Grasslands and Vernal Pools
A closer look at California’s golden habitats
When John Muir wrote of a “continuous bed of honey bloom” and “a hundred flowers at every step,” he was talking about California’s grassland and vernal pool habitats. Sadly, over 90% of California’s native grasslands and an estimated 60-95% of vernal pools have been lost, placing them among the state’s most critical yet endangered ecosystems. Grasslands, embedded wetlands, and meadows are herbaceous communities that lack woody plants. Scattered throughout, vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that support some of the state’s most specialized plant and animal communities. Protecting these vital areas pools is central to CNPS’s work—ensuring their survival for future generations.
California’s grasslands and vernal pools are among the state’s most ecologically significant and threatened habitats. Here’s what makes them remarkable.
CNPS is establishing best practices for sampling and mapping of sensitive grassland and vernal pool habitats, building the scientific foundation needed to identify, protect, and manage these ecosystems at scale.
Across California, CNPS is working to quantitatively define, recognize, and rank sensitive grassland and vernal pool habitats at the association scale—providing the rigorous scientific framework that conservation decisions depend on.
Through ground-based, fine-scale mapping of grassland habitats, CNPS identifies areas with high concentrations of native species and pinpoints opportunities for restoration, connecting science directly to action on the ground.
Local chapter-based education, conservation and restoration of grasslands and vernal pools support habitats near human communities.
CNPS advocates for grassland and vernal pool habitat protection at all levels of government though participation in 30×30 and public lands coalitions, local land use decisions, and through advisory groups like the US Fish and Wildlife Service Vernal Pool Recovery Implementation Team.
Learn more about indicator species, conservation, and restoration applications.
Resources & References
Reports
Maps
More Info
California Native Grasslands by Golden State Naturalist
Grasslands, Explained: For the Love of California’s Grasslands by Santa Lucia Conservancy
California’s Secret Wild Grassland
Climate Change is altering how we restore California’s Native Grasslands by the Sierra Club
Support an organization grounded in science.
