Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve: The land that bridges time

The Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve is a large expanse of land in pristine condition that looks the same as it did 100 years ago. It includes the longest, and last free flowing, protected coastal river in Southern California. It is part of the only coastal to inland linkage area for wildlife set aside in southern California and contains the oldest stands of chaparral and coastal sagebrush growing in the area. And it is home to 20 species of animals including coyote, wildcats, cougars, mountain lion, pond turtles, lizards, rodents and butterflies.

The reserve is also an outdoor, living laboratory. As such it is not open to the public. However, bi-monthly tours of the reserve are being given, on the first and third Fridays of each month, by SDSU Field Station Director Matt Rahn.

The tours are part of an effort to educate the public on the existence and value of the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, as its location would make it a neighbor of the proposed Liberty Quarry. Rahn said during a recent tour that the exact impact a rock quarry would have on the reserve’s relatively undisturbed environment is not known for certain, though the research that goes on there would definitely be affected. The resulting dust and earth movement (from the blasting of rock) would have an adverse effect on all of the various sensors that collect data and monitor the environment. Light, noise and water pollution would affect the wildlife (as well as the residents of Temecula, Rainbow and Fallbrook).

The workings of the quarry would also restrict movement of the wildlife while the increased stress in the environment would decrease the animals’ health and reproduction. Even though approval has not been given yet for the quarry, the reserve has already been affected by the proposed project. According to Dr. Rahn, “The exponential growth of research is being slowed by the potential threat of the proposed quarry.” Space on the tours is limited and registration is required. To register, and get directions, visit http://fs.sdsu.edu or call (619) 594-0580.

The history of the reserve and its preservation began in 1926 when a man named Murray Schloss bought 2,480 acres of land in Riverside County just north of the San Diego County line. He planned to build a utopian community there. That plan did not succeed and in 1962 Mr. Schloss bequeathed his land to the College of San Diego, which is now San Diego State University.

The college then created the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve as a research field station “to keep the property in its natural state for the preservation and protection of the native plants, animals and habitat, and for related educational and research purposes.” The Nature Conservancy subsequently donated about 400 more acres and another 1,200 acres are leased from the Bureau of Land Management. The added parcels buffered the original acreage from neighboring development and brought the reserve to a total of 4,344 acres.

The preserved and isolated state of the land makes it a unique location particularly suited for research benefiting endangered plants and animals as well as for research projects that help humans. There are 90 current research projects being conducted at the reserve by 1,000 students and other researchers in the fields of biology, geography and geology as well as civil and environmental engineering. Some of these projects involve earthquake detection, remote fire sensing, weather monitoring, water and air quality, watershed management and habitat preservation. About $15 million has been invested in the infrastructure of the field station, which now includes dormitories, classrooms, labs and offices besides wireless high speed Internet access, seismology equipment and over 20 weather stations.

Besides the university, project sponsors include state and federal agencies and nonprofit groups. Its collaborators include the Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Fish and Game and The Nature Conservancy. Avocado, orange and eucalyptus groves in one corner of the reserve provide a steady source of income as well as avenues of research in agricultural pest control and pollination. The field station not only serves researchers from all over the country and the world, but its Web site (which includes access to the reserve’s remote camera system) is viewed by people as far away as India, China and Australia.

When a wildfire burned along I-15 last June, news agencies were able to monitor the situation through the Web site’s link to one of those remote cameras. A remote sensor, one of 13 developed for the wildfire sensor project and located near the site of the fire, functioned properly and relayed fire information to the field station. When the system is fully operational, the sensors will automatically notify area fire chiefs of exact coordinates of fires when they break out by utilizing the station’s wireless communications network. This is just one of the many ongoing projects at the reserve that has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for all humans and animals.

So, the land that looks much as it did 100 years ago is now a university field station equipped with modern technology designed to help preserve its environment. Once the future site of an ideal community, it is now the ideal site for scientific research. For now, the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve bridges the land of the past with the land of the future. The proposed quarry could change all that.