What we do

Environmental Education

SELC president Andy Mauro explains the
fascinating adaptations of 'spittle bugs'
to local children during a guided nature
walk. (Photo: Ralph Achenbach)

The San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy focuses on a robust educational program that facilitates the appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the remarkable natural bounty that a restored native wetland can offer.

But it is not enough simply to provide access to the recreational pleasures that the lagoon can provide. We must take steps to ensure that we inspire and cultivate future generations to ultimately replace those of us who now stand watch and serve. Natural science education is dwindling as more and more students move into the technologies that run our modern society. We need to engage students, parents, and grandparents if we are to produce the next generation of environmental stewards.

Clinton Alden gets a chance to marvel at tadpoles
at a Conservancy education event.
(Photo: Jennifer Nelson)

To that end, the Conservancy offers free guided nature walks to schools and other groups and Conservancy staff regularly make in-classroom presentation to local schools. Please contact us to schedule your tour or presentation.

Additionally, the Conservancy is developing curriculum-based environmental education programs that meet state California Academic Content standards for use by teachers.

Learn more about our education program

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Habitat Restoration

Habitat restoration activities at San Elijo Lagoon are guided by the San Elijo Lagoon Enhancement Plan, the San Elijo Lagoon Action Plan, the Escondido Creek Watershed Restoration Action Stragey, and the Carlsbad Watershed Management Plan.  Projects are implemented in the context of all four plans and include regular maintenance of the inlet to the estuary, invasive plant control, habitat creation, and land acquisition.

San Elijo Lagoon Action Plan

The San Elijo Lagoon Action Plan was developed by the Conservancy in 1998 in response to the gradual deterioration of the Lagoon’s biological resources over many years due to the cumulative effects of hydrological and land use changes to the watershed, urbanization, increased sedimentation, sewage spills, poor water quality, growth of invasive species, and severely limited tidal flushing. The Action Plan outlines projects to sustain and enhance the biological productivity of San Elijo Lagoon and to provide habitat for threatened and endangered species. The three major recommendations from the Plan are:

1. Maintain tidal flushing

2. Implement a series of Enhancement, Restoration, and Creation Projects. The Action Plan outlines 25 projects ranging from controlling invasive species to dredging new channels and creating new habitat as part of a large-scale restoration project for San Elijo Lagoon.

3. Acquire habitat to protect wildlife corridors and create buffers between the natural environment of the Lagoon and the disturbances resulting from increased urbanization and human uses.

Escondido Creek Watershed Action Plan

San Elijo Lagoon is at the terminus of the Escondido Creek Watershed which covers approximately 54,112 acres in North County San Diego. While the watershed is rapidly being developed, large areas of vacant land and high quality habitat still remain within its boundaries. The Escondido Creek Watershed Restoration Action Strategy describes in detail the physical characteristics of the Escondido Creek watershed, its biological resources, and the influences of the human population on these resources.
A two-stage analytical approach was used to prioritize stream reaches within the watershed for potential riparian restoration along the Escondido Creek. Based on this prioritization and the needs of the watershed as identified by various stakeholders, a list of projects was created for the enhancement and restoration of the Escondido Creek Watershed.

San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project to complete the Action Strategy, to study the Escondido Creek and its significant tributaries. The Conservancy teamed with The Escondido Creek Conservancy as well as the other Escondido Creek Watershed Alliance partners to help formulate project ideas and criteria. Development of the Action Strategy occurred in several phases and several public meetings were held to incorporate private property owners' ideas and concerns into the planning phase of the project. Click here to download.

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