Conference

Join us in February 2026 as we explore our collective potential to safeguard the native plants we love and need. Lift your voice, share your knowledge, and get inspired at the next California Native Plant Society Conference!

SAVE THE DATE

February 5-7, 2026

Workshops & Field Trips
February 4, 2026


 RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
 Riverside Convention Center 


 REGISTRATION OPENS FALL 2025

The 2026 CNPS Conference is a gathering of the diverse people and perspectives powering California’s vibrant native plant movement. We welcome new and seasoned members of the community to join us as we come together to learn and share in celebration of California’s plants and our connections to them. 

Conference Highlights

  • Held once every three years 
  • Over 1,000 attendees 
  • Inspiring keynote speakers 
  • Workshops and field trips 
  • Over 200 presenters across four program tracks: conservation, plant science, horticulture and education 
  • Networking opportunities with peers, partners, and future collaborators
  • Art, music, and photography celebrating California’s native plants and landscapes
  • Special sessions for students and emerging professionals

Conference presenters represent a wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise, from Indigenous and Western sciences to horticulture, education, and advocacy. Together, we’ll explore how our collective work today can lead to a better tomorrow for California’s native plants, through programming in four specific areas: 

Plant science provides a crucial framework for how we study and understand native plant communities and their habitats. This area offers ways to discover and share ideas, research, methods, and tools at the forefront of this dynamic field. 

Conservation invites planners, data scientists, land stewards, community advocates, and more to share knowledge and ideas on the best ways to protect and steward natural landscapes and ensure their resilience to climate change. 

This track explores how we can deliver biodiverse gardens, resilient lands and thriving ecosystems by tending native plants. Sessions are designed for gardeners, horticulturists, restoration professionals, growers, landscapers, government agencies, and advocates.

An ideal track for educators, program leaders, naturalists, interpreters, advocates, community scientists, and others working to connect people with the natural world and an ethic of conservation.

Art by Lola Camacho

Become a Conference sponsor or exhibitor!

Support the native plant movement and bridge your brand with passionate audiences at the same time! Contact us to learn more about sponsorship.

CONFERENCE SPONSORS


Please join us in thanking our growing list sponsors for making this year’s event possible! Become a sponsor today.

Giant Sequoia

California Buckwheat

Stay tuned for updates

Sign up to receive 2026 Conference updates and information. For questions or assistance, please email  conference@cnps.org.