> Membership > Membership

Membership

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. As we begin our membership campaign for 2011, we have many exciting developments to tell you about.

Here's what CNGF accomplished in the past 12 months. With your support we can do even more!

  • We conducted 24 garden workshops and 5 gardening classes (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 17 distintive pilot programs for the Sustainable SITES Initiative, an international accreditation program for sustainable landscaping.
  • We awarded Native Garden Grants to eight schools and non-profits; 17 additional garden grants are pending Board acceptance.
  • We are helping 40 partner schools create native gardens.
  • We created the Butterfly Garden at ELSEE in our outdoor classroom. We are creating ecological lesson plans and teaching over 100 grade school children each week on 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:

  • 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 in the initial phase of a major fundraising drive 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 $38 ($60 for Family membership), you get the newsletter, a 30% 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.

Original Art by Alrie Middlebrook

*(Plant selection depends on availability.)

Benefits

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.