AVWCC - Announcements

We're not building just some wildlife park, we're building a lasting legacy for the Antelope Valley!

October 15, 2026:

Registration is now "OPEN" 🧑‍🎄

🎄🐾 Christmas Zoo-Fari Holiday Lights Contest 2026!

The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center (AVWCC) is excited to introduce our Christmas Zoo-Fari Holiday Lights Contest, a festive community-wide celebration bringing together the magic of Christmas, the beauty of wildlife, and the creativity of Antelope Valley residents! This exciting holiday adventure invites households located within a 40-mile radius of Lancaster City Hall to transform their homes into dazzling wildlife-inspired Christmas displays, featuring festive animals, sparkling lights, and imaginative decorations. Participating households will receive an official Christmas Zoo-Fari yard sign featuring a unique voting link and QR code, allowing community members to explore beautifully decorated neighborhoods, discover participating homes along our Holiday Lights Trail, and rate their favorite displays. Families are encouraged to enjoy this unique holiday experience from December 1–21, 2026, while helping select the winners of our $525 in cash prizes, including a $250 Grand Prize, $175 second-place prize, and $100 third-place prize! Registration opens October 15, 2026, and closes November 15, 2026, with a one-time $50 registration fee covering the production and mailing of each household's official contest sign. Every participating home must incorporate at least one animal into its Christmas decorations to qualify. Join AVWCC as we celebrate community spirit, holiday creativity, and our shared appreciation for wildlife while turning the Antelope Valley into a spectacular Christmas wonderland! 🎅✨

October 8, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Tumbleweed, commonly known as Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus), is now joining our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating history and remarkable adaptations of this non-native, invasive desert plant commonly found throughout Southern California, including the Antelope Valley. Viewers will discover how Russian Thistle was accidentally introduced to North America from Eurasia during the 1870s, how it thrives in dry, disturbed soils, and why mature plants break away from their roots and tumble across the landscape, scattering thousands of seeds along the way. They'll also learn about the plant's ability to survive harsh desert conditions, its rapid spread throughout the American West, and the surprising ways birds, small mammals, lizards, and insects utilize tumbleweeds for food, shade, shelter, and foraging opportunities. This educational safari highlights the ecological challenges associated with invasive plant species, the importance of preserving native desert vegetation, and the complex relationships between introduced plants and wildlife throughout Southern California and the broader Antelope Valley region.🌿

October 8, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Baja California Tree Frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) is now joining our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating life of this small but remarkably adaptable native Southern California amphibian. Viewers will discover how Baja California Tree Frogs survive changing environmental conditions, camouflage themselves by shifting between shades of green, brown, gray, and tan, and seek shelter during dry periods. They'll also learn about the frog's distinctive dark eye stripe, surprisingly loud “ribbit-ribbit” calls, remarkable transformation from tadpole to adult frog, and important role in maintaining healthy freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems throughout Southern California and the broader Antelope Valley region. 🌿

October 8, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Valley Fever Fungus (Coccidioides) is now joining our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating microscopic world of this naturally occurring desert fungus found in parts of the southwestern United States, including California's Antelope Valley. Viewers will discover how Coccidioides survives in dry desert soils, produces microscopic infectious spores called arthroconidia, and spreads through airborne dust when soil is disturbed by strong winds, construction, or other activities. They'll also learn about the fungus's unique adaptations to arid environments, its potential relationships with desert rodents and underground burrow systems, and how inhaling its spores can cause Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. This educational safari highlights the importance of understanding soil-borne microorganisms, reducing exposure to contaminated dust, and protecting the health of people and animals throughout Southern California and the broader Antelope Valley region.🌿

October 8, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) is now joining our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating life of this secretive native California amphibian and its remarkable adaptations for surviving dry environments. Viewers will discover how Western Spadefoots spend much of their lives underground, use specialized spade-like structures on their hind feet to burrow into the soil, and emerge following seasonal rains to feed and reproduce. They'll also learn about the amphibian's distinctive vertical, cat-like pupils, its classification as a specialized frog rather than a true toad, its rapid transformation from tadpole to adult, and its important role in maintaining healthy desert grassland and seasonal wetland ecosystems throughout Southern California and the Antelope Valley region.🌿

October 5, 2026:

AVWCC FREE COMMUNITY GIVEAWAY! 🐾-RESULTS-

The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center gave back with a FREE Community Giveaway! Participants from all over the nation entered their names for a chance to win great prizes.!

📅 Enter Daily: Sept. 24 – Oct. 4, 2026
🏆 Winners Announced: Oct. 5
🏠Open to those residing in the U.S. only (International shipping is currently not available as of this time)

NO PURCHASE OR DONATION WAS NECESSARY and NOW THE RESULTS ARE IN! 💚 To found out if you WON head over to our WILD WINNER CIRCLE

September 23, 2026:

AVWCC FREE COMMUNITY GIVEAWAY! 🐾

The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center is giving back with a FREE Community Giveaway! Enter daily for your chance to win AVWCC merchandise, wildlife-themed prizes, gift cards, and more!

🎁 Prizes include: AVWCC merchandise, stuffed animals, a children's digital story, animal wall poster, $100 cash gift card, (2) $25 Starbucks gift cards, $75 BJ's gift card, $50 Cinemark gift card & more!

📅 Enter Daily: Sept. 24 – Oct. 4, 2026
🏆 Winners Announced: Oct. 5
🏠Open to those residing in the U.S. only (International shipping is currently not available as of this time)

NO PURCHASE OR DONATION NECESSARY. Donations are appreciated but will not increase your chances of winning. 💚

September 22, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) is now joining our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the life of this bold and highly adapted desert bird. Viewers will discover how Cactus Wrens thrive in hot, dry environments, build protected nests among thorny desert vegetation, and search for insects and other foods across the desert landscape. They’ll also learn about the bird’s distinctive markings, energetic personality, unique nesting behavior, and important role within the Antelope Valley’s desert ecosystem.

September 7, 2026:

THANK YOU TO OUR PROUD SPONSOR — JCFILMS! 🎬🐾

The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center would like to extend a special thank you to JCFilms for proudly supporting our mission and helping us move closer to bringing the AVWCC vision to life!

Community partnerships and sponsorships play an important role in our efforts to create new opportunities for wildlife conservation, environmental education, scientific discovery, and meaningful community engagement throughout the Antelope Valley.

We are grateful to have organizations like JCFilms standing alongside us as we work toward building something that will serve wildlife, families, students, educators, and our community for generations to come. 💚

🎬 Thank you, JCFilms, for believing in our mission and becoming a proud sponsor of the Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center!

To learn more about this sponsor: CLICK HERE

September 7, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) is now emerging in our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the remarkable life of one of the Antelope Valley’s most uniquely adapted native amphibians. Viewers will discover how Western Spadefoots spend much of their lives hidden underground, emerging when seasonal rains create temporary pools for breeding. They’ll also learn about their distinctive vertical pupils, specialized spade-like hind feet, rapidly developing tadpoles, and the important role these small amphibians play within the Antelope Valley’s desert food web.

September 4, 2026:

🌿 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!

The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is now soaring through our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating life of one of the Antelope Valley’s most intelligent and adaptable native birds. Viewers will discover how American Crows use remarkable problem-solving abilities, memory, communication, and social behavior to survive in changing environments. They’ll also learn about the crow’s diverse diet, distinctive calls, strong family relationships, and important role as an omnivore and scavenger within the Antelope Valley food web.

September 4, 2026:

🌿 🐾 New Wild Web Safari Now Live! 🐾

The Coyote (Canis latrans) is now roaming through our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari explores the fascinating life of one of the Antelope Valley’s most recognizable and adaptable native mammals. Viewers will discover how coyotes survive the Mojave Desert’s challenging conditions, learn about their remarkable intelligence, communication, diet, and ability to thrive across changing habitats, and explore the important role they play as predators and omnivores within the desert food web.🐾

August 17, 2026:

🌿 Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center Begins Search for Our Future Home!

We’re excited to announce that the Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center is actively searching for a physical location in Lancaster, California!

This is an important step toward bringing our vision for a new wildlife conservation, education, research, and community destination to life in the Antelope Valley.

🏗️ Our current soft goal is to open our doors by Spring 2029.

There is still a great deal of planning, fundraising, site development, permitting, and partnership-building ahead, and our opening timeline will ultimately depend on securing the right property and completing those important steps.

Over the coming months, we look forward to sharing more details about our location search, development plans, community partnerships, fundraising opportunities, and the experiences we hope to bring to the region.

August 12, 2026:

🌸 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!* 🌸

The Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) is now blooming in our digital safari! This Wild Web Safari will explore the remarkable life of one of the Antelope Valley’s most colorful native wildflowers and reveal how it survives the Mojave Desert’s unpredictable conditions. Viewers will discover how its seeds can remain dormant in dry desert soil while waiting for favorable rainfall, learn how its distinctive five dark spots help make the flower instantly recognizable, and explore the important role this small but resilient wildflower plays in supporting native pollinators and maintaining the biodiversity of our desert ecosystem.

July 26, 2026:

🦉 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!* 🦉

The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is now streaming live to viewers across the high desert, this digital safari will dive into the life of the "tiger of the air" and explore how this formidable apex predator rules the night sky. Viewers will learn about the owl's incredible evolutionary adaptations, such as specialized feathers for completely silent flight and an extraordinary 270-degree head rotation, and discover how these raptors maintain the vital balance of our local ecosystem.

July 25, 2026:

🦗 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!* 🦗

Ever noticed one of the Antelope Valley’s hardy evergreens growing across rocky hillsides and dry desert landscapes? The California Juniper (Juniperus californica) has officially been added to our growing Wild Web Safaris collection! 🌿 Perfectly adapted to Southern California’s challenging environment, this resilient native plant can withstand intense heat, drought, and limited rainfall. Discover how the California Juniper survives harsh desert conditions, provides food and shelter for local wildlife, helps stabilize soil, and plays an important role in supporting healthy desert ecosystems. 🌿🌵

July 25, 2026:

🦗 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!* 🦗

Have you ever spotted one of the Antelope Valley’s remarkable amphibians hiding among rocks or near a seasonal water source? The California Tree Frog (Pseudacris cadaverina) has officially been added to our growing Wild Web Safaris collection! Perfectly adapted to blend into its surroundings, this fascinating little frog can be surprisingly difficult to spot. Discover how the California Tree Frog survives in Southern California’s dry environment, where it finds water and shelter, what it eats, and why amphibians play an important role in healthy ecosystems. 🐸🌿

July 22, 2026:

🦗 New Wild Web Safari Now Live!* 🦗

Have you ever encountered one of the Antelope Valley's most mysterious underground insects? The Jerusalem Cricket (Stenopelmatus spp.) has officially been added to our growing Wild Web Safaris collection!

Despite its intimidating appearance, this fascinating nocturnal insect is an important part of our desert ecosystem. Discover how it communicates by drumming vibrations through the soil, why it spends most of its life underground, what it eats, and the vital role it plays in recycling nutrients and maintaining healthy desert habitats.

July 21, 2026:

🎉 We're Excited to Share Some Big News! 🎉The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center is now officially incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in the State of California! 🌿🦅This is an exciting milestone as we continue building a destination dedicated to wildlife conservation, education, research, and community engagement. Our next step is obtaining 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, and we're already hard at work moving through that process.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this vision from the beginning. Your encouragement has helped turn an idea into a growing reality, and we're excited to continue sharing our journey with you. Together, we're building something special for the Antelope Valley and future generations.

July 20, 2026:

🌿🧪 New Resource Alert for Families, Teachers & Homeschoolers! 🧪🌿

Learning doesn't have to stop when you leave the classroom!

The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center is excited to announce the launch of our FREE printable science projects through our Junior Ranger Adventures program! Each activity is designed to inspire curiosity while teaching students about wildlife, conservation, desert ecosystems, and science through fun, hands-on learning.

Best of all, our activities are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), making them a great resource for families, teachers, homeschool students, scout troops, and youth organizations.

July 19, 2026:

🌿 Introducing Wild Web Safaris! 🦅🌿

Adventure is just a click away! The Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center is excited to launch Wild Web Safaris, our new virtual wildlife experience that brings conservation, education, and discovery directly to you! Explore fascinating animals, learn about their habitats, discover fun wildlife facts, and enjoy engaging educational content from wherever you are. We're currently releasing new Wild Web Safaris on our Instagram page, so be sure to follow along as we continue adding new virtual animal exhibits and conservation adventures.

🌿 🐾 New Wild Web Safari Now Live! 🐾

🌿 Antelope Valley Wildlife & Conservation Center Begins Search for Our Future Home!

Thank You Sponsors!