In the Spring of 2014, The Wildlands Conservancy (TWC) opened Phase 1 of the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden, which is in the Conservancy's 2,100 acre Oak Glen Preserve. The agricultural land of the historic Los Rios border the Garden and are ease to fourth generation Oak Glen apple farmers. The natural lads and parks, along the nascent Botanic Garden, are restored, developed and maintained by the non-profit Conservancy with private donations.
The Setting - Oak Glen Preserve's elevation varies from 4,900 feet to 9,300 feet. It lies in the San Bernardino Mountains portion of the Transverse Range, one of two east-west trending ranges in the continental United States. As plant life receded and expanded throughout eons of glacial succession, species found niches on the north and south slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains.
The Botanic Garden is on 220 acres of wild lands that included oak woodland, conifer forest, chaparrral, grassland, wetlands, springs, ponds and two year-round ponds with riparian corridors. Oak Glen Preserve is one of six preserves in the San Bernardino Mountains, totaling over 30,000 acres.
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