| The Wildlands Conservancy Wind Wolves Preserve is in an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge. For more than 30 years, the Wildlands Conservancy has worked to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the earth and to provide programs so that children may know the wonder and joy of nature. |  |
| Due to elevation ranges from 640 to 6,005 feet, the Wind Wolves Preserve has an impressive array of landforms and habitats that serve as a critical landscape linkage and wildlife corridor between the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada. The 93,000 acre preserve offers more than just breathtaking views – it’s a sanctuary for wildlife, a place for refuge for the spirit, and most importantly, a classroom under the sky. On the San Joaquin Valley floor, the Preserve is a 30-square-mile veritable sea of grasslands with remnant stands of saltbush. These grasslands are home to the endangered San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard as well as one of the largest stands of the endangered Bakersfield cactus. The Preserve’s main wetland is home to the Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew—one of the most endangered mammals in the United States. Rolling grasslands rise from the valley floor, transitioning into classic California blue oak and valley oak savanna with extensive riparian wetlands. The oak savanna ascends into juniper and pinyon forests that vault into stands of ponderosa pine and big cone spruce. Volunteers have played a major role in working with staff to restore this heroic landscape. Fourteen years of monthly work parties have removed invasive tamarisk from 30 miles of stream channels. Volunteers have made miles of boundary fencing antelope friendly, as well as make kit fox dens for the recruitment of kit foxes. And volunteers through school, family work parties, and collaborating organizations have planted tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs. The preserve includes the entire San Emidio Land Grant, once owned by John C. Fremont. Wind Wolves’ rich cultural history includes some of the most noteworthy Native American rock art in North America. |
 | Wind Wolves Preserve offers students and families opportunities to hike, bike, picnic, view wildlife and wildflowers, go birdwatching, and camp. Free School Programs and public programs are available. They promote a Leave No Trace philosophy asking visitors to pack out what they pack in. They encourage respect for all wildlife and to learn through observation. They also ask for everyone to be courteous to others so everyone enjoys their outdoor experience |
| For many children, the first time they spot a majestic hawk soaring above or uncover the delicate pattern of animal tracks along a trail, something awakens. These moments of wonder spark not just curiosity but a profound connection — one that The Wildlands Conservancy believes can grow into a lifelong passion for conservation. Each year, Wildlands naturalists and docents lead free outdoor education programs at Wind Wolves Preserve for thousands of school children from across Kern County. Targeted to public schools in underserved and under-resourced communities, this is more than just a field trip — it’s a rite of passage, a transformative experience that fosters a connection to nature and inspires a love for the Earth. |  |
| “The Preserve is a place for learning, but also a place to feel peace, it’s a refuge.” |
| For Sherryl Clendenen, biologist and outdoor educator who worked for Wildlands from 1998 to 2015, Wind Wolves Preserve was the perfect venue to integrate science and history into the lives of local students in a way that made learning come alive. As a child, Sherryl had struggled with traditional forms of learning—textbooks and classroom lectures left her feeling disconnected from the material. Fortunately for Sherryl, her father understood the real world was the best teacher and he took her outdoors, where nature became her classroom. This hands-on learning shaped her philosophy and later guided her work at Wind Wolves Preserve, where she built the outdoor education program from the ground up. |  |
| Sherryl’s early experiences taught her something profound: humans are not separate from nature, but part of it. She remembers learning in school that human activity caused many environmental issues, leading her to believe the only way to save the wilderness was to keep humans away. But when she was outside with her father, she saw things differently. Being immersed in the wild didn’t lead her to fear human impact; instead, it taught her to love and respect nature. Sherryl sought to pass on these same lessons through the outdoor education program at Wind Wolves Preserve, which has welcomed over 210,000 local students since it originated in 1998. Today, Wildlands has expanded its Outdoor Discovery Program to serve students throughout the state of California across its Preserve system, offering schoolchildren and families the chance to build that deep, personal relationship with nature. Our naturalists, rangers and docents understand that education isn’t just about facts and figures; it’s about fostering relationships —with the land, with the plants and animals, and with each other. To save the environment, “Sherryl believes, “we must have a connection to it, a love for it.” This belief is woven into the fibers of Wildlands Outdoor Discovery Program, which aims to inspire not just knowledgeable individuals, but future stewards of the Earth. |
