Getting started

Test Plot is an open source idea that we hope will inspire communities around the world. If you’d like hands-on assistance, Test Plot can be hired as a consultant to help you through the process of community engagement, design, stewardship workshops, and ongoing monitoring. We are also looking to partner on grant proposals with other nonprofits and public agencies. Please reach out to start the conversation!

If you’d like to start your own plot, read on for some helpful things to think about. At the bottom of the page, we’ve shared some of our favorite resources in California. You can also check out some practical guides listed in the Inspiration section under Media.

👨‍🌾 To volunteer at one of our plots, please contact the plot leader listed on VOLUNTEER

What makes a good site?

 —We like to invest in parks that simply need care. Parks and open spaces are essential to our health and well being, but are often underfunded and suffer from years of deferred maintenance. Urbanization and climate change are putting even greater pressure on these “green lungs.” Let’s dedicate our time, labor and creativity into taking care of the precious spaces we have.

 —Urban parks, open spaces and natural areas are often prone to invasive species and what ecologists call novel ecosystems: altered environments created by human activities, where species and ecosystems mix in new ways. We like to focus on habitat creation in these areas because they often receive less attention than wild areas outside our cities. Yet novel ecosystems—often resulting from urbanization, industrial activities, pollution, or climate change— disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. We prioritize these areas because we believe social and environmental justice go hand in hand.

Infrastructure

 —In choosing a site, these are helpful basics to consider. Ideally, there is a nearby water source to provide supplemental water during the first summer. This can be as simple as a hose-bib connection. If hand watering, consider locating your plot the distance you are willing to drag a hose.

 —Access. Ideally you’ll be able to drive a pick up truck up to the site for plant, mulch and tool deliveries. Steep slopes may not be a great place to start if working with volunteers

 —Existing native vegetation. Though this is not a pre-requisite, give yourself the greatest chance of success by building from existing patches of native habitat where beneficial mycorrhizal relationships may already exist. Check out the “Bradley method for control of invasive plants” for a good primer.

Asking permission

 —Understand the existing stakeholders. Do your homework and start from the ground up. Find out which nonprofits and community leaders are already doing similar work. Talk to them and see if your project aligns with their values and vision. Knock on doors and talk to the neighbors.

— Develop an agreement. Find out who the land owner/manager is and get their permission to take care of the land. Depending on the owner, we have used informal measures like a handshake agreement to more formal documents like an MOU (memorandum of understanding) or license agreement. The agreement should cover a minimum of two growing seasons to get started.

Inventory what’s there

—Observation mindset. Start from the perspective of observer. No matter the site, there is an existing ecology and history to respect and understand. If you can, take a full year to notice, watch, listen and record. Understand the patterns, time cycles and rhythms of the place before any planting.

—Inventory. As part of the observation process, make a list of the species on site, both native + non native. Come back each season and note the changes across the year, from spring annuals to summer dormancy. Check out CalFlora “What Grows Here” for a list of native plants that have been documented growing in your area. There’s a story to tell, before doing anything.

Tips: Use a photo app like Seek or Picture This to ID species. Start to include insect, wildlife and human observations. For one example, check out the Starr King Log.

To plant or not to plant

 —One of the first questions to consider is whether you will be planting or simply restoring the land through selective removal. Selective removal is a passive approach that favors removing invasive plants to make room for desired plants that may come in on their own because of nearby populations or the existing seed bank. Check out Skyline Gardens in the Bay Area as well as this article on Indigenous seed bank management for inspiration on this method. 

 —Another approach is to not buy new plants but instead, take cuttings, divisions or seed from existing garden sources to regenerate. This broadly follows under a “field to field” approach where you borrow from a “donor” site and bring to a more degraded “recipient” site.  Nicholas Anderson has been inspiring us to think more about what he calls ecoreparation.

 —If you choose to purchase new plants, support community nurseries that are “hyperlocal” (some define this as plants collected from seed sources within the same watershed). This method is the best in terms of protecting and encouraging genetic diversity within native plant populations.

Site preparation

—The key to good site preparation is to know what is in the existing seed bank, what direction weed seeds will come into your plot via wind or water or animals, and developing as strategy to create defensible space.

—One method to begin this process is to start a “grow, kill” cycle. There are often millions of latent weed seeds in disturbed areas. By watering the site for several weeks prior to planting you can encourage/force the weeds to come up more quickly. The “kill” portion comes by then weeding the areas you want to plant. Pro tip: take care to not over-clear.

—Alternatively take a longer term restoration approach and do this over several winters (using only natural rainfall) to allow the weeds to naturally grow, and then weed them out each season, thereby slowly depleting the top layer of weed seeds before planting.

—Consider other methods. Depending on the site and resources, you may also want to try sheet mulching, solarization, vinegar spray, scything or even goats and sheepmowers! No matter the method, remember this key mantra: MINIMIZE SOIL DISTURBANCE!

What is the test?

—Part of the fun of Test Plot is that the whole project is an experiment and opportunity to learn from the land. Brainstorm what questions you want to explore. Here are three buckets of questions we often consider:

  • Ecological questions like, how do we increase certain types of pollinators? How can we create mid-story biomass for songbird habitat? Which species will do well in more extreme weather events?

  • Landcare questions center around methods and practices. How can we minimize inputs and cycle materials on site to promote closed loops? How can we encourage deeper watering? Which species can tolerate disturbance, like brush clearance?

  • We also also questions around building community connections. How can we structure our workdays to include intergenerational members? How do we create an easy pathway for folks to get involved that don’t think of themselves as environmentalists? What kinds of programs through art, science, athletics, fashion and food can bring a more diverse set of people into land stewardship?

Set up an experiment

—Some of our plots focus on monitoring, which means we develop a set of metrics to keep track of over time to evaluate the success of the plot. These metrics vary per the plot, but common ones include species success + biomass, insect counts, volunteer hours, and alternatives to carbon intensive land management. If this sounds intimidating, not to worry there is no wrong way. Our sweet spot is “observational data” which just means you need to pick something to notice and record on a regular basis — journal entry, spreadsheet, time-lapse photography, pick your poison and get creative. It’s a practice of noticing, and staying present; to help you pay closer attention to the interconnectedness of place, culture, plants and rituals.

Design

Finally, design! Design is not commonly considered when starting habitat restoration projects and we think this should change. Design is a tool to create intentional relationships between humans and the plants and animals we are trying to support. Consider, for example, the size and shape of your plot. How should you locate your plot in relation to paths, desire lines and game trails? Which spaces are off limits, and how will people maintain and access the plants? Is there an “entrance” or a “back”? How can you use dead wood, stones or fencing to create thresholds, scaffolds, habitat nooks? How might signage or sculpture help orient visitors? How your plot will evolve over the years?

The plot in the adjacent image began as a small circle that was easy to hand water, but over 3 years expanded to better address the slope with perpendicular circulation, capturing the water run off in the planting beds, and slowing erosion.

Year 1-3

—It can take 1-2 years to establish native plant plants. The goal is to help them get rooted to the point they won’t need supplemental summer water and can start reproducing and become native seed banks!

—However, that doesn’t mean you should plant everything right away. Ideally your plan should consider multi-year sequential planting that builds over time and responds to what happens. Don’t invest a lot on day one.

—We like to start with early, fast adapters sometimes called “pioneer species.” These are plants like goldenbush, CA fuschia, buckwheat & mugwort that grow quickly in disturbed areas and readily self-seed. Because we often work in urban sites with compacted soils, high weed pressure, and lots of human disturbance, make it easy on yourself and select plants that will take a foothold and spread quickly.

Succession

—Once you’re able to establish pockets of native plants, hopefully beneficial soil relationships are also taking a foothold. Add in wildflower seeds and grasses to continue to build the soil health and design an urban superbloom in the process!

—Continue building in layers and add target species like ceonothus and manzanita, oaks and walnuts. A keystone species, like the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) is a gift that keeps on giving, providing food, shelter, and nesting sites; stabilizing soil, sequestering carbon, and filtering air; their fallen leaves contribute to soil health by adding organic matter; they are home to insects, lichens, mosses, and fungi; they regulate water flow, and are often culturally significant, especially to Indigenous communities. 

Replication rather than “scaling up”

—Test Plot is an idea that can be easily replicated across landscapes and communities around the globe. It’s a space to explore themes around local climate change action, cultural stewardship, and human/non-human interconnectedness. 

—Test Plot is a space to learn valuable skills around taking care of the land. These are skills that can’t be learned on the internet. For the most part, they are lo-tech technologies rooted in regenerative and reciprocal practices. Maintenance as a creative act. Test Plot as a living laboratory. 

—Lastly, We don’t think that Test Plot can be scaled in the traditional, capitalist sense. There isn’t a dollar cost / acre that makes sense. A lot of labor over time is required and in fact, we celebrate that. Rather, we think of Test Plot as a necessary provocation. We ask, how can we improve the way land is cared for? How can we cut through red tape to demonstrate what is possible? How can we disrupt business as usual practices? And lastly, how can we strengthen and deepen our collective land ethic? 

Check out our zine, One Year in Landcare for more “out there” ideas on expanding approaches to landcare.

Resources

Native Plant Growers / Nurseries - LA

Theodore Payne Foundation (Sun Valley)
*Check out the Local Source Initiative)

North East Trees (Ascot Hills Park)

Los Nogales Nursery (Debs Park)

Catalina Conservancy (Catalina Island)

Community Nature Connection (Elyria Canyon)

Chaminade College Preparatory Student Native Plant Nursery (West Hills)

Plant Material (multiple locations)

Artemisia Nursery (East LA)

Hahamongna Nursery (Pasadena)

El Nativo Growers (Azusa) *wholesale

Tree of Life Nursery (San Juan Capistrano)

Native Plant Growers / Nurseries - Bay Area

Watershed Nursery Cooperative (Richmond)

Native Here Now (Berkeley)

Tilden Regional Botanical Garden (Berkeley)

Oaktown Native Plant Nursery (Berkeley)

Urban Habitat Project (Berkeley)

Mission Blue Nursery (San Bruno Mountain / Brisbane)

Down by the Bay (Hayward)

Cal Flora Nursery (Fulton)

Hedgerow Farms (Winters - local ecotype seed)

Materials

Chip drop (Mulch)
Rolled cedar fencing (15’ length x 2’ height)
Fence posts (36”)