Burrowing Owls
Meet us Friday, February 10 at 9am on the Johnson Ranch Preserve located in French Valley, an unincorporated area of Riverside County near the Cities of Temecula and Murrieta. The Johnson Ranch Preserve is approximately 900 acres of conserved land owned by the County of Riverside and managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM). The Preserve consists of Riversidean sage scrub, nonnative grasslands, vernal pools and riparian vegetation communities. CNLM manages the property for a variety of federally threatened, endangered, and California state sensitive plant and animal species, including Quino checkerspot butterfly, Stephen’s kangaroo rat, Orcutt’s grass, Riverside fairy shrimp and burrowing owl. The field trip will be lead by Kim Klementowski, CNLM Preserve Manager, who will educate us on the variety of natural resources within the preserve, the value of conserving such habitat for wildlife, and the importance of land stewardship for future generations. The Preserve is not open to the public and has no facilities on-site. This is a “Pack In, Pack Out” and “Leave No Trace” field trip, so please be prepared. The terrain is flat to rolling and hiking will be along existing dirt roads. Please be sure to wear appropriate clothing and hiking shoes, hats, and sunscreen. Bring enough water and snacks for this approximately 2-hour outing. You will need a notebook and pen/pencil and you may also wish to bring binoculars.
