Our Mission
To preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the earth and to provide programs so that children may know the wonder and joy of nature.
The Preserve System
Our growing preserve system safeguards forests, deserts, mountains, rivers, and coastlines through permanent land conservation and active stewardship.
Conservation Projects
Beyond our preserves, we lead and support conservation initiatives that protect connected landscapes, wildlife corridors, rivers, and public lands.
AP Ranch Acquisition
This 14,177-acre acquisition in Siskiyou County, CA will expand Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve to more than 20,000 acres.
All Acquisition Projects
Explore our current land acquisition projects and learn how you can help conserve land for future generations.
Rewilding Nature
Across the West, rivers have been dammed and diverted, wildlife corridors severed, and native species pushed to the brink. Explore our work to restore wildness and ecological balance.
Visit a Preserve
Our preserve system welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors each year to protected forests, deserts, mountains, rivers, wetlands, and coastlines across California and Utah, with preserves and programs open to the public free of charge.
Community Programs & Events
From guided hikes to photography workshops to summer activities for kids, The Wildlands Conservancy's free community programs & events offer something for everyone.
School Field Trips
Free field-trip programs give students hands-on outdoor learning experiences that foster curiosity, scientific discovery, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
About The Wildlands Conservancy
About Us
Our Core Principles & Beliefs
Meet Our Team
Our Financials
The financial information provided here is derived from our audited financial statements.
Rana Creek Preserve
With its iconic California oak woodland landscape, a journey through Rana Creek Preserve is like going back in time before highway traffic, strip malls, and power lines marred coastal California.
Wind Wolves Preserve
Wind Wolves Preserve is in an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge.
Mission Creek Preserve
Located in a transition zone between the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, the 4,760-acre Mission Creek Preserve has a rich species composition with flora and fauna representing both deserts.
Pioneertown Mountains Preserve
The 25,500-acre Pioneertown Mountains Preserve descends from the high piney 7,800-foot ridges into the Pioneertown Valley.
Whitewater Preserve
Whitewater Preserve is 2,246 acres surrounded by the Bureau of Land Management’s San Gorgonio Wilderness and includes the year-round Whitewater River.
Two Rivers Preserve
Two Rivers Preserve is an awe-inspiring landscape within an ancient volcanic caldera full of glacial moraines, river-carved canyons, mountain meadows, and grand vistas of the Sierra Nevada and Sweetwater Mountains.
West Walker River Preserve
Situated in the Antelope Valley farming community, just off highway 395 in the Eastern Serra town of Coleville
Eel River Canyon Preserve
Given its location along the Grand Canyon of the Eel river, where the National Wild and Scenic Eel River carves its way through a deep and wild gorge
Emerald Waters Reserve
The 3,036-acre Emerald Waters Reserve is split between Humboldt and Trinity Counties and fronts on the Eel River for 4.5 miles.
Spyrock Reserve
The 5,832-acre Spyrock Reserve has five miles of frontage on the National Wild and Scenic Eel River in Mendocino County.
Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve
The 6,094-acre Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve in Siskiyou County protects two-and-a-half miles of the East Fork Scott River, providing habitats for Coho salmon, king salmon, and steelhead trout.
Eel River Estuary Preserve & Sounding Seas Dunes Reserve
The southern estuary of the Eel River in Humboldt County contains a diverse array of habitats and a grand arena of life
Seawood Cape Preserve
Seawood Cape encompasses 128 acres including almost a mile of California’s world famous rugged rocky coastline that is replete with barking sea lions and basking harbor seals.
Bearpaw Reserve
Bearpaw Reserve is 600 acres of steep, spectacular mountains with a seasonal 110-foot waterfall. Vegetation includes incense cedars, ponderosa and coulter pine, chaparral, and oracle oaks.
Bluff Lake Reserve
Located at 7,600 feet, Bluff Lake Reserve has towering pines, a 20-acre lake, a meadow, and majestic outcrops of quartz monzonite.
Galena Peak Wilderness Reserve
In 2018, The Wildlands Conservancy separated the 1,280-acre Galena Ridge from its Oak Glen Preserve, positioning this rugged rocky landscape to be managed like the adjoining San Gorgonio Wilderness.
Oak Glen Preserve
Nestled in a glen, situated at 5,024 feet, in the shadow of 8,700-foot Wilshire Peak, lies The Wildlands Conservancy’s 909-acre Oak Glen Preserve.
Estero Americano Coast Preserve
Acquired by The Wildlands Conservancy in 2015 through a visionary public-private partnership—including the State Coastal Conservancy, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Sonoma Land Trust, and individual donors.
Jenner Headlands Preserve
Jenner Headlands is a spectacular 5,630-acre mosaic of redwood and Douglas-fir forests, oak woodland, chaparral and coastal prairie overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Mariposa Reserve
The 800-acre Mariposa Reserve is a habitat reserve surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest. It represents the best grassland and sycamore savanna in the north end of the forest.
Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve
In 2018, The Wildlands Conservancy acquired five miles of the oak- and sycamore-shaded Santa Margarita River, one of the last free-flowing wild rivers in Southern California and the southernmost range of steelhead trout.
Enchanted Rocks Preserve
Thousand-foot-high cliffs splashed with orange, white, purple, and red tower above the John Day River as it winds through iconic landscapes graced with western junipers, herds of Rocky Mountain elk, and the verdant canyons of its many tributaries.
Speaking Springs Preserve
Cottonwood Wash carves an ancient, 42-mile pathway from the towering Abajo Mountains to the historic San Juan River.
Explore the Preserve System Map
Use our interactive map to plan your next preserve visit.
Explore Free Programs
Find free programs near you. From guided hikes to workshops, we offer something for everyone.
Donate Online
Our mission: To preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the earth and to provide programs so that children may know the wonder and joy of nature. Together, we can protect the land, heal the wild, and keep nature free for everyone.
Donate
All the Ways to Give
Since 1995, the generosity of The Wildlands Conservancy’s supporters has enabled us to call people back to the beauty, wonder, and inspiration of the natural world through outdoor education and the stewardship of some of California’s most remarkable and important landscapes.
Volunteer
Whether your passion is restoration or outdoor education, or you have a day to spare or a few hours a week, there’s a volunteer opportunity available for you to get involved and make a difference not just at your favorite preserve, but in your community.
Career Opportunities
Looking to join our team? Explore current opportunities with The Wildlands Conservancy.
Program Overview
Step beyond the classroom and into the wild, where students explore, investigate, and discover the natural world through hands-on, naturalist-led learning.
Outdoor Discovery Program
A free, naturalist-led field experience for school groups. Students explore the ecology of our preserves through hands-on activities, guided hikes, and inquiry-based STEAM learning aligned to California Content Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Programs are held entirely outdoors and available at Oak Glen, Wind Wolves, and Desert Region Preserves.
Educational Programs
Find an Outdoor Discovery Program Near You
The Outdoor Discovery Program provides a unique and immersive learning opportunity, exploring scientific topics in the natural world at two of our Desert Preserves, Whitewater and Mission Creek.
Whether you’ve been participating in our programs for years, or this is your first time hearing from us, we’d love to host your students to Behold the Beauty of our preserves and supplement their in-class science learning.
Field trips to our Desert Preserves explore the biology, ecology, and hydrology of the canyon and include a 1.5-hour hike, riverbed exploration, and hands-on activities and games. Our programs are inquiry – led and guided by the Next Generation Science Standards.
Field Trip Locations: Whitewater Preserve or Mission Creek Preserve
Grade Levels: K-12th
Group Sizes: 35-65
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (includes ½ hour lunch break)
Availability: September thru mid-May, Tuesday-Thursday, select Fridays (until fully booked)
Walking Distance: up to 3 miles on uneven terrain (varies by program; inquire about accommodation options)
Reservations open: June
Transportation Information
- Transportation Support Limited – More information shared when registration details are sent
- The Wildlands Conservancy offers fully funded field trips (transportation included) for Desert Hot Springs schools to Mission Creek Preserve through a partnership with the Mission Springs Water District (a Groundwater Guardians affiliate). By covering the cost of transportation, Mission Springs Water District helps to advance the mission of The Wildlands Conservancy, providing access to the outdoors for thousands of children.
Thank you to the Mission Springs Water District and Groundwater Guardians for their support!
Phone:
(760) 325-7222
Email:
desert_education@wildlandsconservancy.org
The Outdoor Discovery Program offers a five-hour nature field trip designed to encourage children to learn, explore, and develop a deep respect for the natural world while having fun. The curriculum for each grade is aligned with the California Science Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Each grade level’s program includes a Conservation and Appreciation component, featuring topics and activities focused on preserving landscapes, understanding the impact of habitat loss on flora and fauna, and appreciating the beauty of nature.
Availability: September thru June, Monday-Friday (until fully booked)
Grade Levels: 2nd-12th
Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm (includes ½ hour lunch break)
Group sizes: 55-110 students
Walking Distance: up to 2 miles on uneven terrain; Oak Glen is in the mountains at 5,000 feet elevation, and the temperatures may be 10 to 20 degrees cooler than in the valleys and desert.
Phone:
(909) 790-3698
Email:
oakglen_education@wildlandsconservancy.org
Wind Wolves Preserve has welcomed over 200,000 students to its Outdoor Discovery Program since 1998. We continue to provide one of Kern County’s premier outdoor education facilities, serving hundreds of school children each year. Our goal is to inspire a wonder and joy of nature with lessons that connect youth to the outdoors while fostering observation, curiosity, and discovery. The Outdoor Discovery Program is ideal for larger groups looking for a nature-based, student-driven experience.
Availability: October thru mid-May, Monday-Friday (until fully booked)
Grade Levels: PreK-8th (inquire about opportunities for 9th-12th)
Time: 9:30 am – 1:30 pm (or departures as early as 12:00 pm); includes ½ hour lunch break
Group sizes: 40-100 students (schools can request up to 4 days of programming to accommodate larger groups)
Walking Distance: up to 2 miles on uneven terrain (varies by program; inquire about accommodation options)
Reservations open: May 1st
Contact: windwolves_education@wildlandsconservancy.org.
Phone:
(661) 858-1115
Email:
windwolves_education@wildlandsconservancy.org
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