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A GROWING PASSION: Plants: The Endangered Species

Host Nan Sterman and San Diego Zoo Global native seed collector Stacy Anderson look at Tecate cypress tree seed cones which require fire to open and release seeds.
Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC
Host Nan Sterman and San Diego Zoo Global native seed collector Stacy Anderson look at Tecate cypress tree seed cones which require fire to open and release seeds.

Encore Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. on KPBS TV + Monday, Sept. 20 at 8:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 / On Demand

California has the largest number of rare plants and animals of any state in the nation. In California, San Diego is a hot spot of biodiversity.

There are more species of plants here than almost anywhere else in the world. Or at least there were more species of plants than almost anywhere else in the world.

As the region has developed, shopping malls, schools, roadways, office buildings, and homes cover what was once vernal pools, and other rare habitat areas. As a result, San Diego County is also on the hot list for endangered species.

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On this episode, we meet Dr. John Clark, the charismatic scientist who is executive director of the Center for Plant Conservation, which recently relocated from the Missouri Botanical Garden to join forces with the San Diego Zoological Society.

Host Nan Sterman examines the bark of a tree at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, for damage by the Ips beetle, a pest that is devastating these ancient trees. San Diego, Calif.
Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC
Host Nan Sterman examines the bark of a tree at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, for damage by the Ips beetle, a pest that is devastating these ancient trees. San Diego, Calif.

Dr. Clark takes us to see examples of endangered plants, many of which are all around us — we simply don't recognize them.

We talk with Dr. Clark about why these plants are important, what exactly it means to be an "endangered" plant, and what, if anything, we can do to slow the rate of plant extinction both locally and worldwide.

Host Nan Sterman (right) working with Joe Davitt (left) and Stacy Anderson (center) of San Diego Zoo Global’s Native Seed Bank to collect an herbarium specimen of a rare plant on the dunes at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach, Calif.
Courtesy of AGP Productions, LLC
Host Nan Sterman (right) working with Joe Davitt (left) and Stacy Anderson (center) of San Diego Zoo Global’s Native Seed Bank to collect an herbarium specimen of a rare plant on the dunes at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach, Calif.

Watch On Your Schedule:

Episodes of A GROWING PASSION are on demand following the broadcast. All past seasons are available on demand now!

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Join The Conversation:

A GROWING PASSION is on Facebook, and you can follow @GrowingPassion on Twitter. Share photos and follow the series on Instagram.

Center for Plant Conservation is on Facebook, Instagram, and you can follow @CPCplants on Twitter.

About The Series:

A GROWING PASSION is an Emmy-winning lifestyle program that explores San Diego County's agriculture and horticulture activities as an expression of this growing earth-friendly movement. From backyard food production to major horticultural growers, from low-water landscapes to sustainable practices around the home and in the garden, we tell stories about the natural and manmade landscapes that shape the social, cultural, environmental and economic interests of our community. We celebrate how San Diego grows.