Botany Professor Seeking Fire Survivors on Malibu Hillside

Since last month’s fires, Steve Davis has spent a lot more time climbing around the charred hills above Malibu.

To the Pepperdine University botany professor, there is no better time to study the effect of wildfires on the laurel sumac and mountain lilac, prominent members of the native plant community that flourish in the Santa Monica Mountains.

He has gathered data at a study site above the Malibu campus for 10 years. He collected information before and after the 1985 fire, and now has the chance to follow another fire cycle.

“Fires are a disaster, but we’re delighted to see how the (plant) system works,” he said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to see what survived.”

Being able to compare the effects of the two fires is exciting, said Davis, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Abilene Christian University and a doctorate from Texas A & M.

At the study site, the 1985 fire was very hot, and the one last month was considerably less intense because of the path it took.

“Our study is whether plants will make it or not,” said Davis, who has taught at Pepperdine for two decades. “This is a nice lab and a lesson for the ecologist.”

Before the November fires, Davis and his students had established a grid in which about 100 native plants were tagged. Although more than 90% of native vegetation burned, most of the tags survived, as did a meteorological station that measures the light, shade and amount of rainfall in the area.

“In the field of biology, we think we have to go somewhere exotic,” he said. “We have the advantage to study things more closely here and it’s an educational opportunity for our students.”

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Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services has elected its 1993-94 executive committee and four new members to its board of directors.

George Konheim will serve his final term as president of the executive committee; Brentwood resident Donald Wolf was named vice president and president-elect. Other committee members include Beverly Hills resident Larry Angen, Brentwood residents Margot Bamberger, John Lear, Bernie Silbert and Los Angeles residents Nathan Kates and Ruth Shuken.

Newly elected members of the board of directors are Carol Katzman of Pacific Palisades, Aaron Eshman of Santa Monica, Steven Romick of West Los Angeles and Joel Mogy of Century City. *

Carl Terzian has been elected to the Business Advisory Council of SHARE, a nonprofit organization that supports facilities for disabled children.

Terzian, a public relations consultant, is immediate past president of the Los Angeles Fire Commission. He is a resident of West Los Angeles.

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Santa Monica resident Marjorie Turner has been accepted into the Peace Corps.

Turner earned an undergraduate degree from Youngstown University in Ohio and a master’s degree from California Polytechnic Institute at San Luis Obispo. A former public school teacher, she will train English teachers in Namibia.

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The Santa Monica-based Senior Health and Peer Counseling has named four Westside residents to its board of directors.

They are Phil Gorin, Natalie Hernandez, Michael Lyons and Lisa Remington. Senior Health and Peer Counseling is a nonprofit organization for enhancing the quality of life of older adults.

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Bnai Zion Foundation and Western Region Friends Bnai Zion Medical Center will honor Akhtar Nahai and her husband, Khalil.

The longtime Beverly Hills residents will receive the Bnai Zion Community Achievement Award and Medal of Valor, respectively, for their contributions to the community. The awards will be presented at a banquet Jan. 8 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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