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IRC Wishes You a Safe & Happy 4th of July!

6/27/2023

Orange County Fire Watch will deploy for the 4th of July holiday.

The 4th of July is just around the corner which means it’s time to soak up the sun outdoors, BBQ with family and friends, and enjoy festive fireworks lighting up the night sky. Since fireworks are often synonymous with the 4th of July, it’s important to remember the large risk that fireworks can pose to people, pets, homes and native wildlands.

Southern California experienced more rain this past year than in years past, resulting in lots of vegetation growth. While most of the native plants are still retaining moisture, many invasive plants, like annual grasses, have already dried out and are vulnerable to wildfire ignitions. Fireworks, outdoor grills, lawnmowers, and sparks from vehicles along roadways could all cause a wildfire. We encourage everyone to celebrate responsibly this Independence Day.

Crystal Cove Conservancy Fire Ecology Internship Partnership

6/22/2023

Student field day in OC Parks' Limestone Canyon.

Over the last three years, Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) has partnered with Crystal Cove Conservancy (CCC) and Crystal Cove State Park on a Fire Ecology Internship program with local high school students in Orange County. As CCC prioritizes environmental education while IRC prioritized fire prevention and management, they decided to combine resources toward the shared goal of enhancing awareness about fire prevention and train a new generation of conservation scientists.

Now in its third year, the program allows high school students to explore Crystal Cove State Park and inland open space areas owned by OC Parks that are managed by IRC and study the impacts of fire throughout the county. In previous years, the interns focused on the general impact of fires and the impacts of different fire frequencies throughout the Nature Reserve of Orange County. As the program began just before the 2020 Silverado and Bond Fires, the first round of student interns were able to study the immediate impacts of the fires. The most recent cohort developed research questions focused on the impact of fires on the coastal cactus wren, a species of special concern that heavily relies on dense thickets of cactus for nesting.

Coastal Cactus Wren and Silverado Canyon’s Cactus Nursery

6/15/2023

Chaparral Prickly Pear Cactus

Throughout Southern California’s open space there are a number of plant and wildlife species that rely on each other to thrive. A perfect example of this kind of relationship can be seen between cactus, such as prickly pear and cholla, and the coastal cactus wren.

The coastal cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis) can be found in the southern parts of California and Baja California, as well as a few other neighboring states. Exhibiting year-long, diurnal activity, the coastal cactus wren finds its food by foraging on the ground and in low vegetation for insects and other small vertebrates along with cactus fruit, seeds and nectar. The coastal cactus wren, breeding typically from March to June, requires thickets of cholla or prickly pear cactus in order to nest. Coastal cactus wrens truly depend on their nesting locations and, unlike other types of birds, have been known to return to roost in their nests after fledging.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s 14th Annual Volunteer and Partner Celebration

6/7/2023

2023 Volunteer and Partner Celebration at Augustine Staging Area

Last Friday, June 2, Irvine Ranch Conservancy had the opportunity to recognize the dedication of their volunteers and partners during the 2023 Volunteer and Partner Celebration. Held at the Augustine Staging Area within OC Parks' Limestone Canyon, this annual celebration is a chance for IRC to show gratitude to their many partners and volunteers for their hard work and commitment to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

Volunteers were recognized for the hours they dedicated to the land and their accomplishments this past year. There were 65 volunteers who gave over 100 hours, 21 volunteers who gave over 250 hours and 13 volunteers who gave over 500 hours in 2022. Volunteers were also recognized for their lifetime volunteer hours, with awards ranging from 1,000 lifetime hours to 7,500 lifetime hours. Eleven individuals were also recognized for their unique ability to connect with activity participants and foster connection between our local community and the land with the “2023 Spotlight Award for Community-Nature Connection.” Overall, these volunteers have donated countless hours to restoration efforts, wildfire prevention, leading public activities, and much more.

Tripwire Trail Camera Project with Chapman University

6/1/2023

Rabbit caught on HALT device at the Native Seed Farm

Irvine Ranch Conservancy was recently contacted by a group of undergraduate students at Chapman University about conducting an experiment to be part of their Grand Challenges Initiative, a requirement for any STEM-related field to learn how to communicate and work with a team. The students, utilizing equipment that IRC already had available, decided to set tripwire trail cameras throughout fenced and unfenced areas at the Native Seed Farm to see what differences could be observed in animal presence and abundance.

Kate Fancher and Chris Eljenholm, IRC Program Coordinators, led the project efforts and met with the group of students at the Native Seed Farm, letting them decide how the equipment should be set up. IRC allowed the students to experiment with new tripwire trail cameras that hadn’t been used before on the Landmarks, and were excited to see what they could learn from the students’ project. Trail cameras used in other areas of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks have simpler technology, using temperature and motion to capture photos. Standard trail cameras are great for capturing images of larger mammals, but they often miss reptiles and other smaller wildlife. This especially becomes problematic when attempting to observe ectothermic (or “cold blooded”) animals, whose body temperature is often similar to the surrounding environment.

IRC Wishes You a Safe & Happy 4th of July!

Crystal Cove Conservancy Fire Ecology Internship Partnership

Coastal Cactus Wren and Silverado Canyon’s Cactus Nursery

Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s 14th Annual Volunteer and Partner Celebration

Tripwire Trail Camera Project with Chapman University

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