The California Chaparral Institute in Escondido, Calif., is a non-profit scientific and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of California’s most extensive and representative natural community: chaparral.

Chaparral is a semi-arid, shrub-dominated plant community of drought-hardy shrubs that was once home to the California grizzly bear. Chaparral is shaped by infrequent fires, summer droughts, and mild, wet winters. It provides protection from erosion, moderates local climate, and provides refuge and habitat for numerous plants and animals. Chaparral plant communities are found in every county in California and extend from the Rogue River Valley in southern Oregon through California and into Baja California, Mexico.

Listen to this audio clip with Richard Halsey, Director of the California Chaparral Institute, to learn more about this unique habitat found throughout California.

PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Halsey, California Chaparral Institute