Community volunteerism revitalizes the reserve.
Join the thrill of hands-on conservation in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. Lagoon Platoon, an all-volunteer community habitat restoration event, occurs monthly on 3rd Saturdays. All the tools we need for restoration are provided, and garden experience is not necessary.
Dig in and join us!
Community restoration events are great opportunities to meet others from nearby areas, while helping to improve native habitats. Each Lagoon Platoon event is led by San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy biologists, who oversee activities and lead participants on a mini-tour of the targeted restoration site during the mid-morning break.
Lagoon Platoon activities typically include:
- invasive weed removal
- planting of native species
- debris removal
- trail maintenance
RESTORATION EVENT SUCCESSES
Hundreds of community members join the San Elijo Lagoon Platoon to restore habitat at San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve each year. Here's a few examples of how your efforts have benefited wildlife and special places for our community:
May 18, 2013: Ford WHP In a grand spring finale, Lagoon Platoon volunteers created a buffer zone by planting 200 native plants! In celebration of Endangered Species day, the riparian plant selection provides habitat f the federally-listed Least Bell’s Vireo. Lagoon Platoon is especially grateful to the Stanford Alumni Club, County Parks, and local residents for helping make the event a success.
April 27, 2013: Coastal Dunes Lagoon Platoon weeded sensitive habitat at the Coastal Dunes restoration site, clearing 15 cubic yards, or 5 dumpsters full of sea lavender (Limonium sp.), sea rocket (Cakile maritima), tocalote (Centaurea melitensis), and crown daisy (Glebionis coronaria). The conservancy teamed up with State Parks, County of San Diego, and I Love a Clean San Diego for this county-wide Creek-to-Bay event.
March 16, 2013: Santa Carina In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Creation Cares, MiraCosta College, and Torrey Pines Key Club got out their green thumbs to plant over native coastal sage scrub plants while getting up close and personal with clover species, both native and invasive. Spring was in the air, and the site was sprinkled with blooming wildlflowers like popcorn flower (Cryptantha) and reptiles like an orange-throated whiptail! Visit the Conservancy Facebook page to see pictures of volunteers from the event.
February 16, 2013: Santa Carina Volunteers from Girl Scout Troop 1374, MiraCosta Community College, Torrey Pines Key Club, and Ocean Discovery Institute dug into the soil at Santa Carina to plant over 200 native plants, including yarrow (Achillea millefolium), deerweed (Acmispon glaber), scrub oak (Quercus dumosa), and over 20 others. Others constructed 40 feet of fenceline to begin a new habitat restoration site. Check out pictures from the event at the Conservancy Facebook page.
February 2, 2013: Santa Carina HDR Engineering sponsored the installation of a fence at a new restoration site along the Santa Carina trail. Under the collaborative supervision of the County of San Diego and the Conservancy, participants prepared the future restoration site by installing fencing and uprooting invasive annual grasses. Find pictures of the whole gang hard at work at the Conservancy Facebook Page.
January 19, 2013: Santa Carina Volunteers from TVIA and Moishe House dug into the soil at Santa Carina to plant over 200 native plants, including bush sunflower (Encelia californica), deerweed (Acmispon glaber), blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), and a dozen other species. Find pictures of the Lagoon Platoon in action at our Facebook.
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COMMUNITY HABITAT RESTORATION
Volunteers plants native shrubs during a Lagoon Platoon event.
View slideshow of events
Next Lagoon Platoon Event (Rain or Shine):
Complete the Volunteer Information Form (PDF) and joel [at] sanelijo [dot] org (email) it to SELC, or bring it with you to the work party. Volunteers below the age of 13 may not attend because of inherent risks associated with our working environment.
Sponsor a Restoration Event
Seeking a team-building event? Let us help you craft the quintessential outdoor program for your company or group.
2013 Corporate Sponsors for Lagoon Platoon, include:
Citizens Restoring Coastal Habitat
Lagoon Platoon is made possible with funding from Earth Island Institute and USFWS Coastal Program, and support from California Coastal Conservancy, The Wildlife Conservation Board, and Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project.
    
CONTACT
Joel Kramer, Associate Biologist
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
joel [at] sanelijo [dot] org
(760) 436-3944 x 709
“When people litter and degrade the lagoon, I don’t think they realize how one small piece of trash can affect every species in the area. Volunteering allows me to fix these problems and keep a balance within the lagoon.”—Kelsey Navis, volunteer and high school student
“The catalyst for me to volunteer was the gulf oil spill. I thought it wasn’t such a remote possibility that this could happen here.”—Laura Liedtke, docent and SELC member
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