June 1995 Issues Online June 2007 April 2007 February 2007 December 2006 October 2006 August 2006 June 2006 April 2006 February 2006 December 2005 October 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 December 2004 October 2004 August 2004 June 2004 April 2004 February 2004 December 2003 October 2003 August 2003 June 2003 April 2003 February 2003 December 2002 October 2002 August 2002 June 2002 April 2002 February 2002 December 2001 October 2001 August 2001 June 2001 April 2001 February 2001 December 2000 October 2000 August 2000 June 2000 April 2000 February 2000 December 1999 October 1999 August 1999 June 1999 April 1999 February 1999 December 1998 October 1998 August 1998 June 1998 April 1998 February 1998 December 1997 October 1997 August 1997 June 1997 April 1997 February 1997 December 1996 October 1996 August 1996 June 1996 April 1996 February 1996 December 1995 October 1995 August 1995 June 1995 April 1995 February 1995 December 1994 October 1994 August 1994 June 1994 April 1994 February 1994 December 1993 October 1993 August 1993 Select any issue from the menu in this bar.

As Native as Native Gets

Charli Danielsen cultivates not just rare plants, but their rare genes as well because she believes native species preservation is a matter of more than just the number of plants on the planet. Her nonprofit California Native Here Nursery raises native plants for restoration projects in Alameda and Contra Costa counties using seeds found at the project site itself or, if the native landscape is too disturbed, within the same watershed.

"It's similar to getting a good match for an organ transplant patient," she notes. "When you introduce plants from elsewhere, the locally growing natives may hybridize with them. That kind of change can lead to disaster for the native population, though it may take years."

Danielsen says she's noticed that locally collected plants fare better than "outsiders." In fact, the idea for the nursery was inspired in part by a problem she ran into a few years back. A Berkeley Marina nursery was raising Toyon shrubs from seed taken from two sites: one coastal, one in the hills. "They were all doing fine till they got to be about four inches tall, when all of a sudden the hill ones all died," she says. "The coastal ones had apparently developed a genetic tolerance to salt spray."

Danielsen advises starting upstream when restoring native vegetation. "Creeks are always changing, and plants are continually washing away. So it's especially important to restore upstream or on tributaries, because the genetic material will wash downstream and may get a second chance."

Another piece of hard-won advice: start thinking about plant restoration early. Ferns in particular are slow growers. "When you start with spores, you don't get your first frond for at least eight months," she says. "Ideally, we should be collecting seeds for those plants up to four years before they're needed."

Besides selling plants, the California Native Here Nursery performs site evaluations, collects seeds and contracts to grow plants.

Contact: Charli Danielsen (510)549-0211

«To @@(newsletter_title)@@ Index

[ ABAG HOME | SFEP HOME ]

Copyright © 2002, San Francisco Estuary Project