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Tag Archives | Churn Creek Open Space

Second Saturday Bird Walk at Churn Creek Open Space

By on February 28, 2019 in

Nuttall's Woodpecker Juvenile

Partially paved trails wind their way through 180 acres of blue oak woodland and open grassland meadow. Sections of the trail meander by Churn Creek itself where this primarily urban stream is still preserved in its more natural state with lush willows, valley oaks, and cottonwoods. Meet leaders Alicia and Pablo Herrera, at 8am at Minder Park, in the cul-de-sac at the end of Minder Dr., just to the south of the open space trails. On this 3-mile loop hike we’ll encounter woodland and riparian winter residents and early migrant species including Lark Sparrows, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, among others.

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Churn Creek Open Space Bird Walk

By on February 27, 2018 in

A trip to Churn Creek Open Space just west of Lema Ranch. Partially paved trails wind their way through 180 acres of blue oak woodland and open grassland meadow. Sections of the trail meander by Churn Creek itself where this primarily urban stream is still preserved in its more natural state with lush willows, valley oaks, and cottonwoods. The McConnell Foundation owns and manages this property and have utilized cattle for the past four years to help control weed populations, reduce the risk of fire hazard, and maintain native plants and associated wildlife communities. Our co-leaders, Alicia and Pablo Herrera, will take us on a 3-mile loop hike where we’ll encounter common oak woodland and riparian nesting species including Ash-throated Flycatcher, Lark Sparrow, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, among others. We will meet at 8am at Minder Park, in the cul-de-sac at the end of Minder Dr., just to the south of the open space trails.

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McConnell Foundation Trails and Habitat Management

By on August 21, 2016 in

Sara Brady will describe the habitat management of The McConnell Foundation’s Lema Ranch and Churn Creek Open Space. The grasslands surrounding the trails are rotationally grazed by cattle each spring to facilitate the growth of native grasses, prevent grassland fires, and reduce the amount of fuel and herbicides used to maintain the land. The cattle are stocked at a high density and moved often to mimic the habits of the tule elk that once co-existed with native grassland species in this region. Purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra), big squirreltail (Elymus multisetus), and blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) are a few of the native perennial grass species that can be spotted on the two properties. In the fall and winter, interns from Shasta College have been helping the McConnell crew restore waterfowl habitat on Ross Ranch (a future open space property). The restoration process is ongoing so please come prepared to share your experiences. Come visit us out on the trails or contact Sarah Brady at 530-356-9594 for more information.