- Author: Sabrina L. Drill
There's a new insect pest in Southern California, the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB). This small ambrosia beetle spreads a fungal pest, and together they can kill trees in urban, suburban, and natural landscapes. The beetle has been found on over 200 species of tree, but there are 19 that have so far been found to host both the beetle and the fungus - these are known as reproductive hosts. These include California natives like Coast Live Oak and Sycamore, as well as common street trees like Box Elder, and a tree found in backyards and commercial orchards, Avocado. The PSHB joins the Goldspotted Oak Borer in threatening our native trees. When insect pests kill trees, they increase the fire risk by increasing the dead fuels available. To find out more about these pests, visit our new web site, Pests and Diseases of Southern California Oaks.
- Author: Sabrina L. Drill
The North Topanga Fire Safe Council has put together a great new set of video presentations about fire and fire preparation in the Santa Monica Mountains (with application to all of Southern California). Presenters include yours truly, Sabrina Drill, discussing how to prepare your landscape to survive a wild fire, both in a talk and in a field tour; Steve Quarles with the Insurance Insititute for Building and Home Safety discussing how to help your home and structures withstand a wild fire; and Robert Taylor and Katherine Kirkpatrick from the National Park Service talking about fire ecology in the Santa Monica Mountains. Find them at https://sites.google.com/site/ntcfsc/ntcfsc-lecture-series
- Author: Sabrina L. Drill
Recently our Spanish Language communication specialist, Alberto Haufenn, interviewed me about fire preparation.
Recientemente, nuestro especialista en comunicación lingüística española, Alberto Haufenn, me hizo una entrevista sobre la preparación de un incendio.
- Author: Sabrina L. Drill
UCANR experts on fire and invasive species were featured this week on the radio -
Tim Paine, head of the ANR Exotic and Invasive Species program discussed how wood-boring beetles contribute to wild fires on KPCC -
and UCCE Fire Science Specialist Max Moritz discussed the link between climate change and fire
Give a listen!
- Author: Sabrina L. Drill
I recently wrote about SAFE Landscapes in Fremontia, the journal of the California Native Plant Society. The whole issue is about fire, and has some great information!
