Area: The Carlsbad Oaks Preserve consists of 327 acres located in the city of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California.
Location: Carlsbad Oaks Preserve contains steep slopes and dense habitat supporting spectacular plant and animal diversity. Agua Hedionda Creek and La Mirada Creek run through this Preserve.
Date Acquired: 2007
Acquisition Type: CNLM owns this preserve and holds a conservation easement.
Key Habitats: Coastal Sage Scrub, California Annual and Perennial Grassland, Mixed Chaparral and Coastal Oak Woodland.
Species of Special Interest to CNLM: Coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), Thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia), San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) and Del Mar manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. crassifolia).
Introduction
The Carlsbad Oaks Preserve was created in 2007 by CNLM. The Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) accepted the fee title and conservation easements from Techbilt Construction, Inc, as part of their mitigation obligations for the Carlsbad Oaks North Business Park development.
Conservation Significance
The Preserve supports a number of habitat types, including Coast Live Oak Woodland, Coastal Scrub, Mixed Chaparral, California Annual and Perennial Grassland, It also supports sensitive plant and animal species, such as the coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia), and thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia).
Public Access
There is one public trail at this Preserve. It begins on El Fuerte, about 100 yards south of the pump station and public parking lot, and ends approximately 1 mile to the east, behind the office building at the western terminus of Lionshead Avenue. The City of Carlsbad maintains this trail.
Contact
For more information about Carlsbad Oaks or Center for Natural Lands Management please contact Brooke Prentice-Dekker, Preserve Manager at bdekker@cnlm.org or 760.731.7790 extension 221.
Our Work
Our primary goal on the Carlsbad Oaks North Preserve is to ensure continuation of healthy habitats that are necessary for the survival of the rare species, including the Del Mar manzanita, Coastal California Gnatcatcher, San Diego thornmint, and Thread-leaved brodiaea. These efforts include reducing the known threats to these species, monitoring populations, restoring the habitats, and research aimed at better understanding the biology of these species. These activities will not only expand our understanding but will also increase our ability to make better conservation decisions, improving habitats which will lead to better survival rates.