Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
Home > What We Do > Programs > Plant Materials

Plant Materials

PictureWorking at the Native Seed Farm in Irvine
Native plants are the foundation of our ecosystems, and our restoration work cannot happen without the key species that make up a rich and diverse plant community. To ensure that we have a robust inventory of native plants and seeds on hand for our work, IRC staff and volunteers collect small, genetically diverse samples of seed from naturally occurring plant populations and use traditional agricultural and nursery techniques to cultivate enough plant material to support restoration. The resulting plants and seeds are well-suited to local conditions and more likely to thrive once they are reintroduced in the wild.

Overseeing every step of this process ultimately enables us to be more self-sufficient. We are able to maintain a diverse inventory of plant species for use in our restorations that are otherwise unavailable on the retail market, despite their availability in the wild. Additionally, we minimize the amount of seed that is collected from local habitats, leaving it in the wild where it can generate new plants and ensure that populations persist.

This year round, cyclical work serves as a gateway for the community, educating them about the surrounding land and bringing them into our work in a meaningful way.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate