Restoring Habitat for San Francisco’s Rare Endemic Manzanitas | SF

Submitted by the Event Organizer

San Francisco hosts two of the rarest manzanitas in the world: Raven’s Manzanita (Arctostaphylos Montana subsp. ravenii) and Franciscan Manzanita (Arctostaphylos franciscana). These endangered species grew together in a distinct maritime chaparral habitat that once covered the serpentine hilltops of San Francisco. Their story is one of loss, salvage, rediscovery, and serendipity. Michael Chassé will share the story of how San Francisco’s rare endemic manzanitas were brought back from the brink of extinction and how current efforts are returning these species to the San Francisco landscape.

Michael Chassé is a vegetation ecologist for the National Park Service at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, where he has coordinated natural areas stewardship and rare plant monitoring for close to 20 years. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University’s Department of Geography. His master’s thesis focused on San Francisco’s rare endemic manzanitas.

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