NEWSROOM - Rivers & Lands Conservancy

Two volunteers and RLC staff member Amy Tims collect trash on the Santa Ana River Trail

9/2/2023 Volunteering in nature can fight loneliness, isolation

Creating and participating in volunteer opportunities addresses one of the greatest health challenges of our time. At Rivers & Lands Conservancy, we felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in ways we could not have imagined. So much of our work to beautify and restore our natural, wild and open spaces depends on volunteers. So many of the relationships we treasure are built on the land with our volunteer community. Yet, for the span of nearly two years, these efforts were halted until it was safe to get together again.

8/5/2023 Oaks are a keystone species in California, being near them is a good way to lose track of time

For me, an oak woodland is a place to lose track of time and to feel a deep sense of connection with systems and cycles much larger and much longer-lived than myself. Individual oak trees can live for hundreds of years. In the words of a local ecologist, they have 200 years to live, 200 years to die. An entire oak woodland and its inhabitants occupy their place on the landscape for thousands of years, generation after generation after generation.

Male Anna's Hummingbird hovering in front of bright fuschia-colored flowers

7/1/2023- Lessons from hummingbirds: Instilling wonder and curiosity in nature

Hummingbirds are a reminder to appreciate and discover the wonder of nature. Throughout my time studying hummingbirds they have taught me many lessons. I have learned about the sounds they make, where they live, what they eat, where they nest and about the incredible feats of athleticism they display. Hummingbirds have also taught me to continue to wonder, to become ever more curious, observant, and appreciative of the natural world around me.

child crouched and picking up silt along a dry stream bed

6/1/2023 Children remind adults of nature’s beauty — and importance

The mysteries, wonder and simple joys of nature can be rediscovered through the eyes of children. Growing up, I was lucky to spend a great deal of time outdoors. My family often took us camping and encouraged us to connect with nature. Sure, Super Nintendo was a favorite pastime for my generation, but there were only two controllers, and I had two older brothers. You can guess how much I got to play. Fortunately, nature was always beckoning.

5/5/2021 - Do the environment a favor: Don’t buy Mylar balloons

Mylar balloons are everywhere. No matter where I am I can find one. When monitoring conservation lands throughout the Inland Empire, the most common type of trash I find in the most remote locations is always Mylar balloons. Although I hate seeing them, I love collecting them. I’m obsessed. When I see the metallic reflection of these celebratory balloons in the landscape, I just have to collect them before leaving the site.

4/1/2023 -As Earth Day nears, remember that anyone can pitch in to help the environment

As a ten-year-old girl, growing up in Riverside in the early 80s, I dreamed of one day seeing a peregrine falcon in the wild. I leafed through my National Audubon Society Field Guide often and it was the peregrine that captured my imagination. I thought the dark-eyed and slender-winged bird with fierce beak and talons was the embodiment of what was most wild in the sky. Yet, I had small hope of ever seeing one. Their population had dwindled with the effects of the insecticide DDT and they were a rare sight.

3/29/2023 Rivers & Lands Conservancy Announces Acquisition of 306 Acre Conservation Site in Orange County

Rivers & Lands Conservancy is thrilled to announce it has permanently conserved the 306-acre Saddle Creek North property in unincorporated Orange County at the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. Saddle Creek North will be managed jointly as a 400-acre conservation area with the adjacent Watson property acquired by Rivers & Lands Conservancy in 2021.

3/4/2023 Gardens benefit everyone, from people to wildlife

Gardens that attract wildlife offer physical, mental and community benefits. Gardens are a natural gathering point for families. Children are often fascinated by wildlife they attract and from here discover a grander vision of the world. There is so much to discover, and a little garden is just the start. It isn’t just the children though. Gardens are good for adults.

2/4/2022 Colton sand dunes are a unique habitat in the Inland Empire

The disappearing Colton dunes, found only in the Inland Empire, get a helping hand from the community. Originally stretching forty square-miles from Ontario to Colton, the rare Colton dunes are rapidly diminishing. With just over 400 acres under permanent conservation, stewardship of the remaining habitat is critical to the flora and fauna that reside there.

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RECENT NEWS

9/2/2023 Volunteering in nature can fight loneliness, isolation

8/5/2023 Oaks are a keystone species in California, being near them is a good way to lose track of time

7/1/2023- Lessons from hummingbirds: Instilling wonder and curiosity in nature

6/1/2023 Children remind adults of nature’s beauty — and importance

5/5/2021 - Do the environment a favor: Don’t buy Mylar balloons

4/1/2023 -As Earth Day nears, remember that anyone can pitch in to help the environment

3/29/2023 Rivers & Lands Conservancy Announces Acquisition of 306 Acre Conservation Site in Orange County

3/4/2023 Gardens benefit everyone, from people to wildlife

2/4/2022 Colton sand dunes are a unique habitat in the Inland Empire

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