Letter from the Executive Director

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Disaster is an inextricable part of the Californian experience. But whether it’s fire, earthquake, mudslide, drought, or more human adversities, California rises to meet each challenge laid before us. Our chaparral heals, our forests regenerate. Our communities come together to weather the storm and we help our neighbors rebuild what was lost. That’s what it is to be Californian. We are resilient, adaptive, diverse, and strong, just like the ecosystems we rely on every day.

When I arrived at the Garden as the Executive Director ten years ago, the Jesusita Fire had ripped through our garden and our hearts. It took years to rebuild, but with fortitude, foresight, and the massive support of our Garden community, we rebuilt strategically with the future in mind. The result today is a rebuilt and expanded garden collection and a thriving and growing conservation and research program, housed in our state-of-the-art Pritzlaff Conservation Center, which serves as base camp for the protection of native plants and ecosystems throughout California. I’m proud to say we are now serving our mission in ways we only dreamed of a decade ago.

We’re continually digging deeper into our own understanding of the beautiful complexities of California’s environs and what it will take to ensure their continued survival. As you’ll read in this issue, this year we’ve made remarkable progress on biological inventories of San Nicolas Island including 1,468 museum collections, 181 organisms documented for the first time on the island, as well as the discovery of four species not known to science (pgs. 4-7). One of our many ongoing conservation and research projects, this study uses innovative techniques to help us understand and protect fragile ecosystems.

I’m proud of all the ways the Garden is serving our community, especially this year. We’re an essential space to spend time in nature, safely hosting over 26,000 visitors since we reopened our Garden gates this July with community and staff health top of mind. While most of our onsite tours and classes have taken a necessary pause, we’ve found new ways to inspire connections with our visitors and members (pgs. 12-13). As always, we’re happy to share our expert garden skills and help you find just the right native plant to adopt for your own home from our newly reopened Nursery (pg. 11).

And the Garden couldn’t be any of these without the support of our Garden family (pg. 18), including YOU. Thank you for helping us weather the storm so that we can continue to bloom!

With gratitude,

Steve Windhager, Ph.D. Executive Director