February 2022 Newsletter

February 2022 Newsletter

Chorus frog floating in a pond on The Preserve. Photo by Matthew Savoca.

February 28, 2022

By Jamison Watts, Executive Director

Internationally recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, the Santa Lucia Preserve is located within the Santa Lucia Mountains at the intersection of coastal and inland climate gradients, with a variety of elevations and habitats. Over 700 plant species, 172 bird species, 42 mammal species, 28 reptiles and amphibians, and 60 butterfly species spend part or all of their lives on The Preserve. 

Six of those species have State and/or federal protection, including steelhead trout, California tiger salamander, tricolored blackbird, Smith’s blue butterfly, California red-legged frog, and Pacific Grove clover.

The Conservancy’s mission is twofold: 1) to steward and protect in perpetuity the unique natural and aesthetic resources of the Santa Lucia Preserve, and 2) promote communities that are environmentally and ecologically sustainable. Responsible for conducting biological monitoring and adaptive land management, we test and adapt cutting-edge strategies to advance conservation on The Preserve and beyond. By taking care of The Preserve’s diverse habiats, we are actively investing in the future – for both our community and society at large. 

We encourage everyone who lives in this amazing part of the world to learn more about our non-human neighbors and how to peacefully coexist with them so that in the words of Aldo Leopold, “we may begin to use the land with love and respect.”

Click the button below to learn more about our work in our February Newsletter.