PLANT FRIENDS
SMALL GROUP
꩜ SEASONAL STUDY꩜
SUMMER
long weekend INTENSIVE - JULY 11-13th 2025
inquiry with plants & ecology
towards caring for ourselves & the earth
Three day trips Friday-Sunday on the wild edges in & among of Tongva, Kizh, Chumash, Acjachemen & Tataviam land learning from/with the plants and one another in a wider community of life in Southern Califonria
THE SUMMER STUDY theme…
CREST TO COAST
Los Angeles is a city nestled among mountains by the sea. This dramatic range in altitude and proximity to the ocean contribute to the abundance of plant diversity here. Join us as we trace shifting plant communities in the San Gabriel Mountains to the Santa Monica Mountains in Topanga and all the way to the ocean - where sage scrub communities meet tide pools in Laguna Beach at Crescent Cove State Park.
All along the way we will consider the impact of the sea on the mountains and the mountains on the sea - and how water moves through the land even in summer. We will begin our study in the San Gabriel Mountains near Mt Wilson where the average annual precipitation (rain + snow) exceeds 30 inches (compare that to Los Angeles proper, which has an average annual rainfall less than half that - 14.25 inches and a mild winter climate.) and end in a place with significantly less average rainfall but more direct coastal influence in Laguna Beach.
During our time together, we will have the opportunity to meet and connect with many endemic species that only naturally occur in the southern half of California such as Big Cone Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, a denizen of the San Gabriel Mountains that “occupies an intermediate position between the lower elevation chaparral zone and the higher elevation mixed-conifer forest”; White Sage, Salvia apiana, the sacred and iconic plant whose small range is contributing to its vulnerability as “saging” grows in global popularity; and Red Sand Verbena, Abronia maritima, a perennial beach-goer (see what I did there).
A water-based theme - whether coastal or riparian in nature - has become a tradition for Plant Friends summer studies. This summer is no exception! “Coast to Crest” evokes the journey water takes through our watersheds - from the birthplace of waterways in the mountains to the ocean. One of the guiding questions this summer is - “How does the movement, nature of and availability of water shape plant communities in Southern California?” Rainfall may be scarce, but water is still moving through the landscape, shaped by the yearly cycles of precipitation and evaporation as well as the in-ground reserves made possible by topography and other factors.
Put on your water shoes, pack your swimsuit (fully optional!) and come meet some of the incredible plant communities that have adapted to dry summers & found ways to access year-round water through many different means - whether by conserving or adapting to the specific challenges and rewards of living along streams or by the sea!
Deepen your relationship to plants and place.
Satisfy your biophilia.
Bathe with/as nature.
Join us in community practice of embodied ecology as we learn from the earth towards tending our collective wellbeing.
SMALL GROUP
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Limited to 10 participants
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“Like Girl Scouts for adults of all ages & genders…who love plants.”
SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS
(final locations/activities may shift as we get closer to the study!) Carpooling is optional, but supported.
Three Mondays in a row & one Friday evening
SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS (final locations may shift; carpooling where possible!)
JULY 11- Friday San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (near Mt Wilson) 9am-3pm
JULY 12- Saturday Topanga State Park (Topanga) 10am-4pm
JULY 13 - Sunday Crystal Cove State Park (Laguna), 10am-4pm
(we usually choose locations where entry/ parking is free but occasionally $5-10)
VERBS & NOUNS
(core topics & Practices)
*relationships, plant identity, community affinities & kinship (meeting plants by family & communities of life; grounding in the local landscape)
*unique signs of SUMMER & place-based seasonal medicine
*tending the wild: reconnecting with people’s ecological roles such as seed saving, sowing & tending California Native Plants in our urban homes (with attention to ethics in collection to protecting the unique characteristics of wildland plants)
*(working towards) decolonization in conservation/regenerative herbal medicine-making & wild foods
“The sign of a healthy economy
should be a drinkable river”
- Li An Phoa
A Few Resources for everyone in celebration of COAST TO CREST
꩜ The Aqueduct Between Us indigenous perspectives on LA municipal water (39 min)
꩜ Orange County Marine Protected Area Tidepool Guide
꩜ our watershed
꩜ Plant Exploring: San Gabriel Mountains
꩜ Exploring Plants of the San Gabriel Mountains
SLIDING SCALE TUITION
5% of tuition to the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy
SEASONAL STUDY $160 - $900* read suggestions below to guide what you pay
Below are my suggestions for what to pay. Keep in mind you’re supporting the ongoing existing of a very small community-centered project!
You may notice a much wider range of tuition than is common! I believe that finances should not prohibit access to this community space, and seek to balance this with my need for a modest, healthy livelihood.
This scale seeks to (imperfectly) account for a wide imbalance of inherited wealth and privilege in our culture. I ask those of you with privilege and resources to connect to your own sense of abundance and generosity, while those with less I invite to ask for support in the form of a payment plan/by paying on the lower end of the scale when needed.
Income is an incomplete guide, so use the following as a guide but adapt to your circumstances!
I trust you to use this scale with integrity, and to pay appropriately if you choose to join us. Please do adjust for your own circumstances - we want this medicine in the world!
$160 - $900
(payment plans for all tiers on request)
$900 or more- Income greater than $300,000 per year OR recipient of substantial familial/generational wealth
$646 - Income greater than $220,00 per year and less than $300,000 per year
$392 - Income greater than $80,000 per year and less than $220,00 per year or recipient of substantial familial/generational wealth
$256- Income greater than $50,000 per year and not the recipient of substantial familial/generational wealth
$160 or pay-what-you-can - Income less than $50,000 per year and not the recipient of familial/generational wealth
REGISTRATION
Email rose.plantfriends@gmail.com with questions and to register & pay. Payment secures your seat!
5% of tuition to the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy
A NOTE ON FACILITATION/SPACE HOLDING
This study honors each participant as an expert in their own experience. Each of us bring a unique set of own gifts, wisdom and experience to shape the study. As a facilitator, I (Rose Fairley! Hi!) share my experience a decades-long student of plants, ecology, gardening, wild foods and herbal medicine. I am a UC-ANR Certified California Naturalist and Certified California Native Plant Landscaper. A huge thank you to all my floral, fungal and faunal (humans included!) teachers including all Plant Friends participants - and to the Indigenous stewards of the places I call home.
Plant Friends is committed to emergent, collaborative offerings and working towards equity.
