and yellow lupine had been substantially grazed and trampled. Earlier Chapter volunteers had documented some rare plant populations in the area. We look forward to seeing how the flowers react next year.

August 30, 2026 Larner Seeds Demonstration Garden

A lovely group of local residents, native garden lovers from Napa, as well as Chapter Council Delegates trekked to Bolinas. Twila spoke for a few minutes about the history of the garden and Larner Seeds and the rest of the time was spent walking the garden together. There was plenty of time for questions and conversation

CNPS Director of Education and Horticulture Lila Higgins will be adding Larner’s Garden to the public gardens in the Biodiversity in Urban Gardens Initiative (BUG). You can join in on the BUG fun with iNaturalist sightings in your yard or nearby public garden.