About Us

Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty) - Drawn by Lucile Kossodo

Spring Beauty – Drawn by Lucile Kossodo

The John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society was chartered in June of 1984 and was named in honor of the colonial botanist, John Clayton. Our membership includes beginners as well as professional botanists, novice and experienced gardeners, and folks who just like to walk and see some wildflowers and trees.

We present educational programs at our meetings, as well as to schools and civic organizations, conduct fieldtrips and workshops, participate in plant rescue and relocation, work on conservation projects, publish a bi-monthly newsletter, and have displays for libraries, schools, and events. We hold a native plant sale in spring every year. Proceeds from the sale support Nature Camp scholarships and development of native plant gardens in our service area.

The Chapter includes Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, James City and York Counties, as well as the Cities of Williamsburg, Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson.

Join us to learn about or share your knowledge and love of our native plants.

To learn more about the Virginia Native Plant Society, visit www.vnps.org.

Read interview with Lucile Kosodo, President, in March 2024 issue of Next Door Neighbor Magazine. Next-Door-Neighbor-Lucile.pdf (10 downloads )

2 Comments

  1. Leonora Reiley on June 9, 2019 at 10:40 pm

    Hello, I am interested in becoming a member. How do I go about doing so?



    • Catherine on June 21, 2019 at 8:40 am

      That’s great! Our plant walks and meetings are free and open to the public and you can pick up a registration form when you attend one of those. A list of upcoming events is posted on this website on the home page or by clicking “Events” from the top menu. You can also join online at the state website: vnps.org, and click “Join” from the top menu and follow the instructions. You will need to create an account first. If you need help, you can email me at flanagan.catherine@gmail.com. Alternatively, you could send your mailing address to me and I can mail you information and a registration form. Thank you and let me know if you need further assistance.

      Cathy Flanagan
      Membership/Publicity
      John Clayton Chapter
      Virginia Native Plant Society