Category: Newsletter

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
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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
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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
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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
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The mama bobcat confidently strolled along the sliding glass door. She assiduously surveyed her surroundings like the protective mother that she was but gave off an air of nonchalance like only a bobcat can. Her two kittens bounded along behind her, far less aware or concerned than their mother, utterly clueless of the adoring audience
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Migration to Nature Moving from San Francisco’s Russian Hill to The Preserve is quite an extreme transition. From frantic streets, hordes of tourist and unlimited leisure options to the complete tranquility of Long Ridge Trail. To the south, the mountains of Big Sur and the Ventana Wilderness, to the north, Peñon Peak and the Pacific
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Day in and day out, the Conservancy's Field Crew returned to the office in a state of happy lethargy; simultaneously pleased with the day’s accomplishments and exhausted by long days in the field. Pictured left to right above: Brett, Isidro, Austin, Ryen and Chris. Before I joined the Conservancy’s inaugural Field Crew, I could not
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There is a lot to explore on The Preserve’s 20,000 acres. A stroll in the Openlands with a neighbor or a member of the Conservancy team can reveal exciting discoveries and inspire new passions. Originating as a joint effort to manage invasive thistles, one landowner partnership has evolved into protecting rare deciduous oaks. When landowners
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There are more than a few things that I love about working with our cows on The Preserve. The land is beautiful, the sun is bright, the cows are good company, and everything is hands on. But one of my favorite parts of this job is hearing members ask, “When can the cows be here?”
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