A non-profit organization to promote the study and conservation of Alaska native plants.
The Alaska Native Plant Society (AKNPS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to studying and conserving Alaska native plants. General membership meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Monday of every month from October through May. Various guest speakers give presentations on topics related to native plants and AKNPS members give informative slide shows, plant family, and mini- botany talks. During our October meeting, members share photos from their summer adventures. See our Recent News to learn about recent activities.
There are numerous volunteer opportunities including leading public hikes, invasive plants control, plantings and cooperative work with other local groups. Local events are listed on the Upcoming Events page.
General Information
The Alaska Native Plant Society was formed in 1982 by a small group of enthusiastic amateur and professional botanists for the purpose of educating Alaskans about their native flora and the growing need for its protection. We accomplish this through:
- Monthly meetings, held on the first Monday of each month, October through May (with occasional exceptions due to holidays), at 7 PM via Zoom and/or in person at the Campbell Creek Science Center in Anchorage. All interested persons are welcome.
- Field Trips, ranging from half day local outings to multi-day excursions throughout Alaska. Some prior trips have been to Kodiak, Seldovia, Chitina / Kennicott, and Denali National Park.
- Displays at local malls during “Celebrating Wildflowers” periods.
- Publication of Borealis, our bi-monthly newsletter for members, October through May.
- Compilation of Alaskan flora references in a bibliography.
- Recommended publications for Alaskans interested in collecting seed and propagating native plants.
- This website which is an ongoing project for which volunteers are welcome.
Recent News
Looking for something to do this weekend? Join the second in our Williwaw Nature Trail Native Plant Walk series, happening this Saturday (July 19) in Portage Valley at 10 a.m. This hike will be led by local naturalist Beth Baker, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service - Chugach National Forest's Begich, Boggs Visitor Center.
From the event description:
Join Alaska Native Plant Society volunteers for a scenic 1-mile walk along the Williwaw Nature Trail in Chugach National Forest. This easy-going trail showcases a beautiful mix of boreal and coastal forest plants - all nestled in this stunning glacial river valley. The trail is a highly accessible flat, gravel surface. Don’t forget to bring a snack/lunch and water.
+ Meeting Location: Trail of Blue Ice Ponds Trailhead - Williwaw Ponds Rd. near Portage
+ Duration: 2 hours
⏰ LAST CHANCE to join our Understanding Potentilla: A Three-Day Workshop, July 11-13. This is a three-day workshop taught by Dr. Barbara Ertter, lead author of Potentilla and related genera for Flora of North America and emeritus curator of the Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley.
The workshop includes in-classroom lectures and labs at the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Friday and Saturday, as well as a field trip on Sunday. The cost is $150.00 per person. Contact Marilyn Barker at mhwbarker@icloud.com to reserve your spot and arrange payment.
Sponsored by the Alaska Native Plant Society
It's not too late to join the first in our Williwaw Nature Trail Native Plant Walk series, happening tomorrow (Saturday, June 28) in Portage Valley at 10 a.m. This hike will be led by local botanist Marilyn Barker, in collaboration with the Chugach National Forest's Begich, Boggs Visitor Center.
From the event description:
Join Alaska Native Plant Society volunteers for a scenic 1-mile walk along the Williwaw Nature Trail in Chugach National Forest. This easy-going trail showcases a beautiful mix of boreal and coastal forest plants - all nestled in this stunning glacial river valley. The trail is a highly accessible flat, gravel surface. Don’t forget to bring a snack/lunch and water.
+ Meeting Location: Trail of Blue Ice Ponds Trailhead - Williwaw Ponds Rd. near Portage
+ Duration: 2 hours
- with U.S. Forest Service - Chugach National Forest
🐝 Happy Alaska Pollinator Week! This is the week Alaskans celebrate the birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators that help maintain healthy ecosystems, including our native plants.
We hope you'll join us on Saturday morning (June 21) for our Alaska Pollinator Week - Volunteer & Educational Event at the Campbell Creek Science Center!
Other resources:
+ Pollinator conservation research in Alaska: https://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/wildlife/pollinators
+ Alaska pollinator planting guide: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/pollinator-garden-cards_Alaska_v2.pdf
A fun collaboration with Great Land Trust! Our volunteer guides enjoyed helping out with this GLT-hosted hike in Anchorage's new Potter Marsh Watershed Park.
One of the goals of #AKNativePlantMonth is to encourage Alaskans to plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers in their yards. So we're excited that the final Saturday of our monthlong celebration (and next Saturday, too) includes native plant sales!
See the fliers for details and contact the organizers with any questions. If you know of any other native plant sales, let us know and we'll add them to this post. We apologize for missing one or two sales over the Memorial Day weekend 🧐 You are also welcome to share info in the comments about native plants available at your local retailers, botanical gardens, etc.
- with Anchorage Soil & Water Conservation District and Wildflower Garden Club of Alaska
