Since 1999, our chapter has awarded scholarships to support California native plant research by graduate and undergraduate students. This year, we selected our three winners from a wide pool of exciting research projects happening in the area. The three winners will be presenting their research projects on March 4th from 7 to 9 pm. Join us to learn about their work, streamed live on Zoom and YouTube. 

Watch the talks at //www.youtube.com/@CNPSSantaClaraValley">www.youtube.com/@CNPSSantaClaraValley> or register for Zoom at  https://cnps-scv.org/talk-20260304. 

Sally Casey Shooting Stars Research Scholarship — Named in honor of Sally Casey, this award supports research on native wildflowers, native grasses and grasslands, soil carbon, and soil interactions. This year’s recipient, Yuerong Xiao (PhD student, Stanford University), will present “Hydrological and Ecological Effects of Cultural Burning on Native Plant Regrowth in Sierra Nevada Meadows.” Collaborating with the North Fork Mono Tribe, Yuerong studies how small-scale cultural burning influences native meadow diversity and soil properties, integrating Indigenous knowledge with ecological science.

Don Mayall Conservation Research Scholarship — Honoring Don Mayall, a champion of conservation at Edgewood County Park and Preserve and Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, this scholarship supports research on rare plants and serpentine soils. Recipient Kekoa Nelson (PhD student, University of California, Davis) will present “Prescribed Fire in Serpentine Grasslands of Varying Restoration Management Histories,” examining how prescribed burning and restoration strategies affect native and invasive species across differently managed serpentine meadows.

Undergraduate Research Scholarship — This year’s award goes to B'Elanna Pho-Marrujo (undergraduate, University of California, Davis), who will present “Reopening a Cold Case: Microbes and Rare Vernal Pool Grass Germination.” Her research investigates why adding plant “chaff extract” increases germination in endangered Orcuttieae grasses, with the goal of improving propagation methods for some of California’s rarest vernal pool species.

For more information about our winners, please read the article in this quarter's Blazing Star. We hope you will join us to support these outstanding scholars.