Bearpaw Reserve features nearly 600 acres of steep, spectacular mountains with a seasonal 110-foot waterfall. Vegetation includes incense cedars, ponderosa and coulter pine, chaparral, and oracle oaks—a rare hybrid between black oaks and interior live oaks. In 2020, this landscape and its diverse species were severely impacted by the devastating El Dorado fire.

“The preserve is a place for learning, but also a place to feel peace. It’s a refuge.” - Gary Peplow

Gary and Rebecca Peplow, retired school teachers, volunteer as education docents for The Wildlands Conservancy at Oak Glen Preserve. Rebecca and Gary have a long history of enjoying the trails at Oak Glen Preserve, dating all the way back to 1997 when they would bring their own children to the preserve to hike the trails and enjoy being out in nature as a family…

In 2021, The Wildlands Conservancy purchased the 6,094-acre Hayden Ranch, encompassing 6.7 miles of coho critical habitat. Now called the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve, the property contains three tributary confluences to the East Fork Scott River, all within two miles, with habitat that benefits coho in various life stages. Recognizing the statewide leadership of California Trout to save fish, Wildlands welcomed an opportunity to partner together on a restorative journey to recover coho salmon at the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve.