Ranger Reserves and OC Parks volunteers are needed to help prepare for the upcoming 2024 Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park. This 6 night event will provide a variety of activities as well as fall and Halloween-themed photo opportunities, which are in need of prep work.
Duties may include:
– Preparing prize bags with toys and candy
– Assisting with decorating the park
– Setting up scavenger hunt stations
– Preparing brochures and programs
– Watering plants/decorative flower pots

The schedule is up to you! If you’re available to assist for ANY amount of time, we appreciate your work! Hours are between 9 am and 4 pm. Please contact Bryan.Magana@ocparks.com with any questions.

Date is 09/18 (Wednesday)

OC Parks invites you to come and learn more about a rarely spotted critter that flies around at night: big-hearted bats! We’ll learn about the behaviors and habits of bats and how they have the largest heart to body ratio out of all mammals!

This fun and engaging program includes a story time, an age-appropriate hike, and a themed craft.

The program begins at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. Program content is tailored for the preschool level (ages 2-5), but all are welcome to attend. Please wear comfortable attire and closed-toe shoes.

The program and parking are free. Adverse weather may cancel the program or move it indoors.

The Youth Action Team, an after school community-service based program throughout the City of Irvine regularly volunteers their time to steward the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. This week, middle school students will spend their afternoon helping to enhance Limestone Canyon! Stewardship activities can include planting native species and weeding at the Augustine Staging Area, nursery work, watering and more. Please help lead this group and provide a wonderful experience they will never forget!

Join us every Wednesday night in OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space for a fitness-focused hike on the paved Hicks Haul Road. During the spring, summer and fall, hikers will enjoy wonderful sunset views and a panoramic overview of Orange County. This hike travels about 3.5 miles, up to the top of Loma Ridge and back down. The hike is conducted at an average of 3-3.5 miles per hour, but you may travel a bit faster or slower, at a walk, run, or jog depending on your comfort level. Most participants finish the route in about 1 hour. Because of the paved surface of the road, you may wear regular running or walking shoes. Trail shoes are fine, but not required. Please bring adequate water.

This week in the Irvine Open Space Preserve, we’ll be in Quail Hill, once part of the historic Irvine cattle ranch. The hike is seven and a half miles with some climbing, but rewards you with fantastic views overlooking Laguna Canyon and many Irvine locales. Please bring water, a trail snack, sunscreen, hat and any other necessary equipment to keep you safe on the trail. Get your boots out and register to hike the Quail Trail and Shady Canyon singletrack trails.

Please be aware this is a Fitness Hike and not for beginners; the pace is approximately a 19-minute mile. Raise your heart rate and your spirits on this difficult, strenuous, and fast-paced, 6.6-mile hike (1,100-ft. elevation gain) over very steep, uneven terrain with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers.

Please note the following safety precautions and protocols:

Pre-registration on lagunacanyon.org is required for this event. No walk-ups. Register here.
Each participant must register individually. For group registration or questions, please email volunteer@lagunacanyon.org.
Group sizes will be minimized for safety purposes.
Each individual adult must sign the liability waiver – provided by the lead volunteers – when they arrive at the event.
Participants must be at least 16 years old and those younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A waiver, provided on arrival, must be signed by each participant at the start of the program.
Participants must bring plenty of water, closed-toed hiking shoes, and sun protection.
In an effort to protect all employees, volunteers, and participants, please do not attend if you are not feeling well, have symptoms of illness or have been in contact with someone who was ill.

Location: Ridge Park, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Meet at the end of Ridge Park Road/Trail Entrance.

Parking: Free.

Please note: Wet or muddy trail conditions may lead to cancellation of this event.

Join us for a story and more! Learn about our ancient Earth, make a craft, visit the Interpretive Center, and enjoy a morning at Clark Park. This month we will will read about fossils and how they are made! Activities are designed for ages 2-5 but all are welcome.

We will meet in front of the Interpretive Center.

Space is limited; parents must register themselves and each child. Minors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a guardian at all times.

This program is free and parking is $3.

Join us at our beautiful Native Seed Farm for an all-levels Vinyasa yoga class. This one-hour outdoor yoga class will incorporate both static posture holds and a dynamic sequence of asanas, flowing from one pose to the next, while connecting breath with movement. The practice will include options for modifications, proper alignments and breathing techniques. Increase balance, flexibility, strength, and mental clarity while reducing tension and stress.

Please bring water, a yoga mat, a large towel (optional) to place under your mat, and wear athletic clothing.

Enjoy an evening hike through stunning rock formations and fragrant native plants as you listen to the sounds of nature. This hike in the Irvine Open Space Preserve is done at an easy walking pace. This out-and-back program travels 3.5 miles round trip to scenic Loma Ridge and back down. Please bring a red-tinted flashlight as the return portion of the hike may be after sunset.

Come explore the newly opened Gypsum Canyon Wilderness, the northernmost portion of OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space. This scenic hike involves steep climbs and descents on several single-track trails and is done at an average moving pace of 3 miles per hour. The rewards are many: panoramic views of Fremont and Weir Canyon Nature Preserves and beyond, possible wildlife sightings, interesting rock formations, and beautiful wildflowers in season.

Looking for a way to give back to Nature this Spring? Come help us behind the scenes at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s one-of-a-kind Native Seed Farm in Irvine! Every day at the farm is different; depending on the needs of the farm we will be harvesting seeds from beautiful native plants, planting new seeds in the annual plots, working in our native plant demo garden, or tending to younger seedlings in our nursery.

Working with us at the Native Seed Farm is a great way to grow your community and cultivate knowledge about local plant and wildlife! Absolutely no experience or special equipment required! 

Join OC Parks staff and volunteers to observe the sights, sounds and smells of nature during an intimate nature walk led by a certified nature and forest therapy guide. Through a series of invitations, you will be encouraged to explore in the present moment and deepen your connection with nature.

Experience the benefits of spending time outdoors in a mindful way during a lovely morning at Upper Newport Bay. Please note this is a slow-paced program designed for ages 16 and older.

Please wear comfortable attire and closed-toe shoes. The program and parking are free.

Advance registration required. Adverse weather will cancel the program.

Join us at Bommer Canyon for an easy two-mile hike through the nature loop and meadow before experiencing a gentle yoga practice at the Cattle Camp. This historic old west setting connects us with the history of The Irvine Ranch and the barn’s outdoor stage is perfect for yoga. The hike is highlighted with beautiful views of the canyon and the yoga is suitable for those with little or no experience, slower in pace and gentle in practice. Our focus on breath calms the nervous system and has a positive effect on mental, emotional and physical health. Please bring water, a yoga mat plus a large beach towel and wear shoes appropriate for hiking.

Spend your morning watering, mulching and weeding the newly planted Coast Live Oak seedlings within a beautiful oak woodland in Baker Canyon. No experience necessary.

Ranger Reserves and OC Parks volunteers are needed to help prepare for the upcoming 2024 Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park. This 6 night event will provide a variety of activities as well as fall and Halloween-themed photo opportunities, which are in need of prep work.
Duties may include:
– Preparing prize bags with toys and candy
– Assisting with decorating the park
– Setting up scavenger hunt stations
– Preparing brochures and programs
– Watering plants/decorative flower pots

The schedule is up to you! If you’re available to assist for ANY amount of time, we appreciate your work! Hours are between 9 am and 4 pm. Please contact Bryan.Magana@ocparks.com with any questions.

Date is 09/20 (Friday).

Join OC Parks Naturalists and bring your young ones (infant to age three) to explore Aliso’s wild backyard. Take a leisurely stroll through the garden and to the creek. We will see bugs, plants, and birds while exploring! OC Parks staff may even host a game or introduce a local resident to the children. Come join the fun!

Please wear closed-toed shoes, sun protection, and bring water.
Advance registration required. Please register all participants, including children. Learn more and register here.
The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle.
For questions, email volunteer@lagunacanyon.org.

Please note: Wet or muddy trail conditions may lead to cancellation of this event.

Nature can inspire the creativity in all of us. In this program you will learn about different leaf adaptations and then make your own leaf printed (or painted) bandana.
This program is for ages 12 and older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Please wear closed-toed shoes, sun protection, and bring water. We will be hiking about 1 mile on a flat trail.

Advance registration required. Please register all participants. Learn more and register here.

This program is free and all materials will be provided. Parking is $3 per vehicle. Please meet at the Nix Nature Center amphitheater near the bathrooms.

Rain and wet or muddy conditions will cancel this program.

For questions, please email shelbi.richardson@ocparks.com.

Spending time outside is one of the best ways to nurture curiosity and instill a love of the natural world. Bring your young ones and join OC Parks staff to learn all about the Newport Back Bay.

Our Wild Tales program is offered every Friday from 10:00-11:00am and includes a story time, an age-appropriate hike, and a themed craft. Each week will focus on a different topic that encourages young ones to learn about the outdoors.

The program begins at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. Program content is tailored for the preschool level (ages 2-5), but all are welcome to attend. Please wear comfortable attire and closed-toe shoes.

Advance registration is recommended. Program and parking are free.

Adverse weather conditions may move the program indoors or cancel it.

The best camera is the one you have with you, and for most, that camera is also their cellphone!

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the camera you carry with you every day, join us for a beginner’s program to taking better photos with your cell phone. Each session will cover photography theory basics, phone camera settings, editing techniques, with time to practice in the park.

The program will begin outside the Santiago Oaks Regional Park nature center. Be prepared to hike around and explore the landscape at your leisure.

Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian during the program and strollers are not recommended. Sun protection, wearing sturdy footwear and bringing water are encouraged. Most importantly, don’t forget your phone!

The program is free and parking is $3 per vehicle.

Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is preferred. Learn more and register here.

Inclement weather will cancel the program.

For questions, please contact resource specialist Shelly Marshall at shelly.marshall@ocparks.com.

As the day starts to settle into the night in OC Parks’ Irvine Ranch Open Space, bats awaken, stir and streak into the evening sky. Come hear fascinating tales of our flying mammals. We will head out towards a popular roosting location as we watch our nighttime heroes begin their nightly adventures. This program is ideal to visually observe the bats in flight, though bat detectors are available to listen for their high-frequency calls. Be prepared to walk about 1/2 a mile. Dress warmly as it may be a chilly evening. A camping chair is welcome as we will enjoy an extended period of time listening for bats that fly about in the night.