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Guide to the Helen Chamlee Collection
MS 303
MS 303
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Title: Helen Chamlee Collection
Identifier/Call Number: MS 303
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
4.5 Linear feet
(9 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1933-1991
Abstract: This collection contains the personal papers, written works, and subject files of Helen Chamlee, a botanist at the San Diego
Natural History Museum in the 1970s.
creator:
Chamlee, Helen
Biographical / Historical Notes
Born Helen Vallejo in 1908, Chamlee was a native San Diegan who was dedicated to botany, especially native species. A graduate
of San Diego State University, she joined the staff at the San Diego Natural History Museum in 1969. After seven years in
the Botany Department, Chamlee transferred to the Educational Activities Department and remained there for the duration of
her career. She led countless field trips to parks, mountains, and deserts of the region, gave lectures on native plants,
participated in workshops, seminars, and trainings. She developed at least 14 nature trails in San Diego County. Perhaps her
greatest achievement while at the Natural History Museum was securing Florida Canyon in Balboa Park as a native plant preserve.
She is also responsible for creating the museum’s naturalist guide group, the Canyoneers.
Chamlee’s passion for native plants reached beyond her role at the Natural History Museum. She served as Botanical Editor
for California Garden magazine, and was a contributing editor to Fremontia. She wrote a weekly column, “Canyon Trails,” that
appeared in the Evening Tribune in the late 1970s, and published a book on the ferns of San Diego County. Chamlee was also
a charter member of the California Native Plant Society, serving as President of the San Diego Chapter for two years, and
was later honored as a Fellow. Her influence and contributions in the field were further recognized in 1977 when Chamlee received
the honor award from the California Council of Landscape Architects. Additionally, a native plant garden at the Wild Animal
Park (now Safari Park) was named after her. Chamlee developed a native botanic garden on her own two-acre property —dubbed
Canyon Trails—and opened it once each year to public view.
Helen Chamlee died in 1982.
The collection contains Chamlee’s personal papers and writings as well as her subject files. Her writings include manuscripts
of articles and her weekly newspaper column, “Canyon Trails.” The bulk of the collection contains subject files maintained
by Chamlee. Most subjects pertain to botany, native plants, parks and canyons in San Diego County and other California locations,
and fauna in relation to botany. The subject files often contain newspaper and magazine articles, brochures, and other types
of publications in addition to Chamlee’s own notes pertaining to the subject. A large subject area focuses on Balboa Park
and especially Florida Canyon and the efforts made to designate it as a native plant preserve. Field trip plans and handouts
from the Natural History Museum are also well represented.
This collection is arranged in two series:
Series I: Personal Papers;
Series II: Subject Files.
Helen Witham Chamlee Collection, MS 303, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Helen Chamlee’s files were given to her friend, Carol Greentree. Greentree later donated them to the San Diego History Center
along with her own files and those of Jean Marie Consigny Putman—all three focusing on botany.
Collection processed by Frank Sweeney in 2014.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Diego Natural History Museum.
Anza-Borrego Desert (Calif.)
Arid regions plants
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.)
Botanical gardens
Botany
Cactus
Endemic plants
Fire resistant plants
Flowers
Gardens -- California -- San Diego
Native plant gardens--California
Nature trails--California
Parks
San Diego (Calif.)
Torrey Pines State Reserve (Calif.)
Wild flowers