AboutEdward Young Expertise Strictly limited to......1) Chaparral shrubs and pinyon-oak woodlands from San Bernardino
area foothills to the Victorville High Desert region of southern California. 2) Identification and
taxonomic placement assistance for wildflowers of Oklahoma's Great Plains.
Experience 1. Worked extensively in the Herbarium at the Univ of Central Oklahoma as an undergraduate. 2. Taught High School Botany concepts and conducted field grid surveys and collections involving the chaparral scrub community of southern California's foothills. 3. The majority of my university coursework was in Botany. 4. Have my own personal library of taxonomic reference books and am always using on-line herbaria for personal interest.
Organizations Chaffey JUHSD (HS Teacher).
CREEC Network Region-10 (Founding Board Member).
California Native Plant Society (Member).
Publications http://www.teacher-us.com/young
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ctmEgTIvLmsJ:wwwstatic.kern.org/gems/region10/NewsletterMarch1.doc edward young creec network&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:JJcucFgLevAJ:creec.edgateway.net/CompPDFs/acknowl.pdf compendium ed young california&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us
Education/Credentials BS Biology/Botany, University Central Oklahoma.
Post Bac work Univessity Arizona.
Post Bac Field studies through University California-Riverside.
California and Arizona Professional Clear Credentials in Life Science.
Awards and Honors 1. Competition judge and exhibitor for the Inland Empire Environmental Expo.
2. Coordinator for HS Botany competition (3rd place) at the San Bernardino Orange Show.
3. HS Teacher of the month award.
Past/Present Clients California Department of Education.
Question I work at a community which sits in the foothills right along the base of the 330 highway up to Big Bear above Highland Avenue, CA.
When the hillside community was first developed, approximately 35 years ago, we worked with the University of California to develop a seed mixture of the native indigenous plants that grow in the San Bernardino foothills. Over the years some of our hillsides have become bare and we are most anxious to restore these to their natural drought tolerant growth but are having some difficulty re-creating this seed mixture. Can you give me some direction on this topic and where I can purchase this mixture. Thank you.
Answer Eva,
I am answering this only because I have a partial answer and mostly a re-direction for you. Although I have my own ideas about revegetating a natural area, I would in this case direct you to someone who knew the answer with confidence. Please contact......
Loraine Fuentes
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Claremont, CA
On the bare hillside, I'd say "good luck". Nature's way of revegetating the area will happen naturally over the next 30 years to form a climax community of mixed Manzanita and Yucca with the wildflowers and grasses whether you do anything or not. The first to recolonize areas where the soil has been disturbed at that elevation are Buckwheat (Eriogonum), Yerba Santa and the native grasses, and wildflowers like Fiddleneck and Helianthus. Spanish Dagger is seen right there and I would expect to see Coast Prickly Pear (Opuntia) in the area. As I said, it should climax with Yucca and Buckthorn (Ceanothus) or Manzanita at that elevation (as I recall the area).
If there is a community of people living within 100 yrds of the natural area that you envision, doing this would be against the law in that area. The recommendation for brush clearing in that area is something to not follow at your own peril as 30 years from now, whatever you seed will be ready for it normal cyclic burning.
One other point is that if you were to harvest seed from the producers in this community, you would have had to have already done that in early to mid summer. By this time, most seed is gone. But that's not your biggest problem. Plants of the Chaparral have adapted with fire to the point that most have "refractory" seeds which believe it or not, require scorching by fire prior to germination. The scorching alters a protein which triggers the possibility of germination.
If I were to attempt what you are suggesting, I'd first survey a representitive grid to obtain an idea about the frequency of the species present.
I'd harvest seed from these species when they fruited in the late Spring and into early summer before the birds get them. The time of year I would sow this mixture would be in the month of February and I would disturb the soil in the area as much as possible before you sowed.
You may just be better served to be patient for another decade and be happy with what develops. Sorry if my answers were not what you wanted to hear, but its my best advice. Hope something is helpful.......Ed
