STORIES FROM THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY
Trail Steward Spotlight: Glen Alpert
Glen's love of nature and Sonoma Coast knowledge is something he gets to share with our visitors as a trail steward for The Wildlands Conservancy. Glen says that working at Jenner Headlands Preserve these past few years has been a life-affirming experience. The beauty of the land has had a profound effect on his life, as well as the joyful exchanges with visitors on the trails, and the deep connections made with people he works with.
Northern Spotted Owl Surveying at Jenner Headlands Preserve
The federally threatened Northern Spotted Owl is an ‘indicator species’ meaning it can provide a greater picture of the health of these old growth forests. As part of restoration forestry efforts carried out by Wildlands staff and volunteers, The Wildlands Conservancy works to conserve and improve habitat conditions for rare, threatened and endangered species, protect water resources and water quality, and to manage wildfire resiliency at Jenner Headlands Preserve. In doing so, Wildlands staff routinely surveys the Preserve for Northern Spotted Owl activity to inform these efforts.
Meet Jenifer Lopez-Valdez, Education Manager for the Desert Preserves
Jenifer Lopez-Valdez joined The Wildlands Conservancy team in 2020 and works as our education manager for the California Desert Preserves. Jenifer grew up in the Coachella Valley and attributes free outdoor education programs to steering her towards a fulfilling career in conservation.
Nature’s Niños Family Campout Program
Nature's Niños is a free, all-included camping program designed to provide enriching outdoor experiences for families from Latinx communities in the Coachella Valley. Through this program we aim to break down barriers and open doors to unforgettable outdoor adventures. At the heart of Nature's Niños lies a commitment to introducing families to the joys of camping while fostering a deeper connection with nature.
Meet Wind Wolves Preserve Manager, Daisy Carillo
Daisy Carillo has been with The Wildlands Conservancy for ten years. Currently, Daisy is the preserve manager for Wind Wolves Preserve. Consisting of 93,000 acres, the Preserve is nestled in a unique ecological region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge.
California Mountain Lions: The Legends of California
Mountain lions are solitary and secretive animals, which is why most native Californians have never seen the elusive mountain lion in the wild. These cats are considered an ‘umbrella species’ for conservation, meaning that by preserving enough wilderness to support a stable mountain lion population, countless other plant and animal species that share its habitat also benefit.
Fuel Reduction Project at Bearpaw Reserve
Bearpaw Reserve features nearly 600 acres of steep, spectacular mountains with a seasonal 110-foot waterfall. Vegetation includes incense cedars, ponderosa and coulter pine, chaparral, and oracle oaks—a rare hybrid between black oaks and interior live oaks. In 2020, this landscape and its diverse species were severely impacted by the devastating El Dorado fire.
Meet Gary and Rebecca Peplow, Education Docents at Oak Glen Preserve
Gary and Rebecca Peplow, retired school teachers, volunteer as education docents for The Wildlands Conservancy at Oak Glen Preserve. Rebecca and Gary have a long history of enjoying the trails at Oak Glen Preserve, dating all the way back to 1997 when they would bring their own children to the preserve to hike the trails and enjoy being out in nature as a family…
Cottonwood Wash Expansion
Inspired by the successful acquisition of the 320-acre Preserve and plans for its protection, a private landowner reached out to The Wildlands Conservancy about the conservation of their adjacent 95-acre parcel. A testament to the role of committed individuals in land conservation efforts, the land was purchased nearly 30 years ago and held until the right party could be identified to permanently protect and care for the property.
Restoring Fish Habitat at Jenner Headlands Preserve
Barriers to fish passage can have profoundly harmful effects on coastal watersheds and the species that live there, including population decline. Recognizing the importance of saving and restoring the populations of salmon and steelhead, The Wildlands Conservancy has worked to improve water quality and restore fish passage through barrier removal at Jenner Headlands Preserve.
Grant Funding Approved for Public Access Improvements at Seawood Cape Preserve
Earlier this year, Wildlands proposed the Seawood Cape Preserve Public Access Improvements Planning Project to the California State Coastal Conservancy — a government organization and long-time partner that awards grants for projects that restore and protect the California coast, expand public access to it, and enhance its resilience to climate change. We are pleased to announce the proposed Planning Project for Seawood Cape Preserve has been approved!
Transforming a Tributary for Future Generations
Recognizing the statewide leadership of California Trout to save fish, Wildlands welcomed an opportunity to partner together on a restorative journey to recover coho salmon at the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve.
Meet Kat Hardisty-Cranstone, New Preserve Manager for Rana Creek
A native to California, Kat has a deep respect and reverence for nature. Originally from San Diego, Kat studied fish, wildlife, and conservation biology at Colorado State University. Before attending university, she always dreamt of becoming a large animal veterinarian. However, through her ecology studies, she came to understand the connection between habitat degradation and animal extinction, a significant realization that altered her life path. “If I can restore the habitat, then the animals can restore themselves,” Kat says.
Wildlands Works in Partnership with Local Community in Kern County
The Wildlands Conservancy is excited to continue our partnerships with two local organizations in Kern County — the Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation and Kern Family Health Care — to advance a shared vision in providing benefits to local communities while conserving wildlands.
Putting the Wild Back in Wild Lands
While the term “rewilding” is growing in popularity, it’s not a novel concept at The Wildlands Conservancy. Our latest success is unfolding at Bluff Lake Reserve where we’ve reintroduced two critically endangered species, the unarmored three-spine stickelback and the mountain yellow-legged frog, revitalizing the hope of a future for these creatures.
Tule Elk at Wind Wolves Preserve
Tule elk are one of three subspecies of elk found in California, and are the smallest of all elk species in North America. In 1998, The Wildlands Conservancy coordinated with the California Department of Fish and Game to relocate tule elk to Wind Wolves Preserve.
Continue reading to learn more about what how The Wildlands Conservancy has successfully reintroduced this majestic species.