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The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop 1 billion of us from streaming into the country’s national parks in 2020. In fact, it increased our desire to take refuge in the outdoors, leading to complaints about overrun trails and picnic spots in some of California’s most popular places. One alternative to the big-park experience: nature preserves, which provide an intimate way to experience nature without the crowds.
Preserves throughout the West are often run by private conservancies. They can be large or small but share a common goal of protecting particular landscapes.
“Often they’re in place to protect certain plants or animals or ecosystems types or special features; sometimes it’s historical or archeological features,” said Nature Conservancy biologist Sophie Parker. As an example, for 50 years, her organization has worked to protect the remote Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert and the native pupfish and Amargosa toads that live nowhere else.
Quiet time: 5 little-known nature preserves not far from L A yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Preserves throughout the West are often run by private conservancies. They can be large or small but share a common goal of protecting particular landscapes. “Often, they’re in place to protect certain plants or animals or eco-systems types or special features, sometimes it’s historical or archeological features,” said Nature Conservancy biologist Sophie Parker. As an example, for 50 years, her organization has worked to protect the remote Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert and the native pupfish and Amargosa toads that live nowhere else.
Preserves also reflect an ethos of land stewardship and a strong belief that wild places should be open to the public for free. The Wildlands Conservancy, which manages more than 20 preserves in the West, believes that access to nature is a birthright. One of its core beliefs: “Free access to our preserves removes the socio-economic barriers that tend to promote a disconnect with nature.”
Escondido Creek Conservancy holding buy-a-brick fundraiser sandiegouniontribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sandiegouniontribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Escondido
The Escondido Creek Conservancy is calling for construction of a series of community gardens in the city, as part of the restoration of its namesake waterway.
The project aims to revitalize Escondido Creek as it runs through the city, lining the flood control channel with a trail, linear park and other recreational features. Among those could be small local gardens “where residents of the city could be assigned small plots to grow vegetables, flowers, and the like,” Conservancy President Richard Murphy recommended in a letter to Escondido Community Services Director Joanna Axelrod, who had requested details on the proposal.