Host a Pre-Conference Workshop at the 2026 Conference

Workshops may cover a broad range of topics relating to native plants, including: conservation, horticulture, community science, environmental laws and regulations, plant science, vegetation ecology, restoration, ethnobotany, education, art, and more. 

Workshop Length & Schedule

Workshops will take place on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and can be one half-day or one full day in length. Full day workshops begin at 8:30 am and end at 4:30 pm, with a lunch break from 12:00-1:00 pm. Half-day workshops either begin at 8:30 am and end at 12:00 pm or begin at 1:00 pm and end at 4:30 pm. Coffee and pastries will be provided from 10:00-10:30 am and afternoon snacks will be provided from 2:30-3:00 pm for instructors and attendees. CNPS will establish the final schedule for all workshops in order to make the most efficient use of our meeting space. 

Meeting Rooms & Technology

Workshops will be held either in indoor meeting rooms at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, California, or offsite at nearby locations. For indoor workshops, each room has a capacity of 25 to 35 participants and will be set up classroom-style (tables and chairs facing the front of the room). Instructors will have access to meeting rooms one hour prior to the workshop start time for set up. Rooms will be equipped with a projector and screen, microphone, and presentation remote with laser pointer. Instructors will need to provide their own laptop. Basic Wi-Fi (emailing and general web browsing) will be available.

For offsite workshops, instructors may propose a nearby location for the workshop to take place, such as at a local state park or native plant nursery. Instructors will be responsible for securing necessary permissions and permits needed for offsite locations. Participants will arrange their own transportation to offsite locations. 

Workshop Materials

Instructors are responsible for providing all handout documents for the workshop to CNPS for printing no later than January 14, 2026. If handouts are not provided by this date, instructors will be responsible for printing and associated expenses. The maximum number of pages CNPS will print per workshop participant is 30; any amount beyond that should be provided digitally to participants or may be printed at the expense of the instructor. Instructors are responsible for providing any special materials necessary (e.g., reference texts, plant material, etc.) for the workshop. CNPS has a small number of microscopes that may be available upon request.  

Fees & Compensation

These workshops are a fundraiser for the CNPS Education Program, and CNPS will collect all registration fees. CNPS will provide standardized compensation for instructors related to the duration of the workshop: half-day workshops will receive between $200 to $350, and full day workshops will receive between $400 to $600. Workshops with multiple instructors may split the compensation as desired, or instructors may opt to donate their compensation back to CNPS. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided for instructors and participants during the workshops. 

Submitting a Pre-Conference Workshop Proposal

How to Submit

Please submit this workshop proposal form by July 1, 2025. 

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If Your Proposal is Accepted

Notification

If your proposal is accepted, you will be notified by email by August 1, 2025. Instructors will then be asked to sign a standard workshop instructor agreement outlining expectations. 

Collecting Registrations

CNPS will collect registrations for the workshop between October 2025 and January 2026. CNPS will provide periodic registration count updates to instructors. If a minimum number of workshop participants is not reached, CNPS may elect to cancel the workshop with no duty to pay the instructor. 

Contacting Attendees

Upon close of registration, CNPS will provide a final participant list to instructors. One week before the conference, all workshop instructors will be expected to contact registered participants and provide them with the workshop room name, a list of anything they should bring, a reminder of the schedule, and any information to review prior to the workshop (CNPS will provide a template email for instructors to customize). 

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