Thank you for considering membership in the California Chaparral Institute. Before you join, I would like to let you know how your financial contribution will be used and why it is needed.
There are a lot of worthy causes out there. Why help to promote a better understanding of the chaparral? Because it defines California like no other natural community. It provides Californians with a sense of place.
Last year we drove nearly 10,000 miles to give presentations about the chaparral to dozens of groups including schools, community groups and government agencies. In addition, we have provided free educational materials to numerous individuals and groups in order to help them better understand and learn to appreciate the chaparral environment. Research work has been and is being conducted as well. Current projects are focusing on the behavior of chaparral wildfires and a detailed analysis of how much chaparral has been lost due to type conversion, turning into weedy grasslands. There remains a vocal segment of the community that does not believe type conversion is a problem and that large wildfires are all about vegetation, not poor planning or severe weather conditions.
Your support will help fund our educational and research programs with the ultimate goal of assisting others to reconnect with the native environment in which they live and to recognize the importance of making long term plans to maintain wild places for our families to enjoy in the future. Yes, we focus on the chaparral, but our message is universal; nature is a wonderful place to enjoy life.
If you feel you would like to support this mission, please select from one of the three Membership levels listed below. You can either contribute directly by credit card or PayPal, or mail a check with the membership form found below.
Thanks!
Richard W. Halsey Director California Chaparral Institute
For a free, sample copy of our quarterly journal, "THE CHAPARRALIAN", you may download Issue #23 or request a different one by sending us an EMAIL.
If you would prefer to join the Chaparral Institute by mail please download the membership form here
1. Citizen Naturalist: $35. Benefits include The Chaparralian (a quarterly journal on the chaparral ecosystem and wildland fire issues delivered via email) and a signed copy of the second edition of "Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California." If this is a gift membership please send us the name, address, and email of the individual you would like to send the gift to via EMAIL after you place your order. Thanks!
2. Chaparralian: $55. Benefits include The Chaparralian (a quarterly journal on the chaparral ecosystem and wildland fire issues delivered via email), a signed copy of the second edition of "Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California" and the "Secrets of the Chaparral" DVD (details below). If this is a gift membership please send us the name, address, and email of the individual you would like to send the gift to via EMAIL after you place your order. Thanks!
3. California Grizzly Bear: $100. Benefits include The Chaparralian (a quarterly journal on the chaparral ecosystem and wildland fire issues delivered via email), a signed copy of the second edition of "Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California, the "Secrets of the Chaparral" DVD, and the special chaparral issue of the California Native Plant Society's journal FREMONTIA (details below). If this is a gift membership please send us the name, address, and email of the individual you would like to send the gift to via EMAIL after you place your order. Thanks!
4. Additional Contribution: $50 increments. If you would like to contribute to our research and education efforts you may do so by clicking the "add to cart" button on the right. You can increase the amount you would like to contribute in $50 increments by changing the quantity on your shopping cart form. Every dollar you offer will go directly to helping others understand California's chaparral ecosystem. If you have any questions, please feel free to EMAIL us. Thanks!
5. Renewal. $25. If it has been a year or more since you joined the California Chaparral Institute and would like to simply renew in order to continue supporting our work, this is an excellent option. Membership renewals are a critical part of helping us produce our quarterly journal, The Chaparralian, and fund the many activities we engage in to help protect the chaparral ecosystem.
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The 2008 second edition of Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California is the only readily available book that describes in detail California's most extensive plant community, the chaparral.
It not only provides the basics of chaparral natural history, but also how wildfires are fought, what we have learned about them, and why it is important to reconnect with one's surroundings. Also included is a color photo identification section with 64 of the most common southern California chaparral plants and animals. For more details about content or how to purchase additional copies, please go to Book Excerpts. All royalties benefit the California Chaparral Institute.
“Secrets of the Chaparral”
DVD
as part of Huell Howser's California's Green PBS television series.
Join Huell Howser and Richard Halsey as they explore several beautiful types of chaparral, discuss the chaparral’s misunderstood relationship to fire, and discover the true home of the California grizzly bear. This is by far the best introduction to the chaparral plant community you will find on film anywhere. It is perfect for classroom use as well as for anyone interested in obtaining a clear explanation about California's most characteristic wilderness.
Running time: About 25 minutes. See a sample video clip below.
Special Issue: CHAPARRAL.Fall 2007 issue of the California Native Plant Society's quarterly journal Fremontia.
With beautiful color photographs and articles by experts in the field, this is an outstanding overview of the chaparral ecosystem. Articles include "Chaparral: Pure California" by Richard W. Halsey, "Diversity and Evolution of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus" by V. Thomas Parker, "Chaparral Zonation in the Santa Monica Mountains: The Influence of Freezing Temperatures" by Stephen D. Davis, et al, "Chaparral and Fire" by Jon E. Keeley, "Chaparral Geophytes" by Claudia M. Tyler and Mark I. Borchert, "Man and Fire in Southern California: Doing the Math" by Hugh D. Safford, "From Ashes to Life: Effects of Fire on a San Diego Chaparral Community" by David M. Cohn III. 33 pages.
If you want to immerse yourself in the aromatic spirit and traditions of California's chaparral wildlands, this is the way to do it. We have personally tested this fragrance and found it to be truly beautiful. Both the guys and girls at the Chaparral Institute love it. You can obtain a sample or a full bottle at Roxana Illuminated Perfume. Buy a bottle and a portion of the purchase is donated to us!
