Re-Oaking Featured in New York Times
May 30, 2015
The re-oaking concept developed by SFEI was featured in an article about Oakland and Silicon Valley. First conceived in a paper in Restoration Ecology by SFEI and UC Santa Barbara scientists, re-oaking is the strategic reintroduction of oaks and other native trees to California's urban, suburban, and agricultural valleys to recover lost functions and values. The idea has been advanced in Napa Valley and Silicon Valley, where it is featured as part of the proposed Google campus. Stay tuned for the development of a regional strategy as part of Resilient Silicon Valley. For more information on reoaking, visit our Re-Oaking page.
Featured image courtesy of BIG & Heatherwick Studios
By:
Patricia Leigh Brown
Programs and Focus Areas:
Resilient Landscapes Program
Historical Ecology
Terrestrial Ecology
Related Projects, News, and Events:
Re-Oaking (Project)
“Re-Oaking” is an approach to reintegrating oaks and other native trees within the developed California landscape to provide a range of ecosystem services. The concept has emerged from SFEI's research into the distribution and characteristics of California's former valley oak savannas -- a distinctive, widespread habitat that was mostly lost a century ago. Now valley oaks and other native trees are being recognized for the benefits they did -- and could again – provide, as communities design the ecologically healthy and resilient landscapes of the future.
Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas (Project)
The Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas takes readers on a richly illustrated tour of the iconic Napa Valley landscape from 200 years ago to the present and future.
Using the pioneering SFEI Historical Ecology approach, the Atlas challenges many preconceived notions about the nature of California landscapes, and suggests strategies to increase the health and resilience of local watersheds based on an understanding of how natural systems function. The Atlas is designed to support a broad range of local efforts for ecological restoration and watershed stewardship in Napa Valley, while providing a new and accessible model for historical ecology studies in other regions.