OC Habitats (OCH) was founded in July 2017 and is based on the clear need for more habitat protection throughout the county. The mission of OC Habitats (OCH) is to provide a public service for the many habitats of Orange County, California through conservation efforts, rehabilitation, restoration, education, outreach, volunteerism, and monitoring to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of natural habitats and the species therein.

We work with students from primary, secondary schools and colleges in Orange County and beyond. We provide free programs to Title 1 schools and paid programs to non-Title 1, homeschools, small groups and clubs such as Girl Scouts of Orange County. We also provide approximately eight free guided hikes per year at locations all around and beyond Orange County. We believe these programs are important to teach the public (students and non-students) about our local habitats and species and how important they are to the overall health of our community, region, state, country, and planet.

We work with a variety of partners in habitat restoration in our local wetlands (Huntington and Newport Beaches), riparian habitats (Santa Ana and Newport Beach), and coastal sage scrub communities (Irvine). This work helps to restore habitats that have been severely degraded by human encroachment and lack of funds. We remove non-native, invasive plant species as well as trash/debris, plant native species, and help build/construct habitats in our wetlands. Since education is our primary goal at OC Habitats, we educate our volunteers on the habitats, issues and impacts of their work so that they can understand and share their good work with others.

Finally, we provide monitoring for a variety of habitats and species including our local coastal dunes (beaches), sanctuaries (Tucker Wildlife in Modjeska Canyon), and sea urchins in our intertidal areas along the coast of OC.

All of this work is funded through grants, program fees, and donations from the public. We hope that you will become part of our OCH family through financial and in-person (volunteer) support. To find out more, check out our website.

Funds raised will go to:
1. Educational Programs at local Title 1 schools
2. Intern Programs - 6 month programs for local college students (CSULB, CSUF, UCI, UCR, VANGUARD, CHAPMAN, and MORE)
3. Restoration Programs in Santa Ana, Huntington Beach Wetlands, Upper Newport Bay Wetlands and Riparian habitats, Turtle Rock Nature Center (Irvine).
4. Program Supplies for educational programs including outreach events, guided hikes, campus programs, and field trips.
5. Project Supplies and Tools for restoration programs

OC Habitats 2023 Annual Fundraiser

Silent Auction from Nov 28 - Dec 4