Lecture takes a look at wildland conservation

The Redwood Region Audubon Society will present an online presentation titled “The Local Wildlands Conservancy Preserves: Behold the Beauty” with North Coast Preserves Manager Alex Blessing on Friday at 7 p.m.

The Wildlands Conservancy expanded its network of preserves to include the North Coast of Humboldt County. First, in 2008, it acquired the Eel River Estuary Preserve, a 1,200-acre property on the south spit of the Eel River. This preserve includes coastal marsh, pasture lands, eight miles of trails and three miles of dunes for visitors to explore, as well as excellent birding prospects for grassland, waterfowl, raptors and myriad seabirds.

The Wildlands Conservancy expanded its local holdings again in 2018, with the addition of the Seawood Cape Preserve two miles north of Trinidad. Here, visitors can hike the coastal bluffs on a trail down to Scotty’s Point to enjoy vast views of the coast, bird and marine mammal watching, tide-pooling or fishing.

Blessing grew up in the mountains above Santa Cruz, where he fostered a love for everything outdoors. His youth was spent exploring and learning everything he could about the natural world in his backyard. After attending Humboldt State University, where he completed his undergraduate studies in natural resource planning and interpretation, he volunteered for AmeriCorps’ Watershed Stewards Project. There, he found a love for freshwater fisheries, especially salmon, while surveying creeks on the Eel River and in Coastal Mendocino. This led to work with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as a fisheries technician, monitoring salmonids and assisting with restoration projects, such as the Salt River Restoration project, where he learned about the Wildlands Conservancy. Joining the Wildlands team in 2014 as a ranger on the Eel River Estuary Preserve, he continues to restore habitat and share the wonder of the place with all who come visit.

Visit rras.org to obtain the Zoom presentation link.