207-Acre Educational Preserve Near Concord Opens To Public

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Save Mount Diablo held a special ceremony Wednesday to mark the opening of its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve, the first of its kind in Contra Costa County.

State Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) and Save Mount Diablo Board President Jim Felton were on hand to cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the 207.8-acre preserve situated between the Crystyl Ranch residential development in Concord and Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek.

The educational preserve is available for reservations free of charge to a variety of local schools and community groups, of all ages and backgrounds, pursuing educational purposes, Save Mount Diablo announced in a news release. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• environmental science classes
• nature photography courses
• yoga classes
• plein-air artists gatherings
• addiction recovery groups
• acoustic music in nature ensembles
• meditation classes
• grief counseling support groups
• church groups
• homeowners association groups
• hiking, trail running, and mountain bike clubs

Interested groups can submit a request to reserve the property for a day up to six months in advance by using an online form on Save Mount Diablo’s website. The size of a group must be at least three people to no larger than 100 people.

The preserve, which is for day-use only — no camping — includes grassland, stream canyons, blue oak woodland, chaparral and oak savannas, according to Save Mount Diablo.

It’s home to rare species such as the northernmost stand of desert olive, rare Hospital Canyon larkspur, and threatened Alameda whipsnake, the nonprofit said. Deer, coyotes, burrowing owls, kestrels and lots of other wildlife live on the preserve, too.

The preserve’s high ridgeline provides views of most of central Contra Costa County and even farther to Marin, Sonoma and Solano counties.