Blog Archives

Explore the Outdoors with Mountain Bike Activities on the Landmarks

7/28/2022

Biker at Limestone Canyon Wilderness Access Day

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are full of beautiful places and amazing views, making our native wildlands a truly unique place to explore. Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partners, OC Parks, the City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach, create a variety of opportunities for nature lovers to get out and explore the Landmarks with free activities. In fact, one of the most exciting ways to explore the Landmarks is on two wheels!

Each month, mountain biking activities for all experience levels are offered on the Landmarks. Bikers can explore the versatile trails and scenery during guided activities, self-guided Wilderness Access Days, seven-day access trails, or hone their skills with technical clinics offered in the City of Irvine.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy Tests AI-Driven Technology for Wildfire Prevention

7/20/2022

Ryan Honary at the Native Seed Farm with Sunny Saroa, IRC Plant Material Development Project Manager.

As wildfires continue to threaten Orange County’s native wildlands, Irvine Ranch Conservancy actively looks for ways to increase wildfire prevention efforts throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

In early 2022, IRC teamed up with local teenager Ryan Honary to evaluate and test his SensoRy AI wildfire sensor network. The AI-driven technology created by Ryan utilizes remote sensors that can help identify initial sparks of a fire and potentially predict the spread patterns. The sensors create a wireless mesh network that can be deployed on the land to communicate with scientists and emergency personnel about a fire ignition source. The technology is currently being tested at Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm, which was damaged in the 2020 Silverado Fire.

New State Grant to Fund Regional Coordination on Fire Prevention in Orange County

7/13/2022

A view of the Jim Fire from Limestone Canyon in March 2022.

Over the last 20 years, frequent large wildfires driven by Santa Ana winds have become a nearly constant threat in Orange County. In the last two years alone, nearly 30,000 acres have burned, causing significant damage to both property and the health of native wildlands. To help combat catastrophic wildfires in Orange County, Irvine Ranch Conservancy is launching work funded by a three-year grant from the California Department of Conservation under the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program (RFFC).

The $2.2 million grant will allow IRC to work with partners to develop and expand collaborative wildfire prevention projects throughout Orange County. IRC currently facilitates the County of Orange Area Safety Task Force (COAST), which works to prevent fires and keep communities safe. Through COAST, IRC will focus on preventing ignitions during strong Santa Ana winds and develop projects and programs to make communities more resilient to wildfire through hardening structures and improving maintenance of strategic fuel modification zones.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy Staff Spotlight: Kim Casey - Manager, Volunteer Programs

7/7/2022

Kim Casey: Volunteer Programs Manager at IRC

Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partner OC Parks take pride in protecting, restoring and enhancing native wildlands throughout Orange County. OC Parks encompasses 60,000 acres of park lands across the county including some of which make up the 40,000 acres that are the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. IRC and OC Parks often rely on volunteers to help effectively steward our region’s natural resources and native wildlands to help them thrive for generations to come.

IRC staff member Kim Casey plays a large role when it comes to volunteer programs that benefit Orange County parks and open spaces. As the Manager of Volunteer Programs, Kim oversees the volunteer administration portion of IRC’s contract with OC Parks. This includes the development and implementation of the OC Parks Volunteer Program where IRC oversees roughly 800 volunteers throughout 28 different facilities across the county (including regional parks, wilderness parks, historic parks, beaches, and open space preserves). Kim works with OC Parks staff to onboard and train volunteers, as well as develop training and educational opportunities to support the volunteers in their diverse roles and support park staff with any volunteer management and on-site needs they may have.

Explore the Outdoors with Mountain Bike Activities on the Landmarks

Irvine Ranch Conservancy Tests AI-Driven Technology for Wildfire Prevention

New State Grant to Fund Regional Coordination on Fire Prevention in Orange County

Irvine Ranch Conservancy Staff Spotlight: Kim Casey - Manager, Volunteer Programs

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