Founded in 1979, the Emerald Chapter of NPSO has a long history of active involvement in the study, education, and conservation of our region’s native flora. We hold monthly public programs except during the summer and lead field trips all year long. Our chapter area includes all of Lane County from the Pacific Ocean to the crest of the Cascade Mountains. Programs and field trips are free and open to the public.

Activities

• Our monthly programs, held from September to May, feature exciting speakers who cover a range of topics of interest to native plant enthusiasts. Our regular meeting place is Amazon Community Center, Main Hall, 2700 Hilyard St, Eugene, usually the 3rd Monday of the month.
• Expert leaders guide field trips to inspiring locations throughout the year. For up-to-date Emerald Chapter meeting and field trip schedules, see the Events page on this website. To look for events across the entire state, check out the State and Chapter Events page on the state website.
• Our Rare and Endangered (R & E) Plant Committee keeps watch over our County’s rare and endangered flora.
• Our proactive Conservation Committee members comment on and provide oversight of projects that may threaten local plant communities.
• Emerald Chapter’s Native Gardening Awareness Program (NGAP) seeks to promote gardening with native plants and habitat creation through education, outreach, and demonstration. We support local nurseries who sell native plants and have created a document of invasive ornamentals we recommend gardeners not plant because they can disrupt native plant communities when they escape your garden.
• We partner with Lane Community College and University of Oregon Botany Programs to collect and display native plants from Lane County at the annual Mount Pisgah Arboretum Wildflower Festival held on the Sunday after Mother’s Day in May.