| A bright, beautiful shrub species, the woollyleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus tomentosus) is part of the Buckthorn family and is commonly found in the foothills of San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. | |
 Fire Watch volunteers monitor conditions and look for wildfires. In 2020, Orange County communities experienced three major wildfires that burned over 30,000 acres and forced more than 90,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Irvine Ranch Conservancy, along with its partners OC Parks, City of Irvine, City of Newport Beach and Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), are helping to reduce the number of catastrophic wildfires in local communities with the Orange County Fire Watch program.
Orange County Fire Watch has more than 300 volunteers who donate their time to reducing catastrophic wildfires through education, early reporting and deterrence. The main element of the program is to establish highly-trained volunteers, who are trained to look for signs of human-caused wildfires and interfere with ignition sources, especially during Red Flag Warnings. Volunteers are deployed to 36 locations across Orange County that are determined high-risk areas for wildfire events, acting as visual deterrents, who report suspicious or dangerous behaviors or activities, and assist with early detection and reporting of ignitions.  Common Buckeye Butterfly The Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a medium-sized butterfly named for the conspicuous target-shaped eyespots found on their wings that potentially ward off predators. Often seen perching on low branches or on the ground, the Common Buckeye is primarily brown in color with orange accents, blending in with surrounding plants and soil.
 Snow-capped views at Loma Ridge Irvine Ranch Conservancy is thrilled to announce the launch of its organizational social media accounts! In addition to the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks social channels, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts can now follow Irvine Ranch Conservancy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the most up-to-date information about restoration projects, staff, volunteers and more.
Each social media platform allows a separate space for Irvine Ranch Conservancy to share exciting news and stories, and invite community members to take a look behind the scenes and learn more about how the organization works to protect and restore local wildlands. One of our core values as an organization is to inspire active public support for native habitats in our surrounding communities. With the help of our volunteers, we are able to offer unique experiences for the public to develop a personal connection to the land and a lifelong commitment to respect, conserve, and protect the precious natural resources in Orange County. We look forward to having you join the conversation with us on social media! For more information about Irvine Ranch Conservancy, visit irconservancy.org or follow on social media using the handle @IRConservancy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. |
AboutWelcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Archives
January 2023
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