What it does
To conserve natural resources, agricultural land and open spaces for present and future generations.
Acquisition: We engage in the acquisition of conservation land and easement interests. We conduct general outreach within the county to potential transaction partners and landowners. We respond to landowner and agency inquiries and partner with other conservation organizations in furtherance of our mission. We seek conservation funding and match conservation transactions to appropriate funding sources. We follow the land trust alliance standards and practices for our transactions.
Education & Outreach: We engage in public education, land use, and interpretive programs in service to our mission. The Arroyo Hondo preserve hosts school and community group trips and is open to the public for free two weekends a month. We offer educational programs at Arroyo Hondo on topics such as birding, wildflowers, fire & stream ecology. We offer free community nature hikes and other guided activities at locations around the county year-round. We also offer opportunities to volunteer with the land trust in roles including preserve docent, hike guide, and restoration crew. We engage in collaborative efforts to understand community values and use a science-based landscape-scale approach to identify land conservation, stewardship, restoration, and open space access opportunities.
Preserves: We conserve land in perpetuity for natural resource protection, preservation, of agriculture, and for recreation through conservation easement and fee title transactions. We own the following nature preserves: Carpinteria Salt Marsh Preserve, Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Coronado Butterfly Preserve and Hot Springs Canyon. In 2022, we purchased the Gaviota Overlook Property which has been added to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve.