Teachers and outdoor educators across Southwest Riverside County can spend a day learning bird-focused conservation skills at Murrieta's Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Nature Education Foundation is hosting its Nature Education Resource Forum, titled "For the Birds!" this year, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the reserve, located at 39400 Clinton Keith Road. Registration costs $15 and must be completed in advance at TNEFForTheBirds.eventbrite.com. Organizers will not accept walk-up registrations, and space is limited, according to the event listing on Patch.

The forum targets teachers, environmental educators and anyone who works to connect young people with the natural world.

One note for prospective attendees: the Riverside County website listed the reserve as closed to public access as of Sept. 12 following the July Volcano Fire, which burned about 144 acres along the reserve boundary. The event listing was still active as of that date. Educators should confirm the event status with the Nature Education Foundation before registering.

Big Bear eagles take the keynote

Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit behind the popular live bald eagle nest cameras in Big Bear, will deliver the keynote presentation. The talk will cover the story of Shadow, the resident male eagle, and the loss of his longtime mate, Jackie, who died Aug. 9 at age 14 while receiving care at the Ojai Raptor Center, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Jackie was believed to be the first documented bald eagle chick hatched in Big Bear Valley, born in summer 2012. She and Shadow fledged six chicks over eight years, KTLA reported. By 2026, Friends of Big Bear Valley had drawn more than a million social media followers, the Desert Sun reported.

"Millions of people who will never set foot near Big Bear have watched, for years, as this eagle and her mate raised eaglets, lost eggs, survived extreme weather, fought for their nest …" CDFW Director Meghan Hertel said in an Aug. 10 statement about Jackie's death.

The keynote will show how livestream technology and wildlife observation can support classroom conservation lessons.

Workshops and a field walk

Beyond the keynote, the day includes workshops on bird education and habitat, regulations around collecting bird feathers and natural materials, classroom nature-study resources, citizen science and outdoor field experiences.

The forum wraps with a guided field experience on the reserve itself. Participants will explore bird habitat and observe resident and migratory species. Binoculars will be provided.

The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District hosts the event. Frontwave Credit Union and Owen and Virginia Hyde are providing financial support.

Ginger Greaves, executive director of the Nature Education Foundation, has described the organization's broader mission as connecting youth with nature at the reserve. In June, speaking to the Press Enterprise about a separate summer concert series at the plateau, Greaves called the reserve "a beautiful, peaceful, natural setting" for programs that create "real impact for youth in our community."

Educators can register at TNEFForTheBirds.eventbrite.com before spots fill.