Environmental News

A curated set of environmental news stories brought to you by the Gottlieb Native Garden team.

Incorporating Native American Plants into Landscape

When the Gorman Museum of Native American Art relocated to a space adjacent to the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden in 2023, a seed was planted. Why not include Indigenous California plants outside the museum?

Plants for Birds

Bring more birds to your home with native plants

The race is on to stop a tiny pest from killing Southern California’s native oak trees

The race is on to stop a tiny pest from killing Southern California’s native oak trees

An inexpensive fix for California’s struggling wildflowers

Rake dead grass to increase flower power.

4-H students work with local company to repopulate native species

A six-acre plot of land in Cameron Parish sat empty, shelly and unused. It is surrounded by the Mermentau River and contains the same fertile soil that supports rice farms surrounding the area. But on this bare plot of land at the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana 4-H members have begun the process to transform it into the Cajun prairie land it once was.

Monarch butterflies in California

Many know about the famous monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacán and México, which give refuge to millions of monarch butterflies each year in their fir tree forests, but did you know a different population of monarch, the western monarch, overwinters right here on the California coast? 

Master Gardener: California native plants as holiday tree alternatives

As the holiday season approaches, many look for Christmas trees. But maybe there’s an alternative.

Iconic South OC Native Plant Nursery Closes, Transforms into Reserve

After nearly 45 years of pursuing their passion and promoting California’s natural environment, Mike Evans and Jeff Bohn, the owners of Tree of Life Nursery, have decided that the time has come to close up shop.

But their passion for native plants isn’t coming all to an end.

San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy kicks off project to reduce wildfire risk in Rancho Santa Fe

On Nov. 25, the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy will begin work on a new grant-funded fuel reduction and habitat restoration project in Rancho Santa Fe’s Arroyo Preserve.

Gardening with California native plants | The Real Dirt

The summer of 2024 was California’s hottest on record. Did you struggle to keep your plants adequately watered? Did your water bills skyrocket? Did some plants die even with increased irrigation? Are you questioning your plant choices? Now is the time to add California native plants to your garden in order to increase climate resilience.