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.
Presentation: Tarantulas and Other Many-Legged Critters of the Night
Did you know that in the evenings, male tarantulas wander around in search of food and females? They only live for about 1 year. Female tarantulas dig deep burrows in the ground and remain there, waiting for crickets and other insects to walk by and become dinner. They live for 20 years! Their relatives, the trap-door spiders, live in burrows in the ground. Some species build a hinged door over their burrow, and spring up when an insect walks across it. Black widow spiders mostly come out at night. When an insect gets stuck in its web, the spider rolls it up in silk, waits for it to quiet down, then bites and injects its venom. Soon after, the spider feeds on its dinner.
Aren’t you glad that you are too big to become dinner for a spider?!
Join us with guest speaker, Bob Allen, for an evening of photographs, stories, and specimens of tarantulas, other spiders, and night-time insects of Orange County.
Ages: 8 and up
Participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm, September 05.
| When: | September 5, 2019, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm |
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| Where: | Guest House in Rancho Mission Viejo |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 58 (out of 65) |
Tarantulas and Other Many-Legged Critters of the Night Walk
Join guest leader, Bob Allen, to get up close and personal with tarantulas and other arthropods! We'll be on the lookout for male tarantulas making their annual late summer search for females. We will also look for trap-door spiders and other critters of the evening.
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, September 6.
| When: | September 7, 2019, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 23 (out of 25) |
Caspers Park Foundation Nature Talk
Reservations are not necessary for this event.
This nature-themed lecture is held in association with the monthly meeting of Caspers Park Foundation (CPF) volunteers.
Subject: The Portola Expedition
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: | September 7, 2019, 10:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | Caspers Wilderness Park |
| Information: | Available Spaces: Unlimited |
Full Harvest Moon Hike
Take in the moonlit coast live oaks and sycamores on a docent-led hike through The Reserve. Learn more about how people in the past and in the present have harvested food on the land.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up
| When: | September 13, 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
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| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 18 (out of 25) |
Birds of Fall - Bird Safari
Would you like to learn to identify some of our local feathered friends? Are you ready to start your “life list?” Enjoy a spring morning with docent and bird expert Gary Meredith while quietly combing The Reserve for our resident and migrant birds.
This is a birding 101 event and will partially take place alongside a private road overlooking oak groves, grasslands and more. Participants will initially drive on the road from site to site to look and listen for a variety of birds and later take a stroll to view other birds on our trails.
We encourage you to wear neutral/natural colored clothing and to bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 10 and up
Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday Sept. 20
| When: | September 21, 2019, 8:30 am – 11:30 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 16 (out of 20) |
Caspers Park Foundation Nature Talk
Reservations are not necessary for this event.
This nature-themed lecture is held in association with the monthly meeting of Caspers Park Foundation (CPF) volunteers.
Subject: Coyotes
This event is presented by the Caspers Park Foundation. For information regarding this event, please contact the Caspers Park Foundation. For more info, email: CaspersParkFoundatioalkn@gmail.com or call 949-923-2210.
| When: | October 5, 2019, 10:00 am – 11:00 am |
|---|---|
| Where: | Caspers Wilderness Park |
| Information: | Available Spaces: Unlimited |
International Observe the Moon Night
International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is an annual worldwide public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of our Moon.
Enjoy an evening outdoors, as you gaze into the heavens, learn about The Moon, 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, Oct. 4.
| When: | October 5, 2019, 7:15 pm – 9:15 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 22 (out of 25) |
Full Hunter's Moon Hike
October’s full moon provided the light needed for Native Americans to hunt during the night. Come learn about local Native American hunting techniques and enjoy a moonlit hike under the Full Hunter’s Moon.
Interpretation Level: Medium
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ages: 8 and up
| When: | October 13, 2019, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where: | The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 25 |
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: Adult, 18 and older
Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.
| When: | October 19, 2019, 8:00 am – 11:00 pm |
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| Where: | RMV Presentation Center |
| Information: | Available Spaces: 24 (out of 25) |