Case for Support

Seed the Change: Growing Impact Together
By Debbie Hanson, Founder and Executive Director, Wildfire Resilient Landscapes

Wildfires are growing faster and more destructively across California. In 2023 alone, over 7,000 fires burned nearly 320,000 acres in the state, many starting in wildland urban interface zones where homes and flammable vegetation overlap (CAL FIRE, 2024). More than 1.5 million people in the Los Angeles metro area live in high fire risk zones (USDA Forest Service, 2022).

Yet, most households still landscape with non-native ornamentals that are highly flammable, difficult to maintain, and ecologically poor. These choices increase wildfire risk and degrade soil and habitat health.

Seed the Change: Native Plant Seed Starter Kits offer families, schools, and community groups a convenient way to create fire-smart landscapes while supporting statewide restoration efforts. Each kit includes:

• Native seed packets – carefully selected fire-resilient grasses such as Purple Needlegrass and Deergrass, species that grow in clumps, break up continuous fuel loads, reduce flame length, and regenerate safely after fire (Quinn, 1994).
• Mini Greenhouse Starter – Trays, Dome, and Inserts for Easy Germination at Home.
• Soil discs or pellets are simple, low-cost, and water-efficient. 
• Educational guide – step-by-step germination instructions, transplanting guidance, and tips on defensible space and fire-smart plant spacing.
   

When a kit is purchased, a portion of the proceeds funds donations of native grass seed to community restoration projects. This creates a cycle of shared impact: residents protect their own homes while also helping restore degraded landscapes across California.

Native grasses provide multiple benefits for fire safety and ecological health:

• Fire mitigation – Clumped growth patterns reduce surface fuel continuity, slowing fire spread.
• Soil restoration – Deep roots improve soil structure and prevent erosion.
• Water conservation – Native grasses require little irrigation once established.
• Wildlife and forage value – They provide habitat for pollinators, birds, and grazing animals.
• Invasive species reduction – They help replace fire-prone non-native species such as cheatgrass and medusahead (Brooks et al., 2004).
   

In its first year, Seed the Change will:

• Distribute 1,000 seed kits in high-risk neighborhoods across Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino Counties.
• Donate native seed to local restoration projects in need.
• Establish 20 or more community demonstration gardens that showcase fire-safe landscaping.
• Increase participant knowledge of defensible space practices by 30 percent (measured through surveys).
• Reduce flammable ornamental plantings in participating neighborhoods by 15 percent.
   

Within five years, the program will scale to reach 10,000 households statewide while continuing to supply seed donations to restoration projects.

Your support ensures that:

• Families in fire-prone neighborhoods gain access to affordable fire-smart landscaping tools.
• Schools and community groups can take part in visible, educational planting projects. 
• Restoration projects across California receive free native grass seed.
   

Every kit planted is more than a garden. It is a safer home, a stronger neighborhood, and a step toward a wildfire-resilient California.

• CAL FIRE. (2024). Wildfire statistics and defensible space guidelines. 
• Brooks, M. L., et al. (2004). Effects of Invasive Alien Plants on Fire Regimes: A BioScience Perspective 
• USDA Forest Service. (2022). Wildland urban interface risk analysis.
• Quinn, R. D. (1994). Fire ecology of a native California grassland. Journal of Range Management.