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Walk on the Wild Side - 2010 Tours

Tours were scheduled for 9am-noon in the South County:
• Mathis Pond and Adam Ryan Preserve (Alta Sierra)
• The Animal Place Sanctuary (South County)
• Feld Preserve (South County)

11am – 2pm Open House at Burton Homestead. Hike the mixed conifer/woodlands trails. Bring a picnic. Tour the Maidu Active Cultural Center and then join us for some birthday cake!

Tours were scheduled for 1-4 pm in the North County:
• Woodpecker Preserve (Banner Mountain)
• Peaceful Valley Ranch (Newtown Rd.)
• Hahn Family Preserve (Bitney Springs Rd.)

Info on Each of the Seven Tours of Protected Properties

Mathis Pond and Adam Ryan Preserve (Alta Sierra)
As a result of the generosity of Ray and Helen Mathis, in 1992 the newly formed Land Trust acquired its first property for permanent preservation - Mathis Pond. The 1.75-acre parcel is located along Dog Bar Road near its intersection with Alta Sierra Drive. The property's primary feature is a large, spring-fed pond that acts as a home and way station for waterfowl. An informational kiosk and graveled trail mark the publicly accessible neighborhood "pocket park". The Mathis family originally acquired the property from the Alta Sierra Country Club with the idea of preserving it in its natural state and to encourage its use by domestic and migrating waterfowl. In accepting the land in fee title, the Land Trust has agreed to take over responsibility for protecting Mathis Pond as open space in perpetuity. The Land Trust uses Mathis Pond as an educational site for pond and birding studies. Local Audubon members have installed and monitor wood duck and blue bird nesting boxes on the site.

Adjacent to Mathis Pond is Adam Ryan Wildlife Preserve, which consists of nearly 41 acres of meadow and forest land, along.. This is a generous gift from Alta Brewer and her husband Alan Thiesen and is named after Alta and Alan's young son. The land was zoned for two condominiums per acre as well as commercial development in this rapidly developing area. Instead the preserve provides a low-impact trail, natural habitat for area wildlife, and a beautiful vista for everyone to enjoy– forever.

The Animal Place Sanctuary (South County)
Previously known as Willow Tree Ranch and the Darby Ranch before that, this conserved land is the new home of The Animal Place Sanctuary. The original owner of about 600 acres on McCourtney Road wanted to protect the land he used as a cattle ranch for many years and that he loved. So toward the end of his life he worked with the Land Trust to create a legacy for his family. He placed a conservation easement to protect the agricultural operation by preventing incompatible uses or future development. The ranch was purchased in 2008 by Animal Place, a nonprofit organization for abused and discarded farm animals, is moving from their current location in Vacaville to the Ranch this Spring. Rescued individuals and indigenous wildlife share 600 acres of forest, meadow, pasture, hills and small lake.

Feld Preserve (South County)
Established in 2001, the Feld family easements represent three contiguous parcels with a particularly pristine section of Dry Creek running through them. In response to our outreach to landowners along the creek, the Felds not only agreed to protect the 300-foot corridor we requested, but also extended the conservation easement protection to cover nearly all of their holdings. Located in the southwestern part of the county, this site is several parcels downstream from the Hannan Wildlife Preserve, and helps to build on NCLT's long-term goal of protecting this important corridor for a wildlife migratory corridor. The Feld's parcels are heavily forested, with good tree canopy over the creek. Wildlife abounds in the area, including a beaver pond just upstream from one of their parcels.

Info on Each of the Tours of Protected Properties

Burton Homestead (Nevada City)
Established in 1997, the owner of this property, just 2 miles from Nevada City, gave the Land Trust a gift deed of her 38-acre parcel. Following the wishes and instructions of Mrs. Burton, the Land Trust plans to maintain existing trails and roads for future access and will establish a neighborhood park and children education center and trails where leashed dogs can be walked. The property, which is covered in oaks, tall pines, ponds, meadows and Native American bedrock mortars, will provide a wonderful place for both children and adults to hike and learn about the history of our community. Future plans include establishing a museum and science center featuring native flora and fauna in one of the property's existing structures; but aside from that, the property will be left essentially untouched. The parcel is set amid rolling hills, which flatten to grassy meadows near the existing homesite. There are three ponds, as well, each supporting a rich variety of aquatic life.

Woodpecker Preserve (Banner Mountain)
Thanks to the generosity of Bill Nickerl, Steve Lund and Ed McSweeney, the Land Trust received fee-title to a 28-acre parcel on Banner Mountain in Nevada City in 1999. The donors had gifted a trail easement along the section of Cascade Ditch that runs through the upper part of the property the previous year. The parcel has mixed conifer woodlands as well as wetland areas on the lower section that combine to make this prime wildlife habitat and a portion of the D.S. Canal runs through a lower section of the property. Last Fall, a new mile-long trail on the property was created with proceeds from a community fundraiser, which will be dedicated in June.

Peaceful Valley Ranch (Newtown Rd.)
In 2003 Al and Lynne Dover donated two conservation easements totaling 99 acres on their Deer Creek property. Both conservation easements protect blue oak woodlands, foothill grasslands and mixed conifer forests. The property offers an approximate half-mile corridor along Deer Creek for wildlife habitat and migration. The proximity to water, the extensive cover, and diverse shrubs and trees makes this very valuable habitat. The Dovers purchased the ranch in the late 1960s from the Brown family, who were seeking a party who would keep the land intact. It was only natural for the Dovers to preserve the open space, integrity and purpose of their property using a multi-phase conservation easement.

Hahn Family Preserve (Bitney Springs Rd.)
Established 2007, Holger and Tacy Hahn donated a conservation easement on 158 acres along Deer Creek. The property is situated within the lower elevations of the mixed conifer belt and the upper elevations of the blue oak belt. Consequently, it includes vegetation and habitat types characteristic of both. In addition, the property includes 3,500 linear feet of riparian habitat along Deer Creek, which flows into Lake Wildwood and eventually to the Yuba River. The property is adjacent to large agricultural (primarily rangeland) parcels on the east and to smaller rural-residential parcels on the remaining three sides.