Growing Native Seeds for Native Americans Program

San Diego County is a recognized biodiversity hotspot and home to about 2,000 native plants. Unfortunately, the county also contains more threatened and endangered species than any other county in the continental United States, most of which are plants. 

The Native American tribes who have lived here for thousands of years have a unique connection with the land.

Our innovative Native Seeds for Native Americans program, a collaboration between the Applied Plant Ecology and Conservation Education divisions, links conservation with cultural empowerment of Native American tribes to help renew a connection between native plants and tribal people. 

Key accomplishments this year were the construction of a plant propagation shade house on the San Pasqual Reservation, the delivery of more than 100 native trees and shrubs to the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians to support post-wildfire restoration, and the publication of an ethnobotanical field guide, ‘UUNYAA ‘WARIK ‘EHMUUA, that highlights culturally significant plants, their Kumeyaay names, and traditional uses. 

During the Wild Animal Park’s annual Garden Festival, Native American basket weavers taught the art of traditional basket making to more than 170 participants. Finally, we worked with students and educators from the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians on an exciting new program in which students collect, propagate, and sell native drought-tolerant plants at local farmers markets.