June
2016
   

So far, 2016 has been incredibly eventful -- from opening the River Path Del Mar (have you walked on it yet?) to the Citizen Science surveys on Bernardo Mountain to bringing schoolchildren to the River Park through our Connecting People with Nature and Watershed Explorers programs.   


As we move into summer, we're looking forward to keeping that momentum going. Planning for the Conservancy's River Valley Fest is starting to pick up and we've got all sorts of events coming up. Stay tuned for more Exec Treks, restoration events, Trails & Ales, and more!


Thank you for your continued support of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy and the San Dieguito River Park! Don't forget to renew your Conservancy membership and invite your friends, too!

JUNE

EVENTS IN THE RIVER PARK 


 
Sundays, June
5, 12, 19, 26
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
North San Diego Certified Farmers Market - Rain or Shine!
Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead:

Saturday, June 4
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Bernardo Mountain Hike
8 miles, moderate
Hosted by City of San Marcos Park Ranger

Saturday, June 4
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
History Walk and Talk
7 miles, moderate
Hosted by San Diego County Park Ranger Roland

Sunday, June 5
7:30 am - 12:00 pm
San Dieguito Monthly Bird Count
Hosted by San Dieguito Bird Count Leader Jayne Lesley

Sunday, June 5
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
RB Alive!
Come visit the River Park's booth!

Saturday, June 11
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Ranger-Led Walk at the San Dieguito Lagoon
2 miles, easy
Hosted by SDRP Rangers

Saturday, June 11
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Back Trails Hike at Santa Ysabel West
7 miles, moderate/strenuous
Hosted by San Diego County Park Ranger Bill

Saturday, June 11
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Lagoon Pond Restoration 
Hosted by SDRVC

Sunday, June 12
8:00 am - 11:00 am
Volunteer Trail Maintenance
Meet at TBA
Hosted by SDRP Rangers

Sunday, June 12
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Spring Flower Hike
7 miles, moderate
Hosted by San Diego County Park Ranger Bobbi

Sunday, June 12
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Canyoneers Hike at Volcan Mountain
3 or 5 miles, strenuous
Hosted by San Diego Natural History Museum Volunteers

Saturday, June 18
8:00 am - 11:00 am
Volunteer Habitat Restoration
Meet at TBA
Hosted by SDRP Rangers

Saturday, June 18
8:30 am - 10:30 am
San Dieguito Lagoon Bird Walk
Hosted by John Haddock, Buena Vista Audubon Society

Sunday, June 19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Yoga at the Birdwing
Co-hosted by SDRVC and Yoga Instructor Susan McCrea



All events are free unless otherwise noted.

 

For hikes, all mileages are approximate.

 

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

 

Join the Conservancy's Meetup group to learn more about upcoming hikes and events in the River Park. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

  

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
Latest News & Updates
River Path Del Mar Extension is Open
We want to thank everyone who joined us for Lagoon Day and the River Path Del Mar ribbon-cutting on May 21st! The day kicked off with Lagoon Day events, which included going on a bird walk and making native seedballs and nature art. 


Visitors also learned about animals of the River Park and had the chance to observe live aquatic species from the Lagoon, feed a tortoise, and hold a rosy boa. The River Park thanks the Lagoon Committee and all the volunteers that made this event possible.


In the afternoon, over 200 revelers participated in Lagoon Day to celebrate the opening of the River Path Del Mar extension and were among the first to walk along the trail.


Del Mar Mayor Sherryl Parks was the MC for the event, and Supervisor Dave Roberts, Conservancy Executive Director Trish Boaz, Conservancy Board Member Chris Khoury, and Del Mar Lagoon Committee member Terry Kopanski gave speeches.


The ribbon-cutting event was followed by a celebration hosted by Vigilante Brewing Co., featuring craft beers from Artifex Brewing, local wines, delicious food from Pizza Pazza Food Truck, and live music from Luneaux.


May 10th Declared San Dieguito 
River Valley Conservancy Day
On May 10th, County of San Diego Supervisors Dave Roberts and Dianne Jacob presented Conservancy President Peter Shapiro and Executive Director Trish Boaz with a proclamation celebrating the Conservancy's 30th Anniversary! 


May 10th, 2016, was declared San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Day. Watch the proclamation here (fast forward to 31:55).
New Conservancy Board Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new members to the Conservancy Board of Directors!

Bill Adelson, of Ramona, is the Director of Western Operations at Solaire by SunPower, the East Coast's established leader in solar energy carport structures.  






Immo Scheffler, is Professor Emeritus at UCSD. He has held numerous positions in the UCSD Department of Biology, including the Department Chair. 






Katharine Leah Sheehan, MD, has a private practice in Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine.                           





Karen ZoBell, a resident of Solana Beach, is an attorney specializing in land use, real estate and environmental law. She assists landowners, developers, municipalities and others navigate the challenges they face.





Shelley Glenn Lee is a science teacher at High Tech Elementary in North County.  She holds a BS in Biology and a MA in Science Education from SDSU. 

River Park Ranger Station Moving Forward
With building permits close at hand, the JPA will be posting a public bid in the next month or so to select a contractor to build the River Park's first ranger station (AKA Park Maintenance Facility) and public restroom. More than just a maintenance facility, the 2,400-square foot indoor space will provide an office for SDRP rangers and a garage for their gear as well as serve as a much-needed indoor classroom for education. 

The ranger station will include a small conference room for meetings and educational programs and a wet lab for research projects. The one-story building will be located adjacent to the San Andres trailhead/parking area and within a half-mile of the Birdwing, so school groups can experience indoor and outdoor activities to further their knowledge about the San Dieguito River Valley. 

Ranger-led hikes and programs will be able to take advantage of changing educational material posted at the station's entry porch and provide a place to comfortably survey the surrounding trails and open space. A fenced yard in the back will provide a secure space for ranger and volunteer work projects.

Stay tuned for future updates and a construction start date this summer!

Pamo Valley Segment of Coast to Crest Trail Update
The JPA Board recently approved required environmental documentation, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, to bring us one step closer to building this important Coast to Crest Trail segment through the bucolic Pamo Valley.


The JPA approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration at their May 20th Board meeting and is actively pursuing a State grant for construction of the 3-mile long trail. This will link two existing Cleveland National Forest trails to create 12 more miles of the Coast to Crest Trail. Previously-committed funds from the Conservancy have paid for planning and permitting, which has taken several years as the JPA consulted with several involved parties and secured the necessary approvals. Permits are close to being issued and construction is anticipated to begin by the end of 2016 if construction grant funding is secured.

Interns from High Tech High
This year, three 11th-grade students from High Tech High North County are completing a four-week internship as a part of their junior year project. They are working with rangers on habitat restoration, trail maintenance, educational, and Sikes Adobe projects. 

Bonnie May, Liam Chambers, Dominic Dudley

The Park is lucky to have such motivated and enthusiastic interns.  To learn more about the interns, visit the River Park's blog at www.sdrp.org.

Tuna Crabs
Pelagic red crabs, also known as tuna crabs, are showing up in the San Dieguito River again. Despite the name, they are really a species of lobster. They normally live in Mexico, but El Nino currents are taking them abroad. 


They are very interesting to watch as they zip along near the surface of the water.

Save the Date - 30th Anniversary River Valley Fest

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Coming Up in June
Ranger-Led Walk at the 
San Dieguito Lagoon
June 11th
This easy, 2-mile walk will be led by a Park Ranger along the San Dieguito Lagoon. Topics will include the lagoon restoration project, plant/wildlife identification and updates on current Ranger projects. Come discover the beauty of the Lagoon with us!


When: Saturday, June 11th at 9:00 am 
Where: San Dieguito Lagoon Staging Area (map)

Lagoon Pond Restoration
June 11th
Enjoy the outdoors as we restore the Lagoon Pond!

Share your gardening skills with the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy as we help to restore native habitat. Come enjoy the birds and wildlife at this natural pond while removing invasive plants in the restoration area.


Please dress for a morning outdoors -- long pants that you can get dirty, a hat, sunscreen and comfortable closed-toe shoes. Don't forget to bring plenty of water! We will have work gloves and tools available, but please feel free to bring your own if you would prefer.

Meet at the Dust Devil Nature Trail Staging Area off of El Camino Real. From there we will take a short 10-minute walk to the project site.

When: Saturday, June 11th at 9:00 am - 12:00 pm 
Where: Dust Devil Nature Trail Staging Area (map)

Free Rattlesnake Safety Class
July 16th
Please join the Conservancy and Southwestern Field Herping Associates for a free, fun, family-friendly class.


Snake researcher Steve Bledsoe will teach you about our local snake species found in the San Dieguito River Park. Come learn what to do if you see a snake and how you and your pets can stay safe in the outdoors!

Space is limited and registration is required. Please RSVP by July 14th.

When: Saturday, July 16th at 9:00 am 
Where: Del Mar Powerhouse Community Center: 1658 Coast Blvd., Del Mar (map)

What Happened in May
Happy Half-Hour & Presentation at Adventure 16
Conservancy Executive Director Trish Boaz and River Park Manager of Interpretation and Outreach Leana Bulay gave a presentation about the Conservancy and River Park last month at Adventure 16 in Solana Beach. 

Conservancy President Peter Shapiro, Executive Director Trish Boaz, Adventure 16 Store Manager Melissa Romahn, and Adventure 16 President John D. Mead

Renew your Conservancy membership this month and receive $30 in A16 Adventure Bucks!

Santa Fe Valley Exec Trek
It may have been a little cool and cloudy, but that didn't stop our group of Exec Trekkers from exploring Santa Fe Valley, led by Conservancy Executive Director Trish!