North American Native Plant Society

25 ways to Support NANPS Mission Statement: To Study, Conserve, Cultivate & Restore North America's native flora.
This is our broadest challenge...it covers anywhere in North America from the North Pole to the Panama Canal...and a host of activities limited only by your imagination.  We can't wait to hear what you've done!

Talk to 25 People about Native plants
Education is key to the survival and resurgence of native species.  The more people who understand what native plants are (not chickory or dandelions!) and why they are so vital, the more greater the chance that they will be allowed as an integral part of the fabric of our world.  Don't keep your love of nature a secret!  Talk to as many people as you can...in a group, individually, to government officials, through the media or social networking sites...any way that you can.

25 Member Years
Recruit new members adding up to 25 years (eg: 8 3yr members + 1).  As an added incentive, members meeting this challenge will have their own membership extended by one year.  Remember, the only way we’ll know where the members came from is if you group them for us and send them in together, or have your recruits PRINT your name on their membership form.

25 Hours of Volunteering for NANPS
We have lots of opportunities -- ranging from stuffing envelopes to directing the organization.  Visit our volunteers page for ideas of how you can help...or come up with ideas of your own.  Volunteers must register with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in order to claim their 25 hours.

 

25 Silver Species
Send in a list and/or photo’s of 25 “silver” native species from anywhere in North America.  “Silver” can be in the common name, species name or appearance.  Hint:  "Argent" is latin for silver.   Right now, we’re only listing the names of those members meeting this challenge.  Stay tuned for an amazing list of Silver plants!

25 New Native Plants
Add 25 new native plants to your own garden, or plant them, with permission, somewhere else in your local community.  Send us pictures of your accomplishment to post here!  Extra points if the 25 are for a specific habitat...like 25 wetland plants or 25 prairie species!

Donate Seeds from 25 different native species to NANPS Seed Exchange
NANPS accepts native plant seeds from all over North America, but please request only seeds originating in your area. More information about NANPS Seed Exchange is listed under the Resources menu.

$25 Membership
2010 is going to be an expensive year for NANPS...thanks for helping!     
Wow!  Directors aren’t eligible for any prizes...but all nine of our current Directors met this challenge too.  Is your name here?  

Donate $25 or more 
Donations are tax creditable in Canada.  While we are grateful for all contributions, receipts will be issued for donations under $20 only on request.  Please send in your donation directly, or via Canadahelps.org. 

Attend 25 lectures/seminars/conferences/activities related to native plants.
Just write down the name, date, & contact information for the event and when you've completed 25, send the list in to us! You can count each day of a conference separately.  Helping at organized restoration activities, community planting events, and plant rescues all count.  

25 Favourite Sources of Information
Tell us about your favourite ways to learn about native plants...books, websites, clubs...

25 Places
What special places...parks, wild areas, demonstration gardens...do you think best illustrate the role of native plants in North America?  Don't worry...we won't divulge exact locations of wild areas, they don't need the extra foot traffic. Sharing pictures of your favourite spots will help to promote native species...without compromising the ecological integrity of wild spaces.

25 Gardens
Can you list 25 private native plant gardens...yards containing a significant number of native species?  Please send us complete addresses, and if known, the name and contact information of the gardeners.

Contribute 25 Articles to the Blazing Star
Write your own, or find previously published works that we can arrange to share with other NANPS members via the Blazing Star.  If you're sharing articles written by others, we also need the contact information for the original publisher in order to obtain permission to reprint the article.  Remember, NANPS covers the whole of North America...so be creative. 

25 Photographs or Pictures
Native plants promote themselves...but more people need to see them.  If you have photographs that you're willing to share with NANPS to use in this website, in publications, or to make available for other non-commercial uses, please send them to us! 

If you are a budding artist and have botanical drawings or paintings to share, we'd love to see them too!

25 Reasons why you Support NANPS
We're hoping that you'll all find this to be the easiest challenge of all...but we're curious to learn what some of our quieter members have to say about their reasons for belonging to the Society.  This is an excellent opportunity to tell the Board not only what NANPS does well now, but what you'd like to see our organization improve and what you'd like to see NANPS do in the future.

Identify and Destroy 25 Invasive Plant Species
Not sure how to begin?  Why not join NANPS at Charlie Clifford Park or Shining Tree Woods...or any of the restoration sites listed on our Restorations page.   Don't stop there, find a place needing help and add it to our Restorations page.  It is possible to bring invasive species under control ... if we all work together!

Rescue 25 native plants from Development                                                                                                                                 
Sadly, wild spaces are still being lost to development -- housing complexes, highways, commercial/industrial zones.   Rescuing plants from the path of the bulldozers is sometimes the only option (see our Plant Rescue page).  Save 25 native plants -- or even better, representatives from 25 native species -- to nurture in your own garden or in a restoration site.
** Note:  to the almost 200 wonderful NANPSters who came out to the recent highway 404 rescue in Newmarket, ON, we offer our apologies for not listing your names here individually.  Please send us an email to have your name added to this list.

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