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Did You Know?
Did you know that fire season is year round? According to the Orange County Fire Authority "fire season" is no longer just a season, it's year round. Historically, fire season started in mid-May and ran through November when welcome winter rains set in. But in recent years, soaring temperatures in early spring, lack of rainfall, and unseasonal winds have made the ingredients for wildfires present almost every day. Fire is not only an extreme threat to human lives and property, it is not a welcome sight on the wildlands. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy and its partners have an active Fire Watch Program to help prevent fire. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us 714-508-4757. Did you know the Irvine Ranch Conservancy helps get kids outside? Among many partnerships, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy has joined with the Discovery Science Center for a program to get students out of the classroom and into the great outdoors for a unique, hands-on learning experience. The goal of the Wildland Fossil Safari is to let students discover the world of geology and the ecology of the past, and how our world has changed over time. This special project gets kids’ hands dirty as they excavate replicas of fossils found below the surface of the Natural Landmark and learn their importance. For more information on the Fossil Safari visit: http://www.irvineranchwildlands.org/activities/fossilsafari.asp Did you know there is a trail near your backyard that traverses five cities? Yes, the Mountains to Sea Trail (a National Recreational Trail) takes riders and hikers from Weir Canyon in the foothills south to the coast through five cities including Orange, Tustin, Irvine, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. The trail was created through cooperative planning to let people of all ages and abilities experience the magnificence and diversity of the wildlands and parks as well as the communities in the area. The trail is open every day year round for bikes, hikes and horse rides. Did you know that volunteers are always needed? This past year alone, more than 200 Conservancy volunteers contributed more than 5,000 hours to managing the wildlands and parks on The Irvine Ranch and connecting people to them. These dedicated volunteers do everything from leading and facilitating public programs and education to collecting data for science and stewardship projects. You too can make a difference as a volunteer! Help care for and introduce visitors to the beauty of the 50,000 acres of wildlands and parks (and enjoy them yourself while doing it!). Volunteer jobs range from leading hiking, biking and equestrian programs, to creating and rehabilitating trails, to removing invasive weeds and collecting data on ancient oak woodlands, even to preventing fire on the wildlands. Click a link below to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Irvine Ranch wildlands and parks City of Irvine Open Space Preserve South Landmark News is published quarterly by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. Copyright © 2008 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved. |