SOUTH COUNTY : Preserve Seeks Aid for Visits by Pupils

Youngsters and teachers visiting the 1,200-acre Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy couldn’t get enough of nature last year, and many vowed to return soon.

But none of the 35 classes that roamed the wildlife preserve in 1994 have made it back because of the chaos created in school budgets by the county’s bankruptcy crisis.

So, refusing to stand idle, the nonprofit group that runs the private wilderness park has started a school sponsorship program.

Last week, conservancy volunteers began canvassing businesses, corporations and individuals for help in bringing schoolchildren back to nature.

“With the bankruptcy, schools are flat out unable to afford to send kids anywhere,” conservancy director Jill Davison said. “The most satisfying part of this job is when we do have the kids out here.”

Located in the sprawling hills several miles east of San Juan Capistrano, the conservancy offers a broad range of programs, including trail walks, equestrian rides and astronomy nights. There is also a special wildlife program designed to let children see the diverse ecology of South County canyons and hills.

The conservancy charges schools and the general public a small fee--from $3 to $5 per person--to help pay for running the facility.

Under the sponsorship program, an entire class can be treated to a nature walk for $120, the junior wildlife biologist program for $420 and a night astronomy session for $150.

“A lot of environmental education that kids get in grade school is primarily in textbooks,” Davison said. “The nature outings make a big difference to them. It’s information that really sticks with them for years.”

Sponsors will be invited to the school outing to see for themselves what good is being created by their tax-deductible donations, she said. For more information about the sponsorship program, call the conservancy at (714) 489-9778.