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2023 CPC National Meeting

Conference Platform Photo Contest
By Desert Botanical Garden

CPC at Desert Botanical Garden

On the Horizon: Looking to the Future of Plant Conservation

May 4-6, 2023

Mark your calendars – we are thrilled to announce that the 2023 CPC National Meeting will take place May 4-6! Back by popular demand, the 2023 meeting will feature a hybrid format, with both in-person and online presentation sessions highlighting the theme of “On the Horizon: Looking to the Future of Plant Conservation.” In-person sessions will be held at Desert Botanical Garden which offers 55 acres of gardens and trails for you to explore and immerse yourself in the beauty of the desert. In-person sessions will be live streamed and recorded for later viewing on the conference platform. Virtual attendees will also have access to pre-recorded presentation content and virtual breakout sessions. Registration offerings and more details coming soon!

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 abstracts for presentation sessions highlighting this year’s theme of “On the Horizon: Looking to the Future of Plant Conservation.” We encourage our contributors to consider presentation proposals that spotlight new conservation projects and research; ways your institution is visioning the field of plant conservation, goals, and outcomes in the future; or topics that otherwise adhere to the theme.

Post-meeting Field Trip

Journey with CPC and Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) to the Verde Valley where we’ll visit three sites that are home to two of the four known pre-contact domesticated agaves grown by the Sinagua peoples: Sacred Mountain (Agave verdensis Hodgson & Salywon) and Page Springs agave (Agave yavapaiensis Hodgson & Salywon). We are thrilled to give conference attendees a chance to tour this site following the National Meeting on Saturday, May 6. Access to these sites will require moderate hiking and walking, occasionally up steep slopes.

Note: registration for the field trip will be first come, first served 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 3, 2023. The Board will have the opportunity to join the field trip on Saturday May 6, 2023.

Health & Safety

Our attendees’ wellbeing is top of mind as we gather for the 2023 National Meeting. The CPC National Office is following local health and safety protocols for COVID-19 outlined by the City of Phoenix. At this time, masking indoors is not required. We encourage in-person attendees to test for COVID-19 ahead of the conference and respectfully ask those who are feeling unwell to remain at home.

 

Go to Conference Platform

Important Dates

March 15, 2023

Presentation Abstracts Due and Early Bird Registration Ends. The last day to book rooms in our hotel block is March 31, 2023.

April 15, 2023

Last Day for In-person Registration and Deadline for Online Presentation Content. We recommend in-person registration during the early bird window to secure a spot in our hotel block. Virtual registration closes April 27.

May 4-6, 2023

National Meeting Activities Begin. Conference sessions take place Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5 at Desert Botanical Garden. The post-meeting field trip will take place Saturday, May 6.

Registration Offerings

In-Person

We are excited to gather in person at Desert Botanical Garden. Early bird registration is available before March 15, 2023 and costs:

  • $425 for CPC members
  • $500 for Non-members
  • $250 for full time students
  • Add $85 to each category to secure a spot for our post-meeting field trip on Saturday, May 6
  • 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 in-person as either a 5-minute lightning talk or poster presentation
  • Lunch and free entrance to the Star Award Banquet during conference session on May 4
  • Lunch and cocktail reception during conference session on May 5
  • Transportation from The Residence Inn Tempe Downtown/University to conference on May 4-5
  • Networking with in-person and virtual attendees through the Whova conference platform
  • Eligibility to compete in the conference photo contest and botanical art contest for 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.

Requests for registration refunds will be considered at the discretion of the CPC National Office up until April 15, 2023. 

Virtual

We are thrilled to provide the CPC National Meeting experience to a wider audience through our virtual registration offering. The virtual registration deadline is April 27, 2023 and costs:

  • $70 for CPC members
  • $85 for Non-members
  • $40 for full time students
  • There is no early bird registration discount for the virtual platform.

Virtual registration includes the following:

  • Access to a high-quality live stream of the CPC National Meeting conference proceedings
  • Opportunity to ask live questions to in-person presenters through the Whova conference platform
  • Eligibility to present conservation research as an ONLINE ONLY 5-minute lightning talk (see presentation guidelines)
  • Virtual breakout sessions moderated by CPC National Office
  • Networking with both in-person and virtual attendees through the Whova conference platform
  • Eligibility to compete in the conference photo contest and botanical art contest for cash prizes
  • Access to the Whova conference platform and recorded meeting content beginning two days before and six months after the meeting.

*Our hope is to upload recordings of individual conference talks shortly after sessions conclude. 

Not a CPC Conservation Partner? Become a member to enjoy discounted meeting registration rates and to submit presentation abstracts.

Requests for registration refunds will be considered at the discretion of the CPC National Office up until April 15, 2023. 

Highlights

2023 CPC National Meeting

Keynote Speaker

Wendy Hodgson

Herbarium Curator Emerita & Senior Research Botanist

Wendy has lived in the Sonoran Desert for 54 years and worked at DBG one year shy of 50. Her areas of interest include Southwest US and northern Mexico floristics, including the Grand Canyon region.  She also studies rare/endemic plants, taxonomy/systematics of agaves and yuccas, including the study of pre-contact agave domesticates, and southwest US cacti, having been the coordinator for the Cactus family treatment for Intermountain Flora. Of the 33,000+ herbarium specimens she has collected, many are those spiny and hard to press plants in the agave and cactus families.  Wendy is a believer in collaboration, especially with Indigenous peoples whose voices we have ignored far too long.

In addition to be this year’s Keynote Speaker, Wendy will also be leading our field trip excursion to the Verde Valley agave sites along with Andrew Salywon, Herbarium Curator and Research Botanist at Desert Botanical Garden.

 

Don't Miss Moments

Field Trip to the Verde Valley

Journey with CPC and Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) to the Verde Valley where we’ll visit three sites that are home to two of the four known pre-contact domesticated agaves grown by the Sinagua peoples: Sacred Mountain (Agave verdensis Hodgson & Salywon) and Page Springs agave (Agave yavapaiensis Hodgson & Salywon). We are thrilled to give conference attendees a chance to tour this site following the National Meeting on Saturday, May 6. Access to these sites will require moderate hiking and walking, occasionally up steep slopes.

Note: registration for the field trip will be first come, first served as space is limited.

Rare Plant Conservation Stories from the CPC Network

The theme of this year’s meeting is “On the Horizon: Looking to the Future of Plant Conservation,” so you can expect to hear exciting updates from CPC’s network of conservation partners about their projects and research that will help advance rare plant conservation both now and into the future during 5-minute lightning talk presentations. You’ll also learn about initiatives spearheaded by the CPC National Office that support our network’s shared mission to Save Plants from extinction, and we’re thrilled to introduce CPC’s new President and CEO, Dr. Carlos L. de la Rosa, during his inaugural National Meeting.

Photos courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden.

Global Conservation Consortia Symposium

CPC is excited to feature a symposium of partner organizations participating in the Global Conservation Consortia (GCC) for oaks, magnolias, and cycads. Dr. Emily Coffey of Atlanta Botanical Garden will give an overview of the GCC framework followed by species specific lightning talks from members of each consortium highlighting the impressive collaborative achievements of these working groups.
2022 Photo Contest Winner
Background photo: Joe DeWolf of San Diego Botanic Garden won the top prize in 2022 for this stunning close-up of Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo) pushing new growth in the Anza Borrego Desert.

Win Prizes in Our Photo Contest!

We love rare plant photos and the people who take them! Attendees of the 2023 National Meeting are invited to submit photos of their plant conservation activities over the past year for our 4th annual National Meeting photo contest! Any conservation adjacent photos are welcome – rare plants, your team in the field, or your team in the lab. There will be cash prizes for the first, second, and third place winners. Both in-person and virtual registrants will be eligible to participate.

Submit your photos here!

 

This year’s Botanical Art Contest has been cancelled. We encourage all attendees to participate in the Photo Contest!

Information

Happenings

Three Day Meeting Agenda

May 4, 2023 (Pacific Time)
7:15 AM
Shuttle Departs Conference Hotel
7:45 AM
Breakfast & Registration
8:30 AM
Conference Welcome & Orientation – Dr. Katie Heineman, CPC
8:40 AM
Desert Botanical Garden: A Hub of Southwest Conservation and Synthesis – Dr. Kimberly McCue, DBG
9:15 AM
State of CPC Address – Dr. Carlos L. de la Rosa, CPC
9:45 AM
Break
10:00 AM
Keynote Presentation – Dr. Wendy Hodgson, DBG
11:00 AM
Lightning Talk Session 1: Rare Plants in the Lab
12:00 PM
Lunch/Break
1:00 PM
Rare Plant Academy: Grant Recap and Future Directions – Shannon Fowler, CPC
1:15 PM
Growing the CPC National Collection Through RPA and Regional Initiatives – Tina Stanley, CPC
1:30 PM
CPC Reintroduction Databases: Demo and Next Steps – Dr. Katie Heineman, CPC
2:00 PM
Breakout Group Session 1
3:00 PM
Lightning Talk Session 2: New Initiatives on the Horizon
4:00 PM
Tour of Desert Botanical Garden Grounds
5:00 PM
Cocktail Reception at Desert Botanical Garden
6:00 PM
Star Award Dinner at Desert Botanical Garden
8:00 PM
Shuttle Departs Desert Botanical Garden
May 5, 2023 (Pacific Time)
7:15 AM
Shuttle Departs Conference Hotel
7:45 AM
Breakfast & Networking
8:30 AM
Welcome from CPC Board of Trustees – Dr. Barbara Millen, CPC Board Chair
8:45 AM
Global Conservation Consortium Symposium
9:45 AM
Break
10:00 AM
Lightning Talk Session 3: Southwest Conservation: Rare Plant Conservation Successes and Challenges
11:00 AM
Breakout Group Session 2
12:00 PM
Lunch/Break
1:00 PM
Lightning Talk Session 4: Southeast Plant Conservation: Past, Present, and Future
2:00 PM
Lightning Talk Session 5: Conservation Strategy and Prioritization
3:00 PM
Meeting Wrap Up & Photo Contest Winners Announced
3:15 PM
Tour of Science Facilities at Desert Botanical Garden
4:15 PM
Cocktail Reception and Poster Session
5:30 PM
Shuttle Departs Desert Botanical Garden
May 6, 2023 (Pacific Time)
6:30 AM
Shuttle Departs Conference Hotel for Verde Valley Field Trip Sites
12:00 PM
Lunch at Red Rock Ranger Site
1:00 PM
Depart Red Rock Ranger Site
3:00 PM
Shuttle Arrives at Conference Hotel

Who to Contact

For general inquires, registration assistance, or agenda and presentation details, please contact

CPC National Headquarters

Email CPC

Requests for registration refunds will be considered at the discretion of the CPC National Office up until April 15, 2023. 

(760) 796-5686

Travel and Lodging

Travel Information

Phoenix is served by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), located approximately 6.6 miles from our conference hotel, The Residence Inn Tempe Downtown/University.

The Residence Inn Tempe Downtown/University is a convenient place to stay due to its location in Downtown Tempe and its proximity to Desert Botanical Garden. 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 The Residence Inn Tempe Downtown/University (510 South Forest Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281) for the nights of May 3 – 5 (check out Saturday, May 6). The group rate is $165/night, and availability may be limited. The deadline to book a hotel room at the group rate is March 31, 2023.

Make your reservations online or call Marriott reservations at 1 (800) 331-3131 or (480) 967-2300.

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.

 

Conservation Partners

Presentations

BEFORE March 15, 2023, 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

In-Person 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 “On the Horizon: Looking to the Future of Plant Conservation.” We encourage our contributors to consider presentation proposals that spotlight new conservation projects and research; ways your institution is visioning the field of plant conservation, goals, and outcomes in the future; or topics that otherwise adhere to the theme. With your permission, we will catalogue these videos through our CPC Rare Plant Academy platform as an educational resource.

In-person lightning talks will be live-streamed to the virtual attendees via the conference platform. In-person oral presenters will have the opportunity to field questions live from both in-person and virtual attendees. Conference presentations will be recorded and embedded onto the conference platform shortly after each session for all attendees to view.

We ask that presenters bring their powerpoint presentations to the conference on a flash drive and email Katie Heineman their PowerPoint presentations the day before their presentations. Abstracts for in-person presentations are due by March 15, 2023.

Not a CPC Conservation Partner? Become a member to enjoy discounted meeting registration rates and to submit presentation abstracts.

Online-only Oral Presentations

For institutions who cannot send a representative to the meeting, we invite the submission of online-only presentations. This content may be submitted by virtual registrants prior to the meeting no later than April 15, 2023. These presentations will appear on the conference platform two days before the start of conference sessions, but will not be streamed live to in-person conference attendees. Online-only presenters will have the opportunity to field questions and feedback about their presentation via the conference platform, which is available to all meeting participants. Online-only content will also be catalogued on CPC Rare Plant Academy. Please follow the content guidelines suggested for in-person presentations.

Please self-record your oral presentations using the software of your choosing (Zoom, PowerPoint, Panopto, Screen cast-o-matic). You will receive instructions in mid-April notifying you how to transfer files to the CPC National Office. If possible, please use headphone or air pod microphones when recording your presentations to maximize the audio quality of presentations. Avoid settings with loud ambient background noise (labs with autoclaves, etc.) Good audio quality makes your recorded presentations more enjoyable and allows CPC to reuse your valuable information for educational purposes.

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 or online oral 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?

If you have meeting access questions, contact the CPC National Office at info@saveplants.org.

Go to Conference Platform

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The Center For Plant Conservation (CPC) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization (EIN# 22-2527116) dedicated to saving rare plant species from extinction. CPC's National Collection represents more than 2,000 of the world's rarest plants, maintained collectively by its valued network of Participating Institutions.

Center for Plant Conservation National Headquarters 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd. Escondido, CA 92027-7000

Email: info@saveplants.org; Phone: (760) 796-5686

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