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ABOUT
ORANGE COUNTY WILD
There
is a world of wildlife right here in Orange County.
Hawks, bobcats, owls, badger, mule deer, horned
lizard, California quail, king snake, gray fox,
long-tailed weasel, slender salamander, arroyo toad
and Pacific tree frog are among the multitude of
species sharing our open space.
California
has a remarkable range of climates and landforms--from
high glaciers to cool wet coastal forests and dry
hot deserts. The topograhical diversity created habitats
for our 5,000 native plant species, more than in the
central and northeastern US and Canada combined. Many
of these plants grow only in California, and provided
food, medicine and tools for native Americans and
early European settlers.
Besides
plants, we also have 1,000 native vertebrates (birds,
reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and fish). Dozens of
these are found only in California. Don't think all
these species live in Northern California; Southern
California is one of a handful of 'hotspots' of biodiversity
worldwide.
Orange
County is the second most biologically diverse county
in California, and at the same time one of the smallest
and most densely populated! As of 1998 Orange County
already had Southern California's highest population
density, with more than 3,400 residents per square
mile, 46% higher than Los Angeles County, 418% greater
than San Diego County and 770% above Ventura County!
The
remaining wildlands in Orange County are all the more
precious for their scarcity. Many people who have
never walked in the wild back country nevertheless
feel passionate about the views they enjoy just driving
through the open and rolling hills. No matter how
you encounter it, the natural landscape imparts a sense
of peace and freedom.
We
invite you, your family and friends to a wonderful
guided walk in any of the many wildlands in Orange
County.
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