Calendar

Join us for a Saturday morning walk. We will be on the lookout for mistletoe and seasonal fruit such as the "holly berry," beloved by birds. We will be walking on the Shady Canyon trail and learning about some of the native plants and animals of the Conservancy. It will be a great morning to savor the smells, sights, sounds and breathtaking beauty of December in the wildlands. You will have the opportunity to decorate and take home your own mistletoe!

Interpretation Level: Moderate
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, December 6.

Orange County Stars

Visitors traveling to sparsely populated areas are usually delighted to discover how many more stars are visible than at home. If you’ve not yet caught a glimpse of the Milky Way, 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, December 6.

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 Friday, December 13.

Join experienced birders for the annual Christmas Bird Count. Over the years, more than 80 species of birds have been seen at The Reserve. How many will we see in 2013? Join us and find out!! BRING: Binoculars & field guide if you have them.  NOTE early start time of 7:00 AM. Visit Audubon's website to learn more about the CBC, one of the oldest "citizen science" events in the nation.

Interpretation Level:  High
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, December 13.

Start the new year with a winter morning nature hike. As you traverse trails with a naturalist as your guide, you can observe shades of winter color while listening for native bird calls. Come enjoy the company of fellow hiking enthusiasts, take in the fragrant aroma of dampened sage and breathe in cool winter air.

Interpretation Level: Minimal
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, January 3.

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, January 5.

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 Friday, January 10.

Join Reserve docent Michael Lindsey on a beautiful winter walk full of myths, legends & tales of animals, plants and early inhabitants of California's unique landscapes. The stories will touch on some of the major events that have helped shape the Southern California early inhabitants.  We will also be on the lookout for early wildflowers!

Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, January 10.

Comparison of weather radar data over the last 50 years has shown major declines in the numbers of birds along many of the major migratory routes, with estimates that in some cases, the numbers have dropped by 50-percent since the 1970s.  Recognition of these declines has intensified efforts to conserve migratory birds throughout the world, in order to protect this unique twice-annual event.  Come and hear about this awe inspiring phenomenon and learn what you can do to help.  Guest speaker and biologist Tony Bomkamp will be presenting. For a more detailed description of this lecture click Migratory Bird lecture.

Ages: 8 and up

Participants must be registered by Wednesday, January 15 by 2:00 pm.

Search for fungi popping up after seasonal rains & meet some of the world’s largest living organisms on a guided mushroom walk on The Reserve.  Fungi don't photosynthesize, but they do "fruit," producing mushrooms and other growths which contain spores rather than seeds. Learn more about the mysteries of mycelia by hitting the trail with mycology expert Gregg Miller.  Mushrooms like rain and moist conditions, so this event will be held rain or shine.

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, January 17.

Experience the cool, quiet beauty of winter on The Reserve. See early wildflowers and breathtaking views as we hike up North Ridge Trail, over to Wilson’s Camp and return through Shady Canyon. Keep your New Year’s resolutions going strong on this steady paced hike surrounded by the magic of nature .

Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level:  Moderate - Strenuous
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, January 24.

Orange County Stars

Visitors traveling to sparsely populated areas are usually delighted to discover how many more stars are visible than at home. If you’ve not yet caught a glimpse of the Milky Way, 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, January 31.

Come hear licensed falconer, Adam Chavez as he gives a presentation on the Sport of Falconry.  Adam will discuss the traditional practice of falconry, a sport which is thousands of years old.  Learn about these majestic birds and the work they do.

This lecture will be followed by a falconry demonstration on Sunday, February 9.

Ages: 8 and up

Participants must be registered by Wednesday, February 5 by 2:00 pm.

Nature is romantic. You never know what you might find when you explore the world outside your doors. Come walk along Gato Trail on this special day. We will be hunting for heart shaped natural objects as we walk to our Sister Oak. Perhaps a heart shaped rock or leaf, tree branches coming together forming a heart, or even a heart shaped small rodent path in the grasses. Use your imagination! Did you know that a deer footprint can look like a heart? Something unexpected always turns up. We will celebrate the beauty and wonder of Nature on this Valentine's Day walk on the wild side. Remember, some of the best moments are the unexpected discoveries.

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, February 7.

Licensed falconer Adam Chavez will educate patrons about the partnership between human and raptor, better known as a "bird of prey." Adam will discuss the traditional practice of falconry, a sport which is thousands of years old, along with newer equipment employed by contemporary practitioners. The event will include an exhilarating demonstration of free flight by one or more of Adam's four trained birds: a European Goshawk, Gyr-Peregrine Falcon, Gyrfalcon, and a Harris Hawk.

Interpretation Level:  High
Difficulty Level:  Easy to moderate
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Saturday, February 8.

Celebrate this Valentine's Day with a Full Moon Hike on The Reserve.

Interpretation Level:  Medium
Difficulty Level:  Moderate
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Thursday, February 13.

Local wildflower expert Bob Allen will lead an exploration of The Reserve looking for early wildflowers like the Padre Shooting Star. Learn to identify blooms and savor the smells, sights, sounds and breathtaking beauty of late winter.

Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, February 21.

Join the Sierra Sage chapter of the Sierra Club to enjoy the beautiful, natural scenery of The Reserve.

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, February 21.