The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo is a growing habitat reserve located in South Orange County. Over time The Nature Reserve will grow to include over 20,000 acres of Rancho Mission Viejo lands, inclusive of The Richard & Donna O’Neill Conservancy. This protected open space is managed by the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Trust, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to "preserve and enhance Reserve lands for ecological, educational, charitable, conservation, open space, scientific, and recreational uses."

Species Spotlight

Thread-leaved Brodiaea

Thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia) is one of 13 species of the genus Brodiaea, a genus largely restricted to California.  Due to habitat loss, this species is listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and endangered by the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. This plant is a perennial geophyte, meaning that the plant lives for multiple years and stores energy and water underground for part of the year in a bulb (like a tulip or daffodil). The brodiaea “bulb” or more accurately, corm, has a dark brown, fibrous tunic. The plant has long narrow leaves and a flowering stalk about 8-16 inches high. The flowers that appear in Spring are dark blue to violet in color.

On Rancho Mission Viejo thread-leaved brodiaea occur in two locations, one of which is already protected in the Nature Reserve. The other location will become part of the Nature Reserve in the future.  From studies of the plants in the Nature Reserve, we know that these plants are pollinated by native burrowing bees, sweat bees and flower-loving flies. These plants take several years to mature and only a fraction of mature individuals flower in any given year. Early season rains (Nov and Dec) are key to successful reproduction in this species. RMV has increased the number of brodiaea in the Nature Reserve by translocating populations from development areas and growing and planting nursery grown plants.

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Chiquita Canyon 6 Mile Hike

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Tuesday Evening Open Access Chiquita Ridge

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