On March 28, the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve hosted its first annual open house, as part of SDSU Month.

Visitors took tours of the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, including the Santa Margarita River.

This event was co-sponsored by the city of Temecula, EMA Resource Conservation District, Sierra Club, Save our Southwest Hills and the San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership.

Event draws visitors from around the region

More than 500 people from around the region attended the event. Visitors arrived at the Temecula City Hall, and were shuttled to the reserve.

SDSU Professor Matt Rahn, director of research and education, gave lectures throughout the day, educating people about the reserve and its unique value as an outdoor laboratory and classroom. Visitors were also invited to take a docent-guided tour down to the gorge and the Santa Margarita River.

While a majority of the visitors were from the Temecula Valley, people from as far as Redondo Beach and Los Angeles took part in the event. Several politicians also attended, including the mayor of Temecula, Maryann Edwards, and many city council members from the cities of Murietta and Wildomar.

About SMER

The Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, established in 1962, provides protected sites for research and education of Southern California ecosystems. The reserve lies on the Riverside/San Diego county line between Temecula and Fallbrook.

For more information, please visit the SMER website.

About SDSU Month

This event was part of SDSU Month, an annual celebration in March of SDSU and its "Minds that Move the World." For more information on SDSU Month, please visit SDSUMonth.com.