​Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, which means Orange County residents can look forward to warmer weather and days filled with the bright Southern California sunshine. To celebrate the unofficial start of summer, nature lovers are encouraged to get outside and explore what the local native wildlands have to offer.
 
Seven-day access trails in the City of Irvine’s Bommer Canyon, OC Parks’ Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park offer a variety of scenic routes and even allow you to journey from the rolling hills of the Irvine Ranch Open Space Preserve to the Pacific coastline. These trails give hikers a chance to choose their own adventure and experience the diverse habitats of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, some of which are only found in Southern California. 

​The urban wildlands of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are made up of thousands of acres of rare and diverse plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. In fact, the Landmarks are home to some of the most biologically diverse hotspots in the world with a variety of different habitats including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, valley grassland, oak woodland and riparian communities. Within these habitats are a wide variety of plant and animal species, some of which are rare and endangered. 
 
One of the rarest species found on the Landmarks, the tecate cypress is only found in Southern California and northern Baja California and relies on intermittent wildfire in order to reproduce. Tecate cones are serotinous, meaning they release seeds in response to a specific environmental trigger, such as wildfire, rather than at the point of seed maturation. However, the frequency of wildfires in Orange County has increased over the past 50 years, which has threatened the health and reproduction cycle of the species. A wildfire event in 2006 burned a large portion of tecate cypress in Coal Canyon and Sierra Peak, and even though there are signs of the species regenerating in the area, another wildfire could severely threaten their survival. You can learn more about the tecate cypress on Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Instagram page.

​Every spring, OneOC honors volunteers throughout Orange County with the Spirit of Volunteerism Awards. This year’s 45th annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards was presented virtually on April 29, where local organizations and volunteers could tune-in and participate in the ceremony from home. The Spirit of Volunteerism Awards is the oldest awards program in Orange County, recognizing and celebrating the major involvement of community volunteers, groups and corporations.
 
This year, Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s group of dedicated volunteers were recognized in the GROW category, which honors organizations that strive to protect the environment, wildlife and animals. IRC volunteers are an integral part of the work that is done throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. We are beyond grateful for their continued support through donations, leading community activities, diligently fulfilling patrols, picking up litter, grooming and keeping up trails, checking wildlife monitoring cameras, caring for native flora and fauna, and so much more. 

Orange County residents are encouraged to watch the virtual Fire Watch Symposium on May 8.

Over the past 20 years, Orange County has seen an increase in major wildfire events, causing significant damage to local communities and wildlands. Wildfires are among the most destructive events that can occur in urban wildlands. Irvine Ranch Conservancy, along with OC Parks, City of Irvine, City of Newport Beach and Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) are doing their part to protect these precious natural resources.
 
Preventing wildfire ignitions during Santa Ana Wind and Red Flag Warning events is the single most important thing that can be done to keep our communities and local wildlands safe. Educate yourself and learn what you can do today to ensure your safety during the next wildfire event with these wildfire safety tips: