​On Thursday, April 28, OneOC held the 46th Spirit of Volunteerism Awards, where volunteers across Orange County are recognized for going above and beyond during their volunteer time. This year, the annual event was held in person at the Grove of Anaheim and live steamed for those who wanted to enjoy the celebration virtually.
 
Irvine Ranch Conservancy was proud to honor five of its volunteers recognized in the Environment & Sustainability category for their exemplary efforts in support of the Conservancy and the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. These volunteers have contributed countless hours to the land by leading public activities, participating in habitat restoration work and supporting IRC staff on special projects.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy and Orange County Fire Watch will once again host the annual Fire Watch Symposium in person and online during California Wildfire Awareness Week. 

On Saturday, May 7, the community will have the opportunity to learn about the upcoming fire season and the steps being taken by local agencies and organizations to prepare for potential wildfires in Orange County. During the program, attendees will hear presentations from fire prevention specialists, wildland resource planners, parks rangers and fire agency representatives.

This year’s keynote presentation will feature Orange County Bird of Prey Center, Executive Director, Peggy Chase. Throughout her presentation, Peggy will share her wisdom on “Wildfire Impacts on Raptors (and other local wildlife)”.

​Native plants are the foundation of our local ecosystems, and the restoration work Irvine Ranch Conservancy conducts cannot happen without the key species that make up the rich and diverse plant community found on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. To ensure a robust inventory of native plants and seeds are on hand for restoration projects, IRC staff and volunteers collect small, genetically diverse samples of seed from naturally occurring plant populations and use traditional agricultural and nursery techniques to cultivate enough plant material to support restoration. 

Plant Material Development Project Manager Sunny Saroa is one of the IRC team members working at the heart of the plant materials program. Having worked at IRC for a year and a half, Sunny handles the supply chain of native plants and seed for IRC’s restoration and enhancement projects. Day-to-day, Sunny oversees activities within the plant development program, working with IRC staff, volunteers, and contractors to develop plant materials through wild collection, seed production at the Native Seed Farm, and nursery production... 

Often seen fluttering around the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks is the Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum), a type of butterfly found in eastern Washington, south to western Colorado, southern California, Arizona, Baja California, and northwest Mexico. 

Known to be a fast-flying species, the Northern White Skipper’s preferred habitats include open woodlands, chaparral, dry washes, desert mountains, and arid land. They can usually be seen flying low to the ground and through gullies, stopping to feed on sage and buckwheat flower. With a wingspan of approximately 3.2-3.8 cm, male butterflies can be identified by their predominantly white coloring with brown “zig-zag” markings, while females have thicker, darker brown markings with cream-colored wings.

​Orange County’s coastal wildlands are made up of rich and diverse plant communities that include rare species only found in southern California. These communities have been impacted in many areas by former grazing, invasive plant species, and development. In response, Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) is partnering with California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Orange County Waste and Recycling (OCWR) to restore critical coastal habitat in Crystal Cove State Park (CCSP), with a special focus on rare plants. 

The project is intended to restore 7.5 acres of degraded coastal bluff and sage scrub and will be implemented over 7-8 years. The first 2-3 years are spent preparing the site, which involves weed control aimed at depleting the non-native seed bank. Once the seed bank has been sufficiently depleted, a diverse suite of native plant species will be installed via seed and container plants. For this project, IRC has added several rare plant species to the plant palette, including Coulter's saltbush, paniculate tarplant, cliff spurge, vernal barley, California box thorn, Orange County Turkish-rugging, and San Diego ground-cherry, all of which are known to occur in the park. 

Irvine Ranch Conservancy and landowners, OC Parks, City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach, are dedicated to their mission of preserving Orange County’s urban wildlands through a variety of science-based programs. IRC’s Monitoring and Research Program is a key element in analyzing ever-changing and vulnerable ecosystems in local native wildlands. Data collected from the program allows our staff to track changes and make informed land management decisions for restoration projects on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

Since 2007, IRC has been using a network of over 50 strategically placed heat- and motion-triggered remote cameras throughout the Landmarks to monitor the health and activity of wildlife. Images captured by the camera traps provide vital information about the health and activity of wildlife in correlation with human activity on the land. However, this project has always been limited by technology and the time it takes to process the thousands of images captured on the camera traps. 

Irvine Ranch Conservancy conducts a variety of science-based programs to help protect, restore, and enhance the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Using comprehensive ecological knowledge and educational expertise, IRC staff is dedicated to ensuring native wildlands remain healthy and resilient. Living in Southern California, we are all too familiar with wildfires and how they can impact our lives, but what happens to the Landmarks when a wildfire event occurs? 

Through the study of fire ecology, IRC staff seek to better understand the impact of wildfires on local plant and animal communities. Historically, wildfires have played an important role in the structure of Southern Californian ecosystems, likely occurring every 40-100 years, and many native plants have developed adaptations that allow them to survive these events. Unfortunately, wildfire occurrences have become more frequent, primarily due to ignitions from roadways and utility infrastructure among other human causes. Toofrequent fires hinder native plant populations from rebounding following a fire, creating conditions for invasive species to move in.

Here at Irvine Ranch Conservancy, community engagement and education are at the heart of everything that we do. Whether it’s offering recreational events, stewardship activities or informal learning opportunities, we strive to help community members develop a personal connection to the land, no matter what age.
 
The IRC team is constantly working on a variety of different projects in and around the Landmarks, whether it's working on rehabilitating a local trail, watering plants at a nursery, or tending to plants at the Native Seed Farm. The City of Irvine’s Youth Action Team is one of the many community organizations IRC partners with to give local teens the chance to experience and learn about our native wildlands, and how they can help preserve important habitats.

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are full of important habitats and native wildlife and it's our job to protect these valuable natural resources. Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partners, OC Parks, the City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach, work to create thoughtfully planned infrastructure in order to help sustain our native wildlands, while creating opportunities for the public to experience the Landmarks.
 
When exploring the Landmarks, trail users might occasionally come across an unmarked path that looks like an extension of a trail or a shortcut. While this might seem like an option to continue exploring, oftentimes trails that are unmarked were illegally created and are not authorized for use.

​A small to medium-sized raptor, the white-tailed kite is a sight to see with its snow-white feathers, black markings and piercing red eyes. Mostly found in grasslands, open woodlands, savannas, marshes, and cultivated fields, the white-tailed kite is known for its interesting hunting style.
 
When searching for its next meal, a white-tailed kite will hover up to 80 feet above an open area, rapidly beating its wings and facing into the wind, pausing in mid-air almost as if it were attached to a string. Once its prey has been spotted, the white-tailed kite will dive down to try and capture the animal in its talons. The white-tailed kite’s hunting style is so distinctive that it has become known as “kiting.” This raptor species mainly eats small mammals, but has been known to eat birds, lizards, and insects on occasion.  

After a seven-month closure, Fox Run Trail in Shady Canyon is ready to welcome back hikers and bikers to experience the newly improved trail. During the closure, Irvine Ranch Conservancy conducted trail restoration and improvements including compacting the trail and perfecting the tread, as well as passive restoration to allow for the surrounding habitat to be reestablished.
 
“The Fox Run Trail was originally very steep and had quite a bit of erosion damage, making it one of the least used trails in the area,” said Adam Maywhort, IRC Director of Planning and Infrastructure. “The newly redone trail meets the criteria for a world class trail and will be an exciting technical route for hikers and especially for mountain bikers.”

​Winter rains and spring sunshine bring a variety of lush greenery and brightly colored flowers to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, but not all of the blooms we see are native to the land. Plants like the Sahara mustard might look pretty with their small yellow flowers, but they are actually a highly aggressive invasive weed that threaten the health of native habitats.
 
Sahara mustard is a top priority for removal when spotted on the Landmarks, as the weed begins to grow earlier than most native plants and has the ability to spread seed quickly and grow rapidly. Spreading of Sahara mustard throughout local habitats can use up vital natural resources, preventing native plants from establishing and driving out wildlife that depend on native plants for food and shelter. 

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks provide a wide variety of history, geological formations and rare natural habitats that can only be found in Orange County. Nature lovers of all ages can explore these natural wonders as a family with free guided activities on the Landmarks.
 
Introducing children to the outdoors and allowing them to experience nature is the best way to grow the next generation of nature enthusiasts, while making life-long family memories. Families interested in exploring the Landmarks can do so by signing up for a family activity through LetsGoOutside.org. Each Let’s Go Outside activity is led by an experienced volunteer trained to lead nature lovers of all ages and skill levels on an informational exploration of the Landmarks. 

​Volunteers are an integral part of introducing the community to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, carrying out the mission of protecting, restoring, and enhancing Southern California’s urban wildlands. Irvine Ranch Conservancy and OC Parks have an extensive volunteer management program that provides nature lovers with an array of activities, allowing them to have world-class nature experiences on the Landmarks.
 
Volunteer Coordinator Ashley Brault began working with IRC in November 2020 to support and help manage the OC Parks volunteer program in a variety of ways, including record-keeping of volunteer information and service hours, organizing and scheduling volunteer trainings, collaborating with various partnership organizations to expand volunteer opportunities, and providing direct support to volunteers and visitors of our local parks and wildlands.
 
“Most of my professional background has been working with a variety of nonprofit organizations, so I felt that IRC was a natural fit for my experience while still providing an amazing new opportunity to learn about conservation and land management,” said Ashley. “I feel very inspired by IRC’s mission and programming, as well as my fellow staff members, which keeps me motivated to do my best and provide outstanding service to our volunteers and visitors.”

​Irvine Ranch Conservancy and OC Parks are thrilled to announce the reopening of OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, with public activities resuming on February 5, after two wildfires impacted the area in fall 2020. Since the occurrence of the Silverado and Bond fires, IRC and OC Parks have been diligently working to restore lost infrastructure and monitor the recovery of native habitats, so nature lovers can once again experience the beauty of the area.
 
“Nearly all of OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve burned in the 2020 Silverado and Bond fires, including large portions that actually burned twice. These incidents significantly impacted the wildlife and landscapes that are close to the hearts of so many who visit and volunteer at Limestone Canyon,” said OC Parks Supervising Park Ranger II Nick Martinico. “We observed this closure to allow a rest period for wildlife, time for habitat regrowth and to rebuild infrastructure. We deeply appreciate the public’s patience and support and are now eager to once again host activities at Limestone Canyon starting with our Wilderness Access Day in February.”

​Often found perched on top of large rocks and boulders, the granite spiny lizard enjoys basking in the sun during the warmer months when they are most active. Found in southern California and Baja California, this lizard species makes its home in areas with mixed vegetation including chaparral, mesquite, pine, oak and palms.
 
The granite spiny lizard can grow up to 11 inches in length and has mostly dark coloring with keeled scales. Male lizards are usually more colorful than females with a blue belly, and blue-green and yellow coloring on their back. These lizards have a diet consisting of small invertebrates, small lizards, and occasionally fruits and flowers.

​Wishing all of our Irvine Ranch Conservancy friends and family a happy new year filled with health and happiness! This year, we were grateful to continue restoring the native habitats and enhancing the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks for nature lovers to enjoy.
 
The Irvine Ranch Conservancy team is thankful to the nature enthusiasts who continue to support IRC’s work on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks and we look forward to a new year of opportunities!

​The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are home to a variety of native flora and fauna, some of which are endangered and in need of protection to ensure the health of these valuable resources. Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Habitat Restoration and Enhancement team has been working with OC Parks on enhancing the endangered Tecate Cypress population in Fremont Canyon.
 
Representing the northernmost extent of the species, the Tecate Cypress population in Fremont Canyon is striving to make a comeback after wildfire events. This native southern California plant species is one of the rarest on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks and can be recognized by its rich green foliage. Some may even say it resembles a Christmas tree.

As a result of the rain that hit Orange County earlier this week, many trails on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are closed for the safety of the community, and to prevent long term damage to the trail system. Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partners, OC Parks, City of Irvine and the City of Newport Beach, want to remind nature lovers to stay off wet trails until they dry out and can once again be explored safely.
 
Rain is a welcome weather change on the Landmarks, but it can also pose a challenge for trails. We want to remind you of a few wet weather tips this winter season to help minimize trail damage and keep the community safe.

​The white-crowned sparrow is a large sparrow identified by its range of brown and gray feathers with a distinct white and black striped feather pattern on the head. When it comes to their coloring, these birds can be identified by regional differences. For example, white-crowned sparrows that are found along the Pacific Coast tend to have yellow bills and more dull white head stripes, whereas white-crowned sparrows found in the northern United States can have orange or pink bills with slightly different head stripes.

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are home to a vast network of trails that allow nature lovers to experience the beauty of Orange County’s native wildlands. Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Planning & Infrastructure team thoughtfully plans and maintains a system of roads, trails, signage, and facilities that allow the public to safely access remote areas of the Landmarks.
 
In 2020, IRC’s Planning & Infrastructure team began implementing OC Parks’ Master Signage Plan that replaced current signage on the Landmarks with larger, more visible and brighter signs in order to help visitors navigate their way through local wildlands. Within five months of starting the project, the IRC team was able to replace signs in Limestone Canyon, Weir Canyon, Baker Canyon and Black Star Canyon.

Not your average turkey, the turkey vulture is a large dark feathered bird that can be seen scavenging around the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. With massive broad wings encasing long fingers and tails that extend past their toes in flight, turkey vultures can be easily spotted as they are larger than most raptors, measuring 25-32” in length with a 70” wingspan.