Please help us protect the Natural Resources in Coal Oil Point Reserve. The reserve contains over 1,000 species of animals and plants and many more haven’t been found yet. Some of these species are rare and unique to the reserve and are threatened because of habitat fragmentation, restoration and landscape projects in Goleta not using local seed sources, introduction of noxious weeds, and disturbance by human activities. You can help protect the flora and fauna by not releasing pets or animals in the reserve, using seeds from the reserve for restoration and native gardens, and avoiding disturbing wildlife.
Fauna
The reserve’s aquatic habitats attract a wide range of birds. While some birds are year-round residents, winter and summer typically have different migratory birds. Mammals are difficult to see but camera traps reveal a number of small mammals. The apex predators found at the reserve are bobcats. Mountain lions and bears are no longer present at COPR. Please see the species lists and the photo guide to learn more about the reserve’s fauna.
Flora
While most of the reserve’s upland habitats have been distubed for ranching before 1970’s, COPR has a pristine dune and coastal dune scrub habitats. The disturbed habitats are slowly being restored to a more diverse plant community.