At the recent 2021 Hansen Symposium  - Climate Change:What Does it Mean for Southern California, UCCE Extension Fire Specialist Max Moritz, Central Coast Range and Natural Resources Advisor Matthew Shapero, and yours truly, Urban Natural Resources Advisor LA/Ventura Sabrina Drill discussed the impacts of and ways to adapt to climate change and wildfire at the regional, subdivision, rangelands, and home scale. Watch our presentations here!  You can also learn about how climate change is affecting our weather and fire risk from Dr. Daniel Swain and learn about how YOU can get involved through our Climate Stewards program from the first day of the symposium, and hear about how agriculture is adapting to climate change from the second day. 

Looking for information in the wake of the Woolsey and Hill fires? For information about county resources for debris removal, erosion management, and how to access support for housing, financial support, and support for agricultural resource recovery, you can visit http://venturacountyrecovers.org/. To find diaster assistance centers in Los Angeles County, visit https://www.lacounty.gov/woolseyfire-disaster-assistance-centers/. For specific questions related to applying for aid, policy, and legal issues, you can also visit Pepperdine Law's Disaster Relief Clinic at https://law.pepperdine.edu/experiential-learning/clinical-education/clinics/disaster-relief-clinic/ . They are not there to represent plantiffs in legal action, but can provide guidance on how to seek representation.

You can find a great deal of technical information in the Ventura County Fires Info Facebook Group, and learn about and share resources at the Woolsey and Hill Fire Info Facebook Group. University of California is providing these links as a (hopefully) helpful service, but does not vet or stand behind any particular information users share there. 

Want to learn more about how to protect your slopes and property, and what to plant now to be prepared for the next fire? Ventura Public Works will be holding a free workshop on these topics featuring Rich Casale from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Sabrina Drill from UCCE Ventura County Wednesday, February 7th, at Ventura College's Wright Event Center - see you there!'

Ventura County residents looking for information about Thomas Fire Recovery will want to check http://venturacountyrecovers.org/community-meetings/ for the very latest information from county, state, and federal disaster relief agencies. In Santa Barbara, residents will want to check here - https://www.countyofsb.org/fire-recovery.sbc  

The agriculture community will be interested in a UCCE hosted workshop on fire and frost damage and preparation January 10th at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula - http://ucanr.edu/sites/SAFELandscapes/?calitem=396547&g=29423 

If you are looking for information about or volunteer opportunities to help with the recovery of natural areas, however, there are a few events coming up: 

Ventura Land Trust will be hosting a volunteer opportunity for Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 15th at their Big Rock Preserve, http://www.venturalandtrust.org/mlk_20180115, and will also be hosting a lecture by my colleague Dr. Sean Anderson from CSU Channel Islands January 17th at 7:00 PM at Poinsettia Pavilion - http://www.venturalandtrust.org/lecture_thomas_fire. 

I'll be speaking about fire recovery, invasive species, and erosion issues at the Santa Clara River Watershed Council meeting January 24th, 9-11 am at the United Water Conservation District, and February 24th at the Casitias Water District public meeting - more soon! 

February 17th the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy's Plant Walk will include a talk by folks from the California Chaparral Institute - https://www.facebook.com/events/142471386462631/