November
2014

 
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our most successful River Valley Fest to date! We could not have asked for a better afternoon at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. Read all about it below!

The Conservancy and River Park have recently received a number of grants from various organizations. These funds will allow us to continue our conservation work (including developing the Del Mar River Path), put on educational and recreational programs, and get more San Diego residents to explore the watershed.

As always, we have many exciting events all over the River Park this month -- from guided hikes to birdwatching to yoga on the beach. Take advantage of our San Diego fall weather and join us!

NOVEMBER EVENTS IN THE RIVER PARK 

 

Sundays, November 

2, 9, 16, 23, 30  

10:30am - 3:30pm

North San Diego Certified

Farmers Market - 

Rain or Shine!

Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead:

12655 Sunset Dr., Escondido

 

Sunday, November 2 

7:00am - 3:00pm 

Filthy 50 MTB Bike Ride 

Starts at San Pasqual Valley Staging Area 

 

Friday, November 7 

6:00 - 8:00pm 

By the Light of the
Moon Night Hike
Meet at Farmer Rd. Staging Area, Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East
Hosted by San Diego
County Parks 

 

Saturday, November 8 

8:00 - 11:00am 

She Runs Half Marathon

Starts at the

Sunset Dr. Staging Area  

 

Saturday, November 8 

8:30am - 11:30am

Bernardo Bay Bird Walk

Meet at the Ed Brown Senior Center: 18402 West Bernardo Drive, San Diego

Hosted by Palomar Audubon Society Member  

Tom Trowbridge

 

Saturday, November 8
9:00 - 10:30am

Second Saturday Ranger-Led Walk at San Dieguito Lagoon  

Meet at the Dust Devil Nature Trail Staging Area

Hosted by San Diego  

River Park Rangers 

 

Sunday, November 9 

8:00 - 11:00am 

Volunteer Trail Maintenance 

Meet at the Rancho Drive Parking Area 

RSVP to Leana Bulay at leana@sdrp.org

 

Sunday, November 9 

2:00pm - Sunset

History Walk at San  

Dieguito Lagoon

Meet at Del Mar Public Works:

2240 Jimmy Durante Blvd,
Del Mar
Hosted by Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley Member Jacqueline Winterer

 

Saturday, November 15 

8:00 - 11:00am 

Volunteer Habitat Restoration 

Meet at the Sikes Adobe  

Staging Area:    

12655 Sunset Dr,
Escondido, CA

 

Saturday, November 15 

8:30am - 10:30am

San Dieguito Lagoon Bird Walk

Meet at the Crest Canyon
North Interpretive Kiosk:
 2707 Racetrack View Dr.,
Del Mar, CA
Hosted by Buena Vista Audubon
Society Member John Haddock

 

Saturday, November 15 

9:00 - 10:00am

Tech Trek
Meet at Bernardo Bay
Natural Area 
To register, please email Conservation Manager Jess Norton at jess@sdrvc.org

 

Sunday, November 16 

8:30am - 10:30am

Coastal Walk and

Yoga on the Beach

Meet at the San Andres Dr. Interpretive Kiosk 

Co-Hosted by San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy and

Yoga Instructor Susan McCrea

 

Sunday, November 16 

10:00 - 11:00am

Growing Your Own Oak Trees

 Meet at the Farmer Rd. Staging Area, Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East 

Hosted by San Diego
County Parks
 

Sunday, November 23 

10:00am - 12:30pm 

Back Country Autumn Hike  

Meet at the Farmer Rd. Staging Area, Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East

 Hosted by San Diego 

County Parks

  

Sunday, November 30 

10:00 - 11:00am  

History of the Cuyamacas and What's Happening to the Oaks   

Meet at the Farmer Rd. Staging Area, Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve East

Hosted by San Diego  

County Parks 

 

For hikes, all mileages are approximate.

 

Please visit our website for more details and full events calendar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

  

Your membership helps us to fulfill our mission to protect  the San Dieguito Watershed for generations to come.

 

SUPPORT NATURE SUPPORT THE RIVER PARK

 

For more information, please visit these websites:

 

www.sdrp.org 

 

www.sdrvc.org 

 

www.fsdrv.org 

 

 www.sdparks.org
River Valley Fest



Thanks to your support and generosity, we had our most successful River Valley Fest to date, raising over $115,000 for the River Path and the Conservancy's conservation, education, and recreation programs!

We had a wonderful afternoon at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, filled with food, drinks, and entertainment -- and of course, excellent company! We were also proud to present a Lifetime Appreciation Award to bestselling author Richard Louv. His books, Last Child in the Woods--Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder and The Nature Principle--Human Restoration and the End of Nature Deficit Disorder, have sparked international awareness about the importance of nature in our lives.

We'd like to thank Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, San Diego Paella and Claire's on Cedros, Karl Strauss and Stone Brewery, musician Casey Turner, the wonderful team of River Park and SDRVC volunteers, and of course, everyone who attended and supported the Conservancy!

View more River Valley Fest photos here (courtesy of James Coffee Studios) 

Dick Bobertz & Susan Carter
Retirement Party

 
We hope you can join us to honor Dick and Susan!

Dick Bobertz has served at Executive Director of the San Dieguito River Park for the past 16 years. In that time, he helped acquired 2,264 acres of natural open space and oversaw the development of 32.1 miles of trails in the Park.

Susan Carter is the longest tenured River Park employee and has been involved in nearly every project since the Park was established in 1989. So much of our progress is thanks to her guidance and dedication!

Dick and Susan will be greatly missed, but we wish them all the best in their retirement!
RSVP to Leana Bulay: leana@sdrp.org
Nature - the Gift that Keeps on Giving!
It's time to start thinking about the holidays -- got someone tough on your gift list? Everyone can use more Nature! A San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy membership is the perfect gift for someone who has everything!



We will send a "gift certificate" to your lucky recipient! Click here to purchase.

 

Bikes & Beers North County
We're excited to team up with Bikes & Beers for their upcoming North County ride on November 29th! This will be a relaxed, 22-mile ride starting at Belching Beaver Brewery in Vista, with stops at Lost Abbey and Mother Earth before returning to Belching Beaver.

Register on the Bikes & Beers website here!

Bikes & Beers events select a beneficiary whose work is focused on building safer, more livable environments for people, diversifying transportation options, improving bicycle safety and infrastructure, and building more connected, sustainable communities. Bikes & Beers North County SD selected the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy based on our Coast to Crest trail work and environmental value to the communities in North County.

For this event, Bikes & Beers will donate a minimum of 20% of proceeds to the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy.  



California 10/20
10 miles, 20 local bands, one gorgeous coastal course -- what more could you ask for? We're thrilled to partner with the California 10/20 race, which donated $1500 to the Del Mar River Path Project!

This is more than a race, it's a party! Run or walk 10 miles through Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas and let 20 live bands entertain you and cheer you along every step of the way!

The race is on February 15, 2015, so you have plenty of time to train on the River Park trails! Find out more information and register here. 

Tech Trek at Bernardo Bay Trails

Do you love nature and technology? If so, grab your gadget, download your favorite nature app, and get outdoors with us on our first San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy "Tech Trek." This FREE public hike is intended to be a fun, social way to get closer to nature, improve your tech-savvy, stay cutting-edge, and collect valuable scientific data within the San Dieguito River Park. Registration is required.

 

 

 

Date: Saturday, November 15, 2014 
Time: 9:00 am 
Location: Bernardo Bay Trail 
Distance: 1.6 miles 
Difficulty: Easy

Directions: Meet at the Bernardo Bay Staging Area. Take the I-15 freeway and exit at West Bernardo/Pomerado Road. Turn left (west) and the staging area will be on the right, just before Rancho Bernardo Community Park at 18448 W. Bernardo Dr.

Registration: To register, please email Conservation Manager Jess Norton at jess@sdrvc.org.  

Ramona Mural Project Receives $4,000 Grant!
The Ramona Community Foundation has awarded SDRVC and the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project a $4,000 grant for our proposed mural project!


The mural will be the largest and act as the cornerstone of the series of 30 planned murals. It will depict Ramona's Historic Colonnade of over 400 trees along the Highway 67-78 corridor, show off Ramona's abundant natural beauty, and encourage residents and visitors alike to use and explore the nature trails the Conservancy has developed.

We are thrilled to partner with the Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project and the Ramona Tree Trust to bring this mural to life!


Meetup at the River Park!
Join our new Meetup group, the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Explorers, to stay up-to-date on all our events in the River Park!

Join us here and start signing up for events! (You will need a Meetup account to join.)

 

October Exec Trek Photos!
We had a great time at the SDRVC Exec Trek at the Santa Ysabel Preserve West last month! Hikers were rewarded for their efforts climbing steep terrain by gorgeous views and a delicious lunch afterwards at Jeremy's on the Hill in Wynola.
Starting out
Gorgeous start to the day!
Beautiful blue sky over Volcan Mountain, as seen from Santa Ysabel Preserve West
Happy hikers!

2nd Annual Sikes Spooktacular!
The 2nd annual Sikes "Spooktacular" on October 26th was a frightful success! Where else but at the Sikes Adobe could one find such an array of characters and children dressed up to celebrate Halloween? We had Escondido Princesses, Ariel, Snow White, Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, a Transformer or two, a Knight, and the Wicked Witch of the West! To top it off, there were the 'Ghosts of Mule Hill' including a U.S. Marine circa 1846, along with Col. Kearny and his horse, Juan! We must not forget the lovely widow, Eliza Sikes, and her daughters.



Thanks to our hard working rangers, the Sikes Adobe grounds had been transformed into a spook-filled territory of haunting creatures: giant spiders, ghoulishly green ghosts, and the witch. There was a grave yard, complete with markers and skeletons; while spooky furnishings could be found inside the farmhouse.


Halloween revelers enjoyed the pumpkin bowling, apple peeling, coring and slicing, web weaving, goo-guessing, bat wing pinning, scavenger hunting, skull identifying and mummy-wrapping. To wind up the festivities, there was a Zenas Sikes piņata. Sikes Adobe docents and other volunteers kept it all startlingly fun! Musicians from "Yazmo Blues" played on the porch, giving the whole event that wonderful vintage farmhouse flavor.


Don't miss this event next year; the 'Spooktacular' is here to stay!

(All photos by James Coffee Studios.)

 

2nd Annual Watershed Summit
San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy's Executive Director Trish Boaz,  Conservation Manager Jess Norton, and River Park Interpretive Ranger Leana Bulay participated in the 2nd Annual Watershed Summit, sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric and hosted at the San Diego Fairgrounds on October 30th.  

The well-attended event featured keynote speaker Wallace J. Nichols, Author of The Blue Mind. Trish participated on a panel discussing "Changing Business Models in Nonprofit Growth: Sustainability with Case Studies."  

Jess and Leana provided environmental educators with information on the San Dieguito Citizen Science Monitoring and the Connecting People with Nature Programs.

 

Mark Your Calendars for
Festive Farmhouse on Dec. 7th
Don't miss this year's Festive Farmhouse on Sunday, December 7th, from 11:00am - 2:00pm the Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead!

We will make traditional holiday decorations (such as paper chains, popcorn strings, orange and clove pomanders, paper and wooden ornaments, and more), enjoy cookies and hot drinks, and sing around the organette.

Suggested donation: $3 for individuals, $5 for families. Email anne@sdrp.org for more information.

 

In Case You Missed It...
SDRVC & the River Park in the News

Spurlock Poirier Landscape Architects and Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects were recognized for their work on the Birdwing. Open Air Classroom in the River Park (UT San Diego)


River Valley
Dr. Susan Lenz, Tom and Carol Angus at the River Valley Fest. Photo by Jon Clark/Rancho Santa Fe Review 
Fest Raises More Than $107,000
"The fifth annual River Valley Fest held by the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy on Oct. 12 raised more than $107,000 - an increase of $19,000 over last year's event."  (San Diego Metro) 

River Valley Fest
"'Connecting People with Nature' was this year's theme, as the Conservancy celebrated 28 years of conservation, recreation and education. Richard Louv was honored with a Lifetime Appreciation Award."   

   

   

 

    

  

 

Del Mar Foundation, San Dieguito River Conservancy honor world explorer at private event
"As a motivational speaker, and through her nonprofit educational organization, Adventure Classroom, [Helen] Thayer inspires people to embrace integrity, demonstrate courage, and assume responsibility for their actions." (Del Mar Times)




 
"The San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy has received a $150,000 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program award from the county of San Diego, proposed by Third District County Supervisor Dave Roberts." (Del Mar Times)
 
Ramona Community Foundation grants aim to assist range of nonprofits
"Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project, Ramona Tree Trust and San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy, $4,000 for the production of a mural at 2405 Main St. The mural will depict the historic colonnade, Ramona Grasslands, and the Coast to Crest Trail." (Ramona Sentinel)