Assemblywoman Catharine Baker presents Toris Jaeger with a Joint Resolution by the State of California in honor of her work as an educator at Wagner Ranch Nature Area.
On Saturday, Sept. 29, more than 125 guests gathered at the Orinda Community Center for a formal dinner to honor Toris Jaeger for her service and dedication as a teacher and naturalist at Wagner Ranch Nature Area. For 40 years, Jaeger has educated Orinda’s schoolchildren on everything from identifying berries and bay leaves to making acorn meal according to Native American traditions. Over 10,000 students have visited the 18-acre nature preserve during her tenure, learning valuable lessons that could only be taught in an outdoor classroom.
The dinner was attended by Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, Mayor Amy Worth, OUSD Superintendent Dr. Carolyn Seaton, as well as many of the parents, volunteers and teachers who have worked with Jaeger over the years. Mayor Worth declared Sept. 30, 2018 as “Toris Jaeger Day” in Orinda, and the beloved educator was presented with a Joint Resolution by the State of California and a proclamation by the City of Orinda. Alex Filippenko, professor of astrophysics at UC Berkeley, delivered the keynote address entitled “A Life of Science Inspired by a Love of the Outdoors.”
With every seat taken, the sold-out event was a success both as a celebration of Jaeger’s incredible work over the course of her career and as a fundraiser for Wagner Ranch Nature Area. The evening was generously sponsored by Village Associates Real Estate and Computers & Structures, Inc., and more than $40,000 was raised in Jaeger’s honor to support outdoor education programs that benefit Orinda’s students.
Visit www.fwrna.org to make a donation to Wagner Ranch Nature Area and to watch “TORIS,” a tribute film honoring Jaeger for her life’s work.
