by Pam De Vries, 2012. Paperback, 124 pages.
The plant life of the San Emigdio Mountains Region is rich and varied due to its location at the junction of the Mojave, Great Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and central Coast Range ecoregions. The 8,800-foot Mount Pinos, considered the center of the universe for the Chumash people, stands at the center of the region and overlooks a broad area of the Los Padres National Forest including Frazier Mountain and the Gorman Hills along Interstate 5, famous for its fabulous wildflower displays. Wind Wolves Preserve, the largest non-profit preserve in the western United States, and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge areas, where one can catch a glimpse of a California condors, are also covered by this book. This easy-to-use field guide contains photos and descriptions of over 190 herbs, shrubs, and trees commonly found in the region.
Pam De Vries has worked as a botanical consultant in southern California since the mid 1990s. In 2006, she and her husband moved to Pine Mountain Club, a small mountain community on the north slope of Mount Pinos, where she continues to be inspired by the diversity of the flora in the San Emigdio Mountains Region.
