Landscape - Mountain: 3,000-5,000', Valleys. >>>> Tucked away in a quiet corner of northeastern Kern County, known as the South Fork Valley, the CER holds unparalleled diversity and striking natural beauty where five out of the seven bioregions that occur within California (Mojave Desert, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, Chaparral, and Great Basin) converge. Over 330 species of birds have been documented nesting in or migrating through the South Fork Valley. Approximately 2,000 species of plants (one fourth of the state's total), 67 percent of the state's butterfly species, and 115 species of mammals also occur in the South Fork Valley.
This enormous display of biodiversity has given the South Fork Valley many distinctions. It was one of the first 10 "Globally Important Bird Areas" designated in the United States. It is also one of four "Flagship Projects" for the California Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. Without question, the CER and the South Fork Valley are a biologist's and nature lover's paradise. And, upon closer inspection, there is even more to offer. Footbridge.