​The first day of spring is just around the corner, meaning the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks will be full of color from spring blooms!
 
The golden yarrow, or Eriophyllum confertiflorum, is a member of the daisy family and can be found in a variety of habitats including chaparral, coastal sage scrub and southern oak woodland. This small, brightly colored flower is native to California, growing from San Francisco down to San Diego and Baja California, as well as parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

​What we know today as some of the most beautiful open space in Orange County was once used primarily for farming and agricultural purposes. In fact, the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks were one of California’s earliest and most productive large-scale agricultural enterprises.
 
As cities began to develop in the late 1800s, farming became the backbone of the local economy and remained an important part of Orange County until the 1950s. A variety of crops including wheat, barley, beans, grapes, walnuts, and oranges were successfully grown on the land. Citrus trees eventually became one of the most prominent crops grown on the Irvine Ranch, with Orange County producing a sixth of the nation’s Valencia orange crop by the 1930s.

Recently Irvine Ranch Conservancy partnered with the Orange Coast District of California State Parks to address the next evolution of the Orange Coast District volunteer program.  Volunteers are critical to the long-term success of parks within the district.  Their efforts support thousands of campers through camp host activities, keep nature centers and visitor centers open to educate visitors, clean and maintain trails and beaches, and assist in scientific monitoring, among many other activities designed to connect the community with parks in the Orange Coast District.  According to Blythe Wilson, Regional Interpretive Specialist with the Orange Coast District of California State Parks, “all of these efforts make lasting impacts and provide exponential value to the district as a whole.  For example, volunteers accounted for more than $3 million of donated time to the Orange Coast District in 2019 alone.”
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However, volunteer programs and opportunities can vary from park to park making it difficult for some volunteers to take full advantage of the program.  As a result, staff identified the need to create a consistent and comprehensive Volunteer Management Plan that could be used across all the various parks within the district.  After putting out an RFP for the plan, the Orange Coast District decided to partner with Irvine Ranch Conservancy because of their proven track record of success with the management of both the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Volunteer Program, and the OC Parks Volunteer Program.

​The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are made up of a collection of 25 distinct biological and geological treasures on more than 40,000 acres of land in Orange County. When discussing the Landmarks, we often say these lands are protected, but how exactly are these lands protected?
 
One initiative that protects much of the lands that make up the Landmarks is the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP). Under the coordination of the Natural Communities Coalition (NCC), an Irvine-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the NCCP/HCP provides local governments, land managers and private landowners with a framework for protecting biological diversity on the land with a focus on ecosystem health and long-term stewardship planning.  Established in 1996, the NCCP/HCP uses information gained from research and monitoring to inform restoration and preservation strategies that will ensure the health of critical native habitats and natural processes.

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks consist of diverse habitats including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, grassland, oak woodland and riparian forest communities, making these wildlands the perfect home for many different species of rare plants and animals.
 
Native to Southern California and desert-like areas, the cactus wren is a threatened species known for its speckled brown plumage and white “eyebrows” that extend from the bill across their eyes, down to the sides of the neck. Similar in size to a spotted towhee, the cactus wren is the largest wren found in the United States.