Kern River Preserve - Audubon California

The Kern River Preserve is managed by Audubon-California for the preservation of one of California’s finest remaining riparian forests and the wildlife it supports.

Maps & Directions to the Preserve

Upcoming events

EVENTS - FESTIVALS

Restoration / Workdays - Third Saturday each month

Saturday, November 21 - 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Volunteer Workday. Remove irrigation line in old restoration sites and/or native seed collecting, if the timing is right. RSVP. Email

Saturday, December 5 - 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. DEMONSTRATION: Cattle Ranching History.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Annual Friends of the Kern River Preserve holiday potluck. RSVP. Email

Saturday, December 19, 2009. Butterbredt Spring Christmas Bird Count (CBC), Kern County: Compiler: Charles Bragg, Phone: (310) 454-9662

Monday, December 21, 2009. 20th Annual Buena Vista CBC, Kern County: Compiler: Alison Sheehey. (760) 378-2029.

2010

Saturday, January 2, 2010 19th Annual South Fork Valley CBC: Compiler Denise LaBerteaux. (760) 378-4278. Email

Sunday, January 3, 2010 32nd Annual Kern River Valley CBC: Compiler Alison Sheehey. (760) 378-2029. Email

Saturday, January 16, - 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Prep Upland Restoration site. RSVP. Email

Saturday, February 20, - 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Plant Upland Restoration site. RSVP. Email

Saturday, March 20, - 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Plant Upland Restoration site. RSVP. Email

Schedule of California Christmas Bird Counts

Schedule of California Nature Festivals

Kern River Preserve Butterfly Checklist

KRP Friends Spring 2009 Newsletter

Previous Newsletters

Friends of the Kern River Preserve Newsletters are available online in PDF format only. Download Acrobat Reader

Friends of the Kern River Preserve E-newsletter

Kids & Teachers! Preview the latest issues of the Award Winning Audubon Adventures

National Audubon Society Educational Program

Help Wildlife - Monthly Volunteer Workday - November 21st

Can you help? On Saturday, November 21st from 8 a.m. - noon; join the Audubon Kern River Preserve Land Steward for a volunteer workday. Help remove old irrigation line that is no longer needed on a restoration site. This project is to help the appearance of the land and to recycle the pipe for further use in other projects.

Bring gloves, wear long sleeves and pants, sturdy boots and a hat. Drinks and snacks provided. Contact srowe@audubon.org to RSVP.

Wildlife Encounters on the Kern River Preserve - American Black Bear

by Reed Tollefson

On November 10, while doing stewardship work on Audubon’s Sprague Addition Sean Rowe and Jeff King saw this black bear ambling through the fields. It was moving from the riparian forest along the South Fork Valley toward Fay Canyon which leads up to the Kern Plateau. This helps to shows how protecting the river forest and connections to the surrounding public lands allows wildlife to move through this area. American Black Bear on the Sprague Ranch unit of Audubon Kern River Preserve by Sean Rowe

Protecting wildlife movement corridors within the Southern Sierra Nevada will help wildlife meet their daily needs as well as improve their ability to respond to the stresses caused by future development and climate change.

Black bear are known to wake up during their winter sleep and move around but it is likely that his bear is heading to a place to resume its winter rest. From tracks and scat, we know that bears are common on the Kern River Preserve in the spring, summer and fall but they are very shy of people and seldom seen.

Sunrise to Sunset: A year on the Kern River Preserve

Some landscapes from winter through fall by our Outreach Director, Alison Sheehey. Photos from our Allen Sanctuary, Kelso Creek Sanctuary, Kern River Preserve and even one from the South Fork Kern near Kennedy Meadows.

More Fay Ranch Road land protected

While 26-acres may not sound like a large amount of land... all of the land within the floodplain of the South Fork Kern River is critical to keeping habitat intact. In August we purchased this ranch which is adjacent to the Kern River Preserve and the South Fork Elementary School.

Reed Tollefson said, “This property is a beautiful addition to the Audubon Kern River Preserve. The cottonwoods and native pastures provide important habitat for birds, and it is a great comfort that we can protect all this from development. This area is clearly one of the natural gems of California.”

Thanks to our fence demolishing crew.

Sean, Casey, Jill, Don, Gordon, Chris, Birdie, Jeff, Julie, Sandra, and not pictured Katie and Alison.

Come on out and help at our next volunteer workday on Saturday, November 21st from 8 a.m. - noon. Help remove and recycle irrigation line in old restoration sites and if the timing is right we will collect native seed for our spring restoration projects.

Bring gloves, wear long sleeves and pants, sturdy shoes/boots and safety glasses if you have them. Contact srowe@audubon.org to RSVP.

Visit the Kern River Preserve in Weldon, California. Open every day of the year from dawn to dusk.

Become a fan of KRP on FACEBOOK

Wish List

Items needed at the Kern River Preserve.

CAN YOU HELP US? Have you noticed our trails becoming a little unkempt... our tractor needs to be replaced.

We NEED a new tractor so we can mow our trail without threat of more breakdowns and parts that can not be found.

What we need is a Medium Farm Tractor, Category III with a 3-point hitch.

For maintenance

Also needed a flatbed Trailer suitable for hauling a tractor or automobile.

Another item the preserve needs is a Heavy Duty Woodchipper to grind up tree limbs, weeds and organic debris to help maintain and reduce fire hazard around the Preserve.

Our Buildings

ROOF - YEAH! We received a bequest from one of our supporters and we hope to soon have a new roof on both the Visitor Center and the Sprague House!

We still need new wiring for both buildings.

For our office

Oversized laser color copier for making maps, brochures and kiosk items.

For the planet

Economy car for travel to events and meetings

Migrate down to the preserve and help nature. Please donate to KRP today.

Information on Planned Giving - Bequests, Annuities, and other Long Term Gifts

Live in the Kern River Valley? Would you like to help feed the birds, help plant and maintain the hummingbird garden, or help with the trail projects? Then please Contact Us to help.

Join the Friends of the Kern River Preserve.

Application to join Friends of the Kern River Preserve

See our membership brochure for more information

Stay informed on late breaking conservation news and wildlife sightings

For over 100 years Audubon has been protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.

This site was created on October 21, 1998. Please Email to make comments or offer suggestions.