Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve

bird house in tree

2437 Hutchison Street Vista, CA 92084

The Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve is an eleven-acre site located within the County of San Diego adjacent to the cities of Vista and Oceanside. It is managed as an open space area by the San Diego Audubon Society in the same manner as its much larger and wilder preserve, the Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary situated east of Lakeside.

The property was previously owned and occupied by John and Lois Anstine (pronounced an-steen) from the late 1940's to the late 1990's. During this time they added to the house and built other structures, manipulated the creek and created a pond, and planted and maintained flower beds and a small fruit orchard. In the mid-1990's, Mr. Anstine asked San Diego Audubon to manage and maintain the property as open space, and they agreed. Mrs. Anstine passed away in 1988 and Mr. Anstine passed in 1999.

Three native plant communities occur within the boundaries of the Anstine Preserve - Coastal Sage Scrub, Southern Willow Riparian Forest, and Coast Live Oak Woodland. Non-native and disturbed conditions are also present as a result of habitat removal, construction, and other human activities on and off site. Since 1999, nearly one-hundred species of plants, eight species mammals and six reptiles, and more than one-hundred species of birds, have been recorded on the site.

Anstine Trail Guide

Click HERE to get the current Anstine Trail Guide.

 

Anstine Committee

The San Diego Audubon Society 's Anstine Committee is looking for motivated individuals to help us meet our goals for the future. January 2011 began a yearlong study of the Anstine ecosystem. We are preparing for a partial pond restoration. We are developing plans for our long-term goal of becoming an educational resource to the local community. We always need assistance with activities related to habitat restoration and maintenance. If you are interested in participating, please contact Becky Wilbanks, resident caretaker, at (760) 295-1548 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Becky - Anstine's Resident Manager

Anstine Hosts

Prefer to volunteer in North County? Enjoy the beauty and birds of our Anstine Audubon Nature Preserve in Vista as you welcome guests on Saturdays from 10-4PM or a split shift (10-1pm and 1-4pm.) No experience or birding abilities necessary. Volunteer hosts are needed on occasion or on a monthly rotation. Please contact the caretaker, Becky Wilbanks, at (760) 295-1548 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Demonstration Gardens

We are seeking motivated and energetic individuals to help design, construct, and maintain two planned demonstration gardens at the Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve. One is planned for the bed beside the old garage and the other in the area between the driveway and the caretaker's residence.

ANSTINE VISITOR HOURS

2437 Hutchison Street, Vista
Resident Manager Becky Wilbanks (760) 295-1548

All San Diego Audubon members and friends are invited to come and visit the Anstine-Audubon Nature Preserve each Saturday October through June from 10am to 4pm.

We are accepting donations of new or used garden tools such as round-tipped shovels, flexible and stiff rakes, branch loppers, and brooms.

Birds Recently Recorded

• Turkey vulture
• Western scrub-jay
• Spotted towhee
• Red-tailed hawk
• Black phoebe
• California towhee
• California quail
• American crow
• Song sparrow
• Mourning dove
• Bushtit Black-headed grosbeak
• Anna's hummingbird
• Bewick's wren
• Red-winged blackbird
• Nuttall's woodpecker
• Wrentit
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Northern flicker
• Northern mockingbird
• House finch
• Pacific-slp flycatcher
• Common yellowthroat
• Lesser goldfinch
• Green heron Downy woodpecker
• Common raven
• Western bluebird
• California thrasher
• Bullock's oriole