Georgia Vasey Presents Research on Prescribed Fire Restoration

Research into prescribed fire and ecosystem recovery will take center stage in a presentation by Georgia Vasey, a doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work examines how fire management can help restore California's coastal prairies, including efforts to reestablish native wildflowers at Wilder Ranch State Park.

According to the announcement published by plumassun.org on October 9, 2026, the presentation will cover fire's effects on aboveground and belowground processes in coastal prairie ecosystems along California's Central Coast. Vasey will also share preliminary findings from her research on native wildflower restoration.

The free event is hosted in partnership with the California Native Plant Society's Tahoe and Sierra Valley Chapter. Organizers have invited people interested in fire management and coastal wildflower ecosystems to attend.

Vasey's presentation will begin with an overview of how fire influences ecological processes in coastal prairies. She will then discuss preliminary results from efforts to reestablish native wildflowers at Wilder Ranch State Park, providing a research-based perspective on restoration methods.

Her work also addresses the relevance of restoration practices to montane meadow ecosystems. The presentation will connect her research on coastal prairie recovery with broader questions about ecosystem restoration and fire management.

Vasey is a fifth-year doctoral student in environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz, where she works in the Holl Restoration Ecology Lab. Her research focuses on restoring California coastal prairie ecosystems, particularly the roles of fire management and annual wildflowers.

Before pursuing her doctoral studies, Vasey earned a Master of Science in natural resources and environmental science from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her graduate research examined trait variation and climate adaptation in singleleaf pinyon pine.

That earlier project used field sampling and common garden experiments across environmental gradients to investigate variation in the tree's traits and its adaptation to climate conditions.

The event announcement states that registration is available online. The presentation will address both the ecological processes affected by fire and preliminary restoration results from work at Wilder Ranch State Park.