Action Steps

Go on a walk.

Learn the names of a few of the plants and animals that you see. Our favorite free apps to use while out hiking are Seek by iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID.

Plant

a native plant garden.
Choose plants that are beneficial for native pollinators and fauna local to your area.

Online Resources: California Native Plant Society - Calscapes - Las Pilitas Nursery

Favorite nurseries: Watershed nursery, Las Pilitas, Annies Annuals, Native Here Nursery

Take a class and buy seeds from: @California_Native_Plants

Additional Resources: Where on Earth: A Guide to Specialty Nurseries and Gardens in California by Nancy Conner, Demi Bowles Lathrop, and Barbara Stevens, California Native Plants for the Garden by Carol Bornstein

Research

a threatened and endangered species in your area.

Species of Special Concern in California

Wildlife Range Maps and Species Life History

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 resources page for a list of organizations we donate to.

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.

Participate

in a beach cleanup, invasive plant removal or native plant restoration project in your area.

East Bay Regional Parks habitat restoration opportunities

California Coastal Clean Up

Habitat restoration projects in Point Reyes National Seashore

Golden Gate National Park restoration projects

Support intersectional environmentalism

Nature is for everyone.
Challenge your 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

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.

Find your CNPS chapter here

Visit

a museum, botanic garden or park.

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

Spread the word.

Share your love of California native plants or animals with others!

Be an ally.

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. Eat at Cafe Ohlone. Watch Tending the Wild, a series by KCET. Donate to Sogorea Te' Land Trust and Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation. Subscribe to News from Native California.

Consider wildlife.

Pesticides and rodenticides affect more than just those they are targeting and can impact wildlife up the food chain. Glue traps and netting can capture more than intended. You can find a list of ways to responsibly live with wildlife here.

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! 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.