Managed by the San Diego Bird Alliance since 1965, Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Lakeside preserves 785 acres of coastal chaparral and riparian woodland along Wildcat Canyon Road. Five miles of marked trails — the Harry Woodward Trail, Chaparral Trail, and Spring Trail — wind through the same Wildcat Canyon corridor that connects Oakoasis County Preserve to Louis A. Stelzer County Park, forming a contiguous habitat zone near Barona. Field surveys have documented more than 324 native plant species, 124 bird species, and populations of mule deer, bobcat, and raccoon across the preserve's 1,500-to-3,177-foot elevation range. Granitic boulder outcrops and two seasonal streams define the topography, which fully regenerated after the 2003 Cedar Fire destroyed the original chaparral canopy. The sanctuary's conservation education mandate extends to guided birding walks, native bee surveys, and public habitat interpretation — programming that parallels the animal welfare work at Alpine Acres Sanctuary Farm in the Japatul Spur area. Archaeological evidence of Kumeyaay occupation across the site positions the preserve as a dual-purpose resource for ecological research and cultural stewardship within San Diego's East County.