The Weekend Link List - June 30 — Land Trust of Napa County

Stay Connected

📚🌼Fun Fact Friday: Checker Lily 🌼 Say h

📚🌼Fun Fact Friday: Checker Lily 🌼

Say hello to the captivating Checker Lily (Fritillaria affinis), a springtime gem native to the western landscapes of North America. Fritillaria affinis, sometimes called the chocolate lily, is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae. 🌿

🗺️This perennial beauty thrives from British Columbia through California, extending eastward to Idaho and Montana. You'll find it gracing open woodlands, grassy slopes, and coastal bluffs, flourishing from sea level up to 5,000 feet in elevation.

🌼 The Checker Lily showcases its nodding, bell-shaped flowers from March through June, depending on local conditions.

🎨 Its flowers display a mesmerizing mix of brownish-purple, green, and yellow, often adorned with intricate mottled patterns.

🌸Grows from a bulb composed of rice grain-like bulblets, a characteristic that earned it the nickname "rice-root".

🌼After blooming, the plant enters a summer dormancy, retreating underground to conserve energy.

🌿 The flowers are a valuable nectar source for native pollinators, including bees.

🌱🌼 Conservation Note: While not currently listed as endangered, the Checker Lily's habitats are susceptible to disturbances. Protecting these areas ensures that this unique species continues to enchant future generations.

Next time you're out exploring, watch for this understated yet remarkable lily. Its subtle beauty is a testament to nature's intricate designs.

#FunFactFriday #CheckerLily #FritillariaAffinis #NativePlants #SpringBlooms #ConservationMatters #WildflowerWonder #NapaLandTrust

📢 We’re Hiring! Are you a creative storytell

📢 We’re Hiring!

Are you a creative storyteller who’s passionate about nature and conservation? Join us at Napa Land Trust as our new Communications Coordinator!

This is a meaningful opportunity for someone who loves storytelling, believes in the power of nature to inspire, and wants to put their communications skills to work protecting one of the most biodiverse places in the world — Napa County.

As part of our team, you’ll help shape the voice of a mission-driven organization working to protect and steward the lands that make Napa County so special. From social media and newsletters to event support and public relations, your work will directly connect people to the land we all love. 💚

✨ You’ll thrive in this role if you’re:
• A compelling writer and visual communicator
• Skilled in digital marketing and design tools
• Excited to engage with the community
• Passionate about conservation

📍 Based in Napa, CA, this is a chance to work with a collaborative, purpose-driven team and make a real, lasting impact every day.

🔗 Learn more and apply at: napalandtrust.org/about-us/careers

#NowHiring #ConservationCareers #CommunicationsCoordinator #NatureJobs #NapaLandTrust

🌎 Happy Earth Day from Napa Land Trust! 🌿 T

🌎 Happy Earth Day from Napa Land Trust! 🌿

Today, and every day, we celebrate the lands that nourish us, the waters that sustain us, and the wild places that remind us what it means to feel deeply connected to nature.

At Napa Land Trust, Earth Day isn’t just a moment—it’s a movement.🌿

Every acre we protect, every species we safeguard, and every habitat we preserve is a testament to our shared commitment to a thriving, resilient future for Napa County and beyond.

From protecting and stewarding clean water and healthy soils to creating wildlife corridors and fire-resilient landscapes, our work is part of the solution. 💧🌳🦋

🌱 You make it possible.

Whether you’re a hiker, donor, volunteer, teacher, or neighbor, thank you for standing with us to protect what makes Napa so extraordinary.

📍 Join us this Earth Day:

✅ Go for a walk in nature
✅ Learn about native plants
✅ Support land conservation
✅ Share your favorite view of Napa’s open spaces

🌎 Together, we’re not just preserving the land. We’re protecting our home.

#EarthDay2025 #NapaLandTrust #ProtectWhatYouLove #LandConservation #WildNapa #ClimateAction #NativePlants #PlanetVsPlastics #ResilientLandscapes #HealthyFuture #LoveYourMotherEarth

🌿📚 Fun Fact Friday: Meet the Leopard Lily 🌿

Say hello to Lilium pardalinum, commonly known as the Leopard Lily—a California native that lights up streambanks and meadows with its vibrant charm.

Its brilliant orange-red petals, adorned with dramatic dark spots, give this wildflower its unforgettable name! 🐆🌸

The Leopard Lily is part of the California Floristic Province, one of only 36 recognized global biodiversity hotspots. Its presence is a marker of healthy native ecosystems. 🌎✨

Here are some more fascinating facts about this botanical gem:

🌱 Found in riparian zones from California to parts of the Pacific Northwest, it flourishes in nutrient-rich, well-drained soils.

🌞 Thrives in dappled shade to partial sun, especially in consistently moist environments.

🦋 A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, this lily supports native pollinators and boosts local biodiversity.

🌿 Unlike many lilies that rely solely on bulbs, the Leopard Lily spreads through underground rhizomes, forming lush colonies that help stabilize streambanks and prevent erosion.

🌼 It’s also part of a genetically complex group of lilies that can hybridize in the wild—offering scientists insights into natural evolution and speciation.

🐦 Its nodding, bell-shaped flowers aren't just pretty—they’re specially adapted to hovering pollinators like hummingbirds, while cleverly protecting pollen from rain and wind.

🧬 Towering up to 6 feet, its flexible stems sway easily with breezes or streamside currents—another example of how well this native species is built for its habitat.

Have you spotted a Leopard Lily in the wild? We’d love to see it—share your photos below!

📸: LTNC Field Technician, Joseph ‘Joe Joe’ Clark

#FunFactFriday #NativePlants #LeopardLily #LiliumPardalinum #WildflowerMagic #NapaLandTrust #Conservation #CaliforniaFloristicProvince #Rhizomes #PollinatorPower

🦊 Caught on Camera 🌳📸 As part of our ong

🦊 Caught on Camera 🌳📸

As part of our ongoing Wildlife Picture Index Project (WPI), our remote cameras recently captured this stunning image of a Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) gracefully navigating the wild landscape of one of our protected preserves.

Native to North America, this elusive and essential key species thrives along creeks and rivers throughout California.

What makes the Gray Fox so extraordinary? It’s the only fox in North America that can climb trees! Agile and intelligent, it uses this skill to hunt, evade predators, and even den in the canopy.🦊

By helping to regulate populations of rodents and other small animals, the gray fox plays a vital role in keeping our ecosystems balanced and healthy.

This image is more than a moment of wildlife beauty—it’s a reminder of the importance of land conservation for species like this and the web of life they support.

Learn more about our conservation efforts and how you can support biodiversity in Napa: napalandtrust.org

#NapaWildlife #GrayFox #Wildlife #WildlifePictureIndex #NapaLandTrust #ConservationInAction #NapaNature #UrocyonCinereoargenteus #Conservation #WildlifeCorridors

Sign up to get the latest news and updates about our work and stay connected to our mission.