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Hi, my name is Johna Hurl, and I am standing in the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
I am fortunate enough to be the manager of this special area. It became a national monument in 2001.
The Carrizo is approximately 250,000 acres and we manage it in cooperation with the
California Department of Fish and Game and The Nature Conservancy.
This area is managed primarily for the endangered plants and animals that live here-there’s about 13 listed species in this area.
Not only do we have significant cultural resources, we also are fortunate enough to have geological features,
such as the San Andreas Fault, that runs the length of the valley.
It is actually one of the areas that is highly studied by geologists and
other enthusiasts because of the fact that the features here are very well defined.
We also have recreational opportunities out here. As you can see,
we have beautiful wild flower displays usually in March or April, but they can always come and go,
so you should always call before you come to make sure we have a nice display-if you are interested in the wildflowers.
We also have opportunities for hiking, for just exploring the area, for hunting,
for horseback riding, so the Carrizo offers a vast opportunity for many different people.
We are here at the Visitor’s Center on the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
This is the focal point during the high use season, where visitors come to get information about the monument.
You can get information about trails, some of the current sightings of the antelope and elk, or
different bird species that have come to the area. We also offer tours to
Painted Rock and this is where you would call to get reservations for those tours.
The Visitor’s Center here on the Carrizo Plain National Plain National Monument is actually open
December through May, Thursday through Sunday. Some of our endangered species that you might
see out on the Monument are the San Joaquin Kit fox, the
Giant Kangaroo Rat, and if you are lucky, you might see an occasional California condor.
Most of our endangered species are nocturnal, but during the spring time,
the Kit Fox and its pups might be laying out in the spring wildflowers and you might be fortunate enough to see them.
So as you are driving around, keep your eyes open, you might be able to see their large ears sticking above their burrow.
Painted Rock is a cultural site on the Monument here that was used by the
Native Americans in the area for ceremonial purposes.
We do offer tours to this area from March 1st to July 15th.
You will need to call the Visitor Center to schedule a reservation. Here we are at Soda Lake.
Soda Lake is an alkaline wetland, it is about 3,000 acres and it is actually comprised of Sodium Sulfate.
It was mined in the late 1800’s and the salts were used for making of glass and abrasive in other materials.
Today when the Lake fills up water and we have enough rainfall, we get migratory birds that use the lake.
We have had thousands of Sand Hill Cranes in the past,
but their numbers have dwindled as other areas have become available for these birds.
We encourage you to visit often and explore all your public lands has to offer.
We would like to thank you for joining us "In The Field."