2024 CPC National Meeting
CPC at the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park
May 2-3, 2024
The Center for Plant Conservation is thrilled to host the 2024 National Meeting May 2-3, 2024 with sessions taking place at both the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park in collaboration with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance—a CPC Participating Institution and the host institution for CPC’s National Office headquarters.
For 40 years, CPC and its ever-growing network of Conservation Partners have been at the forefront of botanical breakthroughs—pioneering scientific research and techniques, utilizing cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, and innovating solutions and best practices—all to advance our shared mission to save rare and endangered plants from extinction. This year’s meeting theme, Conservation Innovation: Harnessing Technology to Advance Rare Plant Conservation, celebrates CPC’s milestone 40th anniversary and our network’s innovative spirit that drives our collective conservation efforts and success stories.
Presentation sessions will include updates from the CPC National Office on network-wide initiatives, plus lightning talks from CPC network partners on plant conservation research, accomplishments and challenges, and future initiatives. We welcome both Institutional and Individual Conservation Partners to submit presentation abstracts centered on this year’s theme of Conservation Innovation: Harnessing Technology to Advance Rare Plant Conservation. We encourage prospective presenters to submit abstract proposals that highlight the use of new or evolving technologies and methodologies in your rare plant conservation projects and research; ways your institution has developed and innovated conservation initiatives both over time and looking to the future; or topics that otherwise adhere to the conference theme.
Abstract proposals can be submitted at the time of registration which will launch in early 2024.
Post-meeting Field Trip
Join CPC and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to visit several coastal sites that are home to two of San Diego’s critically imperiled plant species–Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana) and Shortleaf dudleya (Dudleya brevifolia)–and learn about the collaborative conservation efforts underway to preserve these species. After Torrey Pines, we will tour an urban restoration site in Encinitas, CA with the staff of San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) and will conclude with lunch hosted on the grounds of SDBG. Conference attendees will have the option to join this field trip experience following the National Meeting on Saturday, May 4. Access to these sites will require moderate hiking and walking.
Please note that the field trip has SOLD OUT. Registration for the field trip was on a first come, first served basis as space is limited.
Board of Trustees Meeting
CPC’s Board of Trustees meeting will take place the Wednesday before the CPC National Meeting on May 1, 2024. Board Members will have the opportunity to join the field trip on Saturday May 4, 2024.
We thank Bartlett Tree Experts for underwriting National the 2024 National Meeting!
Important Dates
Presentation Abstracts Due and Early Bird Registration Ends. We recommend registering during the early bird window to secure a spot in our hotel block.
Last Day for In-person Registration.
National Meeting Activities Begin. Conference sessions take place Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3 at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. The post-meeting field trip will take place Saturday, May 4.
Registration Offerings
In-Person
We are excited to gather in person at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Early bird registration is available before March 15, 2024 and costs:
- $425Â for CPC members
- $500Â for Non-members
- $250 for full time students
- Add $85Â to each category to secure a spot for our post-meeting field trip on Saturday, May 4
- Late registrations between March 16 – April 15 will add $50 to all categories
In-person registration includes:
- Two full days of face-to-face networking with top conservation experts
- Eligibility to present conservation research from your organization  as either a 5-minute lightning talk or poster presentation
- Lunch and free entrance to the Star Award Banquet during conference session on May 2
- Lunch during conference session and cocktail reception on May 3
- Transportation from Hampton Inn & Suites San Diego Airport/Liberty Station to conference on May 2-3
- Networking with fellow attendees through the Whova conference platform
- Eligibility to compete in the conference photo contest cash prizes
- Access to the Whova conference platform and recorded meeting content beginning two days before and six months after the meeting
Not a CPC Conservation Partner? Become a member to enjoy discounted meeting registration rates and to submit presentation abstracts.
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Requests for registration refunds will be considered at the discretion of the CPC National Office up until April 15, 2024.
Please note that this is an in-person conference with no virtual registration offering.Â
2024 CPC National Meeting
Don Falk
Co-founder and former Executive Director, CPC | Professor, University of ArizonaDon Falk is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and has received a FulbrightShort-Term Scholar award, the Ecological Society of America’s Deevey Award, and the Udall Faculty Fellowship in PublicPolicy. He is the author of more than 150 publications, including five edited books, including Genetics and Conservation of Rare Plants (Oxford University Press, with Kent Holsinger), Restoring Diversity (with Connie Millar and Peggy Olwell) and Foundations of Restoration Ecology, with Margaret Palmer and Joy Zedler (both island Press), and The Landscape Ecology of Fire (Springer, with Don McKenzie and Carol Miller. Don was a UA delegate to the 2015 climate summit in Paris, and leads the University of Arizona’s undergraduate degree program in Global Change Ecology and Management, the University Minor in Climate Change and Society, and teaches courses in climate solutions.
Don was co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Plant Conservation, originally at Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and now at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; he then served as the first Executive Director of the Society for Ecological Restoration. Don holds degrees from Oberlin College, Tufts University, and the University of Arizona, and joined the UA faculty in 2007.
Don't Miss Moments
Field Trip to Coastal San Diego County
Join CPC and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to visit several coastal sites that are home to two of San Diego’s critically imperiled plant species–Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana ssp. torreyana) and Shortleaf dudleya (Dudleya brevifolia)–and learn about the collaborative conservation efforts underway to preserve these species. The field trip experience will conclude with lunch hosted at San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas, CA. Conference attendees will have the option to join this field trip experience following the National Meeting on Saturday, May 4. Access to these sites will require moderate hiking and walking.
Please note that the field trip has SOLD OUT. Registration for the field trip was on a first come, first served basis as space is limited.
CPC 40th Anniversary Summit
Join the Center for Plant Conservation for a special pre-conference summit event in honor of CPC’s 40th anniversary. Blending celebration with purpose, the event aims to highlight the significant strides CPC and its network of Conservation Partners have made over the past 40 years and to generate crucial funds in support of CPC’s mission to save plants from extinction. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear from a distinguished panel of leading experts in the field of plant conservation, providing insights into groundbreaking innovations shaping the future of conservation efforts. A reception with drinks and light fare will follow this enlightening discussion—a perfect culmination to an evening dedicated to safeguarding the botanical diversity that enriches our planet.
The event will be hosted at the San Diego Natural History Museum on Wednesday, May 1 from 7-9 p.m. National Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to register for the summit at the special rate of $40.00 while registering for the conference.
Seed Longevity Study Working Group
Travel and Lodging
Travel Information
San Diego is served by San Diego International Airport, located less than one mile from our conference hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites San Diego Airport/Liberty Station.
Hampton Inn & Suites San Diego Airport/Liberty Station is a convenient place to stay due to its location near downtown San Diego, the San Diego Airport, and Liberty Station. All attendees should make their own arrangements to get to and from the hotel/airport. Shuttles from the hotel to the meeting and field trip are included in the conference registration.
Hotel Information
CPC has reserved a block of rooms at Hampton Inn & Suites San Diego Airport/Liberty Station (2211 Lee Court, San Diego, CA 92101) for the nights of May 1 – 5 (check out Sunday, May 5). The group rate is $210/night, and availability may be limited. The deadline to book a hotel room at the group rate is April 7, 2024.
Make your reservations online or contact April Renaud at AprilR@immhotels.com.
Hotel Parking: Overnight guests can utilize self-parking at a rate of $15.00 per car, per day. Parking is based upon availability in the hotel’s parking lot.
Conference Venue Parking
For conference attendees who will be driving their own vehicles rather than utilizing the conference shuttles, please note that parking at the San Diego Safari Park costs $20 per vehicle. Parking at the San Diego Zoo is free-of-charge.
Presentations
BEFORE March 15, 2024, we invite Institutional and Individual Conservation Partners to submit abstracts with their registration form. We are limiting in-person oral presentations to ONE per institution.
Oral Presentations
We invite one representative per CPC Institutional and Individual Conservation Partners to contribute a 5-minute update about the rare plant conservation research at their institution. This year, the theme of our meeting is Conservation Innovation: Harnessing Technology to Advance Rare Plant Conservation. We encourage prospective presenters to submit abstract proposals that highlight the use of new or evolving technologies and methodologies in your rare plant conservation projects and research; ways your institution has developed and innovated conservation initiatives both over time and looking to the future; or topics that otherwise adhere to the conference theme. Following each 5-minute lightning talk, presenters will have the opportunity to field questions from attendees.
Conference presentations will be recorded and embedded onto the conference platform shortly after each session for all attendees to view. With your permission, CPC will also catalogue these videos through our CPC Rare Plant Academy platform as an educational resource.
We ask that presenters bring their PowerPoint presentations to the conference on a flash drive as well as email presentations to info@saveplants.org the day before their presentation.
Abstracts for in-person presentations are due by March 15, 2024, and can be submitted at the time of registration.
Not a CPC Conservation Partner? Become a member to enjoy discounted meeting registration rates and to submit presentation abstracts.
Poster Presentations
If you would like to highlight the work of multiple members of your institution or multiple projects, you may give one or more poster presentations in addition to an in-person presentation. Posters will be featured in person only, and should be printed a standard size (3 ft x 4 ft) using a material than can be hung with push pins into a conference poster bulletin board.
Poster session will be subject to interest/number of submissions.
Ready to Get Started?
Register for the 2024 National Meeting using the link below.
If you plan to submit an oral presentation or poster session proposal, please be prepared to submit your presentation title and a brief abstract at the time of registration.