A New Wildflower Book & Some Advocacy Tools to Help Conserve Native Plants with Dr. Nick Jensen

In this presentation, CNPS Conservation Program Director, Nick Jensen, gives an overview of new conservation tools and the recently published book, Wildflowers of California. He introduces us to the Conservation Advocacy Toolkit that provides CNPS members with the resources they need to effectively do conservation advocacy. Released in April 2024, the toolkit is a new online resource that provides an overview of environmental laws, instructions on how to get involved, and a catalog of sample comment letters. The newly formed Advocacy Corps, led by conservation staff person, Karah Fisher, will feature training materials, webinars, and support tools that will help boost the capabilities of members to advance our conservation mission. Nick also introduces Wildflowers of California which is the result of years of collaboration between CNPS staff and volunteers and Timber Press. This wonderful book was lead-authored by Sandy Namoff (who just happens to be Nick's wife). It features thousands of beautiful photos and profiles of 900 common wildflower species.

Nick Jensen is the Conservation Program Director for CNPS, which includes presiding over litigation, participating in coalitions of environmental organizations, media relations, and supervising a team of talented conservation professionals. Nick earned his BS in Environmental Horticulture at UC Davis, and his Ph.D. in botany at Claremont Graduate University, and is a Switzer Foundation fellow. As a grad student Nick produced the first flora of Tejon Ranch. He also studied evolutionary patterns in perennial Streptanthus (jewelflowers). Nick previously worked as a Vegetation Program Assistant and Rare Plant Program Director for CNPS. He has been teaching botany classes for CNPS, California Botanic Garden, the Jepson Herbarium, and Theodore Payne Foundation.