Invitation to Membership and Renewal

We love native gardens and we know you do, too. Join us in changing how Californians garden. As a source for ecological restoration and biodiversity, the native garden serves many purposes in our human community. It connects people to the cycles of nature and gives them a tremendous sense of belonging wherever they live. Now, more than ever, your support of CNGF can help our community grow. Our ongoing project ELSEE (Environmental Laboratory for Sustainability and Ecological Education) is teaching children about the natural world and how to maintain it and sustain it. They learn about growing food in the urban garden and have fun doing it!

I’m ready! Take me straight to the Membership Form!

Here’s what CNGF accomplished in recent months. With your support we can do even more!

• We launched Sustainable Saturdays and Eating California lunches (with discounted fees for CNGF members).
• We launched ELSEE (Environmental Laboratory for Sustainability and Ecological Education). CNGF is the lead partner in the creation of the ELSEE Living Laboratory Project. With its hub at 76 Race Street, the ELSEE Living Laboratory is one of seven certified SITES in California, an international accreditation program for sustainable landscaping.
• We have awarded Native Garden Grants to 12 schools and non-profits.
• We are helping 70 partner schools create native gardens.
• We created the Butterfly Garden at ELSEE in our outdoor classroom. We are creating ecological lesson plans and teaching Nature Discovery Camp each summer to children ages 6-12, incorporating the most important issues facing our generation.
• We built innovations in ecological technology, such as the Food Towers, to employ advances in irrigation and soil technology used to grow food vertically.
• We created a full team for grant fundraising, and eagerly await replies from local municipalities, as well as from a federal EPA grant on watershed protection and stewardship.

Here’s what we plan to accomplish with your continued support:

• CNGF is partners with Core Companies to build the first urban farm and native garden in a low-income dense urban housing development in the United States.
• We have in the pipeline another dozen schools and additional partners for whom we will help design and build a native garden.
• We are taking a mobile “living laboratory” to underserved schools to educate the students on the innovative ecological principles taught at ELSEE/CNGF.
• We are actively working on funding to purchase the property at 76 Race Street and begin the complete build-out of the six educational components of the ELSEE project, including the Vertical Farm, the Subterranean Classroom and the Eating California restaurant. Here is a link to a video that explains all of the components.

On behalf of everyone at the Foundation, I encourage your support in promoting gardening that not only preserves our depleted natural resources, but also eliminates harmful pesticides and insecticides, and protects the health of our soils, plants, wildlife, and humans. CNGF is an IRS-registered 501(3)(c ) non-profit organization. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Alrie Middlebrook

President

Membership Levels

We recently introduced more ways for you to support CNGF/ELSEE and offer more gifts in return! Please contribute at one of these levels:

CA POPPY level: For an annual contribution of $40 ($60 for Family membership), you get the newsletter, a 10% discount on workshops and classes, and a 10% discount at selected northern California nurseries (see Benefits below). You will also receive a free 4-inch plant*, so come down and see all the amazing improvements at the nursery.

MANZANITA level: $100. If you join at this level, you receive everything at the CA Poppy level, plus a second 4-inch plant (total of 2)*. But remember you have to stop by 76 Race Street to pick them up!

BLACK OAK level: $250. At this level, you receive everything at the CA Poppy level, but instead you get a 1-gallon plant* from the nursery! COASTAL

REDWOOD level: $500. At this level, you receive everything at the Black Oak level, plus a print of a flower or plant illustration of your choice, created and signed by Alrie Middlebrook — a collector’s item for any native plant lover. *(Plant selection depends on availability.)

Benefits

• Monthly email newsletter
• 30% off classes and workshops offered by Alrie Middlebrook at various locations around the Bay
• Discounts on plants, wildflower seeds, and books at Middlebrook Gardens
• A discount on a subscription to Bay Nature Magazine (use promo code SDKBCG for the member discount)
• Discounts at affiliate nurseries and retail stores. Present your CNGF membership card for a 10% discount at some of your favorite places to garden shop:
  • Almaden Valley Nursery, San Jose (plants only)
  • Capitol Wholesale Nursery, San Jose
  • Central Coast Wilds, Santa Cruz
  • East Bay Wilds, Oakland
  • Gold Rush Nursery, Soquel
  • Los Gatos Bird Watcher, Los Gatos
  • Middlebrook Gardens Nursery, San Jose
  • Native Revival Nursery, Aptos
  • ProBuild Garden Center, Santa Cruz
  • Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, Watsonville
  • Summerwinds Garden Centers, all locations
  • The Garden Company, Santa Cruz (plants only)
  • The Watershed Nursery, Richmond
  • Yamagami’s Nursery, Cupertino

Become a Member

To become a California Native Garden Foundation member or renew your membership, complete this online registration form (or call 408-292-9993). CNGF is an IRS-registered 501(3)(c ) non-profit organization.