Lillian Nelson Nature Preserve

In December 2013, Shasta Land Trust completed its first project within Redding city limits: a donated conservation easement on the Lillian Nelson Nature Preserve. This property’s natural features and urban location make it a conservation priority, and its protection provides many ecological and public benefits.

Boulder Creek flows through the property before joining the waters of Churn Creek and the Sacramento River. The preserve’s 30 acres of riparian habitat, seasonal wetlands, and oak woodlands serve as an important refuge for wildlife in an urban setting; beavers, deer, coyote, rabbits, myriad songbirds, great horned owls, and a variety of amphibians have all been observed on the property.

The Nelson family regularly uses this property for educational purposes, inviting students from elementary schools and colleges to visit the property for nature lessons. These school visits, and some other limited public access to the property, will continue under the conservation easement.

Any future development is prohibited under the new easement, but the landowners are allowed to create trails and invite members of the public to enjoy the property. This project ensures that the Lillian Nelson Nature Preserve will remain high-quality habitat and an excellent natural learning space, right here in Redding, for generations to come.