All events specify a minimum age for participation.
- Eight (8) is the minimum age for most Reserve events.
- Some events require participants to be ages 12 & up.
- FAMILY events welcome children aged 6 & up.
- Refer to specific event listing for details.
- Be sure to review our age limit policy.
Pre-registration required for all programs.
- Contact us for large groups or to arrange a special group outing.
- Your registration enables us to contact you about program changes or cancellations. Please see our policy on Cancellations and Refunds.
- All visitors to The Reserve must present a signed release waiver upon entry to the property. Families may submit a single form, as long as all entrants are identified on the form. Waivers are also available at the event.
Volunteer Orientation and Training
Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!
This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Reserve lands through conservation and education.
CERTIFIED RESERVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM:
This training is the first step in becoming a Certified Reserve Volunteer. Certified Reserve Volunteers are specially trained volunteers that lead and co-lead Reserve programs.
Ages: 18 and up
| When: | April 25, 2018, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | RMV Presentation Center |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 14 (out of 25) |
Animal Tracking - Family Program
Investigate the mysterious tracks left by wildlife on the Reserve. Learn the basics of animal tracking, including basic track shapes and sizes. Make and take your own animal track plaque.
Activities and craft geared for ages 6 - 11 years, but all ages (6 and up) are welcome to participate.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 6 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, May 4th.
| When: | May 5, 2018, 9:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 12 (out of 25) |
Monday Trail Clearing and Weeding
Join Reserve staff for a Monday morning maintaining our trails!
Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up
Please note: participants must be registered by 4:00 pm on Sunday, May 6.
| When: | May 7, 2018, 7:30 am – 9:30 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 20 |
Astronomy Night
Orange County Stars
Visitors traveling to sparsely populated areas are usually delighted to discover how many more stars are visible than at home. Come out to The Reserve for Astronomy Night where you can still view many more celestial phenomena than elsewhere in urbanized Orange County!
Enjoy an evening outdoors, as you gaze into the heavens, learn the constellations, and peer through the telescopes of our volunteer astronomers. Reserve astronomers are all volunteers who enthusiastically share their telescopes and expert sky knowledge with you. (BRING: Warm clothing, Red cellophaned flashlight, binoculars, optional beach chair.)
Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 8 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, May 11.
| When: | May 12, 2018, 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 0 |
Saturday Trail Clearing and Weeding
Volunteer to spend a few hours in beautiful surroundings helping make The Reserve trails accessible to our visitors. Join the crew dedicated to protecting our native ecosystems by maintaining trails and eliminating weeds. Volunteer efforts make an impact! Drinks and snacks provided. (BRING: Work gloves if you have them).
Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up
Participants must be registered by 4:00pm on May 11.
| When: | May 12, 2018, 8:00 am – 11:30 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 18 (out of 20) |
Mother’s Day Walk to the Mother Oak
Celebrate Mother's Day in beautiful natural surroundings on a fun discovery walk down Gato Road. We will visit the Sister and Mother Oaks and celebrate the beauty of spring's revival in the great outdoors.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, May 11 .
| When: | May 13, 2018, 8:00 am – 10:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | Cristianitos Trail (Talega) in San Clemente (The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy) |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 23 (out of 25) |
Lecture: Dangerous Snakes of Orange County
Join us as we learn all about dangerous snakes of Orange County: how to identify them, where they live, and what to do if you encounter one. Local herpetologist Steve Bledsoe, a member of the Southwestern Field Herping Associates, will give an informative presentation about these unique creatures.
Ages: 8 and up
Participants must be registered or on the wait list by 5:00 pm, May 15.
| When: | May 15, 2018, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | Guest House in Rancho Mission Viejo |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 25 (out of 30) |
Butterfly Walk
Come explore with amateur butterfly enthusiast Gary Meredith and learn to identify butterflies – a relaxing and fun activity. How many species will we find during our walk through the ever-changing palette of habitats? Learn how to recognize our common butterflies. Find out about hill topping and territorial behavior as you hike the trails of The Reserve.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 12 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday May18.
| When: | May 19, 2018, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 19 (out of 25) |
Caspers Park Foundation Nature Talk
Reservations are not necessary for this event call Caspers Park Foundation for accurate seat availability.
This nature-themed lecture is held in association with the monthly meeting of Caspers Park Foundation (CPF) volunteers.
Subject: Snakebite Treatment and Prevention
This event is presented by the Caspers Park Foundation. For information regarding this event, please contact the Caspers Park Foundation. For more info, email: CaspersParkFoundation@gmail.com or call 949-923-2210.
| When: | June 2, 2018, 10:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | Caspers Wilderness Park |
| Information: | Available Spaces: Unlimited |
Monday Trail Clearing and Weeding
Join Reserve staff for a Monday morning maintaining our trails!
Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up
Please note: participants must be registered by 4:00 pm on June 3.
| When: | June 4, 2018, 7:30 am – 9:30 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | Rancho Mission Viejo Headquarters |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 20 |
Saturday Trail Clearing and Weeding
Volunteer to spend a few hours in beautiful surroundings helping make The Reserve trails accessible to our visitors. Join the crew dedicated to protecting our native ecosystems by maintaining trails and eliminating weeds. Volunteer efforts make an impact! Drinks and snacks provided. (BRING: Work gloves if you have them).
Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up
Please note: participants must be registered by 4:00 pm on June 8.
| When: | June 9, 2018, 8:00 am – 11:30 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 20 |
Father's Day Hike
Take Father’s Day out on the trail this year with a two mile hike through oak woodlands and sage scrub. Make some memories by spending time together in nature.
Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 6 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 15.
| When: | June 17, 2018, 9:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 25 |
Lecture: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Come Along and Discover the Weird and Wonderful World of Bats
A quarter of the world's mammals are bats. These much maligned creatures have a bad reputation but do they deserve it? Join Michelle Rivers, bat enthusiast and UK Bat Worker, to discover the good, the bad and the ugly facts about the bats in your neighborhood and the rest of the world. You'll discover the hidden lives of bats, their adaptations and why we should all love bats.
Ages: 8 and up
Please note: Participants must be registered by 2:00 pm on Tuesday, June 19.
| When: | June 19, 2018, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | Guest House in Rancho Mission Viejo |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 35 |
Volunteer Orientation and Training
Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!
This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Reserve lands through conservation and education.
CERTIFIED RESERVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM:
This training is the first step in becoming a Certified Reserve Volunteer. Certified Reserve Volunteers are specially trained volunteers that lead and co-lead Reserve programs.
Ages: 18 and up
| When: | June 20, 2018, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | RMV Presentation Center |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 25 |
Bat Walk
Bats are one of the many mysteries of nature. What kinds of bats live in Orange County? Take an evening walk with bat enthusiast Michelle Rivers to find out! You will experience "bat detectors" which convert ultrasonic bat sounds to frequencies audible to humans, as you learn more about the natural history of local bats.
Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 22.
| When: | June 23, 2018, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 20 |
Tails, Trails and Tales Family Walk
Listen to myths, legends and stories along the trail as we learn the facts and fiction of local wildlife on the Reserve. Meet an animal friend of the Reserve and make your own animal legend craft.
Activities and craft geared for ages 6 - 11 years, but all ages (6 and up) are welcome to participate.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 6 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 22nd.
| When: | June 23, 2018, 9:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 25 |
Summer Days on The Reserve (Summer Day Camp)
Summer Days on The Reserve is a day camp-style program for kids centered on fostering creativity while exploring and learning about nature.
This year's camp theme is Wild Earth Artists! We will use raw materials from the earth to create many kinds of arts and crafts while developing scientific observation skills and appreciation for wildlife. Campers will tap into their senses while they play games, create crafts, learn outdoor skills, sing songs and enjoy adventures on the Reserve.
Dates: July 23 - July 27, 2018
Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (drop off begins at 8:30am)
Ages: 6-11
For a discounted price, sign up for a yearly Family Level Supportership! Receive a discount on camp and attend most Reserve events for FREE throughout the year.
| When: | July 23, 2018, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo Headquarters |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 30 |