Spring is approaching, and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy has introduced a brand new Nature Garden in Bommer Canyon, ripe for outdoor education.

Located near the Bommer Canyon Cattle Camp, the IRC has transformed a once-overrun portion into an outdoor Nature Garden, designed to provide education about the native habitats within Irvine’s acres of protected land.

Detailed through interpretive panels installed by the Planning and Infrastructure team, the Bommer Canyon Nature Garden gives visitors an inside look at the history of the IRC, which includes ranching history and detailed information about the area’s native plants — the coastal sage scrub, riparian and grassland ecosystems.

Irvine is home to giant birds of prey like the nationally cherished bald eagle, and also to smaller, lesser known amphibians like the arboreal salamander. Yet these rare species are just fractions of the ecosystem integrated within the historic landmarks of the Irvine Ranch, which has served as Orange County’s naturally preserved, 93,000 acre secret garden of biodiversity for more than a century.

Brian Hughes, Interpretive Activities Manager for Irvine Ranch Conservancy, said preserving the history of the IRC is just as important as protecting the land within the Irvine-based conservancy.

“The new Bommer Canyon Nature Garden is all about the past, present and future of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks,” Hughes said. “IRC staff and volunteers worked closely with the City of Irvine to help create and maintain the Nature Garden, so visitors can learn about Bommer Canyon’s history and why the area was developed into a nature preserve.”

For more than 15 years, IRC’s long list of accomplishments has enlisted the involvement of more than 1,200 local volunteers who have dedicated more than 300,000 hours to overseeing conservation efforts within the historic landmarks of the Irvine Ranch.

“A big part of the success of the Bommer Canyon Nature Garden is the dedication from our IRC volunteers,” Hughes said.

Hughes said months of volunteer efforts of weeding, planting and clearing trails made this project possible.

“With the plants well established, trails complete and signage installed, the Bommer Canyon Nature Garden is ready to become part of the seven-day access trail system on the Landmarks,” said Hughes. “It sits perfectly next to the Nature Loop Trail in Bommer Canyon and is a great spot to rest and learn more about Orange County’s urban wildlands.”

The Bommer Canyon Nature Garden is now open between 7 a.m. to sunset. A map of the Bommer Canyon Trailhead can be found here.

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