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Good fire is back at the Hopland Research and Extension Center
Fire has been part of indigenous stewardship in California since time immemorial. These fire practices were deeply connected to cultural traditions, food ways, and enhanced the resilience of landscapes. Using fire for research and land management at the UC ANR Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) dates back to the early 1950s and fire was used as an effective tool for maintaining the health of the landscape for many years. However, the regulations and paperwork permitting controlled burns became increasingly restrictive after the catastrophic wildfires of 2017.
Thanks to three years of perseverance by John Bailey, HREC director, and with help from trained UC ANR advisors and staff, we were able to execute a research burn once again, instead of relying on the more restrictive CalFire Vegetation Management Plan process. By carefully reintroducing fire, a tool essential for rangeland and oak woodland stewardship, we want to be able to use good fire for research and to recover biodiversity and make the landscape more climate resilient.
On Nov. 8, 2024, HREC successfully conducted a prescribed burn as part of ongoing research to advance the restoration of a unique perennial wetland. This prescribed burn is part of a larger initiative to enhance native biodiversity and control invasive species. Fire was used as a natural disturbance to open up the dense Tule stands surrounding the pond to create a habitat mosaic with a diversity of plant species and habitat structure for native frogs and other pond life.
The burn was led by UCANR staff and academics, including Jeff Stackhouse, UC Cooperative Extension natural resource advisor, and Mike Jones, UCCE forestry advisor, whose leadership ensured its successful execution. We also had significant community participation from members of theHopland Band ofPomo Indians, including their Environmental Protection Agency director, as well as Grizzly Corps members, researchers and volunteers.
This event provided an opportunity for the diverse group to learn about controlled burns, engage in fire safety education, and explore how such practices contribute to ecological resilience. By involving community members in the process, the event not only restored habitat but also fostered a deeper understanding of fire's role in ecosystem health and stewardship.
HREC plans to work with UC ANR leadership and the UC ANR Fire Network to establish clear policies for conducting regular burns for research, stewardship and extension. Additionally, HREC will continue partnering with CalFire, leveraging their capacity for larger-scale projects, ensuring a variety of pathways are available for safely conducting prescribed fire and to strengthen the UC-CalFire relationship for better land stewardship outcomes statewide.
Fall Harvest-Nov 1
For many years, fall was my time for planting, cleaning up the garden, and all the other things I couldn't do in the summer when it was too hot to work. I thought that this year would be the same, but not so. For one, we had extended hot weather into the beginning of autumn, so we couldn't do anything then. By the time it got cooler, I'd found other things to do.
Because I have not been as busy in the garden, I have enjoyed the bounties from my garden. Last week, we picked a record 2.5 lbs. from our olive tree (Olea europea), half a pound more than last year. The tree doesn't get any irrigation in the summer, except for the rare buckets of water thrown in to keep the surrounding plants alive. It produced enough to give us a small bottle of olive oil from the community milling.
For the last few weeks, I've been slowly picking pomegranates as they show signs of cracking and giving them away to friends and neighbors walking by. I've been enjoying watching each fruit get bigger and redder. I've been very careful not to pick too soon as they don't get more ripe once they're picked. I did learn that the cracking is actually a sign of uneven moisture, especially towards harvest time. After it rained one night, some fruit have suddenly cracked open where I can see thearils, which could lead to bacterial infection unless picked soon. I'm going to be busy processing these with my gadget (shown in the picture), and I need to think about who else has not gotten a pomegranate.
MSU Soil Scientist to Discuss Nematodes as "Bioindicators of Soil Health and Climate Resiliency'
Nematodes, says soil scientist Christine Sprunger of Michigan State University, East Lansing, are "bioindicators of soil health and...
Soil scientist Christine Sprunger (left) and lab manager of the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University, collecting soil samples. (Photo courtesy of KBS)
Pilea peperomioides-My Danish Discovery!
For the past two years I've made my Fall trip to Denmark to visit my new Danish Family! I always wanted to write about a plant that was resoundingly Danish and on this past trip I realized the houseplant I kept seeing over and over was Pilea peperomioides, commonly known as the Chinese Money plant or,UFO plant, Missionary plant and Pancake plant. The fact that it was named a “Chinese” plant threw me off to this plants origin story.
Although the plant was first collected by the Scottish botanist George Forrest both in 1906 and then again in 1910 it was found again by Norwegian missionary Agnar Espegren in Yunnan Province of southern China in both 1906 and again in 1910 as he was fleeing the Province. Espegren brought his cuttings back to Norway, by way of India in 1946. From there this plant spread throughout Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Finland (after the Second World War), and Norway. Initially it was spread unknowingly by amateur gardeners via cuttings but by the late 20th century it became well known by Western botanists. Pilea peperomiodies is part of the nettle family, Urticaceae, of flowering plants. It became widely commercially available in the 2010's and 2020's.[1] It has become a symbol for prosperity and abundance because the Chinese believe it attracts wealth and financial success.[2]
The Chinese Money plant is an erect, evergreen perennial with green, glossy, circular coin-shaped (hence the name “Money plant”) leaves that can grow as large as 4” in diameter on long petioles that attach a little above the center of the leaf. The plant is hairless and can grow up to 12” tall and wide in the wild. Still, the indoor ones that I saw were even larger.[3] The picture to the right shows a mature plant with pups![4] The stem is unbranched and grows erect, ranging in color from greenish to dark brown. The white flowers are inconspicuous. The plant can tolerate temperatures that go as low as 68 degrees Fahrenheit upwards to 100 degrees F. Keep in mind that the plant thrives in warm, humid conditions. If those conditions don't exist in your environment, you can place pebbles in the saucer underneath your plant and fill it with water, making sure the bottom of the pot is not touching the water. The other way is to mist your plant daily.
One of the great qualities of this plant is that they are extremely easy to propagate. There are three effective ways to do this. The first is to propagate through offshoots from the main stem of the mother plant. With a disinfected blade (wipe with alcohol before doing this), cut a baby, (offshoot) from the stem. Put the stem in a bottle of water so the tip is submerged, and when the roots reach 1”-2” long, it is ready to be planted in your soil. It is so easy to propagate this plant it has been called the “pass it on plant.”
Another method to make it even easier is to harvest one of the “pups” or “babies” that grow. This plant has two kinds- offshoot babies and rhizome babies. The latter pops up in the soil near the mother plant. They are connected to the mother by an umbilical-like cord under the soil. Once you see this happening and the pup reaches 2-3” tall it can be removed and planted in a new container. Remember that the larger the plantlet is the better its chances of survival. The best time to do this is during the growing season, (the warmer months). Plant these plants in well-draining soils since they don't tolerate sitting in soggy soil. To encourage your plant to produce pups you can increase your plants access to nutrients by fertilizing it once a month during its growing season. Use a balanced fertilizer, 10-10-10 diluted to half strength once a month.
The last method is to actually cut the top off of your plant, root it in water and replant it.[5] Pilea peperomioides thrives in a soil mixture of three parts Peat mixed with three parts Coconut Coir and two parts Perlite.[6]
Finally, it is important to remove any dead or damaged leaves, which will increase light and ventilation to the plant, helping it to thrive. The Chinese Money plant is low-maintenance and tough, making it an excellent plant for those just beginning to grow a green thumb!
[1] Wikipedia- Pilea Peperomiodies
[2] Website thriveogarden.com May 2, 2024
[3] Wikipedia- Pilea peperomioides
[4] Image uploaded from wikimedia.com, upload.wikimedia.org
[5] Website- thehealthyhouseplant.com
[6] Website- www.wikihow.com
2025 UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day Set Saturday, Feb. 8
Mark your calendar! The 14th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day is set for Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. announced coordinator and...
UC Davis professor Jason Bond, director of the Bohart Museum, shows butterfly specimens to Woodland residents Olive Smith, 8, and her mother Sarah Smith. Bond is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The nematology display, headed by associate professor Shahid Siddique, was a popular attraction at the 13th annual Biodiversity Museum Day, held Feb. 20, 2024. From left are doctoral student Nick Latina and doctoral candidates Pallavi Shakya an Alison Blundell. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
