Your best source of accurate information about California's most extensive ecosystem...
The Chaparral
Welcome Fellow Natural History Enthusiasts, Research Scientists, and Wildland Firefighters
Of all the distinct, natural communities in California, only one is found throughout and only one can be said to represent the state’s most characteristic wilderness: chaparral, a semi-arid, shrub dominated association of plants shaped by summer drought, winter rain and intense wildfire. It is within the chaparral where California will find its best and perhaps last chance to reclaim its wildness and preserve the quality of life made possible by the region's natural, open spaces.
This site is being updated frequently, so please return from time to time. Last update: July 4, 2009. Presentations and available materials are listed near the lower half of this page.
The Purpose of
The California Chaparral Institute is...
To promote an understanding and respect for the chaparral and the Mediterranean climate in which most Californians live in order to: * Encourage an active interest in learning about the chaparral, the organisms living there, its evolutionary development, and the fragile relationship it has with fire.
* Facilitate better communication between the scientific and firefighting communities.
* Foster a reconnection to the natural environment.
* Develop land management policies that will lower the risk of fire crossing over the wildland/urban interface without compromising wildland values.
* Help clarify fire clearance regulations to eliminate bias against native shrubland plant communities.
* Permanently secure the value of protecting chaparral as an important natural resource in public policy for the benefit of future generations.
Red Shanks Chaparral
The California Chaparral Institute...
is a nonprofit California corporation of scientists, wildland firefighters, naturalists, and educators who value the chaparral as both a valuable resource and a place to enjoy the wilderness.
Every dime we obtain through speaking engagements, consulting work, and membership donations help us defray costs for publications, transportation, research and education. Without financial attachments to any formal institutions or economic interests we can afford to be the voice of the chaparral without concern over future funding. What we do is not about money, but about making a difference. We are currently seeking our federal and state tax-exempt status.
So please consider joining the California Chaparral Institute to help support our mission by becoming a member at one of the following three levels:
1. Citizen Naturalist 2. Chaparralian 3. California Grizzly Bear
After controlling the ball 90% of the time, shutting out the opposition three games in a row, and riding high on friendship born from struggle and cooperation, my 10-year-old son’s soccer All-Star team was forced into a penalty kick show-down due to a 1:1 tie. As each player squared off, the tie continued until the last with goalie kicking against goalie. We lost. It was such lousy way to lose, especially since our team had played so well together. Such a one-on-one showdown just doesn’t seem right.
You may be wondering what this has to do with chaparral; well, quite a bit actually. You see Sunday, the day we would have been playing in the final game had we won, our family of four spent the afternoon hiking up a mountain covered with magnificent, old-growth chaparral near our home. At one point the vegetation was so high and thick that our path had to weave its way through a narrow tunnel of ceanothus, the canopy of which arched more than three feet over my head. I’m six feet six inches tall.
My son knew the plants along the way and proudly announced their names. They were friends to him. They were friends to all of us. On the way down, we heard the bouncing whistle of the wrentit, a chaparral voice that made our hearts sing. My son pointed that out too. It was one of the best adventures we’ve had as a family. You see, nature has a way of refocusing energies, helping to put things back into perspective. It allows us to realize (once again) what is really important in life.
Yeah, we lost a little dream on the soccer field and still felt horrible about it, but somehow it was O.K. after our adventure Sunday. Nature brought us back. And it wasn’t just because we took a walk, but because we took a walk with friends from the wild. We felt at home. The characters and things around us were familiar because we knew their names and their life histories. They had meaning for us.
Beyond its value as a natural resource and watershed, chaparral is valuable as a place of connection, beauty, and peace in a very busy and sometimes confusing world. This is why I am so passionate about helping others learn to appreciate the chaparral or whatever natural environment is near their home. It helps make life so much more enjoyable and helps people smile, something we need a lot more of these days, especially after a not-so-good day on the soccer field.
Richard W. Halsey Director California Chaparral Institute
Who is this guy? For more details see below.
A quick word about terminology. The words biome, ecosystem, habitat and plant community are often used interchangeably in reference to natural communities. Is the chaparral a biome, habitat, or...? It really depends on your reference point. See our Facts page for more details.
Available Materials and Services
Publications and Media: There are so many misconceptions about chaparral and wildfires that we felt it was important to produce a book that would help set the story straight. Consequently, "Fire, Chaparral and Survival in Southern California" was written. Portions of the book can be read on the Book Excerpts page as well as details on how to purchase a copy...
or join the Institute by clicking here MEMBERSHIP and receive a signed copy!
You may also subscribe toTHE CHAPARRALIAN as an Institute member. Details and information about chaparral natural history and California wildfires are sent to members of the Institute via email approximately every other month. If you would like details on how to see a sample copy, please go to the membership page.
“Secrets of the Chaparral”
DVD now available
Join Huell Howser and Richard Halsey as they explore several beautiful types of chaparral, discuss the chaparral’s misunderstood relationship to fire, and discover the true home of the California grizzly bear. This is by far the best introduction to the chaparral plant community you will find on film anywhere. It is perfect for classroom use as well as for anyone interested in obtaining a clear explanation about California's most characteristic wilderness.
DVDs of the show are available from us if you are interested in purchasing one for yourself or your group. See details on our MEMBERSHIP page.
A film clip of the show is also available on our membership page.
Presentations/Keynotes: We offer presentations to organizations, community groups, and schools about all aspects of the chaparral. The following is a sample of the organizations we have presented to:
CDF: CA Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection
CNPS: CA Native Plant Society
USFS: US Forest Service
San Diego Association of Geologists
San Diego Natural History Museum
Women's Environmental Council
Mission Trails Regional Park
KPBS Public Television
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
KPBS Public Radio
Mercury Insurance
KUSI Television
Sierra Club
Torrey Pines State Park
Malibu Watershed Council
Quail Botanical Gardens
Pt. Loma Nazarene University
San Diego Master Gardeners
Kiwanis
Fallbrook Garden Club
Calif/Nev/Hawaii Forest Fire Council
Professional Tree Care Asso S.D.
Cuyamaca State Park
San Diego Floral Association
Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Fire Dept.
San Dieguito River Valley Consv.
Claremont Canyon Conservancy, Berkeley
International Asso Fire Ecology
Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation
Topanga Canyon Docents
Audubon Society
San Elijo Docents
Association for Fire Ecology
Planning and Conservation League
Cal State University, Cal Poly Pomona
Santa Barbara Trails Council
Available Presentations:
1. Chaparral Wisdom: this is an inspiring presentation especially for volunteers and natural history enthusiasts who would like to share their knowledge about nature with others. This is an excellent kick-off for docent training as well as a way to recharge members of your conservation organization.
2. NEW! A Hero's Journey: the loss and redemption of Sir James. We are expanding our educational efforts to help others understand the importance of native shrubland plant communities to include a respect for all life in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, including human communities. This includes an appreciation and understanding of cultures that thrive in such areas. Culture and history are intimately tied to the landscape. Consequently, in order to protect those landscapes it is critical to have an understanding of the people who call these places home. In the end, unless we properly address misunderstandings about each other, we will never be able to care for the land we share. See our Med History Page for more details.
3. The Chaparral, a new way to look at life: a wonderful description of California's chaparral ecosystem, its many myths and mysteries, the plant and animal life found there, and its fragile relationship with fire. Also includes a disussion of how we can adapt to California's fire-prone environment.
4. California Vernal Pools: an interesting discussion of vernal pools, their biology, and future.
5. Chaparral Kids! A classroom discussion about chaparral just for kids (grades 7/8 as well as focused discussions for senior high school students in biology classes). 6. Wildland Firefighter Training: Operating in the Chaparral Fire Environment: This is a comprehensive examination of the chaparral as it relates to wildland firefighting, fire behavior, and resource management. The best and safest way to fight wildland fire is to become familiar with the environment in which it occurs.
Fund Raising: We can provide an fascinating presentation/book signing event with the profits from selling copies of "Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California" retained by your group.
Who is this chaparral guy anyway?
Richard W. Halsey is the director of the California Chaparral Institute, a nonprofit research and educational organization focusing on the ecology of California’s shrubland plant communities, wildland fire, and how Mediterranean-type ecosystems have helped shape human culture. He has given more than 300 presentations over the past five years concerning chaparral ecology, how communities can adapt to fire-prone environments, and the importance of nature education. Mr. Halsey also provides living history performances focusing on the Middle East in the 1100’s and California in the 1800’s. He taught biology for over thirty years in both public and private schools and was honored as Teacher of the Year for San Diego City Schools in 1991.
Mr. Halsey also works with the San Diego Museum of Natural History, publishes The Chaparralian, a quarterly journal focusing on chaparral and wildfire issues, and continues to teach natural history throughout the state. Mr. Halsey earned undergraduate degrees from the University of California in environmental studies and anthropology. During graduate work he received teaching credentials in life, physical and social science and a masters in education. He has also been trained as a Type II wildland firefighter. The second edition of his book, Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California, was awarded the 2008 Best Nonfiction-Local Interest Book by the San Diego Book Awards Association.
NPR's Living Earth. May 2, 2008. When you go into a national forest, you expect to see trees, but in southern California the forests are covered with shrubby plants known as chaparral. Living on Earth’s Ingrid Lobet visits San Bernardino National Forest and talks with scientists who are trying to protect the dry vegetation. Listen to the audio.
Halsey, R.W., J.E. Keeley, K. Wilson. 2009. Fuel age and fire spread in southern California chaparral ecosystems: natural conditions vs. opportunities for fire suppression. Fire Management Today 69 (In Press).
Halsey, R.W. 2004. In search of allelopathy: an eco-historical view of the investigation of chemical inhibition in California coastal sage scrub and chamise chaparral. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 131: 343-367. Send us an email to request a copy.
One of the best kept secrets of the chaparral is its remarkable wildflowers. Pictured here is a Humboldt's Lily (Lilium humboldtii) found at the base of Viejas Mountain, San Diego County. A walk through the chaparral between January and May offers a nearby, peaceful alternative to visiting other, more distant wildflower display locations.
