Coastal prairie fire ecology walk

Join Director of Prescribed Fire Julia Berkey and Fire Ecologist Brian Peterson for a fire ecology walk along Bourne Ridge at Martin Griffin Preserve. During this educational walk, Brian and Julia will be your guides in learning about the importance of endangered coastal prairies and the ways we’re using prescribed fire to restore this rich habitat. Along a short and strenuous one-mile uphill walk, we’ll make frequent stops to observe and discuss the story of the landscape - which once a thriving coastal prairie. We’ll observe transformations of the landscape through the encroachment of dense trees and shrubs. You’ll see first-hand how we’re using beneficial fire to restore the land and awaken the seedbank of coastal prairie native plants.

Coastal prairies, once dominant across California’s coastal landscapes, are often-overlooked biodiversity hotspots. They are among the state’s most rapidly vanishing ecosystems, with less than 1% of undisturbed prairie remaining. Coastal prairies are ecosystems that require disturbances, such as fire, to thrive. On Bourne Ridge, small remnants of these grasslands remain, with native seeds lying dormant beneath dense trees and shrubs. Since 2016, our Fire Forward program has been working to restore ecological balance by reintroducing beneficial fire to the landscape. Prescribed burns help reduce forest density, allowing more sunlight and space for native grassland species to regenerate. As sunlight reaches the soil, long-buried native plant seeds can germinate and flourish once again.

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