Restoring nature ... restoring hope

San Diego Earth Day's community renewal & restoration project ... wants YOU!

by Kari Gray

re you looking for a way to Think Globally... while Acting Locally? Well, San Diego Earth Day invites you to join Surfrider Foundation, the Californian Native Plant Society, I Love a Clean San Diego County, National Coalition for Graffiti Removal, Project Clean, the National Forest Service and 91X radio station in one of its most exciting projects.

This November, SDED will be coordinating community efforts to clean up five sites in San Diego and restore them to a healthy, sustainable condition. The Restoration Project will educate hundreds of San Diego area volunteers on key regional conservation topics and enable them to take action for a clean, healthy and prosperous future.

Each site chosen has special needs. Invasive and non-native plant species will be removed. Volunteers restoring the coastal and riparian sites will be trained in water testing. Those at the urban site will plant a community organic garden. Volunteers with the Restoration Project will also be trained and supported in the on-going maintenance of the sites.

So how can you get involved?

Right now, we need a few dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers to be Project Site Coordinators. Each coordinator will research the specific needs of one site and coordinate the cleanup activities there. They must be available for some of the training sessions for their sites in October and November, and will be at the site on the actual restoration day. Site coordinators will also help volunteers maintain the sites year-round, by coordinating additional clean-ups and monitoring the plantings.

In November, we will need many, many more volunteers to help with the actual restoration activities. These day-long cleanup and restoration assignments will provide the basis for ongoing maintenance of the sites.

If you wish to volunteer, or just want more information, please contact Julaine Chattaway at 225-8040.