Santa Fe Dam Vegetation Assessment Workshop #2

Get hands-on training in vegetation mapping and document the native flora to support conservation of this increasingly rare habitat.

This is the first in a series of three Vegetation Assessment Workshops at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. Led by Los Angeles County Biologist Cristhian Mace, participants will be introduced to the CNPS Rapid Vegetation Assessment (RVA) protocol. Using paper field forms, participants will practice identifying relatively uniform patches of vegetation (stands), documenting their dominant species, cover, and site attributes, and learning how these data are used to classify vegetation types under the Manual of California Vegetation.

The CNPS protocol goes beyond recording individual species occurrences. By collecting standardized information on vegetation stands, participants contribute to consistent, repeatable data that supports conservation planning for sensitive communities such as coastal sage scrub, alluvial scrub, riparian woodland, and California juniper stands in the area. While plant identification apps like iNaturalist or Seek can be useful, our main focus is not on posting individual observations but on following protocol to document vegetation stands and their characteristics.This is a hands-on training workshop in vegetation assessment. Be prepared to receive instructions before heading into the field and to practice field methods outdoors.

Register at Eventbrite

Meet: 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Nature Center at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area (drive north once you pass the entrance kiosk, follow the signs).

Entrance Fee: The park entrance fee will be waived for this CNPS event. At the kiosk please say that you are attending the California Native Plant Society event and the fee will be waived ($12 /vehicle, or $5 for seniors 65 & over).

Bring: Water, sun protection, any desired snacks, clip board, paper, writing utensil, and cell phone.

Questions: For additional event details and questions, please reach out to Gabi McLean at sgm.santafedam@cnps.org