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.”