Tejon Ranch Conservancy

There is no other place like Tejon Ranch in California.and perhaps in the world California condors soar above rolling hills carpeted with wildflowers. Black bears, mountain lions and pronghorn roam free. Some of California’s largest oaks grow here. On Tejon Ranch, San Joaquin oak woodlands, Mojave Desert Joshua trees, the fir forests of the Sierra Nevada and the chaparral-studded South Coast Ranges all meet in an extraordinary convergence. The Conservancy oversees the conservation of acres of Tejon Ranch lands, home to more than 60 at-risk species. The diversity of plants and animals found on Tejon Ranch reflects its position as a “biogeographic crossroads,” where species unique to each of these regions can be found together. More than 200 species of birds have been spotted, a third of the state’s native oaks are represented, and more than 60 at-risk plant and animal species are protected here. As California becomes increasingly crowded, protecting our diverse wildlife while producing the resources we need to live is critically important. With the Conservancy, the Ranch is now a valuable living laboratory for scholars and scientists. We partner with leading universities to engage in research to inform our management decisions. We are optimistic that these studies will be relevant throughout the Southwest as we learn how best to balance the activities of a working ranch while preserving and enhancing its biodiversity. Tejon Ranch represents an extremely critical piece of a larger, continent-wide conservation effort to create important and unobstructed routes or “corridors” for wildlife. Significant public and private conservation investments have been made to create this vital corridor for wildlife as needed habitat is increasingly threatened by land use and climate change.