There's no better way to stick with your New Year's fitness resolution than by going on a nature hike. In addition to doing your health a world of good, you'll get to enjoy some of the beautiful scenery on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. So make plans to come out on Thursday, January 28 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and enjoy this leisurely trek. Connect with the many wonders of nature during this docent-led excursion. The recent rains have washed away the dust and nourished the soil, leaving the landscape clean, fresh and even more beautiful for the journey.

This hike will be on the paved Hicks Haul Road, meaning participants will not have to deal with much mud from the rains.  This adventure will travel up and over Loma Ridge and into the heart of Limestone Canyon. On clear days, ridge-top views can include sweeping vistas of Orange and Los Angeles counties, as well as the coast and Catalina Island.

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With significant expanses of oak woodlands found throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, it’s no surprise that the recently introduced Goldspotted Oak Borer (Agrilus coxalis: Buprestidae) poses a serious potential threat to these great trees.

New to California, these beetles belong to a group of wood-boring insects often referred to as metallic woodborers, flatheaded borers, or jewel beetles. They are a highly damaging pest that affects several species of oak in southern California, such as the coast live oak, canyon live oak, and California black oak. For reasons currently unknown to researchers, they stay away from the Engelmann oak.

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