07/15/11: Theodore Payne Foundation takes a Position
on the Sediment dumping plan in La Tuna Canyon
(Sun
Valley, CA)
The Board of the Payne Foundation has sent forth a letter urging the
Los Angeles County Public Works and Board of Supervisors to seek
alternative solutions to the proposed La Tuna Canyon Sediment
Disposal Basin project. The text of the letter sent to the Los
Angeles County Public Works and Board of Supervisors can be
viewed here.
04/29/11: $930,000 State Grant to Fund Nature Education Center,
Gardens &Trails at the Theodore Payne Foundation
State grant will upgrade the Foundation’s educational
offerings about California’s natural landscapes
and how native plants save water and wildlife
(Sun
Valley, CA)
The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants has been
awarded a nature education facilities grant by the California Department
of Parks and Recreation. Funded through Proposition 84, the Safe
Drinking Water Bond passed by California
voters in 2006, the grant will enable the Foundation to enhance its existing
educational facilities and provide new learning opportunities about
California’s natural landscapes.
More than 300 non-profit organizations and governmental agencies in
California applied for funding from the $93 million
available, and 44 grants were awarded. The Foundation was chosen
because of its leading role in educating Californians about the benefits
of native plants, both for healthy ecosystems and for urban and suburban
gardens. The Foundation’s new facilities will provide sufficient
class space and provide informal learning opportunities for casual visitors.
Grant infrastructure improvements will
complement the Foundation’s year-round native plant nursery. Improvements
will include two outdoor education classrooms, a student orientation
area, a FireManagementDemonstration
Garden
and interpretive signage along the existing DiscoveryGarden
and Wild Flower Hill trails. Access for the disabled will be expanded,
restroom facilities upgraded and parking will be re-configured to improve
on-site traffic circulation.
The long-term need for water conservation has created a demand for native
plants because they use, on average, one-seventh the water of most non-natives.
California
native plants are desired because they have an astonishing array of
beautiful blossoms and scents and bring nature home. Science has
shown that 90% of all insect species – the caterpillars of most butterflies
and moths, for example – can eat only plants native to their region.
The Foundation’s new exhibits and signage will explore the essential
link between native plants, insects and animals, as well as native plant
habitats, indigenous uses and how to appropriately landscape with native
plants in fire-prone areas. These informal educational opportunities
will be augmented by the Foundation’s wide variety of classes for adults
in native plant horticulture, landscape design and water-wise irrigation,
among others, and by the Foundation’s standards-based K-12 Education
Program that reaches diverse public and private school students through
classroom outreach and field trips.
“Our educational programs help students
discover the natural world through scientific inquiry,” said Cassy Aoyagi,
president of the board of directors. “The new nature education
center, trails and gardens will give us additional tools for engaging
students in fun and challenging ways.”
The improved facilities will also benefit people seeking to garden more
responsibly through reducing water, energy, fertilizer and pesticide
use and increasing wildlife habitat.
“Once people experience the color and
fragrance of native plants and understand how they support birds and
butterflies, people become even more excited about the practical benefits,”
said Lynnette Kampe, executive director. “This grant will enable
us to fulfill our mission to preserve and promote California’s natural
inheritance.”
08/29/10: Theodore Payne Nursery eStore Grand Re-Opening
On or close to August 30th, the all-new Theodore Payne Nursery
eStore will be replacing our existing eStore. The new store is PCI-DSS
(new Federal Privacy laws) compliant and has undergone significant changes.
You'll now be able to review previous orders orders you've made and
there's a greatly enhanced search tool to find those seeds you've been
looking for. When adding to your cart, there's now a link to
"Continue Shopping" to return to where you were, too. . If
you have an existing account on the old store-- it will be transferred
to the new store. It may be a day or two before our SSL certificate
is transferred from the old store to the new store.
The big news is that all the seeds we carry now have
URL links to our Native Plant Wiki as well as descriptions, common names
and photos (if available). Our "Complete Seed List" is now broken into
alphabetical categories. If you have trouble with botanical names, use
the common name in our new search engine and available seeds will appear.
To celebrate this grand re-opening, we've included many new seeds that
were never available before through the eStore or our Nursery store.
Many of the rare and unusual seeds, have very limited stocks and will
run out quickly.
06/16/10: Prisk School and native plants make the News
Mike Letteriello, TPF member and his native plant project at Prisk Elementary
School in Long Beach are featured in the
Examiner's article and video.
10/01/09: New Plant Wiki now online
The entire Plant Library has been rebuilt in
Wiki format and can now be accessed through clicking the "Native Gardening"
Tab
12/25/08: Major Revisions on TPF Website
The Menu structure has
been completely reworked for even easier navigation. In addition, some
format changes are taking place
11/15/05: Major TPF contributor and founder Ed Peterson passes
away
We're
very sorry to share the passing of Ed Peterson. Ed was a very gentle,
quiet, unassuming man whose contributions should be an inspiration to
all of us. He was a founding member of the Theodore Payne Foundation
and served the Foundation with exceptional distinction for 45 years.
He put together the Foundation's seed program and amassed a knowledge
of native plant seeds that is unsurpassed. He was also the oldest surviving
member of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club.
On April 9,
the Foundation celebrated Ed Peterson's 100th Birthday.
Pictured, left to right: Lucy Yarick, Nancy Spiller, Ed
Peterson, Holly Wagner, and Mira Lighthart.
In his own quiet way, he changed the world in positive, meaningful ways.
His legacy to all of us is his dedication to the Foundation, to the
appreciation and preservation of our wild areas, to the pursuit of knowledge.
His family has indicated that there will not be a service and that
his ashes will be spread on Mt. San Jacinto in the Spring, a spot where
he and his brothers camped as children and learned to appreciate the
wilderness.
