Focused on sharing plant wisdom with people of all backgrounds and ages, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) in Encinitas is growing its education, science, and conservation programs to reach beyond its 37-acres.
SDBG recently extended partnerships with the City of Encinitas and Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) to enhance community habitat restoration. These collaborations aim to restore areas along the Cottonwood Creek watershed by planting native species, improving wildlife habitats, and enhancing water and soil quality, while also providing new opportunities for community recreation and education.
Since 2020, SDBG staff and volunteers have worked with the City of Encinitas to restore public spaces, removing invasive plants and installing thousands of native plants grown at SDBG from seeds collected in public parks near Moonlight Beach. The renewed partnership with the City will continue to improve these wild habitats, while also adding restoration activities at Oak Crest Park and around the Encinitas Senior Center.
Working with EUSD, SDBG has led restoration efforts in a canyon adjacent to Ocean Knoll Elementary School since 2021. Engaging students and other community members in restoration activities, SDBG and partners are improving ten acres of canyon habitat, an ecosystem that is both a refuge for native coastal plants and animals, and an area that holds high educational value for thousands of children in the EUSD. SDBG also recently received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to help support educators in using the canyon as a living laboratory.
“These partnerships allow us to protect the natural beauty and biodiversity of our shared ecosystems,” SDBG President & CEO, Ari Novy shared with Giving Back Magazine San Diego. “By investing in these sites, we are preserving the environment and safeguarding the health, well-being, and educational opportunities of our communities for generations to come.”
To learn more, visit www.sdbg.org.
