Wildlife Sanctuary
The Wildlife Sanctuary first opened its gates in 1966. It has expanded from its original
size of 10 acres in 1966 to its current size of 26 acres. Within its boundary, there
are a variety of habitats and ecosystems including three wetland areas (lake, pond
and swamp communities). There is also a stream, which flows year-round and is the
center of our riparian community. The Sanctuary also includes native oak and walnut
woodlands. The area was expanded to include the MSAC hill with a newly restored coastal
sage scrub community.
These communities provide a variety of habitats for native plants and animals. The
animal populations are not held captive within the fenced area but are native residents
to the Walnut City area and are free to enter or leave the Sanctuary at will. We
are striving to create a natural area where the local species have refuge and thrive.
Examples of animals observed here are rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, owls, hawks, hummingbirds,
woodpeckers, herons, egrets, crayfish, frogs, turtles and fish. The Coastal Sage
Brush plant community within the Sanctuary supports California Gnatcatchers (an endangered
species).
Examples of plants observed here are black walnut, oak, willow, and cottonwood trees. Other plants include cattails, bulrush, grasses, buckwheat, brittlebush, monkey flower and a variety of sages.
The Wildlife Sanctuary is managed and maintained by the Biological Sciences Department and the Natural Sciences Division of Mt. San Antonio College.