Wildlife Heritage Foundation founded 12 years ago

Maintaining a safe environment for plant and animal species native to Lincoln is a Wildlife Heritage Foundation priority.The Wildlife Heritage Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Lincoln and founded in 2000, according to executive director Patrick Shea."Our primary goal is to put aside land for conservation purposes by (creating) conservation easements," Shea said.That means a developer developing land in Lincoln must set aside an equal amount of land for conservation purposes, according to Shea."Currently, we hold 74 conservation easements on about 22,000 acres from Shasta County to Riverside County," Shea said. "It means the developer must find equivalent property and we insist they (make it) a conservation easement to preserve it."The organization manages open space in Lincoln in a few locations, including Sun City Lincoln Hills, the Orchard Creek conservation bank behind Thunder Valley and vernal pools behind the rodeo grounds, according to Shea.The easements help protect species such as the Longhorn Elderberry Beetle, California Tiger Salamander, California Red Legged Frog, coyotes and mountain lions, according to Shea.The Wildlife Heritage Foundation also provides education to local school children.Kelly Velasco, the organization's education coordinator, runs an environmental program for area schools."We take them out to area preserves and spend the day outside with the kids," Velasco said. "I think it's important if we want to raise kids to be conservation-minded adults, we need to start teaching them about the local habitat."The program is offered free of charge for all of Placer County, according to Velasco.Velasco said she often takes classes to the Silvergate Mitigation Bank in Sheridan, which she said allows the children to have exposure to five different habitats.Those habitats are vernal pools, wetlands, oak woodlands, elderberry and riparian habitats, according to Velasco.To find out more about Wildlife Heritage Foundation's educational program, contact Velasco at 434-2759 or kvelasco@wildlifeheritage.org.