Teaching, collaboration, and extension are crucial pillars to the Accreditation to Improve Restoration program. While nursery accreditation visits and audits are a large part of the program, our work does not end there. In support of our shared goal of increasing awareness of Phytophthora in the nursery and protecting our native habitats, our team members work with nurseries and communities to share information and recommendations while learning about the unique conditions of our diverse nursery landscape.

In keeping with this goal, last month our AIR team members from the Del Castillo Lab were honored to present at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery's Intertribal Nursery Training. Dr. Johanna Del Castillo began our demonstration with a discussion of risk-based sampling for Phytophthora in the nurseries before opening the floor to discussion and feedback. Later in the day, Dean Watson demonstrated how to conduct leachate testing for Phytophthora in nursery container plants. 

After an introduction to the test and a discussion on plant selection, testing equipment, and technique, audience members had the opportunity to try conducting the test themselves, including learning how to calibrate watering wands, irrigate with standardized quantities of water, and complete the test by collecting leachate water and pear baits. 

It was a lovely afternoon out at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery. We are incredibly grateful for our nursery staff who invited us to join them for the training, and of course to the many Intertribal Nursery Growers in attendance. The AIR Team looks forward to continuing our collaboration in the future.