California Native Garden Foundation (CNGF)

CNGF wants to help educate the public, especially school children, about native gardens.

Our dream is to see 10,000 California schoolyards converted from asphalt and chain link fences to native gardens. We have created a teaching garden model at our Race St. Headquarters in San Jose where school kids visit and learn about science education, organic foods and nutrition, and the outdoors.

CNGF gives grants to schools. We write grants.

We help communities connect to find local sustainable solutions.

We think urban agriculture models of the future will protect local ecology, sequester CO2 and promote biodiversity. More of us will be eating native foods in California. We’ll know how to grow natives while we attract local butterflies and birds to our neighborhoods. The first ELSEE garden is located at California Native Garden Foundation’s headquarters. Started in 2010, the teaching garden is up and running, used for field trips, summer camp, and weekly community events. CNGF is always building upon and improving the master garden, keeping in mind that the soon-to-be-finished product will provide a model for future ELSEE gardens on school campuses. By replacing asphalt school yards with ELSEE gardens, we can improve the health and sustainability of school lands and better utilize these public lands for effective STEM education programs.