Tenaja Fire flames scorched areas around the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve Visitor Center along Clinton Keith Road, Sept. 4. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
The fires that ravaged large portions of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in Murrieta Sept. 4, 2019, burned 2,000 acres on the reserve and rendered the site closed to the public.The Tenaja Fire damaged or destroyed fencing, bridges, gates, plant and animal habitats, the program stage, a storage unit, event equipment and benches.But slowly and surely, the plateau, one of the region’s most beautiful reserves, is coming back to life.According to the Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation, which is spearheading a plethora of fundraising efforts to help the center rebuild, some portions of the reserve have reopened and educational programs are beginning to start back up on a limited basis.The group recently announced that the Sylvan Meadows Trailhead is now re
