Action Steps
Want to help us make a difference? Take some inspiration from one of the action steps below.
Let us know what you did and we'll include a small thank you gift with your next order!
ID a new plant or animal near you
Learn the names of a few of the plants and animals that you see on your next outing (or even just looking out your window). Our favorite free apps to use while identifying species are Inaturalist, Seek by iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID.
Plant a native plant
It doesn’t need to be a whole garden; even a single plant in a container can make a difference! Choose plants that are beneficial for native pollinators and fauna local to your area (Calscape.org is a great resource for this!). You can also check if your town or county has rebates for switching your lawn to native plants.
Walqaqsh California Native Seeds-(Online)- Our favorite place to buy native seeds and informative classes. Packed seed packets with high success rate. Indigenous-owned and operated. @California_Native_Plants on IG
Favorite nurseries: Watershed Nursery, Las Pilitas, Native Here Nursery
California Native Gardening - A Month-by-Month Guide
The Drought Defying California Garden
California Native Plants for the Garden by Carol Bornstein and Bart O’Brien
Be a conscious wildlife neighbor
You can help prevent harm to wildlife with a few choices around your home. You can find a list of ways to responsibly live with wildlife here.
Rodenticides affect more than just those they are targeting and can impact wildlife up the food chain. Encourage natural predators by installing an owl box, and remove areas that encourage mice. Have rodents hanging around a chicken coop? Install a rodent proof feeder. Find more tips for managing rodents here.
Prevent bird strikes on your windows
Keep cats indoors or closely monitor their outdoor time. Read more about Cats and the outdoors here. and take these actions to keep your cat and wildlife safe! If your cat is used to spending time outside already, consider building them a catio so they can do so safely, or teaching them to walk on a leash! Free Catio plans here.
Consider installing a Bat House at your residence and taking other steps to provide safe shelter for bats.
California native plants in your garden provide nectar and pollen to native bees, which are 200 times more effective than honey bees! Make sure to provide some water in a shallow dish filled with stones or marbles for thirsty bees, as well as some un-mulched ground and old plant matter for nesting.
Participate in a beach cleanup, invasive plant removal or native plant restoration project in your area.
Research a threatened or endangered species in your area.
Endangered species aren’t just on the other side of the globe! There are equally important and threatened species closer to home, often in or just outside our own backyards. Learn about a few of them, and follow conservation pages to stay up to date on initiatives and letter writing to state officials.
Support Land Back efforts
Support indigenous stewardship and land back in California and around the world! Reframe how we talk about indigenous cultures by making sure to use present, not past tense. Look up whose land you are on, or a few indigenous names for plants, animals or places in your area.
Find out whose land you are on here.
Learn more about native California languages here.
Watch Tending the Wild, a series by KCET.
Donate to Sogorea Te' Land Trust and Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation.
Subscribe to News from Native California.
Support intersectional environmentalism- Nature is for everyone.
Challenge any unexamined beliefs about who belongs in the outdoors. Donate to organizations that acknowledge that the struggle for environmental, racial and economic justice are intertwined.
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice
The Dream Corps Green For All
Outdoor Afro
Latino Outdoors
Center for Diversity and the Environment
Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
Take only photos and leave only footprints.
There are several ways to lead by example, and to minimize your impact while out and about including: planning ahead by researching your location and preparing accordingly, traveling on durable surfaces and marked paths, disposing of all waste properly, leaving what you find (and taking a photo instead!), and respecting wildlife and other visitors (past, present and future).
Read more about these leave no trace principles at Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.
Join
your local California Native Plant Society chapter or give them a follow on social media! With field trips, and monthly information, these experts are a wealth of knowledge.
Visit a museum, botanic garden, or park.
Here's some of our favorites and ideas:
Oakland Museum of California
California Academy of Sciences
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Tilden Botanic Garden
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
East Bay Regional Parks
Univesity of California Berkeley Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
California Living Museum
Your local library likely has free or discounted passes to local museums and state parks! Ask a librarian for more info.
Find your library's Discover and Go program page
California State Library Parks Pass
Donate
We donate a portion of the proceeds from our products, but you can make an even bigger difference by donating to organizations protecting California directly. Check out our organizations page for a list of organizations we donate to.