Wildlands Conservancy

Providing outdoor, environmental education: Since 1995, the Conservancy has been Southern California's nonprofit leader in providing free outdoor education programs to more than 1.3 million underserved youth. An educational journey begins the moment a child steps outdoors and begins to wonder and think far beyond the textbook. After a quality outdoor learning experience, children return home with a new understanding and indelible memory of their place in the world. 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 programs focus on providing visiting families and individuals with educational opportunities.

Land Acquisition and Land Conservation: Since our founding in 1995, The Wildlands Conservancy has protected more than 2.3 million acres of public and private lands, safeguarding ecological connectivity and preserving vast natural landscapes across the American West. Through careful management of our growing system of 25 nature preserves-spanning nearly 210,000 acres-we actively resore native habitats, rewild species, and steward these lands in ways that allow forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems to regenerate naturally. This approach not only supports biodiversity, but also strengthens the ability of these landscapes to store carbon, improve watershed health, and be reslient in the face of a rapidly changing climate. The Conservancy also advocates for expanded public access to nature, including efforts to complete the 110-mile Santa Ana River Trail and Parkway and the 320-mile Great Redwood Trail.