40,000 acres of nearly unknown Orange County wilderness are managed by nearly 600 volunteers

Psst, there’s a pristine paradise in Southern California nearly the size of Bryce Canyon National Park and even more spectacular, yet it’s a good bet you’ve never been there.

I, too, skipped much of the area until recently and I’m a fan of the outdoors.

Still, a crowd-free backcountry isn’t the most amazing thing about this little-known land that covers more than 40,000 acres. The truly impressive thing is that most of the operation is run by nearly 600 regular volunteers.

That’s right. An army of mini-philanthropists makes possible the lean — and often misunderstood — nonprofit known as the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

The conservancy doesn’t own land, but it definitely manages it and the conservancy’s mission is to create partnerships of opportunity to enjoy and nurture the natural world.

With a superbloom of flora in full swing, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and hike, ride or run such wonders as Buck Gully in Newport Beach, Bommer Canyon in Irvine, The Sinks in Limestone Canyon.

All you have to do is jump on LetsGoOutside.org and sign up for any of the hundreds of activities and outings. There’s even a native species seed farm for people who like to garden.

Oh, yes, you’ll be interested in at least one more thing. Everything is free.

Wildland stewardship

It’s a cool Sunday morning in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains and mustard flowers light up the hills in a blaze of yellow.

With a dozen mountain bikers and five mountain biking docents, we chug up Hicks Haul Road just north of the 241 Toll Road.

We huff and puff to the top of a ridge and gaze at the cerulean sea, Catalina Island and everything in between. Just below, the big orange balloon at the Great Park glows in sunlight. To the west, the Santa Monica Mountains break the horizon.

Lead docent Christian Lutkemeyer counts heads. We are sweaty, but intact. Next, we fly down a fire road and swoop through a forest of old sycamores and ancient oaks.

Lutkemeyer shares that being a docent has grown to become an integral part of his life. He teaches the organization’s mountain bike skills class, leads several rides a month and reports there is both mutual respect and appreciation between paid staff and volunteers.

But more than anything, Lutkemeyer likes being a part of wilderness stewardship.

“You couldn’t see this in any national park,” he points out. “There would be too many visitors. This is like a private national park experience.”

But don’t think that Lutkemeyer doesn’t juggle a host of other important things — like career and family. At Inphi in Irvine, he is senior technical director and with his wife helps raise two children, ages 13 and 15.

Still, being a docent is special. “It’s a stable, friendly community. There are so many different things you can do and it keeps people in shape by staying active.”

Lutkemeyer also is quick to point out he came late to mountain biking and suggests it’s never too late for others. For awhile, he rode a simple bicycle to work on Irvine’s paved paths. Finally, he bought a proper mountain bike.

Then one day he signed up for a ride and it appeared there wasn’t a docent. Almost immediately, Lutkemeyer decided that he could help ensure rides happen as planned. Fortunately, the conservancy teaches how to lead rides.

You might want to be wary, however, of at least one of Lutkemeyer’s tips: “Mountain biking is a low-impact sport.”

With a wink, he adds, “Unless you fall.”

Shooting down myths

I’ll confess that I used to dislike everything I knew about the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. But that was before I knew anything about the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

I heard rumors that it’s impossible to sign up for anything because those in the know get first dibs. Wrong.

I heard LetsGoOutside.org mountain bike rides are really only for super-tough, super-fast docents. That’s nuts.

I heard docents are controlling. Untrue.

Riding with Lutkemeyer and company was like riding on your own — but with a wingman.

Michael O’Connell has served as executive director of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy since its inception in 2005 and isn’t shy about describing what’s become his life’s work.

“This landscape is national park quality,” he points out, echoing Lutkemeyer. And O’Connell has the bona fides to back up his claim.

Much of the land is protected in perpetuity, publicly owned and a state and national landmark, O’Connell points out. Yet he happily acknowledges that’s not what makes the 40,000 acres so amazing.

What’s amazing is standing on a bluff in Fremont Canyon and watching five deer graze. It’s kicking it with amateur astronomers and seeing the rings of Saturn. It’s watching wee ones learn about land stewardship from an expert who cares.

With a master’s degree in conservation biology from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, as well as a background working with the international Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund, O’Connell explains the key to his philosophy is connectivity.

Rather than having wilderness managed by individual entities — and, remember, there are more than 35 separate governmental jurisdictions in Orange County — O’Connell offers wildlands are better off with a cohesive vision.

To that end, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy isn’t only about Irvine. It’s a partnership that includes managing parts of Irvine, Newport Beach and the county.

“Cities know how to manage groomed parks,” O’Connell explains, “but natural wildland open space requires a level of expertise that most governments don’t have.”

Still, O’Connell isn’t satisfied with the conservancy’s current success. He understands just looking at open space when you drive soothes the soul. And he wants to take the next step.

“We have pristine land that’s within a half-hour drive for more than 3.5 million people,” the CEO points out. “The future is figuring out ways to bring nature to those people as well.”

In the meantime, let’s ride.