SUSTAINABILITY
A Hope in Chaparral Country
Can sanity be found in a time where environmental activists, government agencies and industrial and private enterprises battle over issues such as timber harvest, gravel mining, farming practices and water rights? Can we stem the tide of environmental strain where concerns including salinization, ground water over-draft and agricultural and industrial runoff threaten the planet? What hope lies in a land where the number one export is soil lost through erosion?
A Hope in Chaparral Country gives us a glimpse of that hope, called Holistic Management. This video uses the window of the Burrows Ranch, near Red Bluff, California, to see the Holistic Management framework in action. While the various paradigms under the sustainable agriculture umbrella continue to make decisions the same way conventional agriculture and other industries do, Holistic Management provides us with a unique, proven framework with which to make our decisions for a sustainable future.
Please contact us to get your copy.
Backyard Ecology
Our full service landscape design team offers ecologically sensitive garden designs that meet the needs of humans while at the same time enhances the urban backyard to provide for the needs of local plants and animals.
Biological Surveys
Biological surveys are generally subject to seasonal restrictions depending upon the life cycles of individual target species. Most surveys must be conducted in spring or summer. Streamline Planning Consultants biologists are dedicated to helping you plan and design your project successfully. Ensure that your projects are not delayed by contacting us today!
Community Empowerment: In the Face of a Changing Climate
On October 24, 2009 RCAA sponsored and Streamline hosted a free Community Workshop for our communities' knowledge and understanding regarding the potential impacts of a changing climate on the North Coast. Discussions explored how low impact 'green' living can help reduce energy and water use, waste and green house gas emissions (GHGs) through a series of presentations for local land/home owners and renters. Click on the links below to download the materials for this event:
- Backyard Wildlife
- California Flood Risk for Arcata
- Ecological Site Design
- Native Plants and Climate Change
- Soil Erosion and Stormwater
- Soil Pollution Assessment Worksheet
Conserve Your Soil – Stop the Mud
Do you have a mud problem on your lot? If you have bare soil on your land, the answer is yes. Much erosion goes unseen, even if you don’t see mud on your site. Few people realize the U.S. loses an estimated 4 billion tons of topsoil per year. While soil erosion can be messy, it also damages and reduces the amount of precious topsoil you have.
Frequently Asked Questions about Invasive Plant Species in the Garden
Why are invasive plants a problem?
They crowd out native plants, insects and animals, and can lead to flooding, fire and crop losses. Invasive species are a leading threat to biodiversity, second only to habitat destruction. Invasive plants are expensive, too - in California, more than $85 million goes to fighting invasive species every year.
Grasslands of the California North Coast
On June 3 and 4, 2010 we explored native grassland habitats “Behind the Redwood Curtain.” The Symposium included guest speakers, field trips to the Lanphere Dunes and the Bald Hills, exhibitors, panel presentation, Q&A’s and networking opportunities.
Resources from the Symposium:
Kid Zone
Here are some games and activities that will help kids train their senses while increasing their appreciation for, and understanding of, the environment:
Native Grasses Work for You
Whether you’re preventing erosion, planting a beautiful native garden, attracting wildlife, or simply looking for unique plants, native grasses will add a new dimension to your landscape. Over the past two hundred years, foreign grazing practices, land disturbance, and introduced exotic plants have nearly eliminated native grass communities in California. Now you can help bring these plants back.
Name that Soil
Determine which bottle contains the Ferndale Soil Series using the Fruit Jar Texture Analysis.
Nest Boxes
Learn how to build an American Kestrel (or Screech Owl) and Bat nest boxes.
What Makes a Community Green?
Community Ecology: A green community uses its land wisely, offers multiple mode of transportation, provides open spaces for recreation and space for community agriculture. It uses its resources, both natural and cultural, wisely.