Connecting Growers and Sharing Knowledge Building a nursery network in California’s central coast region

Abstract

Nearly 20% of the 1.8 million ha (4.5 million ac) around San Francisco Bay in California are protected. Many small-scale, site-specific nurseries produce plants used to restore sites in this area. To improve regional efficacy, the California Native Nursery Network has been established to provide a conversation conduit among growers and scientists to share information about native plant propagation, eliminate redundant work, and promote economic viability of the native plant nursery industry. This article details some of the initial steps taken to form the network.