Groundwork San Diego - Chollas Creek

GROUNDWORK SAN DIEGO - CHOLLAS CREEK WORKS WITH THREE CORE PROGRAM AREAS OF CLIMATE EDUCATION, CLIMATE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND GREEN SPACE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN SUPPORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE THROUGHOUT CHOLLAS CREEK WATERSHED.

WATERSHED INFRASTRUCTURE AND GREENING PROJECTS GROUNDWORK SAN DIEGO HAS BEEN AWARDED GRANTS FROM THE CALIF NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY AND THE CALIF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD TO COMPLETE THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE FOR CRITICAL PROJECT IN THE CHOLLAS CREEK WATERSHED. THE PROJECT WILL REMOVE INVASIVE NUISANCE PLANTS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE CREEK, AND RESTORE THE PORTION OF CHOLLAS CREEK THAT RUNS ALONG FEDERAL BLVD BETWEEN I-805/BERADINI FIELD AND HOME AVE. THE FEDERAL BLVD PROJECT WILL INCLUDE REMOVING THE CONCRETE CHANNEL AND REPLACING WITH A SOFT BOTTOM, PLANTING NATIVE VEGETATION, AND INSTALLING A TRAIL ALONG THE EDGE OF THE CREEK. THIS IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT TRAIL CONNECTIONS THAT WILL ONE DAY PROVIDE CHOLLAS CREEK WATERSHED RESIDENTS A PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE TRAIL FROM LA MESA TO THE BAYSHORE BIKEWAY!

CLIMATE EDUCATION THE GROUNDWORK CLIMATE ACTION PARK WAS OPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, PROVIDING PROGRAMMING TO OVER 1500 LINCOLN CLUSTER 3RD-12TH GRADE STUDENTS.IN EARLY 2020, GROUNDWORK WAS APPROVED TO DELIVER AN OUTDOOR, COVID REGULATION-COMPLIANT OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO KNOX AND MILLENNIAL TECH MIDDLE SCHOOLS. A BROAD SPECTRUM OF EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS-FLEET SCIENCE CENTER, WORDS ALIVE, A REASON TO SURVIVE, NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM-WERE RETAINED TO ASSIST IN DELIVERING A ROBUST PROGRAM UNDERPINNING STEAM ACTIVITIES WITH BEST PRACTICE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE COVID-RELATED TRAUMA AND ISOLATION EXPERIENCED BY THE STUDENTS.GROUNDWORK PARTNER UCSD CENTER ON GLOBAL JUSTICE CONTINUES TO WORK WITH LINCOLN CLUSTER COMMUNITY TO DESIGN THE EARTHLAB MASTER PLAN. THE EARTHLAB IS BEING PLANNED TO SERVE AS A 7-DAY/WK FACILITY FOR BOTH YOUTH AND FAMILIES.EARTHLAB STUDENTS, INCLUDING THE LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL GREEN TEAM, PARTICIPATED IN A CAREER PATHWAY PROGRAM. INDUSTRY LEADERS SUCH AS SDGE, ENERGY LEADER WIPOMO, IBEW, AND OTHERS SHARED CAREER POSSIBILITIES WITH STUDENTS.

CLIMATE-READY COMMUNITIES GROUNDWORK SAN DIEGO HAS PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN FOSTERING STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD, AGENCY, NONPROFIT, UNIVERSITY, BUSINESS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATIONS TO ADDRESS THE MYRIAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE ISSUES AFFECTING THE WATERSHED. THE WATERSHED IS COMPRISED OF THE MAJORITY OF SAN DIEGOS COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN AND ITS MOST PARK-DEFICIENT COMMUNITIES. GROUNDWORK SAN DIEGO HAS GENERATED GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, AND FOUNDATION FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY-BENEFIT PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENTS INCLUDING WATER CONSERVATION/AIR QUALITY RESIDENTIAL UPGRADES; ADVANCED ZNE ENERGY MASTER PLANNING; WATER QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE/CREEK DE-CHANNELIZATION; AND YOUTH/FAMILY CLIMATE EDUCATION. THESE PROGRAMS REACH OVER 5000 YOUTH AND FAMILIES ANNUALLY. GROUNDWORK SAN DIEGO IS ALSO LEADING A GROUNDWORK USA CLIMATE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE, AND HAS MOST RECENTLY WORKED TO ENSURE THE ROLE OF A STRONG COMMUNITY VOICE IN THE 2021 CITY OF SAN DIEGO APPROVAL OF A COMPREHENSIVE PARKS MASTER PLAN, A PLAN WHICH DESIGNATED, AFTER FIVE YEARS OF GROUNDWORK ADVOCACY, THE CHOLLAS CREEK REGIONAL PARK. THIS REGIONAL PARK DESIGNATION WILL BRING LONG-OVERDUE RECOGNITION OF THE RICH HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF THIS UNDERSERVED REGION, AND BADLY-NEEDED INVESTMENTS TO QUANTIFY, QUALIFY, AND REDRESS LONGSTANDING INEQUITIES.