RECIPE: A novel research project that is more than half-baked

Having completed the acquisition of 1500 acres of coastal sage scrub contained within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan region, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy found itself in a position to promote a standard of excellence for restoring and sustaining native habitat, and for documenting ongoing changes as the habitat improves. Management at the Land Conservancy knew that scientific research was essential for providing feedback to the restoration staff, but also recognized that greater good could be realized through a broad-based community effort. This forward-thinking approach led to the creation of the Research, Education, and Community Involvement Program for the Environment (RECIPE), which is designed to coordinate scientific research and management information for communication to the restoration community and public at large. Supported by Alcoa Foundation, RECIPE is intended to reach students from elementary through university level work to foster sound scientific education for youth as well as research opportunities for academia. Barely a year old, RECIPE has been well received throughout the community and has a variety of research projects underway. Initial results have shown that the merger of academia with young students and the restoration staff can be an effective process for discovering how to better restore and manage the open space on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We utilize multiple avenues, such as newsletters, interpretive flyers, and conferences as well as peer-reviewed journal articles, to communicate the research results to our local community, the restoration community, and academia.