Since 1999, our chapter has awarded scholarships to support C alifornia native plant research by graduate and undergraduate students. Thi s 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 thei r work, streamed live on Zoom and YouTube.
Watch the talks at //www.youtube.co m/@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 na tive wildflowers, native grasses and grasslands, soil carbon, and soil inte ractions. This year’s recipient, Yuerong Xiao (PhD student, Stanford Univer sity), will present “Hydrological and Ecological Effects of Cultura l Burning on Native Plant Regrowth in Sierra Nevada Meadows.” Coll aborating with the North Fork Mono Tribe, Yuerong studies how small-scale c ultural burning influences native meadow diversity and soil properties, int egrating Indigenous knowledge with ecological science.
Don Mayall Conservation Research Scholarship — Honoring Don Mayall , a champion of conservation at Edgewood County Park and Preserve and Coyot e Ridge Open Space Preserve, this scholarship supports research on rare pla nts and serpentine soils. Recipient Kekoa Nelson (PhD student, University o f California, Davis) will present “Prescribed Fire in Serpentine Gr asslands of Varying Restoration Management Histories,” examining h ow 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 wi ll present “Reopening a Cold Case: Microbes and Rare Vernal Pool Gr ass Germination.” Her research investigates why adding plant “chaff ext ract” increases germination in endangered Orcuttieae grasses, with the goal of improving propagation methods for some of California’s rarest vernal po ol 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.
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Since 1999, our chapter has awarded scholarships to support C alifornia native plant research by graduate and undergraduate students. Thi s 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 thei r 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-202 60304.
Sally Casey Shooting Sta rs Research Scholarship — Named in honor of Sally Casey, this awar d supports research on native wildflowers, native grasses and grasslands, s oil carbon, and soil interactions. This year’s recipient, Yuerong Xiao (PhD student, Stanford University), will present “Hydrological and Ecol ogical Effects of Cultural Burning on Native Plant Regrowth in Sierra Nevad a 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 scie nce.
Don Mayall Conservation Research Scholarship&n bsp;— Honoring Don Mayall, a champion of conservation at Edgewood County Pa rk and Preserve and Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, this scholarship supp orts research on rare plants and serpentine soils. Recipient Kekoa Nelson ( PhD student, University of California, Davis) will present “Prescri bed Fire in Serpentine Grasslands of Varying Restoration Management Histori es,” examining how prescribed burning and restoration strategies a ffect native and invasive species across differently managed serpentine mea dows.
Undergraduate Research Scholarship — Thi s year’s award goes to B'Elanna Pho-Marrujo (undergraduate, University of C alifornia, Davis), who will present “Reopening a Cold Case: Microbe s and Rare Vernal Pool Grass Germination.” Her research investigates wh y adding plant “chaff extract” increases germination in endangered Orcuttie ae grasses, with the goal of improving propagation methods for some of Cali fornia’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.
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