Calendar

Enjoy an evening outdoors, as you gaze into the night sky, learn the constellations, and peer through the telescopes of our guest astronomers. The Nature Reserve astronomers are all volunteers who enthusiastically share their telescopes and expert sky knowledge with you. (What to bring: warm clothing, flashlight with red cellophane/lens to reduce light pollution, binoculars, optional beach chair.)

Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 8 and up

Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!

This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Nature Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Nature Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Nature Reserve lands through conservation and education.

 Ages: Adult, 18 and up

Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

Take advantage of the cool early summer morning and experience summer in the quiet wilds of The Richard and Donna O'Neill Conservancy on The Nature Reserve. This 2-mile round trip takes you along the hillsides of grasslands and coastal sage scrub. We'll visit a monument to "the vaquero" of California before returning on the Shady Canyon trail.

Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Moderate, with some strenuous hills
Ages: 8 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, July 11.

Discover the wonderful wildlife around us! Meet a live desert tortoise, snake, and toad.

Registration not required, walk-ins welcome. The program is open house style with self-guided and naturalist-guided hands-on activities and crafts.  Please arrive within 30 minutes of program start time to enjoy all of the activities. Program activities will end promptly at the event end time.

This program is geared for children ages 4 and up. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.

Hoots, howls and other cries in the night are what we'll be listening for on this nighttime adventure on The Reserve.  Enjoy a night hike, as we learn about nocturnal animals and listen for the calls of the wild.

Interpretation Level:  High
Difficulty Level:  Moderate
Ages: 8 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm, July 18.

Discover rocks, minerals, and fossils as we become geologists! Dig for your own shark tooth and learn about sharks from long ago. Meet a live snake and tortoise and find out how rocks are important to animals on earth.

Registration not required, walk-ins welcome. The program is open house style with self-guided and naturalist-guided hands-on activities and crafts.  Please arrive within 30 minutes of program start time to enjoy all of the activities. Program activities will end promptly at the event end time.

This program is geared for children ages 4 and up. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.

Join us at The Nature House at Ranch Camp in Rancho Mission Viejo for our Home Sweet Oak hike! We'll start by learning about how the oaks in your neighborhood and on The Nature Reserve form the neighborhoods for our local wildlife. Then, we head out on a guided hike along the trails around Ranch Camp, to look at your wildlife neighbors.

Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Easy - Moderate
Trail Length: 1.1 miles
Ages: 6 and up

Participants must be registered or on the waitlist by Friday, July 25 at 4:00pm.

Fly, hop, crawl or soar... we’re talking about butterflies, beetles, ants, and more! Learn about the largest animal group on the planet, insects, as we bring out the magnifying glasses and explore these amazing, tiny creatures! Meet live beetles, worms, and a Western toad!

Registration not required, walk-ins welcome. The program is open house style with self-guided and naturalist-guided hands-on activities and crafts.  Please arrive within 30 minutes of program start time to enjoy all of the activities. Program activities will end promptly at the event end time.

This program is geared for children ages 4 and up. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.

Enjoy an evening outdoors, as you gaze into the night sky, learn the constellations, and peer through the telescopes of our guest astronomers. The Nature Reserve astronomers are all volunteers who enthusiastically share their telescopes and expert sky knowledge with you. (What to bring: warm clothing, flashlight with red cellophane/lens to reduce light pollution, binoculars, optional beach chair.)

Interpretation Level: High
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ages: 8 and up

Help out your community by becoming a South Orange County Fire Watch volunteer!

Offered only once a year, this training is the first step to join our fire watch team. The session will focus on: understanding basic fire behavior, identifying signs of wildfire, dealing with suspect behavior, providing useful fire information, and contacting proper fire authorities.

Ages: 18 and up

This single track trail follows along hillsides of grassland, coastal sage scrub and oak woodland. Enjoy this two-mile hike out along our Sycamore Loop Trail and back along Shady Canyon.

Interpretation Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Easy-moderate. 2 miles, loop.
Ages: 10 and up

Please note: participants must be registered or on the wait list by 4:00 pm on Friday, August 22.

Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!

This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Nature Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Nature Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Nature Reserve lands through conservation and education.

 Ages: Adult, 18 and up

Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!

This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Nature Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Nature Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Nature Reserve lands through conservation and education.

 Ages: Adult, 18 and up

Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!

This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Nature Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Nature Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Nature Reserve lands through conservation and education.

 Ages: Adult, 18 and up

Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

Please join us for Volunteer Orientation and Training!

This fun and informational orientation is the first step in joining us as an official Nature Reserve Volunteer. Learn about The Nature Reserve's history, philosophy and mission, as well as skills for working with the public. Meet other volunteers and learn how you can help preserve Nature Reserve lands through conservation and education.

 Ages: Adult, 18 and up

Thank you for expressing interest in volunteering for The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.