UC Master Gardener Program Recorded Training
Topic outline
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Speaker: Yana Valachovic, County Director and UC Forest Advisor, Humboldt & Del Norte
Counties
Format: YouTube Video
Duration: 1 hour (self-paced)
Continuing Education: UC Master Gardeners record 1.0 hour of continuing education in the Volunteer Management System.Description
“Life in Southern California is being transformed as the climate grows hotter, drier and in places like Ventura County, windier. In the last few years, this dangerous combination has fueled some of the largest and most destructive wildfires in the state's history. Consequently, Master Gardeners are fielding more questions around the topic of fire-smart home design and landscaping.
Valachovic discusses changes in defensible space policy and home construction guidelines. The presentation will cover the three key points that assist in home survival:
- Careful landscape selection, placement, and maintenance
- Awareness and management of combustible materials on the property (e.g. leaf litter or lawn furniture) during your fire season, and
- Incorporation of fire and ember resistant construction materials, installation details and maintenance.
Developing wildfire resilience is more than having a metal roof or stucco siding. Ember-resistant construction relies on awareness of seemingly small details that can make your home vulnerable to embers, in addition to building with appropriate materials, and regular home and property maintenance.
The UC Master Gardeners are an important arm in the UC's fire resiliency educational messaging.
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University of California Coopertive Extension website containing fire resources and information
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Disaster Safety website containing disaster resources for fire, flood, hail, hurricane, tornado, water/rain, and winter weather
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National website that contains the leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical and related hazards