Top of Varni Conservation Easement looking toward McLaughlin Reserve

The Land Trust

Conserves Land In Many Ways

Lake County Land Trust (LCLT) protects Lake County lands not just by owning acreage but also through holding conservation easements. Land owners can protect the land they love by setting up a conservation easement on all or part of their property which will protect the land's conservation values permanently; during their ownership and all owners that come after them. In an agreement with the land owner the LCLT agrees to be responsible for monitoring the land yearly to determine if the conservation agreement is being honored.

Volunteer Tom Horton documents the monitoring. Thank you Tom!

Bull Clover seed pods, trifolium fucatum, edible native at Varni Conservation Easement

The Wetlands are coming back at

the Seigler Easement!

The Lake County Land Trust (LCLT) holds three conservation easements in Lake County totaling about 100 acres. One of the land trust’s easements is the Seigler Valley Wetlands Mitigation bank. This project, developed by Steve and Danielle Zalusky of Northwest Biosurvey, is establishing a wetlands on 30 acres of land that was once drained. Another easement is the Varni Conservation Easement which is 22 acres on a portion of the McLaughlin Reserve near Lower Lake. It protects restored serpentine meadows. Lastly is the Lyon Conservation Easement which is 30 acres of beautiful oak woodlands near the Rodman Preserve.

Learn More

Val Nixon, Steve Zalusky & Tom Horton at Seigler Wetlands Mitigation Bank

Conservation easements are another way Lake County Land Trust works to fulfill

Our Mission: to conserve land and water resources of important environmental, scenic, cultural and historic value on behalf of present and future generations.

Help Us With Our Mission

New Hours At Rodman Preserve

Come visit the beautiful Rodman Preserve every

Saturday from 9:00-2:00.

Enjoy a 1.5 mile hike with views of the Rodman Sough and mountains. Visit the Nature Center to see some interesting nature displays and take a break out on our shaded porch.

Take the Nice-Lucerne cutoff from Hwy 29 and the first left onto Westlake Road. We are the first drive way to your right. 6350 Westlake Road.

(click here for more information)

4-H

Visits Rodman Preserve

Learning about native plants uses and how indigenous people used poison oak to make tattoos and cure wingworm.

Gavin Dooley spotting wildlife.

Hiking the Rodman Trail

Chloe Dorney makes a wetland model with food.

A group of Lakeport youth from the 4-H Outdoor Group and their Leader, Shauna La Brash, enjoyed a spring day at the Lake County Land Trust’s Rodman Preserve on May 13. The group enjoyed a hike, learned about the use of native plants by indigenous people, learned about invasive plants, how everything relies on insects and even how scat shows what animals have eaten!

Many features of the preserve were pointed out to the group, like native grasses, the California poppies, acorn woodpecker granary, and the interesting Wavy Leafed Soap plant. According to Dillon La Brash, age 10, the most memorable part of the day was building an edible wetland, “Yum!”

LCLT welcomes youth groups and encourages leaders to contact us here.

Your Donation Helps Our Education Goals

Recent Sightings at LCLT properties

Please share photos you have taken while visiting LCLT lands

(Click Here)

"It hadn't rained in while, but this teasel managed to get and hold some

water in its leaves, which provided a tree frog with a very nice place to

hang out (at Rodman Preserve)."

- Ed Oswalt

David & Merry Jo Velasquez, Meg Harper, Cathy Koehler taking in the views at the Varni Conservation Easement.

Varni Conservation Easement Monitoring 4/30/23 with Cathy Koehler, Paul Aigner, Tom Norton, Joann O'Neill, Merry Jo & David Velasquez, and Dr. Susan Harrison.