Weldon, CA – Reed Tollefson, Manager of Audubon California’s Kern River Preserve, will speak to Kerncrest Audubon Members and interested members of the public regarding the present status of the Preserve and his involvement in the Southern Sierra Partnership at the November membership meeting. This presentation will be at the Maturango Museum, 100 East Las Flores Ave, Ridgecrest on Thursday, November 17th at 7 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public.

The South Fork Kern River supports one of California’s finest remaining examples of Great Valley Cottonwood-Willow Forest. It is recognized at the state and regional levels as a valuable natural asset that provides opportunities for education, nature tourism, research and recreation. Audubon’s Kern River Preserve protects 3,434 acres of this river forest, associated wetlands and uplands.

Habitat restoration, invasive weed control and many other types of land stewardship are conducted on the property as well as surrounding private ranches and public lands. Audubon partners with local county, state and federal resource managers to help ensure that this rare and unique river forest, our preserve and the surrounding rural landscape are preserved for the future.
Audubon is working beyond the South Fork Valley as a member of the Southern Sierra Partnership a collaborative effort with The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Business Council, Conservation Biology Institute and Sequoia Riverlands Trust. Our aim is to create large scale regional conservation outcomes in the Southern Sierra Nevada to help address issues like climate change, alternative energy development, air quality and forest management.

Reed Tollefson has a B.S. in Wildlife Management from Arizona State University. He came to the South Fork Kern River Valley in 1987 to work as a seasonal field technician on riparian restoration projects for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). He was hired full time by TNC and eventually became the Manager of the Kern River Preserve. In 1997 the Preserve was transferred to the Audubon Society and Reed was fortunate to be hired by Audubon where he continues to work today.