Following the Los Angeles fires, concerns about the fuel loads of invasive grasses has inspired discussion around restoring grasslands in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). While some consider the endeavor too costly and requiring extensive management, others question why this isn’t a more widespread practice. We invite you to hear Channel Islands Restoration and Cuyama Lamb discuss the realities, potentials, and constraints of grassland restoration and regenerative grazing as a means to enhance ecological fire resilience.
Channel Islands Restoration, based in Santa Barbara, was established to protect rare and endangered plants and animals by restoring habitats in sensitive and unique natural areas on the California Channel Islands and the adjacent mainland. They have undertaken significant work in invasive plant removal, including efforts to reduce fuel loads. In 2019, they initiated a research project at San Marcos Foothills Preserve. and Cuyama Lamb has partnered with them to implement regenerative grazing. The goal was to determine if grazing could benefit the native grassland while reducing wildfire risk. The project proved successful and the Fire Marshall of Santa Barbara County Fire credited with buffering t the surrounding neighborhood during the 2019 Cave Fire. Lauren Harris, Staff Ecologist for Channel Islands Restoration, and Jack Anderson, founder of Cuyama Lamb, will discuss their methodologies and lessons learned as they continue managing the grasslands at San Marcos Foothills.
Lauren received a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolution and a Master of Environmental Science & Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her schooling, Lauren conducted research on a broad range of topics from wildfire-related seed germination for California chaparral restoration to the effects of climate change on habitat fragmentation in the Southeast. Lauren is currently the Staff Ecologist for Channel Islands Restoration (CIR) where she directs ecological research, develops and manages habitat restoration projects, and conducts community education and outreach. She has worked at CIR since 2023 and has experience in a variety of habitats including chaparral, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, tidal wetlands, and sand dunes. Much of her time is spent at the San Marcos Foothills Preserve on management and restoration projects including the Chumash Ethnobotanical Garden, the Coyote Springs wetland restoration, and the prescribed herbivory program.
Jack Anderson co-founded Cuyama Lamb with his wife, Jenya Schneider, in 2018, with the mission of providing ecological services and restoring native California grasslands. Over the past six years, they have focused heavily on fire fuel management and weed mitigation. Starting in 2019, they participated in the native grassland management program at San Marcos Foothills, where they helped develop the management protocol in collaboration with Channel Islands Restoration and implemented grazing impacts up to twice a year. Through this program, they have observed the exciting ecological benefits of their efforts, which align well with important fire mitigation goals. Additionally, the local communities have expressed delight in seeing their lands reintegrated with animals as ecological stewards. Besides their ecological work, Cuyama Lamb also produces high-quality lamb meat and fine wool products.