The project will enhance approximately 3-acres of native habitat along the 1-mile red-tailed trail at the preserve

The red-tailed trail is in a prime location positioned directly east of the administrative center and across the road from the popular SAN emigdio campground, and offers a great view of the SAN emigdio canyon. The canyon is known for its scenic beauty, diverse wildlife, and expansive trail system. The preserves annual spring nature festival also takes place outside the administrative center and features a restoration station for volunteers to plant native trees and shrubs, activity booths, guided hikes, reptiles talk, and more. This popular community event attracts over 7000 visitors every year and requires significant funding and staff time to organize. With funding from the partners for fish and wildlife program, WWP staff will enhance the red-tailed trail with native plants, picnic tables, shade trees, interpretive signage, two artificial SAN joaquin kit FOX (vulpes macrotis mutica) dens, and two artificial burrowing OWL (athene cunicularia) burrows to increase its recreational and habitat values. The restoration station for the annual spring nature festival will be located along the trail, in which participants will learn about local plants, their benefits, and plant a diversity of species with the help of staff and volunteers. Before planting native species and installing artificial dens, non-native grasses surrounding the trail will be grazed by cattle to reduce RDM levels to approximately 800 LBS acre. Planted species may include desert milkweed (asclepias erosa), saltbush (atriplex SPP.), california buckwheat (eriogonum fasciculatum), alkali goldenbush (isocoma acradenia), showy 4 oclock (mirabilis multiflora), bladderpod (peritoma arborea) , bakersfield cactus (opuntia basilaris VAR. Treleasei), purple needle grass (stipa pulchra), honey mesquite (prosopis glandulosa), valley OAK (quercus lobata), and modesto ASH (fracinus velutina). These plants will provide a year-round source of nectar and pollen for insects and birds and serve as thermal refugia for wildlife.