A new OCTA video offers a way to get away without leaving home. Carve a few minutes out of your busy schedule and experience an informative guided virtual hike through one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the entire county.
The virtual hike features Trabuco Rose Preserve, one of the permanently protected areas purchased and preserved by OCTA as open space. Tour guide Lesley Hill, Environmental Mitigation Program Project Manager, shares the distinctive sound of the Cactus Wren and a look at some rare plants, including the Intermediate Mariposa Lily and native bunch grass, plus a look at tracks from an endangered mountain lion.
Along the way, Hill explains how OCTA got in the business of protecting land. “We did something not many agencies do,” she says in the video. “We looked 40 years into the future and considered all of the up-and-coming Measure M projects at once, instead of waiting years out and addressing them one by one. This allowed us to make more strategic decisions to benefit the environment. We ended up buying land and making sure it was set aside for the wildlife. This particular preserve was slated to be houses. And now, it’s protected forever.” Measure M, also known as OC Go, is Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.
Watch the short video here.
In addition, there is an uninterrupted video of the full 40-minute hike that delivers even more of the feeling of the Trabuco Rose Preserve trail. View that video here.
To learn more about OCTA’s protected preserves, including opportunities for in-person hikes and equestrian rides, click here. The 2022 event calendar will be posted soon.
The next equestrian ride will be conducted at Trabuco Rose Preserve on December 19 and reservations are required.