www.sdrvc.org
Volume 24 Number 3
Inside This Issue
President’s Message Next to Nature Program
Major Gift and Grant Announcements We’re a Top-Rated Nonprofit and GuideStar Platinum! Special Gift Recognition
Filling in the Gaps in Watershed Education
Filling in the Gaps in Watershed Education (continued)
2018-2019 Coast to Crest Trail Challenge Finishers Supporting Our Natural Legacy
Conservation & Restoration Coast to Crest Trail Challenge Round 2
Published Three Times Annually
Winter 2018
River Valley Fest Recap Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Annual River Valley Fest! Over 200 guests joined us at L’Auberge Del Mar, and we raised over $100,000 for our conservation, education, and recreation programs! We were proud to present the “Heart of the Conservancy” award to Joan Griffin and her late husband, Monty, for their contribution to making the Coast to Crest Trail a reality, and the “Corporate Partner of the Year” award to REI for their commitment to the Conservancy’s mission—making outdoor spaces enjoyable to the public. Mike Hogan of Fundraisers Only was a lively auctioneer and musicians Gregory Page and Sky Ladd created a lovely atmosphere with their music. A gorgeous sunset provided the perfect backdrop for an event dedicated to the best nature has to offer. A special thank you to the rest of our partners and sponsors!
President’s Message As the year comes to a close, it is a good time to look backward and forward. Looking back, a few highlights stand out to me, amidst the myriad of projects, activities and accomplishments of the Conservancy and its dedicated staff and volunteers. Brad Bartlett, J.D. President Nate Northup, J.D. Vice President Peter DeFrancesca, CPA Treasurer Katharine Sheehan, M.D. Secretary Bill Adelson Joe Bonner Slader Buck Keith Colestock Shelley Glenn Lee Alex Kilian Donald Mosier, Ph.D., M.D. Immo Scheffler, Ph.D. Robert Sheppard Jim Smith Lynn Benn Judy Bernstein Susan Carter Elizabeth Dernetz Tom Golich Kimberly Heller Godwin Chris Khoury, M.D. David Kreitzer Phil Pryde Oliver A. Ryder, Ph.D. Ramona Salisbury Kiltz John Seiber Peter Shapiro Pam Slater-Price
Trish Boaz Executive Director Jonathan Appelbaum Conservation Manager Allison Keltner Editor Ana Lutz Education Manager Delle Willett Public Relations Joanne Bakken Accounting Peter DeFrancesca Treasurer
This year’s River Valley Fest also stands out, and reminds me that the Conservancy’s work could not happen without you. Thank you for sharing a beautiful evening at the Fest and for your continued generous support. And, thank you for sharing the founders’ vision of a healthy and natural watershed preserved as a legacy for future generations. Looking forward, there is always work to do and there are important goals we hope to accomplish in the coming year. Among the goals, the Conservancy’s Board will focus on funding a quasi-endowment. The purpose of the endowment is to build a financial foundation to secure the Conservancy for generations to come. It is a big undertaking, but with steady effort, as our founders’ vision instructs, we can accomplish the goal.
The opening of the Pamo Valley segment of the Coast to Crest Trail, culminating about 8 years of persistent effort, is monumental. The segment should be finished by the end of 2018, and will open officially at the beginning of 2019. The Founders Tribute is another important and memorable accomplishment of 2018, bringing into focus the tremendous foresight of the founders of our Conservancy and the River Park. We are blessed with the legacy of their vision.
Thank you again for your continued and generous support. We wish you the best for the coming year.
Next to Nature Certification Program
Creating a Native Landscape in Crest Canyon By Jim Smith, Conservancy Board Member
Our Next to Nature Certification Program is off and running! We have partnered with Heaviland Landscape Management to assist homeowners, community associations and businesses in their efforts to develop areas that are friendly for wildlife and optimize water resources, including rainfall and runoff, to preserve the integrity of our surrounding natural spaces.
In 2015, we decided to remodel our house. The landscape was a water-sucking lawn surrounded by non-native plants. We wanted a landscape that brought the canyon into our yard, was friendly to local fauna, and saved water. We focused on collecting water, not just using less water. We surrounded the house with a meadow (or bioswale) with a California sedge, which collects all the water runoff from the house. Besides keeping the water for the plants, reducing runoff protects the San Dieguito watershed.
The Next to Nature Certification Program emulates and utilizes existing tools and information from other successful programs, including the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife Program. The program will consist of classes and workshops designed to assist those who wish to create sustainable yards. Our first workshop, held in October, was geared towards helping property owners explore options for DIY or professional landscape renovations on their properties.
We also implemented a gray water system to collect water from the washing machine, showers, and sinks. Instead of sending all that water into the sewer for treatment, it keeps the meadow green.
Want to learn more about the program or get certified? Visit our website at sdrvc.org/what-we-do/next-to-nature-program/ to download our Next to Nature Certification Checklist and access the resources we’ve collected. Once you complete the action items, email sdrvc@sdrvc.org to schedule a Next to Nature inspection. Once your yard is certified, we’ll provide you with a sign to display—and your yard may be featured in Riverscape or Currents!
Every December, I have a native plant gardener clean out overgrown bushes and dead plants then planting new plants. Overall the maintenance is less than a lawn, which requires cutting weekly. Now we are enjoying the garden more. This year, we’ve had dozens of monarch butterflies flitting around milkweed plants, then the zebra striped caterpillars eating all of the leaves. The beautiful California sister butterfly frequents the California live oak tree. House finches, lesser goldfinches, and mourning doves hang out around a toyon tree that has bird feeders. A Cooper’s hawk swoops by from time to time to keep the birds on their toes.
The Printer’sCircle Nicole Jasso
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Despite some challenges and setbacks, the garden is a labor of love. The neighbors appreciate it, we enjoy the wildlife, and feel good about what we’re doing for the environment.
Major Gifts and Grant Announcements Malk Nature Fund $15,000 for River Path Del Mar Phase 3
USFWS Partner Program $5,000 for Fairbanks Ranch Fire Reduction Project
SDG&E $7,500 Environmental Champions Grant for our Microclimates on a Macro Scale education program
City of Solana Beach $2,500 for Watershed Explorers
REI $10,000 for River Path Del Mar Phase 3
We’re a Top-Rated Nonprofit and GuideStar Platinum! The Conservancy is thrilled to announced that last August, we were named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits, thanks to your ratings and reviews! We also earned the 2018 Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. GreatNonprofits is the leading website where people share stories about their personal experiences on more than 1.6 million charities and nonprofits. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities as donors, volunteers, and recipients of aid. The GuideStar database contains a profile for every tax-exempt nonprofit registered with the IRS. Updating allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with the more than 8 million people who visit GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations each year.
SPECIAL GIFT RECOGNITION: April 1st, 2018 – October 31st, 2018 Thank you for supporting our work in conservation, education, and recreation in the San Dieguito River Valley. $25,000 or more
Michael and Paula Rantz Foundation
$15,000 or more
Gary & Denise Nakamura David
$10,000 or more Anonymous RJ Family Fund
$5,000 or more
BioMed Realty L.P. Bradley A. Bartlett & Jane K. Meyers Carol Mann & Alan Vier Norman H. Anderson Suzanne Lichter William Gershen Zable Foundation
$2,000 or more
Beatrice L. Snider Carl Crider & Carol Clause Diane & Stan Coombs Jan & Robert McMillan Kim Godwin & Tom Wilcox Peter Shapiro & Kathy Sage Wayne & Elizabeth Dernetz
$1,000 or more
Audrey Terras Dr. Bonnie Hepburn Brendan Blockowicz Colwell Family Distributable Fund
Karen Black Larry & Carol Trautner Lee Haydu Nancy & John Weare Nate & Deb Northup Pat & Peter Benson Peter F DeFrancesca Robert Dudley Robert Hyman Ron & Arlene Prater Slader Buck Stephen J Charlton Wade Walker
Dan & Joan Meyer Gary & Maxine Kreitzer Greg & India Minor Harry Carneal Immo Erich & Diana Scheffler Dr. James Nauman Jeannie Smith Julie Hocking & Jim Baross Patricia Tishler Philip Pryde & Alison Cummings Phoebe Telser Robert & Lynda Orr Steven & Sarah Henriksen Sydney Joan Kinsella Thomas Carr Tom & Donna Golich
$250 or more
Alice McCauley Allan D. & Anita Sutton Barbara Roberson Beth Gordon & Yigal Ben-Aderet Bill & Shawna Anderson Bill Michalsky Carol Dickinson Carr Caroline DeMar Daniel & Deborah Brennan David & Jayne & Robin Radlauer-Cramer Derek Woodman Diana Brady Donna Thal Dr. Susan Lenz Feroza Ardeshir Gilbert & Judith Kunkel Ginita Wall Greg & Yasmin Petree
$500 or more
Bill & Gigi Simmons Bill Smith & Carol Harter Brant and Charty Bassett Dagmar & James Helgager Dave & Judi Kingston David & Brenda Zito Diane Stocklin Donald Mosier & Ann Feeney Doug & Danica Sheres Ellen Lehman & Charles Kennel James Clark & Jane Lea Smith James F Quigley Jeffrey Barnouw Joel & Rosanne Holliday John & Kim Wu Joseph Forlenza & Kymberly Mueller
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Gregory Allison Heather Rosing & Scott Carr Howard Kipnis James & Kathleen Drummond Jean & Robert Will Jennifer O'Leary Jim & Janie King Rev. Julia Erickson & Dr. Tom Hugh McGrath Katharine Sheehan & Fred Walker Louise Carmon Mark David van den Broek Mark Weatherup Dodson Community Fund (Coastal Community Foundation) Nicole Pentheroudakis Paula & William Augustus Robert Sheppard & Janis d'Assalenaux Roger & Candice Bowman Roland and Loreen Wilhelmy Lifetime Members Sally Clair Sandi Weaver Shu Cheng Steven VanderWal Stuart & Irene Hurlbert Susan Graham Susan Lee Feeley Tom and Barbara Dilworth Sherrard Family River Valley Land Conservancy Fund at The San Diego Foundation Winkler Family Fund
Filling in the Gaps in Watershed Education We recently created and put into action a five-year strategic plan for our education programs, modeled after The Escondido Creek Conservancy’s plan. Our goals are: 1. Provide equal access to the San Dieguito Watershed to all residents and visitors. 2. Foster educational experiences and stewardship opportunities to students living in—or visiting—the San Dieguito Watershed 3. Leverage SDRVC’s relationships and resources to achieve the largest impact possible 4. Develop and maintain relevant educational programs and experiences for the public 5. Maintain continual funding to support environmental education programs 6. Create and enhance partnerships with local and neighboring watershed communities. 7. Provide enrichment opportunities for staff and volunteers to ensure adequate training 8. Develop environmental stewards that will protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources of the San Dieguito Watershed The plan emphasizes outreach to groups that don’t always receive these kind of opportunities, including home schoolers and students from inner-city schools. In light of this, we’re putting the spotlight on some of our ongoing and new education programs, which currently reaches over 350 students!
Watershed Explorers: In partnership with the River Park, Volcan Mountain Foundation, and San Diego Archaeological Center, this program provides a series of interactive field trips and allow youth to travel and experience the length of the San Diego Watershed. This program is funded by the Rantz Famly Foundation.
Coastal Wetlands Field Ecology Project: The Coastal Wetlands Field Ecology Project, aimed at high schoolers, provides students and teachers an opportunity to visit the San Dieguito Lagoon, learn about the importance of wetlands, and become involved in the conservation of the San Dieguito Watershed. It asks students to research, carry out fieldecology studies, and gather and analyze data to address the complex issue of development and its impacts on our natural environment.
Microclimates on a Macro Scale: Last year, students from High Tech High completed five hikes on the Coast to Crest Trail, with the overall goal of creating stewards of the San Dieguito Watershed that are educated, empowered, and engaged. This year, we’re taking High Tech Middle School on the expedition. This program was funded by a grant from SDG&E, and the curriculum was developed with Climate Science Alliance. 4
Home School Teaching: We’re working with Soaring Minds and Rock Creek Education to provide interactive trips and experiences that “fill in the gaps” in environmental science classes.
Geology Project with High Tech Elementary: Fourth-grade students from High Tech Elementary North County will explore the San Dieguito Watershed, starting with an overnight camping trip in Julian, followed by visits to the watershed in Ramona, Escondido, and Del Mar. Students will experience the watershed through the lens of geology, and see how it relates to natural and cultural development over time.
A Pollinator’s Paradise (starting Spring 2019): This program, aimed at K-2nd graders, focuses on the importance of pollinators and gardens and ties in with our newly launched Next to Nature program.
Naturalist Hikes with Reality Changers Solana Beach: We’re leading a group of soon-to-be first-generation college students on a series of four guided hikes. Each hike has a different focus (mammals, birds, insects, and plants) and students use the iNaturalist app to record biological data. This is an exclusive, tailored program for disadvantaged students through experiential learning within the watershed. This program was funded by the City of Solana Beach through its 2018-2019 Community Grant Program.
Critters on Camera: Fifth grade students from HTeNC are using Citizen Science to discover more about the River Park! Through in the field activities with the Conservancy’s Ana Lutz and Jonathan Appelbaum and the River Park’s Leana Bulay, students learned about animal tracking, fire ecology, and invasive plants. Now back in the classroom, HTeNC science teacher Shelley Glenn Lee is leading her classes to process wildlife camera photos. 5
Congratulations to Our 2018-2019 Coast to Crest Trail Challenge Finishers (so far)! Jim Aeling Denise Baker Jon Baker Allie Barnes Janice Bell Jack Brennen Gabriel Buhr Debbie Burnett Neil Cadwallader Michele Cassidy John Cella Priscilla Christopher Ken Christopher Don Crittendon Sarah Devlin David Dohren Petra Fastner Ted Foster Curt Foster Kathy Foster Chelsie Giambrone Oksana Glukhikh Dan Gyokery Abby Gyokery Keith Harding Eva-Lani High Angie Hoff Michele Johnson Patricia Joyce Gina Kackman Rita Mae Kelly Leanne Kelly Karl Leckner Jaeho Lee Robert Lundy
Support Our Natural Legacy As we reach the end of 2018, we are once again full of gratitude for you, our members and supporters. Thanks to your generous donations and contributions, we get to spend our days preserving, protecting, and the sharing the natural and cultural resources of the San Dieguito River Valley.
Marina Metz Scott Mocabee Michele Monroe Jeff Moore Dave Mugg Ginny Mugg Gugui Naters Sam Navidi George Okada Roy Osborne Annette Parris Karl Peralta Emily Plummer Elena Pyuvi Anel Rahbari Roger Renstrom Mary Rudelich Olga Ruiz Paul Saam Lisa Saam Ian Saam Lachlan Saam Ivan A. Sablan Jill Sells Tim Shell Jeff Sisco Tammy Smith Steve Stock Lisa Strand Harshita Swaroopa Annette Trnka Keith Van Wagner Hazel Villasin Shanna Waldrop Mel Winestock
We ask that you please think of the Conservancy as you plan your year-end giving. Every dollar donated is leveraged 15 times through public, private, and corporate grants, so know that your donation will be put towards: • Funding our educational programs like Watershed Explorers and Citizen Science Monitoring • Planning and building new trails and completing the Coast to Crest Trail • Restoring habitat critical to River Park wildlife • Removing invasive species and reinstating native plants • Acquiring land within the watershed to preserve and protect it Visit sdrvc.org/get-involved/join to renew your Conservancy membership, make a year-end donation, or learn about the other ways you can give. Conservancy memberships make great gifts—or treat yourself—and include: • Subscription to our print newsletter, Currents (published three times a year) • Subscription to our monthly e-newsletter, Riverscape • “Adventure Bucks” discounts at Adventure 16 stores • Access to members-only events • Priority registration and special rates for Conservancy events THANK YOU for your generous support!
Raptor Ridge
Ramona Grasslands
Santa Fe Valley
Piedras Pintadas
Photo credit: Allie Barnes
Photo credit: Jaeho Lee
Photo credit: Curt & Kathy Foster
Photo credit: Debbie Burnett
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Conservation & Restoration: Brigantine Basin, Clevenger Canyon North, Gonzales Canyon, and Fairbanks Ranch Eliminating Invasives in Brigantine Basin
Planting a Demonstration Garden in Gonzales Canyon For Family Volunteer Day (powered by generationOn and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company), about 30 volunteers joined us at Gonzales Canyon to plant a demonstration garden of native plants. We planted, coned, and watered 150 plants!
In September, we placed black plastic sheeting around the marsh margins in the Brigantine Basin (east of Camino Del Mar). This is to eliminate invasive ice plant, which is a first step towards restoring the sensitive salt marsh environment and allowing it to adapt to future sea level rise. Using the plastic sheeting is called solarization—it bakes the ice plant at high temperatures and deprives it of sunlight. Ultimately, the ice plant is killed effectively and quickly, and with much less labor than pulling it by hand. It also means we don’t need to use herbicides and chemicals in sensitive habit. We’ve also worked with volunteers on this site, during Coastal Cleanup Day in September and a second habitat stewardship event in December. It’s exciting to see the progress we’re making! The Brigantine Basin Project marks a new phase in the long, successful partnership between SDRVC and the 22nd District Agricultural Association, operators of the San Diego County Fairgrounds and surrounding lagoon habitat areas.
Cleaning Up Clevenger Canyon North with San Diego Hikers
Photo courtesy of San Diego Hikers
We joined forces with San Diego Hikers in September to clean up and beautify Clevenger Canyon North. A group of hardworking volunteers removed 1,000 pounds of trash, made progress on graffiti removal, and repaired a fence that burned in the August fire in San Pasqual Valley.
Fairbanks Ranch Fire Reduction Project We’re pleased to report that the Fairbanks Ranch Fuel Reduction Project is progressing well! Crews from Urban Corps and American Conservation Experience have worked hard, led by Arne Johanson and Bob Byrnes of CNPS. Overall, we worked approximately 27 acres during 2017-2018. We worked the entire area from many points, beginning on the Fairbanks Ranch side, starting in the middle and pushing both downstream and upstream. This season, we continued to remove biomass going downstream on the Fairbanks side and on the Rancho Santa Fe side continuing downstream from Artesian Road. Citizen Scientists, led by experts including the Palomar Audubon Society, are collecting biological data through bird and botanical surveys. The Conservancy strategically placed wildlife cameras to detect movement of species through the project area. For more information on the project, visit sdrvc.org/fairbanks-ranch-fuel-reduction-project.
For more information about our conservation and restoration programs, visit https://sdrvc.org/what-we-do/conservation/.
Coast to Crest Trail Challenge Round 2
The Conservancy’s Coast to Crest Trail Challenge continues! We have five new hikes for you to complete between July 1st, 2018 and June 30th, 2019. The hikes are:
Santa Fe Valley
Photo credit: Gabriel Buhr and Willow
Piedras Pintadas Photo credit: Harshita Swaroopa
Raptor Ridge Photo credit: George Okada
Ramona Grasslands Photo credit: Jeff Sisco
Santa Ysabel East Kanaka Flat
Photo credit: Michele Monroe
Visit our website at sdrvc.org/coast-to-crest-trail-challenge/ for directions and trail maps marked with the “selfie spots” for each hike. Just like last year, everyone who finishes all five hikes and emails their selfies to sdrvc@sdrvc.org will receive a finisher’s certificate, sticker, decal, and prizes from our partners: a coupon from REI, Adventure Bucks from Adventure 16, and a patch from Hike San Diego. Share your Challenge photos using the hashtag #C2CChallenge and you may be featured on the Conservancy’s Instagram! 7
Winter 2018
San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy 3030 Bunker Hill Street, Ste. 309-1 San Diego, CA 92109
858.755.6956 Your support provides for
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The San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of recreational multi-use trails in the 92,000-acre San Dieguito River Park, preserving and restoring native ecosystems, and educating the public about our precious natural resources.
Valentine’s on Volcan
Presented by SDRVC and the Volcan Mountain Foundation
Gather your loved ones for a moderate to strenuous hike to the summit of Volcan Mountain. Celebrate with a delicious picnic and refreshments and other delectable treats. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 8:30 am - 11:30 am | Julian, CA Members: $25 This is a members-only hike, limited to 26 people. Make your reservation now at: https://valentinesonvolcan2019.eventbrite.com
SAVE DATE THE