UCCE Forest Research and Outreach

06/13/2026

We’re hosting a free field day with the El Dorado RCD! Join us for a tour of an RCD reforestation site, discussion on seedling thinning, and hands-on thinning practice.

Here are the details:
When: Saturday July 25, 9:30am-12:30pm
Where: Grizzly Flats, CA
Registration is free but limited to the first 30 registrants. Secure your spot here: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=49441

06/10/2026

Did you run out of flagging tape? Yana has you covered!

Yana Valachovic is a UC ANR Forestry and Natural Resources Advisor serving Humboldt and Del Norte counties, and wears many other hats: Registered Professional Forester, UC Cooperative Extension County Director, and co-lead of the California Fire Science Consortium North Coast Chapter. Her research interests have extended into the built environment too, where she provides guidance on home hardening to communities and policymakers.

When she’s not in her office, here’s what she keeps on hand in her cruise vest!

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources UC ANR Fire Network UC Cooperative Extension - Humboldt/Del Norte Counties

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

06/05/2026

Today is World Environment Day! Did you know that California is home to over 2,000 endemic plant species?

When flora or fauna is classified as endemic, it means they naturally occur in only one place. Ghost pines (also known as gray pines), Blue oaks, and Torrey pines are examples of tree species that are endemic to California: you won’t find them anywhere else in the world! But how did California come to be the forever (and only) home to so many plant species?

A 2013 study from UC Santa Cruz suggests that low rates of plant extinction may be the key. Researchers examined 16 different plant lineages and found that the state’s various topographical features played an important role in keeping those species alive over thousands of years. Study coauthor Kathleen Kay noted that “topography…plays a bigger role in preventing extinction by creating different niches and allowing lots of species to coexist. Topography also provides refuges, and the mountains are particularly important in preventing extinctions during times of climate change.” So today, say thank you to a mountain near you- we may not be living in such a biodiversity hotspot without them!

Read about the study here: https://news.ucsc.edu/2013/01/california-flora/

Photo credit: US Forest Service for slides 1 (blue oak), 3 (Torrey pine), and 5 (ghost pine).

06/05/2026

to our hand tools field day at UC Berkeley’s Blodgett Research Forest!

Many Forest Stewardship workshop participants are proud DIY-ers, and this June 2022 field day was a great way to learn about different vegetation management tools in a supportive environment. Should we host another field day like this one?

06/03/2026

A Hanford Sentinel article from UCCE Specialist Emeritus Michelle LeStrange discusses landscape methods for preventing wildfire risk. “The general concept is that trees should be kept furthest from the house, shrubs can be closer, and bedding plants and lawns are closest to the house. The goal is to create landscape conditions that don’t support the spread of fire to other vegetation or to a building or structure,” she writes.

Read the full article on the Hanford Sentinel website: https://hanfordsentinel.com/community/selma-kingsburg/lifestyles/landscaping-to-prevent-wildfire-damage/article_d1b2cf1c-24e4-48cb-a444-4be7112f728c.amp.html

06/02/2026

Applications are still open for summer sessions of the Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT). Still not sure what July has in store for you? Consider signing up for a week of forestry learning in Shasta or Humboldt county!

FIT offers immersive, week-long professional learning experiences for PreK-12 educators. Participants will engage in field-based sessions that build content knowledge and connect with a community of like-minded, curious educators. Participants receive 50 hours of standards-aligned instruction, certifications in Project Learning Tree (PLT) and Project Water Education Today (WET), eligibility for 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and a $200 curriculum stipend upon implementation. All-inclusive registration is $150 — covering lodging, meals, and materials.

July FIT Sessions
Humboldt FIT - July 11-17
Shasta FIT - July 19-25

Apply today on the FIT website: https://www.forestryinstitute.org/session

06/02/2026

We just got our spring edition of the Forestland Steward! This season’s newsletter from the Placer County RCD focuses on Southern California forests, including a spotlight story on urban wood processing facilities in Los Angeles.

Get the Forestland Steward in your mailbox for free by signing up on the Placer RCD’s website: https://placerrcd.org/fssubscribe/

Placer Resource Conservation District

05/28/2026

Lasers + forests = a match that could only be made in research!

UC ANR Forest Advisor Brian Woodward is part of a research team utilizing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology to answer questions about coast redwood forest health. Get an inside look at the team’s work at Soquel Demonstration State Forest by joining their free upcoming field day!

Field Day Details
When: June 18, 2026 (8am-1:30pm)
Where: Aptos, CA
Description: In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn about applications of TLS in forestry including advantages, typical uses, and challenges of implementation across objectives, and see a crew actively collecting LiDAR data using a TLS in real-world conditions at CAL FIRE's Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF). Followed by lunch, presentation, and Q&A of experts in TLS at the Aptos Library.

Register on the UC ANR website: https://ucanr.edu/blog/santa-cruz-forests-blog/article/register-now-terrestrial-lidar-forestry/nrm-field-day/workshop