Physical Description: The Center holds the easement and conducts habitat management on the 180 acre Alkali Grasslands Preserve located near the junction of Road 102 and 25 in the city of Woodland, Yolo County. The Preserve is owned by the City of Woodland and Dan Dowling, a Woodland resident and businessman.

Habitat Types: The Preserve is dominated by annual grassland, with areas of alkali grassland and seasonal wetlands that provide habitat for alkali wetland plant species. The annual grassland is characterized by an assemblage of non-native grasses and forbs. Dominant plant species in the annual grassland include soft chess (Bromus hordeaceus), medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), perennial ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), Fitch's tarweed (Hemizonia fitchii), and Mediterranean barley (Hordeum marinum). Dominant plant species within the alkali seasonal wetlands include salt grass (Distichlis spicata), Mediterranean barley, suaeda (Suaeda fruiticosa), and alkali heath (Frankenia salina).

Conservation Purpose: The Preserve supports a population of the State and Federally Endangered palmate-bracted bird's beak (Cordylanthus palmatus). CNPS List 1B species, including, Alkali milkvetch (Astragalus tener), brittlescale (Atriplex depressa), and spearscale (Atriplex joaquiniana) have also been found within the Preserve. The alkali wetlands on the Preserve also provide suitable habitat for heartscale (Atriplex cordulata) and Heckard's peppergrass (Lepidium latipes), both CNPS List 1 B species.

The Preserve provides foraging habitat for the State Threatened Swainson's hawk and habitat for burrowing owls (a State and Federal species of special concern). Swainson's hawks are known to nest along Willow Slough, just south of the Preserve, and burrowing owls have been observed on the Preserve.

The Center has closed escrow on the first phase and hopes to close the remaining acreage before the end of 2005.

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