Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
A Coastal Getaway
Located in Cambria, CA, just outside of San Luis Obispo, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is an idyllic natural getaway, complete with classic central coast scenery and cliff-side views of the Pacific Ocean. Founded in 2000 through a unique combination of public and private funding, Fiscalini Ranch offers a glimpse of what can happen when a wide variety of stakeholders come together to protect precious natural resources. The Friends of Fiscalini Ranch hold a permanent conservation easement, which makes public access possible, as well as provides continuous care for the Ranch and all its habitats. Visitors can hike through ancient oak and pine forests, through coastal prairies, and finally, end up at the coast alongside 200-foot cliffs.
Fiscalini is home to a plethora of plant species, including but not limited to sea pinks, California poppy, coastal bush lupine, sun cups, and seaside daisy. The Ranch is also home to one of the only remaining native stands of Monterey pine trees in the world. Synonymous with California’s Central Coast, the Monterey pine is a robust and hardy pine species that can withstand brutal coastal winds and salt spray from waves. These trees can grow up to 100 feet tall in the wild, however, most are much shorter due to being stunted by high winds. The cones of the Monterey pine tree are serotinous, meaning they only open and release their seeds when exposed to high temperatures. Monterey pines are the co-dominant canopy tree alongside Monterey cypress, Hesperocyparis macrocarpa. Together, these special trees create the perfect habitat for a handful of rare plant species, like Hickman’s potentilla, dwarf mistletoe, and Piperia yadoniiI, an endangered orchid.
Home to over 430 species of birds, the diverse habitats within the Ranch offer birdwatchers the chance to check off a wide variety of species from their life list. You may be able to spot shorebirds like gulls and pelicans down on the beach, burrowing owls and California quails hiding in the coastal scrub, and northern harriers and red-tailed hawks playing in the gusty coastal breeze. The Ranch also provides ideal habitat for monarch butterflies.
The Salinan and Northern Chumash Tribes have called this area home for thousands of years and it saw a great amount of activity during the arrival of Spanish and European immigrants. Both mining and agriculture have played a huge role in the history of the ranch. Cattle farming was the primary use of the land until 1979 when the Ranch was sold and underwent a series of development proposals. Luckily, the Friends of Fiscalini Ranch was able to purchase the property in 2000 and start the long journey towards conserving this amazing natural resource.
We are thankful for the dedicated team at Friends of Fiscalini Ranch, as well as all other stakeholders involved, for helping to protect the wondrous stands of mature trees within the preserve boundaries. Coming in at forest #149 and 14th Dedicated forest for California, Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is a great addition to the Network!
Stay Tuned!
Spring is beginning to bloom all around, which means it’s Dedication time! Check out our event calendar to find an event in your area. Do you have a forest in mind that should be included in the OGFN Network? Fill out this simple form today to nominate it.
Additional Resources:
https://www.fiscaliniranchpreserve.org
Title image by Robert Llewellyn.