Meetings & Events

Field Trips

Monthly Programs and Presentations for the general community are held on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm. In December the meeting is held on the 2nd Monday.

In June, July, and August there are no meetings.

May 2025 Program Presentation

Monday, May 19, 2025

at 6:30 p.m.

Chico Creek Nature Center

1968 E 8th St, Chico

and on Zoom

Click Here for Zoom Link

Or join Zoom using Meeting ID: 922 795 8804

and Passcode: 468753

AltaCal's Potluck & Native Plants Talk
Presented by Carolyn Short

Please join us and celebrate friendships and our common love for birds and the natural world at our annual potluck dinner on Monday, May 19, 6:30 p.m. at Chico Creek Nature Center. We’ll have a chance to visit with old and new friends, talk about birds and birding, and share stories of recent and future adventures and travels. And you don’t want to miss the talk by Carolyn Short (West Branch Native Plants), “Create a Bountiful Backyard Bird Buffet with Keystone Native Butte County Plants” and a chance to get a native plant from her native plant nursery. Plants to raffle off are: Blue Oak, Live Oak, Toyon, Coffeeberry, Buckeye, and Rose - all grown from locally sourced Butte County seed.

Remember there are no programs in June, July, and August so you don’t want to miss this one. Bring a dish to share, a beverage for yourself or to share, a plate and fork, and a chair if you like.

Create a Bountiful Backyard Bird Buffet with Keystone Native Butte County Plants presented by Carolyn Short:
Carolyn will highlight the importance of replacing common non-native plants like Oleander, Ginkgo, Crepe Myrtle and hybrid roses, which provide few resources for insects, birds and wildlife, with beneficial keystone native species like Oaks, Willows, Toyon, Coffeeberry, Ceanothus and Wild Rose, which attract and host an abundance of native insect species that are critical food sources for birds and animals, and essential for their reproduction. Her talk is inspired by educator, author and speaker, Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, ecologist, conservationist and professor in the Dept. of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware.

Carolyn has lived in Butte County since 1976. Her studies at school were primarily art related, leading her to earn a BS in Communication Design from CSU, Chico in 1989. She became interested in native plants in the early ‘90s and served as a volunteer board member of the Mount Lassen chapter of CNPS from1991-93. Expanding her curiosity for nature, she volunteered for the annual Snow Goose Festival Art Exhibit and subsequently joined the volunteer committee and AltaCal Board, which she served on for 5 years.

Board Meetings

Board of Directors Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Contact Altacal President Ken Sobon for time and location.