RESTORATION CASE STUDY
In our region, Millard Canyon Preserve is one of the few remaining places where nature looks and functions nearly how it did before urban development. Bordered by the La Viña development to the east and the Meadows neighborhood to the west, Millard is a critical corridor and sanctuary for wildlife.
INTACT HABITAT
A biological term used to describe biodiverse areas minimally impacted by human activity where natural ecological processes continue without interruption.
The perennial stream provides water year-round and a dense canopy of mature oaks and nine other native tree species keep temperatures down, offering refuge during heat waves. As we monitor and protect this Preserve, we track the rare species there.
Spotted skunks (the more elusive siblings to the striped skunk) have been seen in the canyon multiple times.
The riparian corridor is prime breeding ground for the California newt, a Species of Special Concern, as designated by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Mountain lions, protected as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act, are frequent visitors we catch glimpses of on our trail cams.
A mountain lion and her juvenile following the stream at Millard Canyon. May 2026.
Photographs by Maya Wali Richardson
While fire-fuel reduction and invasive plant removal are ongoing projects, protecting Millard is not about changing it.
Here we can best steward the habitat by leaving it be and admiring.
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Rare undisturbed ecosystems like Millard Canyon need to be protected before they are lost forever. Donate today to support AFC’s mission of saving habitat for wildlife.