Chico Traditional Ecological Stewardship Program
Indigenous-led land management for community resilience & shared prosperity
News & Announcements
Monarch Habitat Restoration Volunteer Event
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
ANNOUNCING: Milkweed Planting and Monarch Habitat Restoration Volunteer Event
in partnership with California Open Lands
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2024 | 1pm - 4:30pm
California Open Lands' Meriam Park Preserve
Monarch caterpillars depend solely on milkweed plants for food. Real estate and agriculture development have decreased milkweed habitat which threatens monarch populations.
Help us improve monarch habitat by planting milkweed at our Meriam Park Preserve!
Please come dressed appropriately for outdoor work, specifically planting seedlings. Some tools and gloves will be provided but bringing your own is encouraged. Water and refreshments will also be provided - bring your own bottle!
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
ANNOUNCING: Basket Materials and Cordage Workshop - Gathering and Processing Dogbane, Redbud, Willow, and Sedge Root
in partnership with California Open Lands
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024 | 11am - 2pm
California Open Lands HQ
In this TEK Community workshop, we will be processing traditional basket materials for the winter season, specifically dogbane, redbud, willow, and sedge root. We will meet California Open Lands' office and workshop in South Chico to process the materials and welcome the community to our new workspace!
Tools may not be needed but a small, dull pocket knife might be helpful. Some refreshments will be provided.
TEK In Action: Verbena Fields
Cordage and Basket Materials Community Workshop 12/22/24!
TEK In Action: Verbena Fields
**Community Work Day FALL HOURS: Fridays 10:00am - 1:00pm**
Monthly Plant Walk: Last Tuesday of the month, 2 hours before sunset - click here to verify start time
Come tend the land with Ali every Friday at Verbena Fields, a unique 17-acre native restoration and interpretive park created to educate the community about the rich ecological heritage of the Mechoopda people. All COVID-19 outdoor precautions are observed.
We also host a monthly Wildtending Plant Walk every last Tuesday of each month, starting 2 hours before sunset (currently at 5:00pm) in partnership with Camp Fire Restoration Project.
Everyone is welcome to join us. Please come dressed appropriately for outdoor work, and bring your own gloves if you can.
Verbena Fields is located at the corner of East 1st Avenue and Verbena Lane in North Chico. Hope to see you there!
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge & Leadership at the Forefront of Climate Action
There is no greater endeavor than to work collectively as a community to strive for healing, land restoration, and a thriving economy. Tribes of Butte County have historically created thriving local economies based off the outcomes of ecosystem stewardship and large-scale community land management.
The local Butte County Tribal Nations have traditional knowledge and the ability to work together for the greater good of local communities, which is the saving grace we especially need today. Native and non-native community members of Butte County affected by the Camp Fire are in a position to work together as a whole and expand our capacity to manage our ecosystems.
Together we aim to restore the communities’ relationship with the environment with shared knowledge from Tribes and local community members. The people of this land for generations have received prosperity, peace, health and love from their connection to this place and that will never change.
Every single soul in Butte County is part of this truth today, and we must recognize our ability to rise to the occasion and seize the opportunity to have a thriving local economy based on our collective efforts.
Wassa Honi Mep!
(Keep your heart's intentions good!)
Ali Meders-Knight
Mechoopda Tribal Member, basketweaver, and TEK practitioner/educator
Get Certified!
Land management contracting with the city of Chico, Butte County, and on State and Federal Lands will need T.E.K. (Traditional Ecological Knowledge) certification for good pay and long term employment.
There are contracts that need T.E.K. Certification from the local M.L.D. (Most Likely Descendant) tribes in the territory they are working in. Every Tribe should have a certification program that allows other contractors to get a T.E.K certification from their people.