Written By Kekoa Cantwell, San Diego Botanic Garden Tribal Climate Resilience Specialist

As part of a collaborative pilot program for tribal community revitalization and climate resilience, SDBG’s Science & Conservation team is working closely with tribal partners on restoration projects throughout the year to support federally-recognized indigenous communities of Jamul and Viejas Bands of Kumeyaay and Pala Band of Mission Indians in San Diego County in their adaptation and resilience to climate change, drought, and wildfire, especially pertaining to plants of cultural significance, tribal health, and wellbeing. SDBG’s Tribal Climate Resilience Specialist (TCRS) Kekoa Cantwell plays a key role in working directly with communities on restoration, gardening, native plant propagation and other activities on tribal land with financial support from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service in partnership with The Morton Arboretum, US Environmental Protection Agency, along with foundations and private philanthropic donors. 

 

The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians is a sovereign nation federally recognized by the United States, with a rich history deeply rooted in the San Diego region. Tribal governments are autonomous entities that conduct responsibilities of that of many governing bodies, with such structures as executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Kumeyaay, referred to as Diegueño by the Spanish, are indigenous people of San Diego County. The Kumeyaay have lived in this region for more than 10,000 years and were the first people who greeted the Spanish when they sailed into San Diego Harbor with the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo expedition of 1542. Historically, the Kumeyaay were horticulturists and hunters and gatherers.

In the Fall of 2024, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) participated in restoration projects led by our partners at Viejas, and performed in collaborative efforts with team members from the Morton Arboretum and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA). The goal with this event was to reintroduce a significant number of Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii) seedlings due to their ecological and cultural significance for the Kumeyaay people and San Diego County. 

 

 

The focus of our partnership in this work lies in our support of indigenous communities in their adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change, including drought and wildfire, and especially pertaining to plants of cultural significance, tribal health, and wellbeing. The partnership will build capacity for habitat restoration projects, evaluate how culturally important plants are faring with environmental changes, and develop infrastructure like seed banks, community gardens, nursery spaces and greenhouses in tribal communities to care for and propagate culturally significant plants.

Oaks are regarded as keystone species (key elements or species), as their disappearance from the community would lead to the collapse of the ecosystem. Other living organisms depend on oaks directly or indirectly, including other plants, animals, fungi, lichens, and algae. Oaks also contribute to soil conservation, carbon capture, and regulation of the water cycle. Acorns, the fruits of oaks, have been used as food in various ways by indigenous people in Southern California, including Gabrielino-Tongva, Kumeyaay, and Luiseño tribes. In some instances, the Gabrielino-Tongva people would consume acorns whole, whereas Kumeyaay and Luiseño peoples would leach and grind the acorns to make a mush or porridge called shawii in Kumeyaay and wiiwish in Luiseño. This traditional practice continues to this day. Oaks are also revered as non-human relatives in some indigenous ways of knowing the world.

 

 

As the Tribal Climate Resilience Specialist at San Diego Botanic Garden, I performed a site visit on October 29th, 2024 to help assess proposed areas for planting Engelmann seedlings, together with an SDZWA representative, Viejas’ Environmental Coordinator Sophia Bejarano, and affiliated staff. There have since been two planting days so far that SDBG assisted, on November 7th and 13th, 2024. The priority species planted were Engelmann oaks (Quercus engelmannii). The acorns were earlier sourced from an adult Engelmann oak growing in Viejas, then propagated by Devil Mountain nursery, and finally reintroduced as seedlings ready for transplanting.

Over the course of those two days, 48 oaks were planted throughout four main areas in Viejas: near the Tribal Hall, around the Rec-Center, around the Transfer Station, and near Viejas Creek. Each location’s topography varies slightly, and each seedling was accessioned into Field Maps, an ARC-GIS database that is shared with the Viejas Environmental Department. On November 7th, local youth participated in transplanting the seedlings, which was received well by the community and served as a scientifically and culturally significant moment for the children, especially those that had not previously participated in plant work. An experience shared by my supervisor, Dr. Ben Naman (Director of Medicinal Plants Research at SDBG), helps capture the essence of the moment through a quote from one young participant; “Even though it’s cold out and starting to get dark, I want to keep planting these trees. I love it so much and I want to plant more of them before we have to go inside.”

On November 13th, after we had planted oak seedlings, local youths participated in an acorn gathering. This was culturally significant, equally fun, and productive for all involved. The following week on November 20th, I attended an acorn sowing event for the youth that was held by Viejas’ environmental team. Astonishingly, we were able to sow over three hundred Engelmann acorns, the same acorns that the young scientists gathered the previous week! We spoke about topics such as taproot formation, the importance of trees in an ecosystem, and the power that the youth have as environmental stewards since they will be the ones to grow with the seedlings and see to the care of these trees when they are adults.

 

 

Viejas’ environmental team was kind enough to share their surplus of Engelmann acorns with SDBG, and with the propagation of those acorns, which I am overseeing, there is now the possibility of reintroducing even more seedlings once they are ready for transplanting. The process will require time, patience and a lot of attention and care; as a process fostering new life generally beckons.

In the coming months, I will be coordinating routine check ups on the seedlings, monitoring and reporting information in regards to their growth with both Viejas and the Morton Arboretum. The Arboretum is a leading partner in the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO), a global effort to prevent the extinction of oak species. The GCCO, which serves as the international coordinating agency for all oak conservation activities, has also recognized the important work being done at SDBG by designating the Garden as Species Stewards on behalf of the GCCO for a handful of threatened Californian oak species. The oaks under SDBG’s stewardship as part of this international conservation program include Quercus cedrosensis, Q. dumosa, Q. tomentella, Q. palmeri, Q. pacifica, and Q. engelmannii.

 

 

Overall the efforts we have made together are very promising in regards to the community’s interest and the cultivation of ecological investment for youth and adults alike. I am truly humbled to be a part of such groundbreaking efforts and it is an honor to be a friend and colleague of such professionals in this field. I am proud of SDBG for demonstrating a commitment to work equitably with Indigenous partners in our region in support of their communities’ priorities. I look forward to reporting back with more updates and information regarding our support of Indigenous communities throughout San Diego County and beyond.

 

Restoration efforts as part of this project are made possible through vital funding provided by The U.S. Forest Service and The Morton Arboretum.