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Curious to learn more about the ecology of native and invasive plant species in the Los Padres National Forest? Now's your chance! Join the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Applied Ecologist, Josie Lesage, in an educational training session to learn how you can become a community scientist and collecting valuable species location data in iNaturalist. This free online workshop will introduce you to iNaturalist, describe key noxious weeds in the southern Los Padres and how to ID them, and show you how to use iNaturalist to learn more about the plants and animals you encounter while hiking.

About the Presenter: Josie Lesange, Ph.D.

Josie works to map, conserve, and restore California habitats using ecological theory as a guide. As the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Applied Ecologist, she is interested in understanding how local ecosystems respond to disturbance and restoration intervention, and in building a community of volunteer scientists to steward our local habitats. She is currently involved in several projects related to invasive plant management and ecosystem recovery following fire in the Los Padres. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she studied long-term management and community change in California’s coastal prairies.

Founded in 1979, the LPFA is an official non-profit 501(c)(3) partner of the Los Padres National Forest. 

Our mission is to care for the Los Padres Forest, ensuring it thrives and remains safe and open for the people to use and enjoy.

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