RECENT NEWS

Rivers & Lands Conservancy’s monthly “Connecting with Nature” column runs the first Saturday of the month in all of the SoCal Newsgroup daily papers like The Press Enterprise. Our column covers local landscapes, wildlife, conservation news, and the many reasons to love the our natural, wild, and open spaces!

Catch our column in your local paper, or visit this page to catch up on our recent columns and occasional news releases.

Palm Middle School with their hands up

12/2/23 Moreno Valley Teacher Connects Students with Nature

Kyle Gerhard, an 8th grade science teacher at Palm Middle School in Moreno Valley brings his passion for nature and hiking into his classroom with both curriculum and outdoor experiences. He starts his regular science course with a unit on human impacts on the environment and quickly immerses his students in hands-on experiences.
RLC Volunteers picking Acorns

11/2/203 Groups join together to protect Inland Empire from fire danger

Fires were once a component of healthy ecosystems in California, burning low-growing underbrush and reducing competition for nutrients. Drought, pests and persistent heat have changed this, creating extraordinary wildfire seasons across many western states — including California. Eight of the 10 largest fires in California history have occurred since 2017.
Two volunteers and RLC staff member Amy Tims collect trash on the Santa Ana River Trail

9/2/2023 Volunteering in nature can fight loneliness, isolation

Creating and participating in volunteer opportunities addresses one of the greatest health challenges of our time. At Rivers & Lands Conservancy, we felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in ways we could not have imagined. So much of our work to beautify and restore our natural, wild and open spaces depends on volunteers. So many of the relationships we treasure are built on the land with our volunteer community. Yet, for the span of nearly two years, these efforts were halted until it was safe to get together again.
Oak Tree at Cienega Canyon Preserve

8/5/2023 Oaks are a keystone species in California, being near them is a good way to lose track of time

For me, an oak woodland is a place to lose track of time and to feel a deep sense of connection with systems and cycles much larger and much longer-lived than myself. Individual oak trees can live for hundreds of years. In the words of a local ecologist, they have 200 years to live, 200 years to die. An entire oak woodland and its inhabitants occupy their place on the landscape for thousands of years, generation after generation after generation.
Male Anna's Hummingbird hovering in front of bright fuschia-colored flowers

7/1/2023- Lessons from hummingbirds: Instilling wonder and curiosity in nature

Hummingbirds are a reminder to appreciate and discover the wonder of nature. Throughout my time studying hummingbirds they have taught me many lessons. I have learned about the sounds they make, where they live, what they eat, where they nest and about the incredible feats of athleticism they display. Hummingbirds have also taught me to continue to wonder, to become ever more curious, observant, and appreciative of the natural world around me.
RLC young volunteer

6/1/2023 Children remind adults of nature’s beauty — and importance

The mysteries, wonder and simple joys of nature can be rediscovered through the eyes of children. Growing up, I was lucky to spend a great deal of time outdoors. My family often took us camping and encouraged us to connect with nature. Sure, Super Nintendo was a favorite pastime for my generation, but there were only two controllers, and I had two older brothers. You can guess how much I got to play. Fortunately, nature was always beckoning.
RLC staff Michael holding Mylar Balloons

5/5/2021 – Do the environment a favor: Don’t buy Mylar balloons

Mylar balloons are everywhere. No matter where I am I can find one. When monitoring conservation lands throughout the Inland Empire, the most common type of trash I find in the most remote locations is always Mylar balloons. Although I hate seeing them, I love collecting them. I’m obsessed. When I see the metallic reflection of these celebratory balloons in the landscape, I just have to collect them before leaving the site.
Peregrine falcon

4/1/2023 -As Earth Day nears, remember that anyone can pitch in to help the environment

As a ten-year-old girl, growing up in Riverside in the early 80s, I dreamed of one day seeing a peregrine falcon in the wild. I leafed through my National Audubon Society Field Guide often and it was the peregrine that captured my imagination. I thought the dark-eyed and slender-winged bird with fierce beak and talons was the embodiment of what was most wild in the sky. Yet, I had small hope of ever seeing one. Their population had dwindled with the effects of the insecticide DDT and they were a rare sight. 

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