Activity Cards

Discover Biodiversity at Saddleback Wilderness

Did you know that Irvine Ranch Open Space is home to rare and threatened plant communities and wildlife species? Understanding what plants and animals are present in an ecosystem is a key step in biodiversity conservation.

Join us for a hike in the Saddleback Wilderness, where we will look for plants and animals, and learn how to identify them using the iNaturalist app and catalog our observations in a community iNaturalist project. Following the activity, we will submit our findings in the City Nature Challenge (citynaturechallenge.org), a global effort to discover and document biodiversity in cities around the world. Come contribute to conservation science while learning about local plants and wildlife and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Saddleback Wilderness.

Please bring plenty of water and wear sturdy shoes suitable for hiking, along with sun protection such as a hat and sunscreen. This activity will consist of an intermediate level hike of approximately 2 miles and 200 feet of elevation gain.

Note for IRC-certified volunteers:

• ideally all Trail Guides will be familiar with iNaturalist
• we’re looking for at least one Trail Guide who is an expert in native plants

Download iNaturalist

To maximize your experience, make sure to download the iNaturalist app (iNaturalist.org) and create an account before the hike. Please bring your phone or a camera to the event, as we will be photographing our species observations. You do not need any previous experience with iNaturalist- we will teach you all you need to know!

What to Bring

• Camera or phone for taking pictures to submit to iNaturalist.
• Phone or Tablet with the iNaturalist App already downloaded (available for android and iOS)
• Keep yourself safe by bringing all necessary equipment including water, proper attire, closed-toe footwear, first aid, and any health needs etc.

Each participant must carry his or her own day pack. Please make sure you have a minimum of 70 oz. (2 quarts) of water. Be aware that underprepared participants may be denied access to this program.

Please note that in order to participate in the activity, you must adhere to the following policies:

• Register in advance, we do not accept walk-up registration.
• Restrooms will be available, but facilities will not be sanitized for each individual.
• You will be required to sign a liability waiver upon your arrival to the staging area and before beginning the activity. Preview the liability waiver here: IRC Liability Waiver
• Failing to adhere to the above protocols may prevent you from participating in this event.

Additionally, in an effort to respect and protect all employees, volunteers, and participants, please do not sign up or attend if you are not feeling well, exhibiting any symptoms of illness or have been in recent contact with someone who was ill.

Reviewing the 1-through-5 Difficulty Ratings will help you evaluate your readiness to participate in this level-2 activity on the land. Please visit our FAQ page for answers to activity specific questions you may have prior to registering. To learn more about the staging areas and activity locations, please visit our Staging Areas Playlist page.

 

In collaboration with United States Geological Survey, IRC staff and volunteers will be monitoring vernal pools located at Shoestring and Irvine Mesa. They will survey for activity in the pools and note down the status and conditions of the pools. The goal to give periodic updates on the pools to USGS and notify them when any spadefoot toads have reached the metamorph stage.

This activity is for the Shoestring pools and we will be meeting in Building D at the IRC office. Staff or volunteer driver will drive volunteers to the shoestring gate and up to the ponds if trails conditions allow. If transportation is unavailable, volunteers will be asked to hike in from Augustine staging or the Shoestring gate. Volunteers will be notified if this is the case.

There is one slot for a volunteer driver. If you happen to be a driver and the slot is filled but you still wish to help with the survey, you can still sign up as a normal volunteer participant.

Please sanitize your boots and any of your own equipment after visiting the pools, especially if you signed up to go to both shoestring and the mesa pools in the same week. USGS recommends a 16:1 bleach solution but alcohol and other cleaning agents will do. We will sanitize equipment that we provide such as waders, thermometers, and secchi disks.

 

In collaboration with United States Geological Survey, IRC staff and volunteers will be monitoring vernal pools located at Shoestring and Irvine Mesa. They will survey for activity in the pools and note down the status and conditions of the pools. The goal is to give periodic updates on the pools to USGS and notify them when any spadefoot toads have reached the metamorph stage.

This activity is for the Mesa pools and we will be meeting in Building D at the IRC office. Staff or volunteer driver will drive volunteers to the Mesa gate and up to the ponds if trails conditions allow. If transportation is unavailable, volunteers will be asked to park and hike in from the Mesa gate or to park at the library of the canyons and use the library trail. Volunteers will be notified if this is the case.

There is one slot for a volunteer driver. If you happen to be a driver and the slot is filled but you still wish to help with the survey, you can still sign up as a normal volunteer participant.

Please sanitize your boots and any of your own equipment after visiting the pools, especially if you signed up to go to both shoestring and the mesa pools in the same week. USGS recommends a 16:1 bleach solution but alcohol and other cleaning agents will do. We will sanitize equipment that we provide such as waders, thermometers, and secchi disks.