DIEGO GIRL

Tijuana Estuary Stewardship

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:38:34 +0000

Tijuana Estuary Second Saturday Stewardship – Saturday, July 10th 9am -12pm at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center. Help remove invasive plants, plant native vegetation, control erosion, or cleanup our beaches at the Tijuana Estuary (projects vary monthly). You don’t need special skills to volunteer – only a willingness to get your hands dirty. All volunteers under 18 must bring parent-signed permission form, available by request. Volunteers must work in long pants and boots or sturdy shoes and should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats. The Tijuana Estuary provides work gloves and tools. Meet at Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center. For more information contact Danielle Litke at 619.575.3613 x330

Surfrider Rise Above Plastics Day

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:28:14 +0000

Surfrider Rise Above Plastics Day – Wed, June 30th, 4pm to 6pm at Ocean Beach, Cardiff and Your Neck of the Woods -
Rise Above Plastics Day aims to raise awareness about the issues associated with single-use plastics. RAP Day is held the week prior to July 4th as a reminder for beachgoers to take less to the beach with them – especially avoiding styrofoam coolers, plastic water bottles and plastic bags.

Surfrider volunteers will be on busy street corners with awareness signs on Wed 6/30 from 4-6pm along with giving away high quality reusable grocery/beach bags at Patagonia in Cardiff and the Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market.

Get involved! Your community, workplace or local restaurant are ideal places to Rise Above Plastics.

Share your story of plastic reduction here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119244691440340 for a chance to win a special RAP prize pack!!!

WILDCOAST Bilingual Nature Walk

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:26:42 +0000

WiLDCOAST Bilingual Nature Walk in Otay River Valley – June 29th 5:30pm – 7:30pm – WiLDCOAST and REI Outdoor School will host its second annual series of free bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) neighborhood nature walks. The series are designed to introduce and inspire community members to connect with our natural resources. Participants will have the opportunity to discover and enjoy the natural areas in their community, learn about native plants, animals and invasive plants. These trips are easy with no special equipment is required, they are moderate in their distance – perfect for families or groups. Participants are encouraged to bring their own water, sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes. For more info http://www.wildcoast.net/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1119&MainItemid=129

Coastal Cleanup Day 2010

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:24:57 +0000

Mark Your Calendars for Coastal Cleanup Day 2010!

September 25, 2010 – 9am to 12noon
Mark your calendars for this year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day, scheduled for Saturday September 25th from 9am to 12noon. San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego are collaborating once again to host the largest environmental volunteer event in the state.

A complete list of cleanup sites will be posted in early August with registration soon to follow. Go to http://www.cleanupday.org/ for registration and more information.

Chula Vista Nature Center

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 01:13:14 +0000

If you’ve ever driven to Chula Vista, chances are you’ve driven right past the Chula Vista Nature Center and you may not have even known it. I happen to make this drive quite often and the only reason I knew to look for the Center was because of the campaign I heard about last year to keep it open. The Center was in risk of being closed due to the City of Chula Vista’s budget crisis. Thankfully, it is still open and it’s a great place to visit.

The Nature Center is a fun place to go when you’re looking for a little something different to do that’s inexpensive and easy. I spent about an hour and a half there on a Saturday afternoon. The exhibits include the Discovery Center, Raptor Row, Eagle Mesa, Shorebird Aviary, and my personal favorite, Shark and Ray Experience. You get to pet the rays, which is much cooler than petting the sea cucumbers that you normally see at aquariums. The hawks are pretty amazing as well. Most of the animals at the Center are local inhabitants, so you may see them out in the wild. I’d much rather see the rattle snake behind the glass though!

For more information about the Chula Vista Nature Center, check out them out at: http://www.chulavistanaturecenter.org/

Outside the Lens

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:44:24 +0000

The images above were taken during the Environmental Photography training event that I posted about last month. These images are in San Diego County in the Tijuana River Valley. Believe it or not, the amount of pollution in the trail pictured is significantly improved from what the trail looked like last year in the spring. A trench has been dug out to force the water from the Tijuana River (which only exists when it rains) to pass by the trail. However, as you can see, pollution still finds its way to the trail.

I want to take a moment to highlight the group Outside the Lens, who partnered with Wildcoast and I Love a Clean San Diego to put on this event. Outside the Lens is a San Diego-based youth media literacy and advocacy program that teaches youth how to explore issues of individual identity, community, society, environment and the world through visual and written media. The training I participated in was part of their Water in Focus project which brings attention to water pollution issues.

To find out more about Outside the Lens, visit them at: http://www.outsidethelens.com/

Information about pollution in the Tijuana River Valley can be found at: http://bordersewagecoalition.blogspot.com/ and http://www.tjriverteam.org/

Coastkeeper Events

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:40:02 +0000

San Diego Coastkeeper is a great organization to get involved with. They regularly need volunteers for beach clean-ups and for water quality monitoring. They also put on some great events. I’ve listed some of their upcoming events below:

3rd Annual Carlsbad Beach Fest: http://carlsbadbeachfest.com/

When:Saturday, May 1, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. THIS SATURDAY!
Where:Frazee State Beach at Pine Avenue

Blue Realm Art Show: http://www.bluerealmartshow.com/

When:Saturday, May 15, 5:30 p.m.
Where:Ebb and Flow Gallery

Save the Date: Signs of the Tide

When:Thursday, June 3, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Where:Encinitas Library Community Room

Description: Local Weatherman Loren Nancarrow will moderate a panel including City of Encinitas Councilmember Teresa Barth, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scientist Miriam Goldstein, City of Santa Monica Environmental Analyst Josephine Miller, Regional Water Quality Control Board Assistant Executive Officer Jimmy Smith

Betty Belts

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:15:25 +0000

In Southern California, a women’s wardrobe wouldn’t be complete without at least some kind of surf or ocean inspired apparel. While I’ve never been able to find a pair of board shorts that fit me right, I’ve stumbled upon some beautiful belts and jewelry at Betty Belts. You don’t need to be a surfer to appreciate the products – just an ocean lover! What’s even better is that it’s an environmentally responsible, women-owned business. Check them out at: http://www.bettybelts.com/

Combining Photography with Environmental Activism

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:41:56 +0000

Now this sounds cool! I love exploring the outdoors through the lens of my camera and it would be great to be able to take photos that inspire activism. I’ve thought about this before, but I’ve never had any training. (I also have a bad tendency to forget my camera and I know I’ve missed some killer shots!)

I Love a Clean San Diego’s 8th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup
Environmental photography training!!
Saturday April 24 from 9am-12pm

Join WiLDCOAST and I Love a Clean San Diego in the Tijuana River Valley to clean up the most trashed environment in San Diego County. Instead of picking up trash by hand, we will be teaching volunteers the art of photo documentation for environmental advocacy.
Professional photographers will train you on how to capture the impact pollution has on our environment. Then you will learn effective advocacy techniques that will help you relay these images to your elected officials.

Space is limited so reserve your spot now!

WARNING: This training will be conducted in a heavily degraded environment. Volunteers will need to take safety precautions. Please come prepared with long pants, boots, and your digital camera.

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve: Speaker Series

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:12:16 +0000

Upcoming event at TRNERR:

Saturday, April 17: Speaker Series
Let’s Talk Trash…Waste, Tires & Sediment Too!
11:00am – 12:00pm
Tijuana Estuary Training Center

Do you ever wonder what kind of trash gets washed into the Tijuana River Valley after it rains? Trash, waste tires, and sediment have been an ongoing environmental concern in the lower Tijuana River Valley for many years. It is currently being addressed by a number of stakeholders through the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team who then selected URS to conduct a study last year. Please join us to learn the nature of the trash, waste tires, and sediment; where they are located; and some of the steps that are being taken to address the problem.
This study was funded by a grant from the California Integrated Water Management Board (Cal Recycle=Dept. of Resources, Recycling & Recovery)
Presentations are FREE and open to the public, so bring your friends, your family, your neighbors, and anyone else you know who is interested in learning more about this unique natural resource.

For more info go to: www.tijuanaestuary.org