An exclusive tour of 24,000 acres and eight miles of coastline south of Vandenberg Air Force Base at Point Conception.

Lompoc, CA - October 03: Cattle graze on The Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, which is 24,329 acres of land the Nature Conservancy purchased near Lompoc Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. To balance the needs of cattle and wildlife, selected slopes are grazed to keep grasses and shrubs low enough for low-flying raptors such as harriers to spot gophers and other prey more easily. In other areas, grazing is controlled to prevent erosion and allow native plants and flowers to flourish. The Nature Conservancy purchased 24,329 acres of land in 2017 in the area from a New England investment firm to protect it from development. "Our findings will provide glimpses into California's coastal future." Sometimes referred to as the "elbow of California," it exists as the demarcation between the state's distinct southern and northern ecosystems, a place where the cold Pacific current meets the warmer waters sweeping up from Baja California. It is owned by the Nature Conservancy, which is collaborating with NOAA, NASA, and other federal agencies on dozens of ongoing research projects, including the recent demolition of concrete diversions that were preventing federally endangered steelhead salmon from reaching ancient spawning grounds. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)