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 special plant community characterized by drought-hardy, woody shrubs, shaped by a Mediterranean-type climate (summer drought, winter rain) and intense, infrequent wildfires. 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: March 7, 2010. Presentations and available materials are listed near the lower half of this page.
The Purpose of The Institute is...
To promote an understanding and respect for the chaparral and Mediterranean-type climate in which it thrives in order to: * Increase the conservation, protection, and preservation of shrubland ecosystems.
* 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.
* Help develop planning policies that will lower the risk of fire crossing over the wildland/urban interface without compromising wildland values.
* Help clarify fire and land management regulations to eliminate bias against native shrubland plant communities.
* Permanently secure the value of protecting chaparral as an important natural resource for the benefit of current and future generations.
Red Shanks Chaparral
The California Chaparral Institute...
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation of naturalists, scientists, wildland firefighters, 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.
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
For interesting thoughts and photos concerning the chaparral and the importance of nature you can also...
A Personal Message About Soccer and Nature
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, our 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 dense 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. More than a century ago, such a place would have been a utilized by the California grizzly bear to travel from one side of the mountain to the other.
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 back down, we heard the bouncing whistle of the wrentit, a chaparral voice that made our hearts sing. Our 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 chaparral 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
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.
Receive a free copy by joining the Institute on our MEMBERSHIP page.
Members also recieve our quarterly journal,THE CHAPARRALIAN. You can see a list of all past issues and download a few samples copies here.
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
Montecito Fire District
California Fire Safe Councils
Cal State University, Cal Poly Pomona
Santa Barbara Trails Council
Cuyamaca Outdoor School
KPCC Radio, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara
Cal State Fullerton
Montecito Fire District
Ojai Valley Land Conservancy
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.
4. Creating Fire-Safe Communities - Protecting Homes and Wildlands: Protecting homes and native plant communities does not have to be an either or decision. In fact, maintaining native landscapes around communities can actually reduce fire risk. This presentation focuses on how to adapt to California's fire-prone environment instead of trying to force nature to adapt to us.
5. California Vernal Pools: An interesting discussion about vernal pools, their biology, and future.
6. Chaparral Kids! An exciting classroom discussion about chaparral just for kids (for grades 7/8 as well as focused discussions for senior high school students in biology classes). 7. 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.
Who is this chaparral guy anyway?
Richard W. Halsey is the director of the California Chaparral Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)3 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 and written numerous papers and articles 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 works with the San Diego Museum of Natural History and continues to teach natural history throughout the state. 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. He was also trained as a Type II wildland firefighter past the age most would consider reasonable in order to better understand wildland fire.
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 Master's in education. Mr. Halsey 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. Continuing his work in education, Mr. Halsey provides living history performances focusing on the Middle East in the 1100’s and California in the 1800’s and is a life-long student of the Chumash Indian culture.
Selected Interviews
To hear the FM 95.9's interviews of Richard Halsey with Tommy Hough's please click the links below:
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. 2009. Chaparral as a natural resource: changing the conversation about chaparral and fire. In Proceedings, California Native Plant Society Conservation Conference, Sacramento, CA (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.
