Kern River Preserve
| Audubon Kern River Preserve | |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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Entrance from SR 178
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| Location |
Weldon, California, State Route 178 northeastern Kern County |
| Nearest city | Bakersfield, California |
| Coordinates | 35°40′10″N 118°18′58″W / 35.66944°N 118.31611°WCoordinates: 35°40′10″N 118°18′58″W / 35.66944°N 118.31611°W |
| Area | 2,987 acres (12.09 km2) |
| Established | 1979 |
| Governing body | National Audubon Society |
The Audubon Kern River Preserve is a riparian nature reserve owned by the National Audubon Society in the US state of California, near Weldon in Kern County.
The preserve is located in one of the largest contiguous riparian forests remaining in the state. The 3,000-acre (12 km2) preserve provides habitat for rare and Audubon's endangered birds, one of which is the federally listed endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, a subspecies of the willow flycatcher. The preserve is located within a designated Globally Important Bird Area, a program of the National Audubon Society with its partner BirdLife International to identify and protect critical avian habitats.
The South Fork Kern River, designated a national Wild and Scenic River since 1987. flows down the South Fork Valley, through the Kern River Preserve and then into Lake Isabella. The South Fork is the source for irrigation water for agriculture and the rare riparian forests of the valley. The river's upper reaches have populations of golden trout, California's state fish. The golden trout is being reviewed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Scientific research studies are conducted at the Kern River Preserve, including the Grinnell Resurvey Project, a 2008-09 resurvey by University of California, Berkeley students of zoologist Joseph Grinnell's 1914 landmark survey of California species.
The preserve features a visitor's center, a self-guided nature trail, monthly nature events, monthly volunteer work days and a variety of festivals during the year.
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Wikipedia