San Diego EarthWorks produced the first-ever Rose Creek Fest on February 9 at Campland on the Bay. The event was created to raise awareness about Rose Creek and its watershed. Activities and performances were designed to inspire participants to care for the creek and to teach them how they can help with its protection. Over 500 people showed up to learn about their creek and help celebrate the beauty it brings to the communities of Pacific Beach, Clairemont and University City.

 

City Councilmember Kevin Faulconer kicked off the event with a welcome and introduced the day's first performers. The Mission Bay Preservationists, the traditional youth jazz band from Mission Bay High School that has performed in venues throughout the nation, played early New Orleans jazz, blues and swing music. During the band's performance, Councilmember Faulconer visited exhibitors and helped paint a community mural depicting the Rose Creek Watershed.

 

Mayor Bob Filner says a few words about Rose Creek on stage.  Photo by Eileen Maher.

Mayor Bob Filner made an appearance later in the morning and said a few words on stage about his concern for Rose Creek. After his remarks, he was given a tour of the mouth of Rose Creek and the Mission Bay marshes by Campland on the Bay's President Michael Gelfand and the Rose Creek Watershed Project Manager Ann Van Leer. This was a unique opportunity to introduce Mayor Filner to many of the issues facing Rose Creek and the projects underway.

 

Other performances took place on the stage throughout the day. Dr. Wilderness performed his "Splashtastic!" environmental magic show and was accompanied by Aristotle, the animatronic talking toucan that resembles a creature from the Enchanted Tiki Room. Educators from The Raptor Institute gave

the audience a unique perspective on local birds that can be found in the

Charles Gailband from The Raptor Institute displays a native  Great Horned Owl to event-goers. Photo by Eileen Maher.

watershed with a presentation about owl adaptations and a live flight demonstration with a native red-tailed hawk.

 

Event-goers reported that they learned a lot about the watershed by visiting the exhibits. Birch Aquarium at Scripps and Think Blue San Diego taught people about how waterways get polluted. Friends of Rose Canyon presented preserved specimens of watershed wildlife and the Tri-Canyon Park Rangers showed off their local snakes which are usually on display at the Tecolote Nature Center. Mission Bay High School teacher Steve Walters' students demonstrated how they monitor water quality in Rose Creek, and art students displayed their artwork inspired by Rose Creek and the Mission Bay marshes.

 

Some participants took part in organized events during Rose Creek Fest, including volunteering to improve the Mission Bay marshes as part of the annual Love Your Wetlands Day. 47 people removed enough trash to fill a dumpster and 10 invasive mangroves. Woodstock's Pizza Pacific Beach helped support the efforts by donating free pizza for all of the volunteers.

 

Thirty people took part in "CreekWalk", a guided tour of Rose Creek arranged by Friends of Rose Creek. Participants learned about Rose Creek history, fish, birds and native plants through one-hour walks along the creekbank. CreekWalkers noted that the Mike Gotch Memorial Bridge was an excellent location to observe nature. In fact, one group observed a Great Blue Heron eating a sandpiper bird from this location. This was a unique behavior to see since the herons usually eat fish, lizards and small rodents.

 

Duck Derby volunteers get the contenders ready to enter the racetrack along  the shores of Mission Bay.

A major highlight of the day was the Rose Creek Duck Derby presented by Think Blue San Diego, which took place at 2:30 along the shores of Mission Bay. City Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner and Councilmember Lorie Zapf were welcomed on the beach, where they read a proclamation declaring February 9, 2013 as "Rose Creek Fest Day". They both gave the official signal to begin the derby by blowing duck whistles. The ducks were dumped into a floating racetrack by boat. The first 10 ducks to make it across the finish line won prizes such as vacation packages from Campland on the Bay and spa certificates from the Catamaran Resort.

 

Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner and Councilmember Lorie Zapf declare February 9, 2013 as "Rose Creek Fest Day".

Overall, the event accomplished its mission to inform watershed residents about the creek and to inspire them to care for it and keep it clean. We were thrilled to have so many elected officials take part and appreciated the opportunity to showcase all of the important work going on in the watershed by community partners.

 

We would like to thank our event sponsors: Campland on the Bay, Think Blue San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, Land Conservation Brokerage, Recon Environmental, and CBEC Eco-Engineering. Many other local businesses donated items that were distributed to event-goers who participated in a Scavenger Hunt around the event. 

You don't need to be a member of Facebook to view the album.  

The Rose Creek Watershed Invasive Plant Control Project has been underway since November 5, 2012, and extensive progress has been made so far to rid the watershed of this environmental problem. Funded by the State of California's Wildlife Conservation Board and the Friends of Rose Canyon, the goal of this project is to control invasive plants and trees such as pampas grass, eucalyptus trees and brazilian peppertrees throughout the watershed. According to the organization PlantRight, the control of non-native, invasive species costs California $85 million every year.

 

An herbicide mixed with non-toxic blue dye is sprayed onto invasive pampas grass. The blue dye helps contractors identify which plants have been treated.

The Chaparral Lands Conservancy is leading the project and hired restoration firm Recon Environmental to conduct the work. The project began on November 5, 2012, primarily on public lands within the canyons and in some private lands that border natural areas. To date, the contractors have controlled over 11 acres of pampas grass and over 2,000 invasive trees. All work has recently been suspended to protect nesting birds; however, work will resume later in 2013. Native plants will colonize the areas where invasive plants have been controlled and the Conservancy is pursuing future projects to speed recovery.

 

This project, which is making significantimprovements to the

Dying pampas grass can already be seen throughout Rose Canyon. Soon, most dead vegetation will be removed and new sprouts will be retreated. In time, native plants will return

watershed's biological and recreational assets, would not be possible without the involvement of a number of community partners who have allowed access to their lands for invasive plant control. The Conservancy and its colleagues wish to thank the following private landowners for participating in our project: Anheuser Busch, Archstone UTC, Genesee Highlands Association, Inland Industries, La Jolla Colony Community Association, Lucera UTC, Pacific Woodlands, Pennant Village Homeowner Association, Playmor Terrace West, Renaissance La Jolla Community Association, San Diego Data Processing Corporation, San Diego Gas & Electric, Santa Fe Street Associates, Trilogy Real Estate Management, Willmark Communities and several homeowners throughout the watershed. Public landowners CalTrans, City of San Diego, North County Transit District, and the San Diego Unified School District have also participated in the project.

 

Additional grants are being identified to fund three more years of treatment. The project was identified as an Action Item in The Rose Creek Watershed Opportunities Assessment, the long-term planning document that identifies ways to improve the watershed.

 

If you live in the watershed, you can help support our efforts by removing any invasive plants from your property. The Don't Plant a Pest! brochure recommends many beautiful alternatives. Native alternatives can even save you money because they require less water and fertilizer. Visit the California Invasive Plant Council or PlantRight to learn more about invasive plants. 

 

This diseased grove of eucalyptus trees was removed to improve Rose Canyon's habitat.

As part of the Rose Creek Watershed Invasive Plant Control Project, Friends of Rose Canyon donated $50,000 to remove a grove of invasive eucalyptus trees from the north-facing slope of University City High School which extends into Rose Canyon. These eucalyptus trees have been weakened by wasps, creating public safety issues due to falling limbs and fire hazards. These trees also cause problems for the environment, because the oil in their leaves suppresses the growth of native plants and soil bacteria and creates "dead zones" where few native plants or animals can live.

 

Recon Environmental conducted the work on

Now that the invasive trees have been removed, native species such as California sycamores and willows will quickly recolonize the area.

holidays when schools was not in session and removed 1,124 invasive trees. The view down to the canyon from campus has been significantly improved, and native sycamore trees are now visible to students as they drive into the parking lot and walk to the bus stop. Science classes led by UCHS teacher Tara Howell will help restore the site by replanting it and conduct studies to document the return of native species. Recon Environmental will donate some native plants to help speed recovery, and additional funding for more native plants and other resources is being pursued through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Schoolyard Habitat Program.

Members of the community helped paint a mural depicting watershed wildlife at the Rose Creek Fest on February 9. The artwork was designed by local artist Thom Guerra and was painted onto wooden panels which will be mounted on the back of the Mission Bay High School racquetball court wall. The mural will be visible from the Mike Gotch Memorial Bridge to remind the public of the diverse plants and animals that make their home in the creek and its watershed. Campland on the Bay is currently storing the panels and has graciously donated the staff time to install the mural at a later date. Stay tuned for further information regarding a public unveiling of this new addition to Rose Creek in 2013.

 

The 11th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup is taking place on Saturday, April 27 from 9 AM to Noon. You can register for the "Pacific Beach: Lower Rose Creek at Mission Bay High School" site in Zone 3 here to help pick up trash that has been carried through the watershed by urban runoff. Meet at Mission Bay High School and wear closed toed shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Community service hours are available from Friends of Rose Creek. 

Experience the amazing sights and sounds of spring birds... some recently

Adults and children over the age of 9 are welcome. All bird walks take place from 8:00 - 10:00 AM on the following dates in 2013:

Sunday, April 28

Sunday, May 5

Saturday, May 11

Click here for more information including the meetup location.

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