Wildland backyards are there for all
Irvine residents can commune with nature in the hills above Northwood and in pristine Bommer Canyon on the other side of Turtle Rock.

There’s more than one way for Irvine residents to readily commune with nature, given their wildland backyard – actually two backyards, or even three.

The Irvine Co. is opening its thousands of acres of open space reserve in the hills northeast of the city to limited and supervised access. The city does the same for Bommer Canyon to the southeast, and there is the marsh preserve overseen by the Audubon Society in the middle of the city.

All three areas are rich grounds for learning about the local flora and fauna with a little history of early inhabitants thrown in.

And, trying to get everyone onto the trails, a number of enticements are offered.

You can hike in the company of experts in search of wildflowers, butterflies, birds and bats. You can traverse the hills by horseback and by bicycle. The Nature Conservancy, which oversees the Irvine Co.’s wildlands held in reserve, will provide a reptile expert for early morning hikes, and a guide for hiking by a full moon on the trails to Limestone Canyon and Round Canyon above Northwood.

Along the trails, guides point out the plants that Indians depended on for survival. They’ll explain how the familiar and invasive mustard plant was introduced to the area by missionaries to mark the trails from mission to mission.

The conservancy wants people to become familiar with the wildland so that one day it can be turned over for public stewardship by the city or a responsible nonprofit agency. That is what happened with Bommer Canyon and the San Joaquin Marsh.

The city tries to provide something for everyone at pristine Bommer Canyon, which lies just on the other side of Turtle Rock. Families can go on an easy nature walk and end the evening with a picnic.

Other hikes are arranged to seek out butterflies in the canyon. The next day might bring an outing to identify wildflowers along two miles of trials. A geologist-led hike looks to rock formations for clues to the origins and history of the area.

For the fitness-minded, there’s the 3 1/2-mile cardio-paced hike on the East Fork Trail. Not to be overlooked are the two-mile meditation hike followed by a group discussion at dusk, and the full-moon hike, hopefully in the company of owls, raccoons, coyotes and bats.

If the bats don’t show for the Bommer Canyon hike, try the San Joaquin Marsh where the Sea and Sage Audubon people go in search of bats once a month, one of the most popular outings for the public.

The wildland backyards are there to be enjoyed by all.

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