Welcome to the Santa Lucia Conservancy

The Santa Lucia Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust incorporated in 1995 to conserve the ecological integrity of the protected lands within the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, CA. We are dedicated to advancing the art and science of conservation-compatible development through adaptive land management, conservation easement stewardship, ecological research, and environmental education programs.

The Conservancy actively manages the 18,000 acres of natural lands within the Preserve to protect and enhance their extraordinary ecological values. In addition, the Conservancy works with a variety of academic and environmental partners to conduct and promote ecological research that increases our understanding of the interactions between human communities and the natural environment. The Conservancy also provides free environmental educational programs to children from public and private schools and homeschooling families.

The Santa Lucia Conservancy is a member of the Land Trust Alliance and has adopted the Land Trust Standards and Practices to guide its operations.

To learn more our organization and our work, please visit About Us.  

- Latest News - 

Tricolored blackbirds were once described so numerous "as to darken the sky". During the last 70 years, their numbers have declined by over 80%. Follow the links below to learn more about the Conservancy's efforts to study and conserve this unique species on the Santa Lucia Preserve:

Habitat Enhancement and Radio-Telemetry Research 2012

Tricolored Blackbird Tracking Project

Making a Home for Tricolored Blackbirds