Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

Trade TV for the Trails

4/21/2016

 
Picture
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.

Whether you’re looking for an easy family-friendly stroll or a chance to get your hands dirty volunteering, there are plenty of chances for visitors to the Landmarks to ditch digital for a dose of nature. Read more below for a variety of programs where people can explore different trails leading up to and during Screen-Free Week. Make sure to also check out the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks Field Guides, which you can print and bring along during your outing to help you identify native flora and fauna in the Landmarks.
​
  • Twilight Trek on the Mesa, Friday, 4/29: The Mesa Loop is one of the newest trails in OC Parks’ Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park, and is full of tall, lush coastal sage scrub habitat. Keep a copy of the Common Plants Field Guide close to help you spot native species – such as California buckwheat, black sage and California sagebrush – along the trails.
  • The Birds of Baker Canyon, Saturday, 4/30: Spring is a great time for birders to get outdoors. Learn about a variety of bird species and how to identify them by sight and sound while enjoying a walk through the beautiful oak woodlands of Baker Canyon in Black Star Canyon. Take a copy of the Birds Field Guide for pictures of species commonly seen in the Landmarks.
  • Caminata Familiar/Family Hike to the Canyon, Saturday, 5/7: Entice the kids away from the TV with an easy-paced, educational hike presented in English and Spanish. Visitors will travel 2 miles along paved Hicks Haul Road in OC Parks’ Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve, and will learn about historical uses of native plants while watching for local wildlife. See what species from the Wildflowers Field Guide you can spot trailside – sticky monkeyflower, California encelia and black sage are in bloom right now!
  • Weir Canyon Habitat Enhancement, Saturday, 5/7: Take a break from technology by giving back to the land. Volunteers are needed to plant small coastal prickly pear cactus pads, which provide shelter and food for local wildlife. OC Parks’ Weir Canyon Nature Preserve is an optimal location to spot a wide range of native animals, from the tiny darkling beetle to the elusive mule deer. Bring along the Common Animals Field Guide for more information on native wildlife in the Landmarks.

There are also areas within the Landmarks open daily from dusk to dawn for self-guided access, meaning visitors can explore designated trails at their own pace, on their own schedule. Consider trying something new, and inviting friends and family to these locations during Screen-Free Week. Click the titles below for maps and more information:  
​
  • City of Irvine’s Bommer Canyon: Stroll past ancient oak sycamore groves and rough rock outcrops. Adventurous visitors can brave Turtle Ridge Trail, whose vista point offers rewarding views of the Pacific Ocean on one side and mountains on the other.
  • City of Newport Beach’s Buck Gully Reserve: Explore this little-known natural coastal canyon while enjoying the sounds of a stream that runs year-round.
  • The City of Irvine’s Quail Hill: Travel 2 miles along Quail Hill Loop, the only wilderness trail in the Landmarks that allows dogs (on a leash, of course!).
  • Try out a variety of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails at county parks such as OC Parks’ Peters Canyon Regional Park andSantiago Oak Regional Park.

Whatever outdoor adventure you’re seeking during Screen-Free Week, the Landmarks is sure to deliver. All guided programs on the Landmarks are free with pre-registration, which closes 4 p.m. the day prior to each activity. Minors must be accompanied by an adult guardian or parent, and all scheduled events listed above are led by trained Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff or volunteers. For more information on these events or to register, click the titles above. Search for all upcoming programs on the Landmarks at LetsGoOutside.org/activities.

Comments are closed.

    About

    Welcome 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
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agua Chinon
    Baker Canyon
    Big Canyon
    Birds
    Black Star Canyon
    Bommer Canyon
    Buck Gully
    City Of Irvine
    City Of Newport Beach
    Crystal Cove
    Dripping Springs
    Equestrian
    Family Friendly
    Fire
    Fire Watch
    Fremont Canyon
    Grasslands
    Habitat Restoration
    Hicks Haul Road
    Hiking & Fitness
    Interpretive
    Invasive Plants
    Irvine Open Space Preserve
    Irvine Ranch Open Space
    Irvine Regional Park
    Laguna Coast
    Limestone Canyon
    Mesa Loop
    Mountain Biking
    Native Plant Nursery
    Native Plants
    Native Seed Farm
    Nighttime
    OC Parks
    OC Zoo
    O'Neill Regional Park
    Orchard Hills
    Peters Canyon Regional Park
    Quail Hill
    Red Rocks
    Round Canyon
    Safety
    San Joaquin
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park
    Stewardship
    The Sinks
    Tracking
    Trails
    Trail Work
    Upper Newport Bay
    Volunteers
    Weir Canyon
    Wilderness Access Day
    Wildflowers
    Wildlife

    RSS Feed

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate