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LANDMARK FACTS:
New Cell Phone Tour of Quail Hill in Irvine Did you know you can take a private, naturalist-guided tour of Quail Hill Loop Trail in the City of Irvine’s Open Space Preserve any time – simply by using your cell phone? In a first for Orange County recreation, IRC recently launched a unique program in partnership with the City that enables you to experience and learn about this part of the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks using your cell phone; no in-person guide required. You can either come to Quail Hill for a leisurely stroll and call at each phonestop, or call from wherever you are to hear recorded messages about the area’s geology, history, flora and fauna and much more. The only charge for the service is your own cell phone minutes for a local call. Exploring Quail Hill and the City of Irvine’s Open Space Preserve is easy - and don’t forget your cell phone! Simply call 949-743-5943. 
Unique & Rare Features The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks are not only special for their diverse and rare natural communities. The geology of the land is of national importance as well. Scientists who studied the landscape as part of the National Natural Landmark designation process identified many extraordinary features - including fossils of Hadrosaurian, or "duckbilled," dinosaurs in the Blind Canyon area. Regionally, the land is an outstanding example of the complicated and distinctive geologic history of the southwestern continental margin of North America. The exceptionally wide range of rock types and fossils exposed on the land captures and illustrates the changing landscapes and evolutionary events with remarkable completeness over a span of 80 million years. The terrain ranges from picturesque coastlines subject to modern erosion and other natural processes, to rugged, uplifted mountains displaying the intact geologic history of Southern California from the late Cretaceous period (65 million to 80 million years ago) to the late Pleistocene period (less than 1 million years ago) and today. Discover it for yourself by visiting and signing up for a free adventure in nature. 
By the Numbers (The following reflects information from a 12-month period: July 2008-June 2009) 445 free scheduled outdoor adventures on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks including hiking, biking, interpretive tours, and more; 10,000 people participated in programs and experienced the Natural Landmarks; 250 Volunteers contributed 10,000 hours caring for and sharing the land; 2 ½ tons (5,100 lbs) of trash was removed from Santiago Creek and Black Star Canyon by IRC volunteers during the Inner Coastal Cleanup Day; 100 volunteers from Ricoh Electronics Corporation cleared two acres of invasive milk thistle weeds from Weir Canyon in partnership with IRC and OC Parks; 2,000 school teachers learned about the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks in a partnership between IRC and the Discovery Science Center. 
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