Compiled by guest author Thea Gavin.

Daphne Christle, Vice President and Outreach Chair of the OC Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS), shares her plans helping re-wild our urban landscape with native plants.

As Vice President of the OCCNPS board, Daphne brings much enthusiasm and many ideas to the Outreach Team as she works to connect Orange County residents of all ages with California native plants through education and community science. Currently a paralegal for an intellectual property firm, Daphne hopes to one day work in environmental law.

Here are some of Daphne’s insights into her past, present, and future with California native plants:

Past

Q: When did you become interested in native plants?

A: I mostly have my father to blame for my curiosity and love for nature. 

When I was a child, we spent every spare moment biking or hiking through O’Neill Park as well as surfing and swimming along the coast from Doheny State Beach to Crystal Cove State Park. Several times a year we would make trips to Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Idyllwild for rock climbing. 

All of these experiences allowed me to observe how floristically diverse California is. This sparked a joyous curiosity for trying to identify what I was looking at. My father also instilled in me the importance of conserving these places we loved so much. I grew up in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, and as the years go by, I see more and more urban expansion into those spaces that gave rise to a sense of wonderment for me throughout the years. 

I didn’t discover the California Native Plant Society until I joined a biology club in college, but I was immediately thrilled to join a society that focused on exactly what I was so eager to explore and discuss. 

Q: Besides your father, who else inspired you? 

A: One of the first environmental activists that I learned about when I was young was Julia Butterfly Hill. She is best known for having lived in a 200-foot-tall, 1,000-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days in protest after learning the tree was set to be logged. Her story was very inspiring for me as a child. 

Present

Q: What is your area of focus as an OCCNPS Board member?

A: I joined our local chapter to focus on community science and outreach because I want to provide our local community with resources and experiences that inspire people.

I want to imagine a world where we can re-wild our urban environments and bridge the gap between urbanization and native plants, and to do so we need to be diligent with our outreach.

Community science is key— the importance of observation, and sharing those observations through tools like iNaturalist. 

It’s been inspiring to connect with my community and peers over native plant discoveries; I want everyone to be able to experience the pure joy in learning about your surroundings. I have had so many ‘Aha!’ moments throughout the years that have opened up my perception of our world. I want to live with that feeling and share it with others. 

Q: What native plant projects have you been working on recently?

A: Our chapter has been involved in some amazing outreach opportunities this spring, including the Native Plant Expo at Sherman Gardens and Library on April 21 and the South Coast Plaza Spring Show April 25-28. 

I’m also part of the team that is working on publishing a coloring book that will be filled with beautiful illustrations and facts about native plants. Lots of exciting things going on!

Q: Do you grow any native plants at home?

A: My current living situation gives me very limited opportunities for my own landscaping, but I push native plants onto my friends and family whenever I have the chance. One day, I hope to have a native garden of my own. 

Q: What is one thing you have learned about native plants that you didn’t know when you started this journey?

A: That California is home to ONE THIRD of ALL plants native to North America (north of Mexico)! When I first heard that it blew my mind. 

We have more species, sub-species, and varieties of native plants than any other state or region of our size in the U.S. That is just incredible. 

Future

Q: What are your goals for our chapter and/or the California native plant community at large?

A: As I previously stated, I feel there is a deep need for community outreach. Biodiversity is not only essential to supporting plants and animals, it is essential to supporting humans. This is foundational knowledge that I have learned through this community, and I want others to be equipped with it as well.

When I was first introduced to native plants, I remember commuting through the city with a new frame of reference and thinking, “Why would you ever plant anything other than endemic species?” 

Our typical urban landscapes simply do not provide the support that native plants do for all other species. I hope our education and outreach efforts will bring a day when communities will sincerely consider the impacts of their landscaping and development choices and people will implement changes that encourage local biodiversity. 

Q: What OCCNPS activities do you especially enjoy and would like to encourage others to try? 

A: It feels wonderful to go on a hike and have the ability to know the names of the species around you, to recall what species gives fragrance to the air you breathe, and to appreciate the magnitude of what has evolved to be. 

For these reasons and more, I encourage all to sign up for every field trip that looks interesting to them and to attend every chapter meeting that is available to them. The CNPS guides on field trips are incredibly knowledgeable people who always kindly answer questions, and the speakers featured at our meetings give phenomenal talks in their field of expertise. I have learned so much from these experiences. 

Q: Final thoughts?

A: My interest in native plants has been a vital grounding mechanism for me. I am grateful to be connected to this community that prioritizes the importance of biodiversity and conservation.

There is a quote from the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer that I keep close to my heart. “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.”