The Resilient Restoration team returns with another oak update - the little sprouts have now turned to seedlings that are quickly outgrowing their pots. Read today’s update on how the team took action to keep over 1,000 baby oaks thriving!
Last fall, Resilient Restoration project researchers Dr. Lluvia Flores-Renteria and Dr. Megan Jennings, from San Diego State University, met with the Climate Science Alliance’s Tribal Working Group to discuss an identified Resilient Restoration project priority: the research of an ecologically and culturally significant species - oaks.
With permission and guidance from several partnering Tribes, Lluvia and Megan were able to gather thousands of acorns from several locations across Southern California. From this, viable acorns flourished in the greenhouse with a 70% propagation rate. In total, 1700 acorns sprouted — more than was needed for the greenhouse experiments. With a motto of “No Oak Left Behind” the extra sprouts were escorted back home to Tribal lands.
Now, these little seedlings have grown up, and fast! Some have reached over 3 feet in height, and all of them have outgrown their original pots. To keep the oaks healthy and the experiment going, Lluvia and Megan — with the crucial support of a team of hardworking students — repotted over one thousand oaks into larger containers. The Resilient Restoration project team is grateful for the many hours this group spent caring for the oaks!
Photos taken by Dr. Lluvia Flores-Renteria and Dr. Megan Jennings
The Resilient Restoration project, funded by the California Strategic Growth Council's Climate Change Research Program, is a collaborative effort of the Climate Science Alliance's Tribal Working Group, University of California Riverside, and San Diego State University. The goal of the Resilient Restoration project is to support our partners to advance adaptation and resilience activities through the development of knowledge and supporting actions that enhance persistence of cultural practices with a focus on preserving the ecosystems and species that are integral to Tribal communities.
Thank you to the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group members for your leadership role in the Resilient Restoration project and for laying out our vision, priorities, goals, and deliverables.
Resilient Restoration is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s Climate Change Research Program with funds from California Climate Investments—Cap-and-Trade Dollars at Work.