Santa Lucia Conservancy

Conservancy staff hosted a tour Thursday for community members interested in wildfire preparedness. Participants made stops on the Santa Lucia Preserve, learning about conservation grazing, residential defensible space, & prescribed fire. Underwriting came from a #CAL_FIRE grant

Baby, it's hot out there, and everybody needs a drink! So set the hose and fill the tub, cuz big or small, we're ready for some H2O! Images: Four successive images of a blue water tub used for cattle, ending in a closeup of a grasshopper on the water hose.

View of the eclipse from our offices on Carmel Valley Road. We have a beautiful day for it! #Eclipse #2024 #California #CentralCoast #SantaLuciaConservancy #EclipseGlasses

We were delighted to find Footsteps-of-Spring (Sanicula arctopoides) in bloom this week. The coastal wildflower brightens our winter landscape with cheerful yellow bouquets. The plant has tuberous roots that once made up part of the diet of California's indigenous people.

On one of the last days of 2023, a small group of volunteers accompanied Conservancy Board Member Scott Hennessy to Penon Peak on The Preserve to plant trays of buckwheat and milkweed seedlings from Scott's greenhouse.

An ambitious, state-funded monarch butterfly habitat restoration effort is underway at five Central California sites, including the @santaluciapreserve. Conservancy board member Scott Hennessy is propagating milkweed for planting in 2024. Read more at ow.ly/SOce50QkQUg.

Hello, sunshine. On December mornings it can be hard to warm up, but this drowsy bobcat found the sun 30 feet off the ground atop a well-pecked tree stump just a few yards from the Conservancy's offices. We feel seen, and so should he.

Gathering for a holiday? In the cooler months ladybugs cluster together in what poets call a "loveliness." Whether they do it for warmth, to find a mate, or to "look big" to predators isn't precisely known. We do know ladybugs are beneficial for agriculture, and that's lovely!

We're hiring a Seasonal Restoration Crew! Full-time positions (Jan. 22 to July 25, 2024) managing and removing invasive plant species and contributing to restoration projects on conserved Central Coast lands. Details at ow.ly/GPZV50QauI3. Applications due by Dec. 10, 2023.

Who doesn't love a little special attention? Grazing manager Claudio Nuñez brought out the curry comb on Friday, and our girl Daisy just couldn't get enough. #Daisy #GrazingHerd #cow #cattle #SantaLuciaConservancy #SantaLuciaPreserve

We found this Silver Orbweaver hanging out on the @santaluciapreserve, enjoying the autumn weather. Argiope argentata weave zig-zag webs and generally eat pollinators. Despite having two pairs of eyes, they identify their prey by touch, then immobilize the victim with a bite.

On Nov. 1 & 2, the Santa Lucia Conservancy carried out successful prescribed burns on the Santa Lucia Preserve in partnership with the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association, CAL FIRE, and Monterey County Regional Fire District. For more, see ow.ly/Ox2r50Q6a27 .

Now is the time to watch for adult mule deer on the roads. The bucks are in rut in October and November, and both bucks and does may run into your path without caution. See ow.ly/chxo50Q0mW3. #MuleDeer #BlackTailedDeer #DeerRut #SantaLuciaPreserve

Three orphaned raccoon kits found a home today at The Santa Lucia Preserve. Fish and Wildlife's Zach Mills helped Emma Levy, the Conservancy's Conservation Ecologist, release them along San Jose Creek in Williams Canyon. When last seen, the new residents were enjoying the views.

Tarantulas live underground most of the year, but in fall they come to the surface and stretch their legs. Yes, it's mating time for tarantulas, which are not as dangerous as they may look. Check out this article from our archive: ow.ly/560650PXpuf Photo by Adam White.

We're half crazy about our new Daisy! The newest addition to our herd arrived Friday afternoon, bringing the total of our grazing herd to 121. 🌼🌼🌼

Daylight sightings of mountain lions on The Santa Lucia Preserve and around Monterey County are becoming more common. Keep dogs on a leash, and watch small children outdoors. Sightings aren't cause for particular alarm; they remind us that humans and wildlife can thrive together.

Hay, look! The fall issue of Saving Land Magazine has a shout-out to our 8-year study of The Benefits of Livestock Grazing for Conservation. The paper was published this summer in the journal Applied Vegetation Science. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/av… Thanks, @ltalliance! We're moooved!

Late summer is berry season on the Santa Lucia Preserve. Some are strictly for the birds, while others have medicinal properties. From the delicate thimbleberry to the spiny fuchsia-flower gooseberry to the pale white snowberry., come see what's growing! slconservancy.org/2023/09/25/ber…

This male #BlackBear was taking an evening stroll in an elevated area near Hall's Ridge on the Santa Lucia Preserve when he was caught on camera. Black bears are omnivores and will happily dine on garbage. Keep yards gated and garbage inaccessible, and the bears will "walk on by"