Project Description
The Oak Woodland Restoration Project at UC Berkeley’s Hastings Natural History Reservation aims to restore rare, threatened blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland habitat impacted by the October 2024 Piney Fire (225 acres burned) and subsequent fire suppression efforts. While fire is a natural and essential component of California’s ecosystems, the response to the fire—particularly the removal of over 80 large, mature blue oaks by CalFire bulldozers—has profoundly damaged the landscape. This restoration project has three primary goals. 1. Replanting Blue Oaks: The project will involve planting and nurturing new blue oak saplings, especially in areas where mature trees were uprooted and the landscape was damaged by CalFire bulldozer lines (see Supporting Figures). 2. Educational Engagement: In partnership with UC Berkeley students, the project will provide hands-on restoration experience, fostering a deeper understanding of fire ecology and habitat restoration. 3. Fire Resilience: By engaging in targeted fire ecology practices, the project will enhance the habitat’s resilience to future wildfires while maintaining biodiversity.
The general goal of this project is to restore disturbed and threatened Blue Oak woodland habitat that was impacted by extreme fire suppression efforts following the October 2024 Piney Fire. As part of the restoration effort, the plan is to 1) plant Blue oaks in impacted areas, 2) provide educational engagement to UC Berkeley students in oak regeneration, 3) provide fire resilience education through discussions with practitioners.
Project Links
Project Application (Coming Soon!)
Project Poster (Coming Soon!)