​Q&A with Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator Rachel Lambert, Part 2

Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator, Rachel Lambert, is giving us an inside look at what species are growing on the Farm this year and other behind-the-scenes information. Make sure to catch the first part of this interview, which was published last week!
 
What flower species are planted on the Native Seed Farm this year?
This year we’re growing over 50 native species including American bird's-foot trefoil, Strigose lotus, Bicolored/mini lupine, Wishbone bush, Vinegarweed, Deerweed, Winecup clarkia, Purple owl's clover, White pincushion, Yellow pincushion, Cobweb thistle, Common cryptantha, Slender buckwheat, California poppy, California goldfields, Chick lupine, Arroyo lupine, Parry's phacelia,
California plantain, Coastal tidy tips, Smallhead clover, Littleseed Mhuly, Coastal sagebrush, California buckwheat, White sage, Black sage, Coastal Prickly Pear Cactus, Palmer's goldenbush, Menzie's goldenbush, Ragweed, California mugwort, Woolypod milkweed, Narrow-leaf milkweed, California brome grass, Common sand aster, California croton, Sticky monkeyflower, Blue wildrye, California fuschia, Leafy daisy, Longstem buckwheat, Common sun rose, Cliff aster, California melic grass, Longleaf/Silverleaf lupine, Branching phacelia, California bee plant, Western blue-eyed grass, Goldenrod, Giant needle grass, Foothill needle grass, One-sided blue grass, Goldenstars, Orange fiddlenecks, and Schoolbells.
 
What flowers are currently in bloom?
Wishbone bush (Mirabilis laevis) which has magenta blossoms that only open in the afternoon. California poppies (Eschscholzia californic) are at full steam and Arroyo lupines (Lupinus succulentus) just started! California goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) are little tiny yellow flowers, like daisies but smaller than a penny, and Orange fiddlenecks (Amsinckia intermedia) will start to bloom soon!

​Q&A with Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator Rachel Lambert, Part 1
 
The first day of spring is just around the corner and Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm is starting to show signs of color! Every year the Farm grows more than 50 native species that will be harvested for seed and used to help restore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Native Seed Farm Program Coordinator, Rachel Lambert, is giving us an inside look at what species are growing on the Farm this year and other behind-the-scenes information. Check back next week for Part 2 of this interview.
 
What is the process of deciding which species will be planted each year?
It's a long and thoughtful conversation back and forth between the restoration site managers and the Farm manager--we call it making a "plant palette." Like a color palette in home decor, these are the array of species that we will be painting the hillside with! But it's not about looks, it's about function.

​Daylight savings time will take place this Sunday, March 8. Irvine Ranch Conservancy encourages nature lovers to make use of their extra hour of sunlight by participating in evening activities on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partners, OC Parks, City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach, offer a variety of evening activities throughout the week that are great for all skill levels.
 
Evening activities are the perfect opportunity to de-stress from your day, get in a workout and experience the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks as the sun sets. From introductory to fitness-based activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Take advantage of daylight savings time and sign up for an evening activity on the Landmarks today!

​Now that the weather is starting to warm up and signs of spring are sprouting across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, nature enthusiasts interested in exploring the Landmarks should look no further than Silverado - home to Black Star Canyon. An easy gateway to the backcountry of the Cleveland National Forest and the northern Santa Ana Mountains, Black Star Canyon has a combination of fascinating local history, geological formations, and a variety of native flora and fauna.
 
With Black Star Canyon’s inland location, winter and spring are ideal seasons to explore the area and all it has to offer, while wildflowers are in bloom and before temperatures get too hot. Nature lovers are invited to explore Black Star Canyon and Baker Canyon during the upcoming Wilderness Access Day on Saturday, March 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Here are four great reasons to explore Black Star Canyon during Wilderness Access Day:

​Irvine Ranch Conservancy is regularly engaged in a wide variety of habitat restoration projects that help restore and maintain the beauty of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Through collaboration with land management partners such as OC Parks, City of Irvine and the City of Newport Beach, IRC staff members can work to help preserve the Landmarks for generations to come. Irvine Ranch Conservancy Project Manager Collin Raff is one of the key players helping to restore parts of Orange County, focusing mainly on West Loma Ridge and Silverado Canyon.
 
Before joining the Conservancy, Collin graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Integrative Biology with an emphasis in ecology, evolution and organismal biology. While studying at Berkeley, he had the opportunity to work as a lab assistant at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Collin has been an integral part of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy team for a little over four years. Prior to joining Irvine Ranch Conservancy, Collin worked for the Catalina Island Conservancy, where he provided public outreach to visitors of the island and assisted with many of their conservation projects.