Bird lovers invited to tour wetlands in San Jacinto area

SAN JACINTO — Free wetlands tours will be held on the first Saturday of the month from November through May.

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has collaborated with the local chapter of the Audubon Society for these visits to the district wetlands in San Jacinto.

The two-hour tours begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7, Dec. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 6, March 6, April 3 and May 1. Reservations are not required.

Minors must be accompanied by an adult. In the case of rain, the tours will be cancelled.

The groups will set out from the San Jacinto Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility at 770 N. Sanderson Ave.

Guides Sherri Stange and Steve Adkison of the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society will give interpretation of the endemic and migratory birds at the wetlands.

Tour participants may encounter up to 120 species of birds, such as the white-faced ibis, great egret and Canadian goose.

The EMWD wetlands is used to further treat recycled water produced by the reclamation facility before it is distributed for irrigation to nearby farms and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. It is generally not open to the public.

For more information about EMWD, visit http://www.emwd.org or call (951) 928-3777, ext. 4226.