This content is from UC Agriculture & Natural Resources and Marin Wildfire. It was originally distributed as a PDF (download here).
Informational Training Session:
- What: Reducing Vulnerabilities to Homes & Structures in 2026
- When: May 6, 2026, 3PM to 5PM
- Location: Virtual via Zoom
- REGISTRATION is REQUIRED in advance of the meeting.
Wildfire and Residential Landscapes
Reducing vulnerabilities to homes and structures in 2026
Landscape designers, installers, and maintenance professionals face increasingly complex demands to deliver beautiful home landscapes that reduce wildfire risks. The online training session on May 6 will provide current policy, science, and practice for the creation, implementation, and maintenance of residential landscapes that can reduce structure vulnerabilities to wildfire.
Topics to be covered during the May 6 session include:
• California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection guidance and directives for residential landscapes
• Fire behavior and vulnerability of structures
• Prioritizing Defensible Space Inspection Report action items with appealing design, installation, and care examples
The online training session will be lead by researchers, educators, and landscape professionals, including:
- Steve Quarles, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus
- Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension Forestry Advisor
- Kathleen Cutter, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, Marin Wildfire
- Sheryl Drinkwater, Home Hardening Specialist Architect, Geometra Design
- April Owens, Executive Director, Habitat Corridor Project
- Tori Norville, UC Cooperative Extension Fire Science Advisor
Who Should Attend
Architects, owners and managers of landscape design build, landscape maintenance, or property management companies, and realtors will benefit from this training. Attendees will receive a University of California Cooperative Extension certificate of participation.
How to Attend
Registration is required in advance of the meeting date. Information on the session and the Zoom link for attending will be provided closer to the date.
