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Did You Know?
Did you know that the wildlands and parks have been designated a Natural Landmark by both the United States and the State of California? Nearly 40,000 acres of open space on the historic Irvine Ranch have been designated a Natural Landmark by both the State of California and the U.S. Department of Interior. This honor recognizes the exceptional value of these lands to California and the entire nation. The open space of the Natural Landmark is part of the 50,000 acres of wildlands and parks preserved on The Irvine Ranch. Did you know that the Irvine Ranch Conservancy is creating artificial cactus to help Cactus Wrens? Cactus wrens are a rare species that has suffered a precipitous decline in recent years, partly due to lack of places to nest. The wrens nest in old growth cactus patches, which have been decimated by frequent wildfire. In an attempt to give the birds a helping hand until natural cactus stands can reqrow, Irvine Ranch Conservancy has worked with wren expert Robb Hamilton to design and build artificial cactus. It is hoped that the wrens will use these structures to nest and rear their young. Rubin Bautista, consultant for the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, has assembled lengths of PVC pipe to resemble the twists and turns of cactus. He studded them with metal needles and barbed wire to mimic spines, and painted them to look like natural cactus. The structures even have snake guards to prevent these predators from snatching young birds from nests. The artificial cactus replicas have been placed alongside young cactus patches in historic wren habitat on wildlands near the coast. With luck, the birds will begin to use them before next nesting season. "Sometimes you just have to try something and see if it works," says IRC chief scientist Dr. David Olson. “If the birds don't like them, we're going to sell them in Laguna Beach as modern art." Did you know that the Irvine Ranch Conservancy has a Fire Watch Program? The Irvine Ranch Conservancy, in partnership with the Orange County Fire Authority and the InterCanyon League and Greater Laguna Fire Safe Councils, is implementing a Fire Watch Program during extreme fire danger conditions. Hundreds of volunteers are stationed at strategic locations around the wildlands to deter arsonists and spot fires quickly. Volunteers will identify suspicious circumstances or careless activities and help reduce the frequency of human caused wildfires. Did you know that the Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks are for everyone? It is the mission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy to connect people to the land from all communities. In an effort to develop more opportunities for the Latino community to get outside, get fit, and explore local wildlands, IRC has partnered with non-profit Latino Health Access, and State Senator Lou Correa. In early July these partners hosted the first "Hiking to Success" workshop. The pilot program, the first of its kind, explored both the opportunities and obstacles for Latinos to experience wildlands and getting fit in the process. The groups expect their dialogue to generate many more opportunities. The special alliance between Irvine Ranch Conservancy and Latino Health Access will help ensure that residents of Santa Ana and other largely Latino communities are able to discover the many outdoor activities available so close to where they live, and ultimately, to encourage healthier lifestyles and a connection to nature. |