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 supprt this mission, please select from one of the two Membership levels listed below. You can either contribute directly through 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 newsletter, "THE CHAPARRALIAN", you may download Issue #23 or request a different one by sending us an EMAIL.
1. Citizen Naturalist: $35. Benefits include THE CHAPARRALIAN (a newsletter via email on the chaparral ecosystem and wildland fire related issues) and a signed copy 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 by letting us know via EMAIL after you place your order. THANKS!
2. Chaparralian: $55.Benefits include THE CHAPARRALIAN (a newsletter via email on the chaparral ecosystem and wildland fire related issues), a signed copy 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 by letting us know via EMAIL after you place your order. THANKS!
If you would prefer to join the Institute through the mail, please download the membership form HERE.
3. 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 PayPal shopping cart form. At the present time your contribution is not tax-deductible. However, as with all other Institute funds, every dollar you offer will go directly to helping others understand California's chaparral ecosystem through our ongoing research and education programs. If you have any questions, please feel free to EMAIL us. THANKS!
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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.
“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.
Price of DVD sold separately without membership: $22
Back of shirt (shown on the left) has a beautiful, full color photo image of a boy chasing insects with a net as he runs along a backcountry road through chaparral covered hills in California. Above the photo is the phrase: Discover the Chaparral. Below the photo: Pure California. Along the bottom in small print is: What's Chaparral? Find Out. Our web address is also listed.
On front is a small California Chaparral Institute logo with green bushes and a red flame as shown at the top of this page.
Available in men's medium, large, and extra large. Please place your order by selecting the proper size below and adding to your shopping chart. Keep checking back as we are producing new designs in both men and women sizes. THANKS!
