School Resources

Raising environmental awareness and educating the next generation of conservationists and biologists is crucial to protecting habitats and species. As a community, we can learn how to preserve vital habitats, protect threatened and endangered species, and have fun doing it. The Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan protects 146 animal and plant species by preserving 500,000 acres of sensitive habitat in western Riverside County.

With the resources below, you can teach your students about species that are being protected in western Riverside County, find a nature center, and access other resources to supplement biology, habitat conservation, and wildlife curricula. We hope you will inspire your students to learn more about their local environment and help conserve and protect habitat for future generations.

If you would like more information, you can contact us at info@wrcrca.org.

Featured Species of the Month

Name	Scientific Name	Type	Status	Resource
Arroyo Chub	Gila orcuttii	Fish	State Special Concern	Presentation Article
Arroyo Toad	Anaxyrus californicus	Amphibian	Federal Endangered/State Special Concern	Presentation
Bell’s Sage Sparrow	Artemisiospiza belli	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation
Black Swift	Cypseloides niger	Bird	State Special Concern	Presentation
Bobcat	Lynx rufus	Mammal	Not Listed	Presentation
California Black Walnut	Juglans californica	Plant	Not Listed	Article Video
California Orcutt Grass	Orcuttia californica	Plant	Federal Endangered/State Endangered	Presentation
California Range Newt	Taricha torosa torosa	Amphibian	State Special Concern	Presentation Article Video
Downy Woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	Bird	Not Listed	Article Video
Double-Crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auratus	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation Article Video
Ferruginous Hawk	Buteo regalis	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation Article Video
Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Bird	State Protected	Presentation
Granite Night Lizard	Xantusia henshawi henshawi	Reptile	Not Listed	Presentation Article Video
Granite Spiny Lizard	Sceloporus orcutti	Reptile	Not Listed	Presentation
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation
Lemon Lily	Lilium parryi	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Little Mousetail	Myosurus minimus	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Long Tailed Weasel	Mustela frenata	Mammal	Not Listed	Presentation
Los Angeles Pocket Mouse	Perognathus longimembris brevinasus	Mammal	State Special Concern	Presentation
Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog	Rana muscosa	Amphibian	Federal Endangered/State Special Concern	Presentation
Mud Nama	Nama stenocarpum	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation
Palomar Monkey Flower	Mimulus diffusus	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Plummer’s Mariposa Lily	Calochortus spp	Plant	Not Listed	Article Video
Rainbow Manzanita	Arctostaphylos rainbowensis	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Red-Diamond Rattlesnake	Croctalus ruber ruber	Reptile	State Special Concern	Presentation
Riverside Fairy Shrimp	Streptocephalus woottoni	Invertebrate	Federal Endangered	Presentation
San Diego Desert Woodrat	Neotoma lepida intermedia	Mammal	Not Listed	Presentation
San Miguel Savory	Clinopodium chandleri	Plant	Not Listed	Presentation
Southern Rubber Boa	Charina bottae umbratica	Reptile	State Threatened	Article
Southern Western Pond Turtle	Actinemys pallida	Reptile	State Special Concern	Presentation
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	Bird	Not Listed	Presentation
Woolly Star	Eriastrum densifolium spp. sanctorum	Plant	Federal Endangered/State Endangered	Presentation

Western Riverside County Nature Centers

Here are a few nature reserves in Western Riverside County that offer student-friendly trails, educational programs, and tours:

External Resources

School Resources

School Resources

Help Us Protect WESTERN Riverside County’s Open Spaces