The Los Osos Wildlife Corridor is a natural coastal dune greenbelt surrounding Morro Bay and Los Osos, California.

Coastal dune ecosystems like this one are extremely rare and threatened all over the world. Here, over 90% of our local coastal dune plants and animals have already been displaced by development fragmentation. Los Osos itself is named for the grizzly bears that once roamed this area and are now gone. This area is home to over 40 species that are listed as threatened or endangered. Coordinated protection helps protect vanishing plants and animals.

The corridor provides both a route for wildlife to move through and a healthy natural preserve for plants and animals to survive and thrive. Portions of the corridor are also open to local residents and visitors to access and enjoy the natural beauty of this spectacular area.

The corridor consists of public and private lands. Federal, state, and county agencies and non-profits manage land guided by science and environmental laws. Schools, private landowners, and local homeowners are landscaping with local native plants and contribute "stepping stones" to link larger parcels for biodiversity connectivity. These groups are all working together as partners to preserve, restore, and reconnect this ecosystem and avoid unintended negative consequences due to separate planning.

This website is dedicated to supporting coordinated conservation management between all the landowners, and highlights educational and conservation opportunities for corridor ecology within the community.

Species Under Threat

Rare and wonderful, and in danger of being lost

These are some of the many rare and wonderful plants & animals endemic to the Los Osos and Morro Bay area that we are in danger of losing. The Los Osos Wildlife Corridor provides critical habitat for many of these.

Download the species cards (PDF)

Explore the corridor

See the landscapes and preserves that make up the corridor, learn how young people are getting involved, and find out how the endowment keeps this work going.