1913 Opening Day - The incline railroad located on the hill behind Fairfax Lumber was built to sell hillside lots.

Do you ever wonder what this land looked like before you arrived?

Date: Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Time: 6:30 -8:00pm

Location: Circle Center SEED space at 8 Bolinas Road (Upstairs), Fairfax

Donations of $5-$10 suggested.

Join Sustainable Fairfax and fifth generation teacher and artist, Rebecca Burgess for a stunning, one hour visual presentation where she will unearth the history of the land we call home. You will learn old truths that lie beneath the surface of our homes, roads and even the open spaces we consider testaments to our wild past. Participants will see and hear about ancient local processes that can help us become better stewards of our gardens, community spaces and natural parks.

Rebecca Burgess is a fifth generation teacher and artist. Born and raiserd in the Ross Valley, she leads workshops and seasonal classes for the Bay Area Discovery Museum as well as the California Instsitute of Herbal Studies.

Rebecca has taught for local schools and private groups focusing on ecological arts. She brings together the study of art and local ecology through a process of understanding land management through an inclusive historical perspective.

NOTES FROM THE TALK

NATURAL HISTORY OF FAIRFAX:

500 YEARS TO THE PRESENT 

THU APR 23, 2009 

CIRCLE CENTER  - 8 Bolinas Rd - Fairfax

6:00 – 8:30 pm 

Lecture/Slide Show Presented by

REBECCA BURGESS

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Rebecca Burgess provided a Power Point presentation and spoke about the History of Fairfax from 500 years ago until the present day as it relates to how land management choices have evolved, how food connects with land management choices and how we can get back to our primary resources for cultivating and providing the things that we need to help us survive for the future. 

Originally, the Coast Miwok Indians inhabited the area when there was an abundance

of oak groves, grasslands, woodlands, forests and wildflowers throughout the land. 60-70% of their nourishment came from local plants. Oak trees (black, white and tan) were plentiful. The Native Americans relied heavily on acorns for a large part of their diet and they respectfully managed the local resources around them for a long time.  

Everything they needed to survive was already here. They harvested foods from the wild from below ground such as geophytes using gathering gourds and other hand made tools that they had inherited down through many generations. Digging sticks were used for Yampah (a cross between and sweet potato and a carrot), Brodiaea and Soaproot (used

to clean dirt off of mushrooms – like a natural brush). Low burns were set on the land periodically for aerating purposes. The flat, dry, accessible open areas were perfect for harvesting local food sources. 

Sir Francis Drake and the first European Settlers arrived eventually and things began to change. The Brodiaea harvesting stopped because of the fear the Indians had of being put on to reservations. War, disease and the killing of animals resulted in the Native Americans losing the intimacy that they originally had developed with their surroundings.  

The Tule Elk, Grizzly Bear, Black Bear and Salmon were once plentiful but the numbers of their populations were changing also. Ranches sprang up, dams were built, agriculture began and cattle and sheep ranching were brought in. Parcels of land were traded many times before any records were kept. The railway was built and at one point people came to live in tent camps because of the damage from San Francaico1906 earthquake.  

Marin County, (specifically the Fairfax area) is rich with lots of interesting local natural history and there is much to be gained from the many lessons learned from the people who came here before us who originally inhabited this land. Taking a closer look at what has happened in the past along with reviewing our current and future options can help us successfully prepare for a more secure and sustainable future for many generations to come.