CSUMB Undergraduate Researcher Mario Coronado Cartmell establishes study plots on The Preserve. Photo by Alix Soliman. February 7, 2023 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator Across California, valley oaks (Quercus lobata) are struggling to establish future generations. Agriculture and urban development have drastically reduced valley oak woodland coverage across the state and especially in Read more …
Dr. Rodrigo Sierra Corona with cattle on The Preserve. Photo by Serena Lasko. Dear residents, members, and colleagues, During the last five years, we built a top-of-the-line Ecological Management Department, which redefined the Conservancy’s identity and solidified our value in the conservation community. This was the result of a collective effort, countless long days in Read more …
Conservancy and CSD staff set grasslands in the Dairy Field Burn unit ablaze on November 6th, 2022. Photo by Alix Soliman. November 7, 2022 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator On Sunday, November 6, the Santa Lucia Conservancy conducted a successful prescribed burn in Carmel Valley totaling approximately 19 acres with cooperation from the Read more …
A male Smith's Blue Butterfly perched on coast buckwheat. Photo courtesy of Diane Kodama / USFWS. October 5, 2022 By Dr. Sabine Cudney, Postdoctoral Fellow If you see Conservancy staff staring at the ground with binoculars on Peñon Peak, it’s not because we don’t know where the birds are, but because we are trying to Read more …
A tarantula looking for love on a foggy morning at the top of Cantera Run. Photo by Jackson Brooke. September 22, 2022 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator Humans tend to find fuzzy creatures “cute.” Why, then, do tarantulas have such a bad reputation? A common belief is that arachnophobia is a lingering survival Read more …
A Coyote howls in the San Francisquito Flats. Photo by Abby Cole. August 24, 2022 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator The Preserve is located at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), a place where human communities intersect with a rugged, natural landscape home to an abundance of wildlife. Living in such an environment means that Read more …
A mass of California Red-legged Frog eggs rests at the surface of a pond on The Preserve. Photo by Alix Soliman. May 11, 2022 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator A major development in fish and wildlife monitoring, Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a scientific method that can tell us whether a species is present Read more …
The contrast between a just-grazed pasture and the first day of grazing in a new, adjacent pasture on San Clemente. Photo by Andrew Evans. April 20, 2022 By Claudio Núñez, Conservation Grazing Manager, and Andrew Evans, Conservation Grazing Associate In this ecological moment, animal husbandry is a controversial topic. Industrial livestock production has led to Read more …
Redwood Sorrel is an herbaceous perennial plant that provides excellent ground cover in moist, shady environments. Photo by Serena Lasko. April 13, 2022 By Evany Wang and Sophie Heny, Seasonal Restoration Crew Members Waving grasslands decorated with strings of blazing wildflowers, oaks hung thick with moss, cattle marching through vivid green grass—The Santa Lucia Preserve Read more …
Our conservation grazing herd browses under the oaks at San Clemente. Photo by Andrew Evans. March 31, 2022 By Jamison Watts, Executive Director A visionary model, the Santa Lucia Preserve blends sustainable development into a permanently protected natural landscape. The founders’ vision led to the science and nature-based design of The Preserve with a dedicated Read more …
Ventana Wildlife Society Biologist Mike Stake and Conservation Ecologist Dr. Brian Woodward conduct a Raptor survey on The Preserve. Photo by Alix Soliman. March 25, 2022 By Alix Soliman, Communications & Outreach Coordinator Soaring overhead on rising thermals, dive-bombing rodents in the rolling grasslands with their piercing screeches echoing off of the hills – birds Read more …
The Coastline at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Photo by Alix Soliman. March 21, 2022 By Andrew Evans, Conservation Grazing Associate From Big Sur to Carmel Beach to Asilomar and beyond, the draw of the Central Coast is centered on its pristine landscapes, resilient habitats, abundant fisheries, and welcoming coastal towns. However, as global watersheds Read more …
Polo Field down towards Moore’s Lake overtaken by poison hemlock before treatment in 2020. Photo by Jackson Brooke. October 5, 2021 By Jackson Brooke, Restoration Technician As the Restoration Manager at Santa Lucia Conservancy, my department’s goal is to remove invasive species from 500 acres of grassland on the Santa Lucia Preserve each year. Grasslands Read more …
The Conservancy is pleased to share its fourth and final newsletter of 2020! In this issue, we feature updates about fuel management on The Preserve, highlights from our stewardship programs, and a joint letter from our new Executive Director, Jamison Watts, and our Deputy Director, Christy Wyckoff. Click here to read the full newsletter!
Driving on The Preserve is part of the experience of conservation living, whether you get behind the wheel for the joy of the drive or simply to travel from one place to the next. This paved element of the landscape was quite literally designed from the ground up with roads that enhance the cadence of Read more …
No doubt, there is a learning curve to the rural lifestyle of The Preserve. This conservation experiment has many mechanisms built in to foster deeper appreciation and thoughtful care of the land. Fuel Management is one of the more bewildering topics, for many reasons. First, no one would deny that wildfire is scary; it is Read more …
The Carmel Valley holds a special place in my heart. With family ties in the Monterey Peninsula, I visited the area frequently as a child and for years heard whispers of the magic on The Santa Lucia Preserve. In February 2020, I joined the Conservancy’s second annual seasonal field crew and at last had the Read more …
As Thoreau astutely observed, spring arrives with imperceptible first steps. Now, spring is waning, having been lauded by the glowing hillsides of lupines and the gentle bows of the California poppies. And as you have likely both seen and heard, the coming of spring brings not only blooms, but life in all forms. With this Read more …
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE SANTA LUCIA CONSERVANCY EXPANDS REGIONAL FIRE PREVENTION The non-profit, recognized as leader in regional fire planning and prevention, is awarded $2 million across three grants CARMEL, Calif. – The Santa Lucia Conservancy is expanding its cutting-edge role in regional fire planning and suppression. Money from three federal and state Read more …
A reflection on 9 years of accomplishments with the Santa Lucia Conservancy Spring is a time of metamorphosis, and this year change is also afoot at the Santa Lucia Conservancy. After a 'transformational' 9 years as the Conservancy's Executive Director, Christy Fischer has accepted an exciting new position with a long-time Preserve partner, the Trust Read more …
