Native Plant Poaching Discussion

Trends on social media have led to the poaching of protected plants in California, including on Catalina Island. At an upcoming discussion and viewing of a documentary on plant poaching, experts will weigh in on the environmental and cultural harm that this practice poses. 

One such plant is white sage, which is deeply rooted in the cultures and lifeways of the Indigenous communities of Southern California and northern Baja California. This is the only region where white sage naturally grows. TikTok trends have inspired the theft of metric tons of white sage for personal use across the country. Rose Ramirez is co-director and co-producer of “Saging the World,” a film about white sage’s popularity and the poaching impact on the Indigenous community and the environment. She will discuss her experience combatting this problem and why it’s harmful to Native cultures and the environment. 

Catalina Island Conservancy Native Plant Manager Kevin Alison will discuss poaching of Dudleya species, as well as efforts being made to protect the plant and prevent its removal from the wild. This species, commonly known as liveforevers, has been poached at high volume. Hundreds of thousands of plants have been stolen and shipped internationally for top dollar. In 2023, Conservancy Rangers intercepted the theft of numerous mature liveforever plants, including one that was several decades old. Thanks to Conservancy volunteers, many of those plants were nurtured back to health and replanted. 

Assembly Bill 223, which was backed by the National Parks Service, was signed into law in 2021 by California Governor Gavin Newsom to provide important protection for California’s Dudleya species. 

Attend this free event to learn more about plant poaching.  

Native Plant Poaching 

Presenters: Rose Ramirez and Kevin Alison

6 p.m. Browsing and socializing 

7 p.m. Presentation begins 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 

1650 El Prado, Casa del Prado Rm 101

Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 

Attendance is free and open to all