Irvine, CA, February 6th, 2025
On Thursday, February 6th, the Laguna Greenbelt hosted a tour of the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor in Irvine, CA. Led by Board Members John Foley, Ann Larson, and Lance Vallery, Professor Jessica Pratt of the University of California Irvine and her class of twenty graduate students were shown key sections of the Corridor. Additional attendees included Anthony Falcone and Tony Capitelli, Director of Strategy and External Affairs andxxxx respectively, for the Laguna Greenbelt. The purpose of the tour was to brief the students on the Corridor while providing them with an opportunity to learn about and discuss the unique challenges facing an urban wildlife corridor.
The Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor is a dedicated wildlife pathway being constructed to reduce habitat fragmentation in the southern Orange County region. When completed, the Corridor will provide a six-mile route for wildlife to travel between the Cleveland National Forest and the 22,000-acre Laguna Coast Wilderness.
During the tour, students were presented with the history and status of each site along the Corridor. Following the presentations, the students shared their observations and asked questions. These discussions highlighted the importance of wildlife mobility over the I-5 freeway, the juxtaposition in quality of the I-5 tunnel and other sections of the Corridor, and the implications of native vegetation and wildfires near urban development. Students then shared their input in an open discussion, providing their ideas for solutions, while learning more about the barriers preventing improvements.
Board Member John Foley said, “I hope that our tour highlighted the promise of the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor, while providing insight on the challenges we face. Significant improvements at the I-5 crossing are essential to bringing a fully functioning corridor to fruition. I really enjoyed my conversations with the students, hearing their questions, observations, and thoughts on improvements and solutions for the Corridor.
Speaking for the Laguna Greenbelt, President Norm Grossman said, “I would like to offer a special thanks to Professor Jessica Pratt for including the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor in her curriculum and helping organize the tour. Youth engagement and advocacy is critical to the long-term success of the Corridor and I look forward to continued student engagement.”