Habitat Restoration

Conservation in the San Diego River is a core focus for the San Diego River Park Foundation. We put on many events related to habitat restoration such as planting trees, collecting native seeds, reseeding areas with native seeds, harvesting plants (such as willow and mule fat), and removing invasive plants. We do these events all along the river including: at the River Mouth, the Point Loma Native Plant Garden, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Capitan Reservoir, Alpine, Descanso, and Julian.

In partnership with Fashion Valley Mall and the San Diego County Urban Corps, the San Diego River Park Foundation are removing invasive plant species along the lower San Diego River adjacent to Fashion Valley Mall. The San Diego River Park Foundation's team IMPACT, a dedicate group of volunteers, remove invasive species including giant reed, Brazilian pepper, castor bean, eucalyptus, Mexican fan palm, and canary island date palm. Invasive plants can have a huge effect by disturbing native flora and fauna, increasing soil erosion, fire and flood hazards, and degrading water quality. This in turn affects the level of biodiversity present, reducing an ecosystem's native species. By removing non-native invasive plants, we are clearing the way for native species to reclaim their niches and are creating a healthier environment for the plants and animals that call our river home. Please join us to help remove non-native invasive species from the San Diego watershed.

You can be part of this effort and help protect these lands for future generations! Scroll down to see our upcoming habitat restoration events. Locations are event-specific.

Event types include:

• Headwaters Assessments. These are an annual survey in which volunteers go out to explore the headwaters of the San Diego River as well as collect data for our organization. The San Diego River’s headwaters is a huge area with dozens of small streams that flow together to form the 52 mile San Diego River that drains into the Pacific Ocean. Volunteers observe things such as threatened and endangered species, hydromodifications, non-native invasive species, and more. These observations are compiled into a map that helps us move forward with our management plan!
• Invasive Management, Plant Assessment and Conservation Team (I.M.P.A.C.T.). This dedicated group of volunteers meets every Tuesday morning to remove invasive species along the San Diego River. Team IMPACT primarily focuses their efforts on three areas in the lower section of the San Diego River: Mission Valley Preserve, Fashion Valley Mall, and the River Center at Grant Park. Without this committed group of volunteers, many invasive plant species would disrupt the natural ecological processes of the ecosystem. As the name suggests, this team has a wide-reaching IMPACT that will affect the health of the San Diego River watershed for generations to come. If you are available on Tuesday mornings from 9am to 12pm, interested in meeting a fantastic group of hard working people, and want to make a difference for the San Diego River, then this may be the opportunity for you!