November 17, 2007 - 11:00 AM
Sage Advice Workshop: The California Garden

California is a big place with many diverse plant communities and eco-systems; therefore the "California Garden" should mimic an outdoor experience. Engaging the senses, you can fill your garden with line, color, shape, touch and fragrance... all of which will recall the beauty of nature. You can design not just a home garden, but also, an oasis of authenticity, wherever you may be. Learn how to use, as a model, our greatest resource: Nature herself.





December 1, 2007 - 11 AM
Sage Advice Workshop: The Fragrant Native Garden

Get the finest in aromatherapy... California's native vegetation has more than a few plants with distinct aromas. From the lovely and useful White Sage, to the equally useful, but uniquely scented, Bladderpod (the name says it all!). Discover this diverse group of plants within the native plant community. They will add the unique element of scent and a sensual depth to your garden.













Wreath-Making with Native Plant Material
December 15, 2007, 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM (two sessions!)

Join Craftswoman Hilda Evans for the third year in a row for a special and fun event! We will teach you to make a festive and natural wreath using wild grape vines and many other native plant materials. All the plant material will be provided. Take home a natural wreath of your own making. Space is limited. Please register in advance by calling Tree of Life Nursery. The cost to participate is $20 with early registration, and $25 for walk-ins.


Holiday Hours:

Thursday 11/22/07 Thanksgiving, nursery closed
Friday 11/23/07 Casa 'La Paz' OPEN for retail sales. Wholesale closed.
Saturday 11/24/07 Casa 'La Paz' OPEN for retail sales.

Monday 12/24 thru Tuesday 1/1/08, Wholesale closed.
Thursday 12/27, Friday 12/28, Saturday 12/29 Casa 'La Paz' open for retail sales.

Chaparral:

1. A California plant community, consisting of diverse shrubs, mostly with hard leaves and stiff branches. Chaparral is adapted to poor soils, heat, cold, drought, and periodic burning. The name is derived from the Spanish root word "chapo," meaning short, stubby. Thick stands of chaparral are virtually impenetrable.

2. A place to avoid, for your own safety, when fire or fire conditions are present.

We have seen a dramatic story unfold before our very eyes October 22-27, 2007.

Desperate and frustrated, so many would like to somehow assign blame. We have seen the burning bush and by God, it was consumed. There you have it. Case dismissed; the shrub lands of interior California must be found guilty as charged: FLAMMABLE.

But wait! Besides fuel, fire needs favorable conditions and a heat source (ignition). Remember, the recent wild land fires did not actually start in the chaparral. They started in the downed power line, the failed transformer, the home kitchen; the hunter's flare, the careless camper, the arsonist's match. The fires quickly spread to the plants at hand and immediately grew out of control in an extraordinary situation: high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

The extremely dry conditions, susceptible fuel loads, and timely ignition sources all combined to make very destructive fires. The 2007 scenario can be likened to a "perfect storm". We had the strongest Santa Ana winds we have seen in a long time. The vegetation was old, tinder-dry, and vulnerable at the end of the driest year on record. And we have seen three decades of suburban sprawl steadily creep into the dry hill-lands of southern California.

Not only did this "regional growth" put thousands of families and structures in harm's way, but it made ignition more probable: additional power lines, more people and the possibility for their careless mistakes, and new roads conveniently providing an arsonist access to the hinterlands. Greater loss.

We have thrown caution to the wind.

So where do we go from here?

First, we offer our sincere condolences to those who suffered damage. We know how you feel. Watching everything burn up is a tough pill to swallow. We've been there.

Next, these 2007 fires are not the first, nor are they the last to visit our region. We must educate ourselves and add our voice to the growing debate about causes and solutions. We must do so with an emphasis on protecting the environment, especially our scarce, high-quality endangered habitats. Blaming the chaparral will not keep future fires away. We should oppose any attempt to transform the natural landscape in the name of "fire safety." This would only result in colossal failure and cause irreparable damage.

Lastly, stay safe in the wind and keep in touch. Take a clue from the chaparral plant community. It can be renewed after fire... you know the phrase, "beauty from ashes." Go help someone who needs help right now. And, oh yeah... let's hope it rains again.

For more information and Fire Resources we've gathered please click here. Or see the Blog Post Titled: "Firestorm 2007 - Resources"

What to do after a fire?

California Native Plant Society, San Diego Chapter Website
http://www.cnpssd.org/fire/index.html

Excellent information about what to do and what not to do for erosion control after a fire event. As mentioned in several articles, wide-spread seeding is NOT recommended and even harmful.

Orange County Fire Authority Approved planting list:
(non-natives removed from original list)

FUEL MODIFICATION OC.pdf

Source: Orange County Fire Authority
Guideline C-05, starting on Page 34 11/9/04
http://www.ocfa.org/_uploads/pdf/guidec05.pdf
See complete Guideline for more information

California Native Plant Society Statewide Seeding Policy
http://cnps.org/cnps/archive/seeding.php

San Diego Fire Recovery Network
http://www.sdfrn.org/
Excellent resource for victims of fire loss and damage.

University of California Wildfire Mitigation Guide
http://groups.ucanr.org/HWMG/
Recommendations for building enhancements/features to help prevent fire loss. In many cases, homes are more flammable than the surrounding landscape, proper precautions on how you build can help prevent property damages.

Fire Recovery Workshop
Tuesday November 27, 2007
by Richard Halsey and Greg Rubin

Learn about post-fire erosion control and practical fire prevention steps. Rick Halsey is the author of "Fire, Chaparral and Survival in Southern California," and Greg Rubin is a licensed landscape contractor experienced in post-fire erosion control.

Tuesday November 27, 2007
San Diego, Balboa Park, Casa del Prado,
Room 104
5:30 pm - 7pm
FREE

RSVPs are requested in order to ensure we have enough seats. Send RSVPs to sandiegonativeplants@yahoo.com with "Fire Recovery Workshop" in the subject header. The presentation will be followed by a question/answer session and time for one on one FREE consulting for victims of the recent wildfires.


Protecting Property and Natural Resources from Wildfire
November 30, 2007
San Diego Natural History Museum Seminar

After the fires of 2003, the Museum developed a program for a variety of professionals to help minimize property loss from wildfires.

Learn strategies mitigating wildfire for minimal impact to the natural environment. Gain an understanding of fire issues as well as local codes and regulations. This course is designed for landscape, building, insurance, real estate, community management, land management, and other professionals who work in and around communities in wildfire-prone areas. Homeowners in wildfire-prone areas are also encouraged to attend this seminar taught by local fire professionals, ecologists and design professionals.

San Diego Natural History Museum
November 30, 2007
Noon-5 PM
https://tickets.sdnhm.org/public/load_screen.asp
Member $30; Nonmember $38


Fire Ecology and Native Vegetation in Southern California

Chaparral Institute
http://www.californiachaparral.org

California Department of Fish and Game
Southern California Post-Fire Biological Assessment
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/rap/socal-fire.html

Wildfire in the Chaparral
http://www.californiachaparral.org/firenature.html

Lessons from the 2003 Wildfires in Southern California
Journal of Forestry Article, October/November 2004
http://nature.berkeley.edu/moritzlab/docs/Keeley_etal_2004.pdf

Related News Articles
*Please note: some newspapers may require registration to view full story*

No One Answer to Reducing Fire Threat
Union Tribune, October 31, 2007
by Richard Halsey, Chaparral Institute

Blazed and Confused
New York Times, November 3, 2007
by C. J. Fotheringham, Jon E. Keeley and Philip W. Rundel
Fotheringham and Keeley also authored the above Journal of Forestry article.

Frequent fires slow nature's rebound time
Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2007
by Staff Writers

Homeowners learn merits of fire-resistant plantings
Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2007
by Staff Writers

Power lines and fire
Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2007
by Staff Writers

Twice Bitten, Native Species Now Jeopardized
voice of san diego.org, November 5, 2007
by Rob Davis, Voice Staff Writer

Southern California Wildfires Require Comprehensive Approach
Nov 07, 2007
KPBS, National Public Radio: These Days, with Tom Fudge
Guests: Richard Halsey and C. J. Fotheringham

Tracking firestorms: Scientists want to learn if there are patterns to
region-wide destruction
Los Angeles Times, November 9, 2007
By Scott Gold and Hector Becerra

Please also see our message about the recent fires to our customers and friends.