Western Riverside County (and our planet) is an amazing place to live, work, and play. Our natural environment boasts diverse ecosystems and habitats that allow endemic and other plant and animal species to thrive, especially the 146 native animal and plant species protected by the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). At the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA), our goal is to support the natural habitats and migration corridors so that plant and animal species can thrive. Like our planet, our natural spaces need our help!

Every year, the world celebrates Earth Day, which allows our communities to reflect on what actions we can take to preserve our natural resources. At the RCA, we are proud of our commitment to conserve 500,000 acres of land for 146 native animals and plants. Over the past 20 years, the MSHCP has contributed a great deal to land conservation and public education about the natural environment in our County.

As we celebrate 20 years of the MSHCP and the RCA, we reflect on some notable accomplishments:

• Since its inception in 2004, the MSHCP has assembled more than 415,000 acres of habitat across western Riverside County. The latest major acquisition was the B-Canyon property near Corona, which will allow mountain lion populations to move safely between the Cleveland National Forest and the Chino Hills State Park.
• Our reserve management team continues to protect and maintain conserved lands by clearing tons of trash, removing invasive species, and restoring natural habitats for species to thrive. For example, on the Cornerstone Donation Property, the reserve management team has restored native coast sage scrub species and removed invasive stinknet plants to allow the San Jacinto crownscale and Davidson salt scale to grow.
• We are fostering the next generation of Earth protectors by teaching them about their natural environment. Students in grades K-8 can participate in RCA’s 146 Project, a free education program encouraging them to complete age-appropriate tasks to earn a one-of-a-kind patch.
• We are also out in the community. In celebration of Earth Month, the RCA participated in the Soboba Tribal Earth Day and Calimesa Earth Day, to educate the community about the values of the habitats and open space that the RCA protects in their communities. Let us know if you want us to join you at your next event by emailing us at info@wrcrca.org.
• Continue to encourage our residents to enjoy our open spaces. A few good recommendations are available at https://www.wrc-rca.org/recreational-opportunities/

Earth Day is a great time to reflect and take action, as our planet needs us more than ever.