In the early 20th century, the Whelan family started a dairy farm in the hills above the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside North of San Diego. It remained in operation until the 1980s when it was broken up and sold off. One piece became a golf course, another became a sewage treatment plant, and another saw houses built upon it. An adjacent 73-acre bird sanctuary still has some of the old dairy buildings on its grounds.

One 31-acre parcel called the Cheatham property was up for the taking and the Buena Vista Audubon Society was very interested. The area, which includes the manmade Whelan Lake, already serves as a bird and wildlife sanctuary. The group dedicated to preserving lands like this have gone a step further and now purchased the lot outright for $1.56 million. 

As part of the purchase agreement, the Defense Department has agreed to pay for half of the property costs and cover costs to remove the invasive plants and re-seed native plants. They operate nearby Camp Pendleton, which forms the far border of the property that will remain a critical habitat for endangered species.

It’s the second property purchase for the local Audubon Society in the area. Last January, they purchased 3.5 acres along a lagoon west of South Coast Highway with plans to restore it and prevent a hotel from being built there.