The Wildlands Conservancy is dedicated to furthering its mission along the Santa Margarita River, preserving the beauty and biodiversity of the Earth and providing free public access to nature.

In 2018, Wildlands acquired five miles of the oak- and sycamore-shaded Santa Margarita River, one of the last free-flowing wild rivers in Southern California. This 1,384-acre water-blessed property is part of the vulnerable South Coast Ecoregion and is recognized as one of the Earth’s 25 global hotspots of threatened biodiversity. Wildlands stewardship helps to protect many of the 70 species of special concern found in the region, including the federally endangered least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and arroyo toad. 

Since 2020, the Wildlands team has maintained a major ecological focus on repairing oak woodland habitat at Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve. Oak trees are beautiful, drought tolerant native trees with many benefits for both wildlife and people. Each fall and winter Wildlands staff has been collecting acorns from specimen trees on the preserve for propagation in the restoration area known as the Willow Glen Restoration Site. The Willow Glen Restoration Site is a nine-acre area of the preserve that has suffered severe effects from past agricultural land use. Where lies an abandoned agricultural field, Wildlands envisions a wild and iconic oak woodland in the future.

Over time, these oak trees will provide more structure to a disturbed, barren field, which will become primary building blocks for improving the overall habitat health throughout this portion of the river corridor.