A Conservation Conversation
Irvine Ranch Conservancy’s Michael O’Connell oversees all aspects of stewardship, public programs and business operations and has since the group’s founding. The Yale-educated CEO brings decades of experience to ensuring local open spaces — including Buck Gully in Newport Beach — are well-maintained and available for public use.
Buck Gully is a not-so-hidden jewel. What can you tell us about it?
Buck Gully Reserve is owned by the city of Newport Beach, and they have partnered with us to manage it. One of our big accomplishments was the installation of four aluminum bridges in 2012. Our team has also done a lot of habitat restoration throughout the reserve, and volunteers come out to help us continue with that important work.
What are you most proud of about IRC?
Our partnerships with so many organizations for two decades. We help manage over 30,000 acres of land in partnership with cities and the County of Orange, and we work closely with dozens of organizations on fire prevention, habitat restoration, environmental education and community involvement.
What is something about IRC that would surprise people?
The most surprising thing about the land is how special it is. We like to call it “the national park in your backyard.” Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks is the size of many national parks and offers the same kinds of experiences, but it’s not in a faraway place. When you add up all the visitors who experience the land from Crystal Cove to the Santa Ana Mountains, it’s more than 5 million visitors a year. That’s more than most national parks! We live near this amazing resource, and it makes life better, even if you only visit occasionally.