Wildlands Conservancy

THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY'S DUAL MISSION IS TO PRESERVE THE BEAUTY AND BIODIVERSITY OF THE EARTH AND TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS SO THAT CHILDREN MAY KNOW THE WONDER AND JOY OF NATURE.

PRESERVE MANAGEMENT: STEWARDING OF PARKLAND AND WILDERNESS PRESERVES THAT ARE OPEN TO OVER 1,500,000 VISITORS PER YEAR FOR FREE. IN WORKING TO ACHIEVE THIS MISSION, THE CONSERVANCY HAS ESTABLISHED THE LARGEST NONPROFIT NATURE PRESERVE SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA, COMPRISED OF 23 PRESERVES ENCOMPASSING NEARLY 200,000 ACRES OF DIVERSE MOUNTAIN, VALLEY, DESERT, RIVER, AND OCEANFRONT LANDSCAPES. SINCE THE CONSERVANCY BELIEVES THAT ACCESS TO NATURE IS A BIRTHRIGHT, THESE PRESERVES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE FOR PASSIVE RECREATION, INCLUDING CAMPING, HIKING, PICNICKING, BIRDING, AND MORE. THE CONSERVANCY'S MOTTO "BEHOLD THE BEAUTY" IS ALSO THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM THAT SEEKS TO ENGAGE VISITORS AND SUPPORTERS TO BE INSPIRED BY THESE MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPES TO BRING BEAUTY INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES AND TO SHARE THE MISSION TO INSPIRE OTHERS. AT MANY OF ITS PRESERVES, THE CONSERVANCY EMPLOYS A FULL-TIME STAFF OF FRIENDLY AND KNOWLEDGEABLE RANGERS AND STEWARDS, AVAILABLE TO ENGAGE WITH VISITORS WHILE STEWARDING THE LAND. EACH YEAR THESE RANGERS WORK SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, LOGGING THOUSANDS OF HOURS, RESTORING AND MAINTAINING THESE UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT PROPERTIES.

LAND CONSERVATION: TWC OWNS MORE THAN 200,000 ACRES OF LAND AS PRESERVES, AND IN AGGREGATE HAS FUNDED ACQUISTIONS OF OVER 750,000 ACRES ON THE WEST COAST. MANY STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION PROJECTS WERE INSPIRED BY THE CONSERVANCY'S PRESERVES, WHICH SERVE AS OUTPOSTS FOR STRATEGIC LAND-BASED CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP. THESE INCLUDE THE 154,000 ACRE SAND TO SNOW NATIONAL MONUMENT, NAMED AFTER WILDLANDS SAND TO SNOW WILDERNESS INTERFACE PROJECT, AND THE 1.6 MILLION ACRE MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT, THE SECOND LARGEST NATIONAL MONUMENT IN THE LOWER 48 STATES. THE DESIGNATION OF MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT WAS BASED ON THE 3 MILLION ACRES OF CHECKERBOARD PUBLIC LANDS CONNECTED BY THE HISTORIC 560,000 ACRE CONSERVANCY FUNDED CATELLUS ACQUISITION, WHICH WAS THE LARGEST NON-PROFIT LAND GIFT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY.

PROVIDING OUTDOOR, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, THE CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S LEADER IN PROVIDING FREE OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF CITY LIFE, PEOPLE HAVE SOUGHT REFUGE FROM ITS COMMOTION BY RETREATING TO NATURE AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS. AN EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY BEGINS THE MOMENT A CHILD STEPS OUTDOORS AND BEGINS TO WONDER AND THINK FAR BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK. NATURE HOLDS A MIRROR TO OUR HUMAN SYMPATHIES, REFLECTING THE KIND, JUST, AND LOVING QUALITIES THAT ELEVATE THE HUMAN MIND. AFTER A QUALITY OUTDOOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE, CHILDREN RETURN HOME WITH A NEW UNDERSTANDING AND INDELIBLE MEMORY OF THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD. FROM DAY-LONG TRIPS TO WEEK-LONG SCIENCE SCHOOL, MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION CHILDREN PARTIPCATED IN AN OUTDOOR EDUCATION EXPERIENCE PROVIDED BY THE CONSERVANCY SINCE 1995. ANNUALLY, MORE THAN 60,000 YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT A CONSERVANCY PRESERVE, FROM SELF-GUIDED EXPLORATATION THROUGH INTERACTIVE INTERPETIVE SIGNAGE TO NATURALIST-GUIDED FIELD TRIPS AND PROGRAMS. SINCE THE PANDEMIC, NEW PRESERVE-BASED PROGRAMS FOCUS ON PROVIDING VISITING FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.