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

From the dark leaves of coastal scrub oak and black sage, to the bright hues of coyote brush and coastal prickly pear cactus, St. Patrick’s Day green is a common color around the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks this time of year. Recent rains and the winter season – when native plants come out of dormancy – have made the green shades even more prominent.
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There are a variety of activities out on the Landmarks the week of St. Patrick’s Day to spot green in full force, whether during a fast-paced hike, an interactive outdoor adventure or volunteer opportunities giving back.

Wildflowers are starting to appear in local canyons, but not all of these flowers are happy harbingers of spring. Some blooms are signs of invasive weeds threatening native plants and wildlife of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. And while spring is the season to spot native wildflowers, it’s also a critical time to remove one of the most dangerous and invasive threats to our protected wild lands: Sahara mustard. You can help by volunteering to remove this invasive weed and help restore wildlife habitat.

Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii) is a highly aggressive invasive weed that is more of an immediate threat to native flora and fauna than other, more-prevalent mustard such as black mustard (Brassica nigra). Despite Sahara mustard’s tiny, pale yellow flowers that look pretty for a short while, its ability to quickly and easily invade and replace healthy habitat makes it a prominent threat to the Landmarks. The weed can quickly spread its seed, grow rapidly, making it a top priority for removal before it establishes too much of a hold within the Landmarks. When invasive weeds drive out native plants, they also drive out the wildlife that depends on native plants for food and shelter. Public support is vital to stopping the weed’s spread and ensuring the continued protection of one of Orange County’s most diverse open spaces.

This year is a leap year, giving us 366 days in 2016 instead of 365. While the Earth takes some much-needed time to completely orbit around the sun, why not make the most of the extra 24 hours? With our unseasonably warm weather and ample sunshine, take advantage of this year’s bonus day by exploring outdoors with your family and friends.

There are plenty of family-friendly programs happening on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. To help choose the best one for your group, the LetsGoOutside.org site lists a “Difficulty Rating” with each activity.

The difficulty rating is based on factors including the activity’s distance, elevation gain, and trail surface to help visitors determine which program is right for them. Activities assigned a Level 1 or 2 Difficulty Rating are often slower paced and a great option to consider when looking to connect with the land while bonding with your family. All programs listed below are a Level 2 Difficulty Rating, making them an optimal outing for nearly anyone in your group. Each activity has a minimum age limit, so check that out on the website as well.

Trained naturalists help interpret the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks for the public in unique, memorable ways.

Spring is quickly approaching, making it the perfect time for those seeking greater appreciation of the outdoors to – as the saying goes – stop and smell the roses. But regardless if wildflowers are in bloom, interpretive programs on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks provide year-round opportunities for visitors to slow down and connect to the land in unique, memorable ways.

Programs on LetsGoOutside.org are broken up into categories – such as interpretive, hiking & fitness, and stewardship – to help visitors find what they’re looking for when visiting the Landmarks. Interpretive programs focus on helping people enjoy their time outdoors while also learning about nature. So if you’ve learned something new about the Landmarks while out on the trails that leaves you feeling more connected to the land, guess what – you’ve just had an interpretive experience! The National Association for Interpretation defines interpretation as “a mission-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.”