Lori Whalen '98, Animal Science
Naturalist

Guiding small tours through wild brush, canyons, and 40 million year-old rock formations — in the heart of Orange County — is all in a day's work for 29-year-old naturalist Lori Whalen.

"I've gone through the same trail practically every weekend, and you never get tired of it because it's always changing, that's what's really stimulating about the job," says Whalen, a 1998 animal science graduate. "You can always learn something."

As someone who studies nature, Whalen works with the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve, 50,000 acres of protected land set aside by the Irvine Company and managed by the Nature Conservancy. Part of Whalen's job is conducting environmental education on the land, such as developing programs for grade school children and leading tours of the reserve for kids and adults.

The red rocks of the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve.

Whalen's career as a naturalist began with a job at Inside the Outdoors, the Orange County Department of Education's outdoor environmental education program. She conducted field trips in settings such as Casper's Park, her personal favorite, Dana Point, and Upper Newport Bay, teaching children about each area's particular eco-system and history.

"I was looking for an organization that made a difference in the world," she says. "Environmentalism and conservation has always been a part of who I am."

Whalen, a former Girl Scout, has always been drawn to nature, saying she enrolled in Cal Poly Pomona "for the horses." She has owned her own horses, performed with the equestrian drill team, and at one point even taught a basic equitation class.

Whalen scouts the land with a hiking group.

"I always loved doing those things and did them as hobbies. Originally I developed a love for being outside and doing things outside when I was really young as a Girl Scout," she says. "We'd go camping and hiking and I was always the one in front of the line; I always wanted to know what was around the next corner."

Trail hikes led by Whalen at the reserve can range from 3-hour outings with children to 12-mile weekend tours for small groups of experienced adults. Among the primitive and wild things to see on the specialty hikes are 20 to 40 million-year-old geological sinks, fossils, and a landslide that has come to be known as Orange County's "Grand Canyon" that features red rocks and cliffs.

Visitors may also see dripping springs, fern and orchids emerging from damp rock faces. Animal sightings range from furry, hoofed mammals such as mountain lions and deer to reptile species of frogs and snakes, as well as various native birds and insects.

A view of 20-40 million year-old sinks.

Conservation International (CI) lists coastal California among the 25 world biodiversity "hotspots," or designated Mediterranean climate areas that represent the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on the planet. A portion of CI's California hotspot designation, known as the California Floristic Province, lies within the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve's 50,000 permanently protected acres that make up a network of parks and open space that stretches from the Cleveland National Forest in the northeast to Laguna Canyon in the southwest.

"The eco system is more untouched here [than other open spaces]. You could go for a walk and not see another human being the entire time you are out there," Whalen says. "All you see is evidence of the animals that have been there before you. It's really neat to share that with people, having them get the chance to go where they wouldn't normally get to explore."

Wild critters abound on the unspoiled Irvine Ranch.

Her curious days as a young scout have come full circle, with Whalen regularly giving nature tours to a new generation of scouts who earn their badges on one of these days out.

"The important thing about what you are sharing is the interconnectedness of everything," she says. "I come home every night feeling like I made a difference in at least one person's life," she says. "I might have 20 kids on tour with me all day. If even one of those kids says 'I want to spend more time outside' then I've done my job."

Update: As of posting this story, Whalen has since taken a job with the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach where she is the program director doing similar work to her job at the Irvine reserve.

All photos in this story are from Whalen and the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve.