Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer and the Ojai Valley Green Coalition (OVGC) will present renowned fire ecology expert and author Richard Halsey on Saturday, February 17, for a timely workshop on how to create resilient gardens and homes in Southern California as residents go forward in the post-Thomas Fire era. The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a morning walk to identify and discuss fire-wise native plants and continue at 1:00 p.m. after a lunch break with a slideshow talk based on Richard’s book and his research into the chaparral ecosystem and fire ecology.
The second edition of his book, Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California, was published in 2008 and was awarded the Best Nonfiction-Local Interest Book by the San Diego Book Awards Association. “Wildfires are going to happen and they are happening with increased frequency,” Halsey writes in the book. “The important question now is how do we protect life and property, allow for future growth, and continue to preserve a valuable natural resource? Considering the inevitability of fire in southern California, it’s best to learn how to let fire burn around us instead of through us.”
The cost for the full workshop is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 62-up, and $15 for students 13-18 as well as those who lost residences or landscapes in the Thomas Fire. Admission for the afternoon session only is $15 for the general public or $10 for OVGC members. Scholarships also are available for the afternoon lecture through OVGC. Buy tickets here.
Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email with details about location, directions, lunch option and more. For more information visit the event listing at HerbWalks.com or call 805-646-6281.
ABOUT RICHARD HALSEY
Richard W. Halsey is a writer, photographer, and the director of the California Chaparral Institute, a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of California’s native chaparral ecosystem, helping communities understand the dynamics of wildland fire, and supporting the creative spirit as inspired by the natural environment.
Halsey also works with the San Diego Museum of Natural History, teaches natural history throughout the state, and leads the Chaparral Naturalist Program at the Elfin Forest Reserve in Escondido. While teaching high school biology, Halsey was selected as the Teacher of the Year for San Diego City Schools and awarded the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship.
He has given more than 400 public lectures, conducted numerous research projects, and published more than a dozen papers and articles concerning the ecology of California’s chaparral ecosystem. Halsey also has been trained as a wildland firefighter long past the age most would consider prudent.
Calendar Info:
• “After the Fire: Making Our Landscapes More Resilient” with author and fire ecologist Richard Halsey
• Saturday, February 17, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/142471386462631/
or
afternoon lecture only from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/347233642420925/
• Learn how to create resilient gardens and homes in fire-prone areas
• Full workshop admission: $25 for adults; $20 for seniors 62 and older; $15 for students 13-18 and those who lost residences or landscapes in the Thomas Fire
• Afternoon slideshow lecture admission: $15 for general public; $10 for Ojai Valley Green Coalition members. Scholarships available for afternoon only. Email tim@ojaivalleygreencoalition.org to request one.
• PLEASE Register at HerbWalks.com or call 805-646-6281
To request a press pass, interview, or for additional information, please contact:
Lanny Kaufer
(805) 797-2072
lanny@herbwalks.com