Training

See also: Coastal Prairie, Habitat Restoration

What is all this buzz about California's coastal prairie?  They are the most botanically rich grasslands in North America, home to some fascinating and threatened biota, and are experiencing dramatic changes.  

This workshop explores the composition of the many types of coastal prairie and how coastal prairie species might be best conserved.  

The goals of this workshop are:  increased understanding of coastal prairie ecology and the conservation measures that address threats to the system;  increased skill in recognizing coastal prairie habitats;  increased familiarity with regulatory compliance measures for coastal prairie; increased understanding of the expected outcomes of varying management and restoration practices.  replica golden goose We also hope that you are able to network with the diverse range of those involved with coastal prairie conservation, and that you will learn new pathways to find additional resources to help with your work.  Maybe additional collaborations can emerge from this event!

Instructors and their presentations include:  Deborah Hillyard and Todd Keeler-Wolf with the California Department of Fish and Game as well as Grey Hayes.  Deborah Hillyard has extensive familiarity with the coastal prairie system from biological and regulatory perspectives. Her presentation will focus on threats to the habitat and the regulatory framework that addresses those threats.  Todd Keeler-Wolf has extensive experience with sorting out the complexities with the composition of California’s grasslands in order to classify these accordingly.  His presentation will summarize the data to date and help us to better understand the various types of coastal prairies; there has been much new information since our last workshop on this subject 4 years ago, so we especially look forward to this presentation.  For the past 11 years, Grey Hayes has researched coastal prairie composition and response to management regimes.  His presentation will focus on how the system responds to various management practices.

The event will feature ample time for discussion, sustainably produced food and materials, and a diverse array of participants with which to share various perspectives on this system.