Sharing the View

All across The Preserve, people are finding that caring for the land is a wonderful way to deepen their connections to this special place. Whether gathering cattle, pulling weeds, planting trees or installing owl boxes, this ‘high touch’ time spent surrounded by natural beauty nourishes us individually and as a community. Wonderfully, Preserve members and staff are sharing these experiences with [...]

At Home on the Openlands

Traditionally, autumn brings a sense of returning home.  Long summer days spent outside shorten, a chill in the air signals winter is not far away, small mammals stockpile food for shorter days ahead and larger mammals find their way to winter habitat. There is a study, within natural sciences, called phenology.  It refers to life cycles.  When California’s black bears [...]

Fire Monks and Fire Chiefs

Standing a few feet back from a wall of 9- foot flames I felt the tip of my nose smart. When the lick of fire began to shift from uncomfortable to unbearable I opened the nozzle of my hose releasing a wide spray of water, what firefighters call ‘fog’, and instantly felt the air cool between me and the the [...]

Restoring Our Ranching Legacy

The crackling of dried branches underfoot is startling, a sharp counterpoint to the soft mist laying low across the Flats and the muted birdsong greeting the first rays of the fall sunrise. I quiet my feet, waiting patiently.My job is small in the grand scheme of things but will require attention and good timing. A flock of meadowlarks sweeps overhead, [...]

Conservation Champion

Editorial Note Patty and Mike Stone have recently completed building their home and we went to meet them in their stunning, thoughtfully designed home to learn how they are settling in and what drew them to The Preserve. The first image below was taken by the Stones and graciously shared with us.Patty and Mike Stone fell in love the first time [...]

All across The Preserve, people are finding that caring for the land is a wonderful way to deepen their connections to this special place. Whether gathering cattle, pulling weeds, planting trees or installing owl boxes, this ‘high touch’ time spent surrounded by natural beauty nourishes us individually and as a community. Wonderfully, Preserve members and staff are sharing these experiences [...]