Virtual Stormwater Pollution Prevention Events
August 2021
We all play a part in preventing stormwater pollution. Here are some ways to get involved in August and help protect our local waterways! All events are free unless otherwise indicated.
I Love A Clean San Diego Community Cleanups – Several in-person and remote neighborhood cleanups are being offered in August. Participants can join in one of two ways: in-person at the actual cleanup site, or remotely in their own neighborhoods. Trash will be collected to divert litter from their respective watersheds.
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August 7, 9am to 11am – Watershed Warriors Valley Center Community Litter Cleanup – Attend the kick-off at the cleanup site or by Zoom (if remote) at 9am and then collect trash from around the Valley Center community to prevent litter from the San Luis Rey watershed. Learn more or register.
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August 19, 3pm to 5pm – Sunset Sweep: Swan Canyon Neighborhood Litter Cleanup – Join I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Canyonlands, and Think Blue for an in-person or remote litter cleanup in Swan Canyon. Participants will do a ‘sunset sweep’ of their neighborhood and collect trash around the Swan Canyon community to prevent it from traveling through the San Diego Bay watershed. Attend the kick-off at the cleanup site or by Zoom (if remote) at 3pm and then get out there to beautify your canyon neighborhood! Learn more or register.
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August 21, 9am to 11am – Watershed Warriors Spring Valley Community Litter Cleanup – Attend the kick-off at the cleanup site or by Zoom (if remote) at 9am and then collect trash from around the Spring Valley community to prevent litter from the San Diego Bay watershed. Learn more or register.
San Diego River Park Foundation River Cleanups and Water Quality Monitoring Events – Several river cleanups and water quality monitoring events are being offered in August.
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Saturday River Rescue Cleanups – August 7, 14, 21, and 28, 9am to 12pm – Come out and assist with river cleanups and support a healthy river while interacting with a group of like-minded people! Locations change weekly. Learn more or register for the August 7th, August 14th, August 21st, and August 28th events.
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Water Quality Monitoring Events – Come join the RiverWatch team in various locations to see how they monitor the water quality of the San Diego River.
San Diego Coastkeeper Six Cleanup Challenge – Form a group and participate in the Six Cleanup Challenge to positively impact communities and outdoor spaces up and down the watershed. Pick up trash from two challenge sites in three categories – coastal, inland, and urban – and receive a certificate of completion and appreciation packet as a prize. Learn more and see list of challenge sites.
Surfrider San Diego Beach Cleanups – Join the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation in its ongoing beach cleanups.
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Ongoing – Solo Cleanups – Participate in safe, physically distant ‘solo’ cleanups on your own – at the beach, in your neighborhood, at your local park – or anywhere in your watershed. Learn more about solo cleanup guidelines, how to tally your trash cleanup activity, and how you can make a difference in preventing trash from reaching the beach in the first place.
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August 7, 9am to 11am – Ocean Beach Cleanup – Participate in a beach and street cleanup at/around Ocean Beach Pier the first Saturday of each month and help play an active role in determining the sources of trash on our beaches. Learn more.
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August 21, 9am to 11am – Moonlight State Beach Cleanup – Participate in a beach and street cleanup at/around Moonlight State Beach the third Saturday of each month and help play an active role in determining the sources of trash on our beaches. Learn more.
WaterSmart Residential Landscape and Irrigation Online Programs
The San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Program is providing free residential webinars on landscape design and irrigation management during the month of August and throughout 2021. These classes are sponsored in part by Member Agencies and the County of San Diego.
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July 30, registration closes for 2021 WaterSmart 4-Class Landscape Makeover Series classes held August 18, 25, September 1, 8 – The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series is a free educational program that will empower you to upgrade your high-water-use turf area into a WaterSmart landscape. Learn more about the class descriptions and apply today.
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August 14, 9am to 12pm – Design: Shape Your Space – Learn how to integrate your landscape into your personal lifestyle. Learn more or register.
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August 28, 9am to 12pm – Plants: Inspiring Choices for Our Region – Learn about which plants to use in designing a low-water-use landscape and why some are more water-efficient than others. Learn more or register.
The Water Conservation Garden Workshops and Programs – The following workshops and programs are being offered the month of August.
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August 3 and 4, start times 9:30am and 11am – Ms. Smarty-Plants Family Enrichment Program (fee $15/session) – Join Ms. Smarty-Plants this summer and learn about butterflies, bugs, and California’s state reptile, the desert tortoise! Includes a Ms. Smarty-Plants presentation followed by a self-guided tour through the garden with an activity packed “Earth Heroes Passport” for each child. Learn more or register.
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August 14, 10am to 12pm – Solar Cookout & Harvest Day (fee adults $15/$20; children $0/$12) – Participate with the Growing Gardeners Club and Chef Nicolai in Veggieland for a day of harvesting, planting, solar cooking, and tasting; a bit of everything for EVERY age. Learn more or register.
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August 19, 11am to 12pm – Landscape Makeover: What Do I Need to Know? More beauty, less water! Instructor Pam Meisner shares why she loves water-saving landscapes, simplifies the makeover process, and helps you set realistic goals. Sponsored by The County of San Diego. Learn more or register.
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Landscape and Water-Savings Webinars – A series of landscape and water-savings webinars are being offered throughout the month of August. Dates and times vary. See calendar and learn more or register.
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Turf: Remove, Replace, or Maintain Organically – Learn how to design your yard using principles of watershed-wise landscaping including removing your lawn without chemicals, building healthy soil, and selecting climate-appropriate and water-wise plants.
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Garden Design Workshop – Learn how to identify critical steps for successfully designing a watershed-wise landscape including developing a successful planting plan, developing a palette of climate-appropriate plants, and sizing/siting rainwater capture area.
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California-Friendly Native Plant Webinar – Learn how to design a yard using the four principles of gorgeous and watershed-wise landscaping including building healthy soil, capturing rainfall, selecting native plants that minimize water use, and controlling irrigation.
San Diego Horticultural Society – August 9, 6pm to 7pm – Join John Forti, author of The Heirloom Gardener, for a presentation on the joys and lessons that pre-industrial technologies and heirloom garden crafts can offer in fostering a more sustainable future. Learn more and access Zoom link.
San Diego Botanic Garden – August 10, 6pm to 7pm – Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates Virtual Presentation – Join Saxon Holt, a photojournalist for an interactive presentation to help you find plants for your summer garden. Register by August 7th to receive the Zoom link prior to the class. Learn more and pre-register.
Alta Vista Botanical Garden Kids in the Garden Classes – August 14, 10am to 12pm – Using and Saving Water (fee $5 for non-members) – Join Farmer Jones for Saturday classes featuring hands-on activities, incredible edibles, conservation lessons, and tours of the Gardens. Learn more and pre-register.
University of California (UC) Urban and Community Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Webinar Series – August 19, 1pm to 2pm – Weed Identification – Learn to identify and control weeds in gardens and landscapes. Presented by John Roncoroni, Weed Science Farm Advisor, Emeritus. Learn more about the webinar series or register.
 A trio of compost bins
Solana Center for Environmental Innovation Waste Reduction Webinars and In-Person Events – The following residential and business waste reduction events are being offered in August.
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August 12, 5:30pm to 7:30pm – Backyard Composting In-Person Workshop – County of San Diego – A 1-hour educational in-person workshop will be provided at Sweetwater Community Garden in Bonita to learn how to improve the quality of your soil, and reduce waste and air pollution, while saving energy, money, and water. Workshop site provided by Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego. Learn more or register.
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August 14, 10am to 11am – Backyard Composting Webinar – City of San Diego – A 1-hour educational webinar will be provided to learn how to improve the quality of your soil, and reduce waste and air pollution, while saving energy, money, and water. Sponsored by SD Environmental Services. Learn more or register.
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August 14, 11am to 2pm – San Diego Fixit Clinic – Fight our throw-away society, save money and help the environment by keeping items out of the landfills. Bring your broken, non-functioning things: electronics, appliances, computers, toys, bicycles, clothes, etc. for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. Offered in partnership with Zero Waste SD and GSA Eco-Vamp. Learn more or register.
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August 21, 7am to 3pm – Compost Education at Kobey Swap Meet – Solana Center will be educating at the Kobey Swap Meet this month! Sponsored by SD Environmental Services. Learn more.
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August 21, 12pm to 1:30pm – Raising Backyard Chickens In-Person Workshop – County of San Diego – Learn about raising backyard chickens and how they can improve the quality of your soil, reduce waste, and help save you money. Workshop site provided by Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery. Learn more or register.
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August 25, 2pm to 3pm – Vermicomposting Basics Webinar – City of San Diego – Learn the basics of vermicomposting (worm composting), an environmentally-friendly way to turn your food waste into nutrient-rich castings for your plants or garden beds. Sponsored by SD Environmental Services. Learn more or register.
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August 26, 6pm to 7pm – Construct Your Own Traditional Compost Bin Webinar – County of San Diego – Learn how to construct your own backyard compost bin, perfect for simple maintenance and composting success. Part 1 of a 4-part Traditional Composting Series. Parts 2 through 4 webinars offered on September 2, 9, and 16. Learn more or register.
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August (scheduled pickup to be determined) – Free E-Business Waste Pickup – Coastal North County Cities – A FREE e-waste pick-up service is being offered to businesses in coastal North County cities. Register by the second Friday of the month. Urban Corps will contact you to confirm pick-up. Offered in partnership with Urban Corps. Learn more or register.
I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) – Save Your Scraps Webinar – August 24, 4pm to 5pm – Learn about reducing food waste and recycling right in the kitchen including tips on smart shopping, proper food storage, myth-busting expiration dates, cooking root-to-stalk meals, and EDCO’s new anaerobic digester. In partnership with the City of Vista. Learn more or register.
San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Next to Nature Live Stream Series – August 2, 4pm to 5pm – How to Upcycle Removed Trees – Join Tom Hamilton of Lumbercycle for his talk on upcycling eucalyptus trees. Learn more and access link.
On-Site and Virtual Compost Workshops – The Living Coastal Discovery Center and City of Chula Vista are offering the following compost workshops where participants will learn the basics on how to start their own compost pile and turn food waste into nutrient-rich soil. Learn more or register.
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Every Sunday in August, 2pm to 3pm – On-Site Workshop free with admission
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August 1, 2pm to 3pm – Virtual Workshop
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