Upon arriving at Sunshine Preserve, visitors can immediately appreciate the tranquility of the Preserve and the importance of having habitat for native flora and fauna near a highly urban area. Sunshine contains both coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities, highlighting the beautiful native plant diversity of the Verdugo Mountains. Remote wildlife cameras have captured animals moving along the upper ridgeline of the Preserve, highlighting the important role that this land plays for local wildlife as they move between the San Rafael Hills and the Verdugo Mountains.

Mule deer are commonly spotted, and you may see them along the ridgeline when visiting. Other mammals that can be found at the Sunshine include bobcats, coyotes, desert cottontail rabbits, and California ground squirrels. A variety of bird species have been spotted, including the California thrasher, American robin, California scrub jay, California towhee, mourning dove, western meadowlark, black-headed grosbeak, lazuli bunting, and yellow-rumped warbler, red-tailed hawks, and owls, making it a wonderful spot to enjoy local bird diversity. The Preserve harbors plenty of insect diversity and is also a great place to observe reptiles such as the western side-blotched lizard and the Southern Pacific rattlesnake.