Category: Buck Gully

Improvements Made to Buck Gully Trail System During COVID-19 Shutdown

7/9/2020

Trail improvement work in Buck Gully

During the recent COVID-19 closure, Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Planning and Infrastructure Crew, in partnership with the City of Newport Beach, used the temporary trail closure as an opportunity to repair and enhance the Buck Gully trail system with hopes of improving the sustainability of the trail while making it more enjoyable for hikers and bikers.

Starting on May 11, the Planning and Infrastructure Crew took advantage of the clear trails to safely operate heavy equipment on the narrow trail system and accelerate improvement projects in the area. The crew was able to cut back overgrown vegetation and widen the trail for better visibility, reroute two sections of the trail adjacent to the creek making them more sustainable, repair surface erosion at the trailhead, and incorporate natural surface drains and tread re-contouring at more than 18 locations to eliminate channelization of water and bank edge erosion. Rip-rap and gravel were also incorporated into more than 1,000 lineal feet of trailhead to help armor the tread and create an all-weather sustainable surface.

Irvine Ranch Conservancy Volunteers Awarded for Service in Buck Gully

4/30/2020

Volunteers in Buck Gully

Since forming in 2005, Irvine Ranch Conservancy has relied on the help of its volunteers to protect and preserve the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. From habitat restoration to leading public activities, IRC volunteers play a crucial role in caring for the land and connecting people to these natural resources.

Every year, the California Parks and Recreation Society awards local residents for their outstanding efforts in volunteerism. We are proud to have three Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteers nominated this year for their incredible efforts at Buck Gully in the City of Newport Beach.

Enjoy Winter in Orange County at Buck Gully Reserve in Newport Beach

12/13/2018

Buck Gully Reserve

Take a break from the holiday rush and watch winter flora come to life on the Landmarks

Buck Gully Reserve provides one of the best views of the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach and gives nature enthusiasts the chance to explore the beautiful California holly during these winter months. From dawn to dusk, you can check out this hidden oasis of lush wilderness and running water or sign up for a docent-led tour to give you a more in-depth look into the reserve.

The City of Newport Beach, in partnership with Irvine Ranch Conservancy, manages the Reserve through, among other means, targeted invasive plant species identification, removal and habitat restoration. The Buck Gully Reserve includes 300 acres of lush wilderness, home to numerous species of plants and animals. Miles of trails running through protected open space habitats bring residents close to nature while they walk, run, hike and bike.

Experience the Great Outdoors from the Mountains to the Sea

7/26/2018

Buck Gully, Newport Beach

Take a staycation this summer and explore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

With southern California’s beautiful year-round weather, the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are the perfect place to have a “staycation.” From the mountains to the sea, Orange County residents can find large geologic wonders, wide open spaces, and a coastal oasis in their own backyard. From OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon to the City of Newport’s Buck Gully and the City of Irvine’s Bommer Canyon, the Landmarks offer visitors a wealth of open spaces and nature preserves to escape the everyday stresses of life. Nature lovers can discover the hidden gems of Orange County during a staycation on the Landmarks this summer and beyond.

Explore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks from the Mountains to the Sea

4/5/2018

Buck Gully

Collaborative efforts create opportunities for public programs in the City of Irvine, City of Newport Beach, OC Parks and beyond

The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks span across nearly 40,000 acres of open spaces that stretch from expansive canyons to oak woodlands and picturesque shorelines. One of the world’s bio-diversity hot spots, the Landmarks are home to biological treasures and unique geological features where hundreds of species of plants and wildlife thrive. Protecting and preserving the lands is a unified effort that involves the dedicated work of many who help support, preserve and restore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

A diverse network of partners contribute to the preservation of the Landmarks, helping protect and restore tens of thousands of acres of natural habitat. The Landmarks span open spaces in the City of Irvine, City of Newport Beach, OC Parks, and beyond. The collaborative efforts of landowners and managers ensure visitors have an opportunity to connect with nature in meaningful ways.

Enjoy Nature at Your Own Pace with Self-Guided Access Trails

1/12/2018

Visit the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks and start the New Year Outdoors

January represents a fresh start as a new year arrives, and can be a time to re-set and focus on goals to achieve in the New Year. While half the country is greeted with cold temperatures and snow in the winter months, Southern California residents have an opportunity to get outside in the sunshine and start the New Year off on the right foot. Grab a pair of hiking boots and enjoy favorable temperatures and fresh air on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Hikers and bikers can take advantage of the warm weather and hit the trails daily for self-guided access on several of Orange County’s vast open spaces and preserves.

Discover the 7 Wonders of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks

11/21/2017

Buck Gully Reserve, Newport Beach

Irvine Ranch Conservancy invites the community to discover the seven wonders of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks that span The Sinks, Loma Ridge, Red Rocks, Three Sisters Rock, The Native Seed Farm, Buck Gully Reserve, and the Back Bay. The seven wonders are found in OC Parks, the City of Irvine, and the City of Newport Beach, and nature lovers have a chance to win a canvas of their favorite wonder by participating in a social media contest.

“We’re thrilled to be celebrating the seven wonders of the Landmarks,” commented Dave Raetz, Deputy Director of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. “We’re encouraging nature lovers to explore the wonders by registering for a program on the open spaces, and to follow the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks on social media for a chance to win a beautiful canvas of their favorite wonder.”

From Blight to Beauty

7/5/2017

Native poppies and chia now bloom in Buck Gully where ice plant once dominated the hillside.

See the difference native plants can make at Newport Beach’s Buck Gully Reserve.

The Buck Gully Reserve within the City of Newport Beach encompasses 300 acres of high quality coastal sage scrub and riparian habitat bounded by single-family residences on one side, and the Pelican Hill Golf Course on the other. Still, the expanse supports a highly diverse native plant population and is the perfect respite for the region’s wildlife.

But amidst the native willows and sycamores, Buck Gully’s northwestern zone has been the site of degraded habitat. The need to create “fuel breaks” or a Hazard Reductions Zone between the nearby homes and the wildlands had left the region with a hillside covered with invasive ice plant. And by 2013, the plant meant to suppress wildfires had mostly died, becoming a potential fire hazard itself.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Romantic Walk on the Landmarks

2/2/2017

Twighlight and evening hikes often feature stunning sunset views.

Enjoy a peaceful walk with the special someone in your life and take in the beauty of the great outdoors.

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and the month of February is a great time to head outside and enjoy the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks with a loved one. The recent rainy weather has brought hints of wildflowers across the open spaces, and the fresh air and expansive views offer an ideal setting for a romantic walk through the lands. Whether bringing the special someone in your life to a night hike under the stars or finding an excursion for friends, there’s a program on the Landmarks fit for you and the ones you care for.

Trade TV for the Trails

4/21/2016

Embrace Screen-Free Week and explore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

With all the technology people have right at their fingertips, it can be easy at times to forget what adventures await outdoors. National Screen-Free Week, May 2-8, is a program by the non-profit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood encouraging people to put their smartphones away and embrace life beyond digital entertainment. Multiple locations within the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are close to Orange County residents, so it’s the perfect place to go to grab a breath of fresh air and connect with the outdoors.

Not Too Late for New Year’s Resolutions

1/22/2016

Limestone Canyon photo courtesy of Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer Alex Gurrola.

Whether it’s staying fit, giving back to community or spending time with the family, give your New Year’s resolution a second wind at the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

Already slipping on your New Year’s resolutions? You may find the solution out on the trails.

A study by Franklin Covey showed that 35 percent of people will have already broken those commendable promises by the end of January. If you’re at risk for joining that group, let the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks give your New Year’s resolution a second wind. Year after year, the most popular resolutions include getting healthy, trying something new, giving back to the community, and spending more time with the family; whichever of these resonate with you most, there’s an activity outdoors that can help you still make 2016 your best year yet.

Partnership Saves Decades-Old Cactus Plants

1/1/2016

Organizations work together to relocate mature plants to habitat restoration sites.

Did you know that our local coast prickly pear cactus is both a slow grower and a critical component of wildlife habitat? These iconic plants with their large, flat pads and colorful blooms can take a decade to grow just a couple of feet high. Yet mature-growth cactus is the primary nesting site for the coastal cactus wren, a species of special conservation concern in Southern California.

So when residential development was set to begin in the hills near Irvine, a unique partnership among the developer, land manager and conservation groups resulted in more than 100 mature plants being saved and relocated to nature preserve areas within the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Not only did this project save plants that were estimated to be 30 years old, the relocated cactus enhanced habitat for the coastal cactus wren in habitat restoration areas.

Ring in Winter at Buck Gully Reserve

12/4/2015

Now is the time to see winter flora come to life in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks.

While the hint of colder weather might encourage some to bundle up inside, winter in Orange County is a perfect time to explore the outdoors. Our native plants that have been dormant throughout summer and fall come to life during winter months. So as people bring more green into their homes in the spirit of the holidays, it’s an excellent opportunity to experience green bursting to life out on the trails as well.

Lending a Hand to Habitat Restoration

10/30/2015

The few can be mighty, and nothing better attests to that than the work and rewards of community stewardship.

Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are rich in oak-filled valleys, expansive grasslands and plentiful coastal sage. Protecting those lands from invasive non-native plants to keep wildlife thriving takes attentive, consistent and continuous dedication.

This is where community volunteers have the biggest impact – dedicating muscle and manpower to protecting nearly 40,000 acres of open space. Even the smallest amount of effort goes far in habitat restoration; for instance, a modest team of workers last week pulled 20,000 invasive plants from OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve in just two days.

Learn Something New in Nature This Weekend

10/9/2015

Photo courtesy of lupgv on Instagram.

Activities held Saturday and Sunday will teach skills you can use forever.

If you’ve visited the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, you know that there is always something new to discover. Learn a new way to look at the land this weekend, through hikes, walks, rides and workouts that will introduce you to skills such as wildlife tracking, cactus planting, mountain biking and even Zumba.

Two very exciting Saturday activities will help visitors learn about the easiest way to “see” wildlife on the trails: animal tracking. By learning which prints are which and “whose scat is that,” you can tell what type of critter was on the trail before you. In Round Canyon, the City of Irvine presents Beginner Animal Tracking, which covers the basics of spotting and identifying animal tracks over a short, 1.5-mile walk. OC Parks is presenting Watching Wildlife in Fremont Canyon, a program that also covers tracking, and will include information about raptors flying overhead near Irvine Lake. This program includes a 4 mile hike with some hills and spectacular views. Both programs are for visitors age 12 and up, and are led by Irvine Ranch Conservancy naturalists.

Volunteers Needed to ‘Adopt’ Local Canyons

9/4/2015

Each time you hike or ride past a hill in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks and see a little brightly-colored flag, that’s a sign of native habitat on the rebound. Land managers develop and plan ongoing restoration and invasive plant removal projects, but long-term health of local wildlands depends on long-term support from community volunteers. If you have a favorite trail or view, consider pitching in and “adopting” that canyon. OC Parks, City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach all have opportunities to help restore habitat in the natural places you love.

To further the goal of long-term habitat health, organizations such as Irvine Ranch Conservancy organize monthly volunteer stewardship opportunities to allow members of the community to give their time in the same location over time. This rewarding habit allows volunteers to see the fruits of their efforts every time the revisit the canyon they love. The difficulty level of each activity varies, but all tools and training are provided. There are a few of these monthly activities coming up this week, and you can click here to see all of the volunteer stewardship opportunities that happen monthly.

Hitting the Trails in Summer

6/5/2015

Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks locations offer a variety of outdoor activities for adventurous families.

Sunday, June 21, is the official start of summer. As schools begin to let out, and as kids look for ways to fill their days, you can help steer them away from the television remote or video game controller and toward some healthy outdoor adventures. While there are plenty of scheduled, docent-led activities for families, it may not always be easy to plan ahead. For busy families, there are also plenty of fun destinations open daily within the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks that can help create lasting family memories.

Why Excess Water in Buck Gully is Bad News for Conservation

4/3/2015

Irrigation water flowing into Buck Gully is a waste of fresh water and erodes hillsides and trails.

When you see water flowing from someone’s landscaping and down the rain gutter, it’s a sign that too much water is being used. While certainly wasteful, this excess irrigation water may seem pretty harmless to the surrounding environment. You might even suspect that neighboring wildlands benefit when runoff flows into them. More water for thirsty plants and animals, right? However, the damage it does to nearby canyons becomes clear when you hit the trails.

Restoring Habitat Across the Landmarks

4/3/2015

Landowners and partner groups are restoring hundreds of acres of open space wildlife habitat.

There are hundreds of acres of habitat restoration projects currently underway across the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. Restoring native habitat at a large scale is a challenge but is the most effective means of improving long-term habitat health in areas overrun by weeds. Many different landowners and partner groups perform habitat restoration projects, and there are many opportunities for the public to get involved. On behalf of landowners such as OC Parks, City of Irvine and City of Newport Beach, as well as agencies such as Orange County Transportation Authority, Irvine Ranch Conservancy currently manages nearly 200 acres of active habitat restoration, ranging in intensity from sites that need two years of site preparation, seeding, transplanting and site maintenance to sites with some existing native vegetation that just need weed control. Here are details for some of those projects:

Restoration and Recreation in Buck Gully

7/25/2014

This coastal canyon is the perfect spot for summer volunteering or hiking.

On a hot summer day, heading to the coast is a popular way to cool down. However, you don't have to fight beach crowds to benefit from the cooler temperatures if you head over to Buck Gully Reserve in Newport Beach. There you'll find shady trails along the bottom of a small canyon that many don't even know exists in the beach city.

Buck Gully Reserve is owned by the City of Newport Beach, with nearly 5 miles of winding trails through the 1,200 acre canyon. The trails wind through lush native vegetation, and even pass an active Water Wise Native Plant Demonstration project, managed by Irvine Ranch Conservancy in partnership with City staff. The project area has many varieties of native plants along a slope, to give neighbors and visitors the chance to see how these types of drought-resistant and drought-tolerant plants look and grow.

California's Fabled "Christmas Berry" is on Display in Buck Gully

12/6/2013

Shorter days and cooler temperatures are surefire signs that winter is coming. Luckily we have mild winters in Orange County, and it’s the perfect time of year to head outdoors to see the native plants that thrive in these conditions. An upcoming hike in the Buck Gully Reserve will bring you closer to winter flora such as Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) – also known as Christmas berry.

This large shrub can grow in average to over 15 feet tall, with white flowers in the spring and bright, red berries in winter. While not related to the true holly, the look of it is similar enough to be nicknamed California holly. In fact, Hollywood supposedly got its name from the abundance of toyon present in the area. Because of this resemblance, local residents once used toyon in holiday decorations. This led to over-picking the plant, so California outlawed harvesting wild toyon it in the 1920s.

Buck Gully Gets Water Wise

9/5/2013

Habitat restoration project now includes WaterWise Native Plant Demonstration.

It may seem like a paradox, but the two biggest threats to the Buck Gully Reserve are fire and water. Non-native, fire-prone ornamental plants and runoff water from nearby homes are found throughout the preserve, but luckily, one project seeks to lessen the impact of both threats.

The City of Newport Beach has partnered with Irvine Ranch Conservancy for a WaterWise Native Plant Demonstration project, seeking to transform one acre of invasive ice plant with a plant assortment that is native to the area, fire-resistant and drought tolerant. While the ice plant has some of these qualities, there are other aspects of the plant that make it a nuisance to the health of Buck Gully. The shallow root system does not control erosion along the steep slopes, and the thatch that develops under large fields of the plant is extremely flammable.

Social Trails Become Sustainable Trails in Upper Buck Gully

6/29/2012

Many Newport Beach residents have enjoyed the trails in Upper Buck Gully, but now the trails are a lot more user-friendly – and habitat-friendly. A recent trail renovation project made possible by the City of Newport Beach, State of California and Irvine Ranch Conservancy included the dramatic placement of four bridges by helicopter, as well as other improvements along the three-mile gully.

Four aluminum bridges, ranging in length from 35 to 50 feet, were installed in April and anchored in place. The bridges span areas that were previously traversed in ways that weren’t optimum for the traveler, or for the ecosystem. Conservationists and planners call trails like the ones forged in Buck Gully “social trails.” These trails are created by the trail users, and can create opportunities for weed invasion and erosion. Since the trails are not created by public landowners, social trails in some areas can even lead into private property, causing the user to trespass unknowingly.

Improved Buck Gully Reserve Trails Now Open

6/1/2012

Reconstructed trails are better for visitors and for the environment.

Newport Beach Mayor Nancy Gardner was joined by residents and partners to dedicate more than three miles of renovated trails in the Buck Gully Reserve. A recent trail renovation project made possible by the City of Newport Beach, State of California and Irvine Ranch Conservancy included the dramatic placement of four bridges by helicopter, as well as other improvements in the 300-acre gully.

Four aluminum bridges, ranging in length from 35 to 50 feet, were installed in April and anchored in place. The bridges span areas that were previously traversed in ways that weren’t optimum for the traveler, or for the ecosystem. Conservationists and planners call trails like the ones forged in Buck Gully “social trails.” These trails are created by the trail users, and can create opportunities for weed invasion and erosion. Since the trails are not created by public landowners, social trails in some areas can even lead into private property, causing the user to trespass unknowingly.

Helicopter Places Bridges In Buck Gully Preserve

4/27/2012

Bridges are part of trail improvements and restoration in Upper Buck Gully.

Today the City of Newport Beach took an exciting step closer to completing renovation and restoration activities in the Buck Gully Preserve. After months of work restoring and modifying trails through Upper Buck Gully, four bridges were lifted by helicopter over the canyon and set in place along a new trail. The carefully orchestrated helicopter operation was organized by Irvine Ranch Conservancy, working closely with City staff and Federal Aviation Administration officials.

The bridges were fabricated in Florida and transported by semi-truck cross-country and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. The bridges are up to 50 feet in length and were lifted out of Canyon Watch Park on San Joaquin Hills Road. Helicopter pilot Glenn Smith of Atlas Airlift Helicopter Company lifted the bridges one by one and set them in place with the help of Atlas and Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff and volunteers. The Conservancy crew also worked with Newport Beach Police Department officers along San Joaquin Hills Road to secure the area around Canyon Watch Park, keeping pedestrians and motorists out of the helicopter’s flight path. The close coordination between all organizations resulted in an efficient and safe operation that lasted just 30 minutes.