Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation Seeks 2024 Volunteers

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA ? If you've never visited the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve located at the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains near Murrieta, you're missing out on a 9,000-acre paradise.

The Reserve's vast protected area features unique ecosystems such as Engelmann oak woodlands, riparian wetlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools as well as more than 200 species of native birds and 49 endangered, threatened or rare animal and plant species, including mule deer, mountain lions, badgers, bobcats, western pond turtles, white-tailed kites and fairy shrimp.

Of the two species of fairy shrimp that live in the Reserve's seasonal vernal pools, one is found only here and nowhere else on Earth, according to the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District, which manages the Reserve.

While anyone can visit the Reserve, not everyone has the time or money. The cost is $4 per adult and $3 per child.

To ensure local kids experience the Reserve without concern about fees, a third-grade field trip program to the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve was funded by a $90,000 grant from the Metropolitan Water District.

Unfortunately, the funding only lasted from 1997 through 2004. Once the money ran dry, there was concern the field trips would end. To keep the program going, Reserve volunteers and docents approached the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District to propose forming a nonprofit to fund the trips. It was a success.

Today, the Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation helps ensure field trips continue. The nonprofit has expanded its reach to schoolchildren of various ages, and several programs are offered, like the Grade Seed Bank Study, Middle School Grassland Restoration, High School Grassland and Watershed Restoration, and Family Wildlife Day.

But all of this would not be possible without volunteers. On Wednesday, the Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation announced it is seeking volunteers for 2024.

"Become a volunteer or docent with the Nature Education Foundation. Share your love for the environment, educate visitors, and protect this beautiful reserve! Join our passionate community today!" the nonprofit shared on social media.

The SRPNEF has more information on the volunteer process at https://the-nef.org/srpnef-volunteer/

"Consider joining our large family of volunteers! The Foundation is the only recognized fundraising arm for the Reserve to support, sustain and grow the children?s nature education programs," according to the webpage. "All students can participate in SRPF programs at NO COST TO THEM. Therefore we are engaged in a variety of fundraising events and activities; we have an active Board of Directors an Advisory Council, and a wide variety of volunteer needs from marketing and mailings to event production."