Poppy Hour: A Conversation with Noriko Smallwood

Los Angeles is known worldwide as a sprawling city with palm tree lined streets and stunning sunsets. While those things are true, we are also home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Urban sprawl is changing the natural landscape, but is there hope?

Noriko Smallwood has some answers for us.

About Noriko

Noriko is currently a Master's student in Dr. Eric Wood's lab at Cal State Los Angeles where she is studying the influence of native plants on wildlife in southern California residential yards. In particular, her research focuses on the interactions between birds and native plants, and the drivers behind those patterns. Though her research is ongoing, she has found that native yards host significantly more birds and bird species than traditional, lawned yards. Noriko is passionate about conserving the environment and enjoys learning how native landscaping can improve habitat for wildlife in urban environments.

Noriko holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Ecosystem Sciences from Washington State University. In addition to being a graduate student, she is a wildlife biologist for an environmental consulting firm. She also enjoys getting outside and photographing wildlife, and hopes to continue learning about native plants while working to conserve habitat for wildlife.

Website: The Wood Lab: www.ericmwood.org/noriko-smallwood

Instagram: @noriko_in_nature

Poppy Hour is our California native plant internet mashup. Part interviews, part garden tour, part happy hour, we explore the amazing diversity of people and ideas that connect to Southern California plants and landscapes. Join us!

All previous episodes are archived on our YouTube channel.

Thank you to an anonymous donor for making Poppy Hour Season 2 possible.