Stormwater Pollution Prevention Events
DECEMBER 2024
We all play a part in preventing stormwater pollution. Here are some ways to get involved in December and help protect our local waterways! All events are free unless otherwise indicated.
Ongoing beach and community cleanups help protect the County’s waterways from stormwater pollution and can preserve water quality for years to come. The County thanks the following beach and community cleanup event partners for their ongoing support in preventing stormwater pollution: I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD), Surfrider Foundation San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, San Diego River Park Foundation, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR), San Diego Canyonlands, Preserve Calavera, San Dieguito River Park, Friends of Rose Creek, Friends of Ruffin Canyon, ASCENDtials.org, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, California State Parks Foundation, City of San Diego, County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, and City of Carlsbad.
December 1
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8am – County of San Diego Parks and Recreation Habitat Restoration – Louis A. Stelzer County Park. Learn more or sign up by selecting the 12/1 date from the list.
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12:15pm to 1:30pm – ASCENDtials Climate Cares Highway Cleanup, 5 South at Mission Bay Beach Club. Learn more or sign up by selecting the 12/1 date on the calendar.
December 3
December 4
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8:30am to 11:30am – City of Carlsbad Trail Event, Ranch Avenida Pantera Trail. Learn more or RSVP.
December 5
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8am to 10am – San Diego River Park Foundation River Center Care Team at Grant Park. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 11am – Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Trail Cleanup Event – Garfield Street Trailhead. Learn more or sign up.
December 6
December 7
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8:30am to 12:30pm – California State Parks Foundation Silver Strand Beach Cleanup. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 11am – Surfrider Foundation Oceanside Cleanup. Learn more or register.
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9am to 11am – Surfrider Foundation Ocean Beach Cleanup. Learn more or register.
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9am to 12pm – ILACSD Care for Your County: Spring Valley County Park Cleanup (and Waste Reduction) Event. Includes additional Clothing Swap and DIY Zero Waste Workshop events. Learn more or register.
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation Community River Clean-Up at Mast Park. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 12pm – Friends of Ruffin Canyon, Ruffin Canyon Cleanup. Learn more.
December 8
December 10
December 12
December 13
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9am to 11am – San Diego Canyonlands Mission Hills Canyon Volunteer Event. Learn more.
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9am to 12pm – TRNERR Friday Stewardship Cleanup and Restoration Session. Learn more or sign up.
December 14
December 15
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4:15pm to 5:30pm – ASCENDtials Climate Cares Highway Cleanup Event at 5/Mission Bay Beach Club. Learn more or sign up by selecting the 12/15 date on the calendar.
December 17
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Habitat Restoration – Mission Valley. Learn more or sign up.
December 18
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8am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation Preserve Stewards at Boulder Creek Preserve. Learn more or sign up.
December 19
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8am to 10am – San Diego River Park Foundation River Center Care Team at Grant Park. Learn more or sign up.
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8:30am to 12:30pm – San Diego River Park Foundation Water Quality Monitoring: West County. Learn more or sign up.
December 20
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8:30am to 12:30pm – San Diego River Park Foundation Water Quality Monitoring: East County. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 11am – Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Trail Cleanup Event – Discovery Center. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 12pm – TRNERR Friday Stewardship Cleanup and Restoration Session. Learn more or sign up.
December 21
December 22
December 26
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8am to 10am – San Diego River Park Foundation River Center Care Team at Grant Park. Learn more or sign up.
December 27
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9am to 12pm – TRNERR Friday Stewardship Cleanup and Restoration Session. Learn more or sign up.
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5pm to 7pm – ASCENDtials Climate Cares Highway Cleanup, Highway 5 N @ 28th/National Ave. Learn more or sign up by selecting the 12/27 date on the calendar.
December 28
Monthly/Ongoing or On Your Own Stormwater Pollution Prevention Events
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Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Assessment Field Teams (RAFT). Learn more or sign up.
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Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 12pm – San Dieguito River Park Dust Devils Habitat and Trail Restoration Events – Inland and Coastal Trails. Learn more.
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Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8am to 11am – San Diego River Park Foundation River Rescue Cleanups. Learn more or sign up.
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San Diego Canyonlands Cleanup and Restoration Events. Times and locations vary. See December event calendar to learn more.
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San Diego Surfrider Foundation Ongoing Solo Cleanups. Learn more.
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Coastkeeper San Diego Six Cleanup Challenge, Flexible Dates/Times. Learn more and see list of challenge sites.
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ILACSD Adopt-A-Beach/Adopt-A Canyon Program, Flexible Dates/Flexible Times – Adopt a beach or canyon and lead independent cleanups on your schedule. Learn more and adopt a location.
California Native Plant Society (CNPS) – December 5, 5:30pm to 6:30pm – 2024 Naturehood Monthly Webinars – Textures of Autumn – Discover the layered beauty of native plant gardens in the fall season and learn about a California garden that celebrates native plants while supporting local ecosystems. Learn more or register.
University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) Master Gardener Association of San Diego – Poinsettia, Wreath, Plant Sale and Ornament Swap – December 7, 8am to 12pm – Bring all of your gardening questions to be answered by a UCCE certified Master Gardener. Learn more.
Alta Vista Botanical Garden – December 14, 10am to 12pm – Kids in the Garden Classes ($5 fee, includes entry to the Garden) – Kids and their families are invited to attend Saturday Classes featuring hands-on activities, incredible edibles, conservation lessons, and tours of the gardens. Topics vary by month with the December topic being a Scavenger Hunt for Nature’s Treasures. Learn more or pre-register with Farmer Jones at farmerjonesavbg@gmail.com.
University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – Pest Insight Webinar Series – December 17, 9am to 11:15am ($30 fee) – Through these webinar-style workshops, pest control licensees can learn applied, scientific, and decision-based pest control information. December’s topics include preventing and monitoring for biting mites in homes and other structures and technical troubleshooting of dark rover ant management using baits in California. Learn more or register.
San Diego Botanic Garden Monthly SAPLinGS Sessions – Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in December, 10am to 12pm – Children are invited to join for Science, Art, and Play in Garden Spaces (SAPLinGS) activities. Topics vary by month and will focus on a different plant or nature-based theme with December’s topic being Decomposers. Science activities engage kids with cool hands-on learning that stimulates curiosity. Art activities focus on projects that spark the imagination. Learn more.
Landscape and Water-Savings Webinars – A series of landscape and water-savings webinars will be offered in December. Dates and times vary. Hosted by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. See calendar and learn more or register.
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Drip Irrigation Essentials – Learn how to save your landscape by understanding soil moisture balance, key components of a properly installed drip system, typical problems with drip and how to avoid them, and developing a successful maintenance practice.
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California-Friendly Native Plant Landscape – Learn how to design a yard using the four principles of gorgeous and watershed-wise landscaping including building healthy soil, capturing rainwater, selecting native plants that minimize water use, and controlling irrigation.
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Garden Design Workshop – Learn how to identify critical steps for successfully designing a watershed-wise landscape including creating a successful planting plan, developing a palette of climate-appropriate plants, and sizing and siting the rainwater capture area.
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Keeping Rain in the Garden – Learn how to design your yard using watershed-wise landscaping, including criteria and considerations when selecting rain capture methods such as swales, berms, cisterns, and integrating hardscapes.
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Goodbye Grass, Hello Garden: Qualify for Rebates – Learn about replacing your lawn with a watershed-wise landscape, including removing turf without the use of chemicals, replacing it with climate-appropriate plantings, and how to apply for a turf replacement rebate.
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Irrigation and Water Use Efficiency – Learn about irrigation systems, programming controllers, why to choose drip over spray, and easy ways to conserve water.
WaterSmart Residential Landscape and Irrigation Events – The San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart Program is providing past recordings of 3-Hour Landscape Workshops. View past workshops.
Preserve Calavera California Naturalist Certification Class – February 4 through April 8, 2025, Tuesdays 5:30pm to 8:30pm ($260 registration fee). Learn about our unique ecology and natural history of coastal north San Diego County. This 40-hour course combines a science curriculum with guest lecturers, field trips and project-based learning. Registration is currently open. Learn more or register.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – The following composting events will be offered in December.
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1 de diciembre, de 11:30am a 12:30pm – Taller de Compostaje Bilingüe / Bilingual Composting Workshop (Dual-language event in English and Spanish) – Aprenda los conceptos básicos sobre cómo comenzar su propia pila de compostaje y convertir los desechos de alimentos en tierra rica en nutrients. Asista a estos talleres in situ, gratis con la entrada. También se encuentran disponibles talleres de video pregrabados. Patrocinado por la Ciudad de Chula Vista. Obtenga más información o regístrese.
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December 8, 15, and 22, 11:30am to 12:30pm – Sunday Compost Workshops – Learn the basics on how to start your own compost pile and turn food waste into nutrient-rich soil by attending these on-site workshops, free with admission. Pre-recorded video workshops are also available. Sponsored by the City of Chula Vista. Learn more or sign up for the December 8th, 15th, and 22nd
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December 29, 11:30am to 12:30pm – Vermicomposting Workshop – Learn how to build and care for your own worm bin. Learn more or register.
I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) – The following events will be offered in December.
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December 5, 10am to 11am – Green Bins: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices Webinar. Learn the ins and outs of the City of San Diego’s curbside organic waste recycling program. Topics include the importance of diverting organic waste from our landfills, where the processed waste goes after collection, what can and cannot be disposed of in your green bin, and tips and tricks for keeping your green bin clean. Sponsored by the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department. Learn more or register.
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December 7, 9am to 12pm – Care for Your County: Spring Valley County Park Zero Waste (and Cleanup) Event. Join ILACSD in partnership with the County of San Diego for a full day of fun, music and community spirit centered around waste reduction. Activities include a clothing swap, a do-it-yourself workshop, and community cleanup of Spring Valley County Park. Learn more or register.
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December 14, 10am to 1pm – San Diego County Used Oil and Oil Filter Recycling Event – Recycle your used oil and oil filter at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts locations. Bring in a used oil filter and receive a new one for free. Learn more.
Cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove – Free Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Event – December 7, All Day (by appointment). Residents of the Cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove can dispose of their household hazardous waste such as batteries, fluorescent bulbs, electronics, paints/solvents, and more. Learn more and schedule an appointment.
San Diego Fixit Clinics – The following Fix-It Clinics will be offered in December. Learn how to reduce waste by fixing things instead of throwing items away. Bring broken or non-working items for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. Workspace, specialty tools, and guidance to help you take apart and troubleshoot your item will be provided. Clinics hosted by Zero Waste San Diego with the help of many other zero waste partners.
Solana Center for Environmental Innovation Waste Reduction Events – The following residential and business events will be offered in December.
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December 7, 10am to 12pm – Backyard Composting and Bokashi Basics Workshop – Ramona – Learn the basics of traditional composting and get an introduction to bokashi, a fermentation method that preserves your food scraps until you’re ready to compost them. Funded by the County of San Diego Recycling. Site sponsor Ramona County Library. Learn more or register.
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December 18 – Free E-Business Waste Pickup – A free monthly e-waste pick-up service is being offered to businesses in San Diego County. Register by Friday, December 13th for the Wednesday, December 18th Urban Corps will contact you to confirm pick-up. Offered in partnership with Urban Corps. Learn more or sign up.
The Water Conservation Garden – Sustainable Living Session #3 – Make and Take Personal Care Products – December 13, 10am to 11:30am ($$ fees vary) – Discover practical ways to integrate sustainability into your daily life and learn how small and personal lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Learn more or register.
City of San Diego Environmental Services Waste Reduction Events – The following waste reduction events are being offered by the City of San Diego during the months of December and January.
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December 21, 9am to 1pm – One-Day Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event – A one-day HHW collection event will be held at Balboa Park’s Lower Inspirational Parking Lot. Learn more.
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December 26th through January 23rd – 51st Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program – City of San Diego – The City of San Diego is holding its 51st Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program at a variety of drop-off sites throughout the San Diego community. See drop-off site locations and learn more.
South Bay Sustainable Communities Network – Monthly Compost Pile Turnings – Various days, timeslots, and cities – Join South Bay Sustainable Communities Network for monthly turnings of their soil saver compost bins at select compost hub locations throughout South San Diego County. Compost hubs are also available to community members to drop off food scraps. Scroll to bottom of home page to check calendar for hub locations and dates.
December 2024 through January 2025 (dates vary depending on city) – Countywide Christmas Tree Recycling – Help divert your Christmas tree from the landfill following your holiday festivities! Many communities in San Diego County have options for Christmas tree recycling at your curbside collection or at various drop-off locations. Options will include both incorporated and unincorporated areas of the County. Locations will be available in mid-December at WasteFreeSD.org.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation – The following programs will be offered in December.
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December 3, 10am to 4pm – Giving Tuesday Fundraiser for S.T.E.A.M Camp Future Stewards – Help continue to empower the next generation of changemakers. Join in this Giving Tuesday and help support underserved children attend 2025 S.T.E.A.M Camps. Multiple donation opportunities are available. Learn more or donate here.
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December 4, 5:30pm to 7pm – Adult Lecture Series – Hear how a resident of San Diego took action and built a dedicated team with a mission to keep plastic materials out of landfills. Discover the behind-the-scenes realities of where our recycling really goes and how we can fix a broken system to make a lasting environmental impact. Learn more.
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December 23, 24, 30, 31; January 1 and 2, 9am to 3pm ($100 per day fee non-member; member discount available) – Winter Discovery Camps – Kids aged kindergarten through 5 years are invited to participate in 6 days of arts, science and nature exploration. Sign up for one day or all days. Learn more or register.
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Daily program Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm – Preschool Playdates Program – ($$ fees vary) – All children ages 3 to 5 are invited to join the daily program for nature-themed lessons and activities. Each day will include environmental education and literacy, a craft made from recycled materials, outdoor play, and more. You can register for individual days or the entire week. Early release options are available at 1pm, 3pm and 4pm. Topics vary by month with the December topic being Winter Wonderland. Learn more or register.
Escondido Creek Conservancy Watershed Hike – December 7, 9:00 to 11:30am Keithley Preserve – Participate in an introductory hike on a conservancy preserve to learn about the watershed. Learn more or register.
El Living Coast Discovery Center – Caminata Safari de Sweetwater Bilingüe – 7 de diciembre, de 11:30am a 12:30pm – ¡Acompáñenos todos los sábados a explorar el sendero de la marisma de Sweetwater en el refugio silvestre nacional de la bahía de San Diego! Aprenderemos sobre la historia de la marisma de Sweetwater, el ecosistema de la marisma salada, y las plantas y vida silvestre que prospera en este espacio protegido. Mochilas con actividades divertidas, incluyendo lupas y binoculares, serán disponibles para que las familias participantes lo usen mientras estén en la caminata. Obtenga más información o registrese.
Buena Vista Audubon Kids Clubhouse – December 8, 11am to 12:30pm – School-aged children and their families are invited to complete a nature-inspired craft and explore the lagoon trail with a different focus each month. The 1/2 hour trail adventure starts from the Nature Center at 11:30. Learn more.
Center for Watershed Protection – 2024 Webcast Series: Webcast 10 – New Tools for Watershed Management – December 11, 1pm EDT ($159 fee non-member) – This webcast will cover two discussions on water management data for use in water quality screening and more, as well as economic approaches and methods, tools and resources for economic analysis for your region’s needs. Note the time on the website is posted as Eastern Time. Scroll to webcast 10 to learn more or register.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – Bilingual Sweetwater Safari Hike – December 14, 11:30am to 12:30pm – Explore the Sweetwater Marsh Trail on the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge and learn about the history of the Marsh, salt marsh ecosystem, and plants and wildlife thriving in this protected space. Learn more or sign up.
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) – Junior Rangers Program Ongoing Kids’ Educational Event – Thursdays 3:30pm to 4:30pm – Kids aged 7 through 12 are invited to learn about the ecology of estuaries and the importance of wetlands. They will participate in hands-on activities and can earn patches, buttons, and more as they progress through the program! Programs are held rain or shine and they’re FREE! Learn more by clicking on the December 5th, 12th, or 19th dates.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – 12th Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge Launch – Registration January 2nd through January 31st, 2025; Entries due April 22nd, 2025 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water has launched the 12th Campus RainWorks Challenge — a design competition open to colleges and universities in the United States. The challenge encourages undergraduate and graduate students to foster effective stormwater management and climate resilience practices that showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure. Learn more on the EPA Challenge webpage and Campus RainWorks brief.
California Coastal Commission K-12 Coastal Art & Poetry Contest – Entry deadline 5pm, January 31st, 2025 – This contest is open to kids in grades K-12 and focuses on a California coastal or ocean theme. Awards will be provided for both art and poetry entries in five grade categories K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Poems and artwork must be student’s original work. Winners will be announced in early April. Learn more or enter.
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