The CalBotSoc Botany Speaker Series showcases and promotes the work of early career botanists. If you are an early career botanist interested in giving a talk of general interest to our members, please contact our Membership Chair.

Nemophila, is the Society’s digital newsletter and forum covering topics of interest to our members, including upcoming meetings, new botanists in the state, and articles about plants and the environment.

Our Botany Ambassador Program seeks to inspire future botanists and build the communication and professional skills of current botany scholars. We invite graduate and undergraduate students as well as postdocs to participate in the program.

Botany ambassadors develop and exchange teaching materials, and visit local schools, botanic gardens, museums, and outdoor education venues to give short lessons introducing K-12 students to botany and informing them of botanical careers.

Undergraduate and graduate student ambassadors “translate” recent Madroño articles into non-technical summaries, stories, and news briefs for general audiences, to be posted on the Society’s website.

In addition, graduate student and postdoc ambassadors can review Madroño manuscripts.

The program encourages student interest and awareness of botany as a career, and facilitates the professional training of current botany students. Those interested in participating or supporting this program should contact our Membership Chair.

The Society awards prizes from time to time to K-12 student scientists for botanical projects presented at recognized California science fairs. The program was initiated in 2018 to encourage our next generation of botanists.

Anyone interested in judging or in helping in their county’s science fair can contact Justen Whittall who can help coordinate judging and awards. Many Bay Area counties, including Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, Sonoma, and West Contra Costa have local science fairs and funnel their top-ranked students to the Golden Gate STEM Fair competition. It would be great if the Society could have a presence at all these science fairs to support the future of botany.

Please volunteer and spread the word!