California's most distinctive wildland hosts a wide array of plant and animal life found nowhere else on Earth. It stretches from the coastal foothills to the interior mountains.

But these rugged woody shrublands are undervalued and underappreciated, and repeated and ongoing attempts have been made to eradicate chaparral from the landscape. Why? Some believe it not aesthetically pleasing, others fear it as fuel for fires, both misnomers that our guest proves wrong. Public underappreciation of chaparral is made worse by the unfortunate construction of poorly planned housing developments.

On this episode we consider how people can foster deeper connections with the chaparral and how public education can lead to minimizing wildfire dangers, and protecting and restoring this important native habitat.

Our guest today, Richard Halsey is the Director of the California Chaparral Institute [http://www.californiachaparral.org], a non-profit, research and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of California's native chaparral ecosystem and supporting the creative spirit as inspired by Nature. Check out his book Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/

Executive Producer: Jack EidtHost/Producer: Jessica AldridgeEngineer: Blake LampkinShow Created by Mark and JP MorrisMusic: Javier KadryEpisode 109Image: California Chaparral Institute