Creating High Value Habitat in the Built Environment
Thursday, February 16, 2023 (via Zoom)
7:00–8:00 pm
by Pat Reynolds
River Partners Native Seed and Plant Program Director, Heritage Growers General Manager
View the Presentation Here.
Landscaping with native species and incorporation of habitat enhancement features within urban areas is a significant and underutilized conservation action that can effectively increase habitat values in the built environment. If designed properly, urban gardens can provide important habitat for beneficial insects including pollinators, improve water infiltration and retention, reduce irrigation requirements, combat climate change, and create resilient landscapes for the benefit of people and the environment. Pat Reynolds’ presentation will focus on the steps that go into the design, implementation and maintenance of habitat gardens dominated by native herbaceous vegetation and include the incorporation of habitat features designed to maximize ecological values and habitat function. His talk will also include discussions of some of the findings of a U.C. Davis class study that looked at the social and ecological ramifications of a habitat enhancement project that he leads in his South Davis neighborhood with hopes of inspiring others to implement similar neighborhood projects. He will also provide an update on the status of Heritage Growers, a venture of River Partners, that produces source identified native seeds and plants for habitat restoration. As part of the Heritage Growers’ update, Pat will share some of the phenology data collected and photographs taken from Heritage Growers’ 2022 demonstration garden.
Pat Reynolds is a restoration ecologist with more than 30 years of professional experience in the design, implementation and monitoring of habitat restoration projects including the effective use of native seed. He is the General Manager of Heritage Growers, River Partner’s Native Seed and Nursery Program, the former General Manager of Hedgerow Farms, and a past Associate Restoration Ecologist with H.T. Harvey & Associates. Pat sits on the Yolo County Planning Commission and is the Restoration Ecologist on the Science and Technical Advisory Committee for the Yolo County Habitat Agency. He has been a member of the California Native Grassland Association (CNGA) Board of Directors since 2017 where he often serves as an instructor for CNGA restoration workshops and events and periodically contributes to the CNGA’s Grasslands journal. Pat has a passion for the use of native plants and incorporation of habitat features in urban settings to maximize habitat values.