Stormwater Pollution Prevention Events
JANUARY 2025
We all play a part in preventing stormwater pollution. Here are some ways to get involved in January 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, San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy, Friends of Ruffin Canyon, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, California State Parks Foundation, City of San Diego, County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, and City of Carlsbad.
January 3
January 4
January 7
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Habitat Restoration – Mission Valley. Learn more or sign up.
January 9
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9am to 11am – Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Trail Cleanup Event – Garfield Street Trailhead. Learn more or sign up.
January 10
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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.
January 11
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9am to 11am – ILACSD Watershed Warrior Community Cleanup: Fallbrook Library. Learn more or register.
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9am to 12pm – San Diego Canyonlands Ruffin Canyon Habitat Restoration Event. Learn more.
January 14
January 17
January 18
January 21
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Habitat Restoration – Mission Valley. Learn more or sign up.
January 23
January 24
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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.
January 25
January 28
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Habitat Restoration – Mission Valley. Learn more or sign up.
January 31
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 January 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.
Alta Vista Botanical Garden – Kids in the Garden Classes– January 11, 10am to 12pm ($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. Learn more or pre-register with Farmer Jones at farmerjonesavbg@gmail.com.
University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – Urban & Community Webinar Series - Protecting Pollinators & Wildlife with New Laws in CA – January 16, 12pm – Learn about the new laws recently passed in California to address negative pesticide effects on pollinators and wildlife. Also, what it means for several common garden pests, including insects and rodents. Learn more or register.
San Diego Botanic Garden Monthly SAPLinGS Sessions – Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in January, 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 January. 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.
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 Water Conservation Garden – 2025 Garden Workshops – January through June. – Help your garden thrive with these free workshops! Topics will range from Irrigation 101 to Native Plant Landscaping. Please check their webpage here for the January event.
Countywide Christmas Tree Recycling – December 2024 through January 2025 (dates vary depending on city) – 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. See locations at WasteFreeSD.org.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – The following composting events will be offered in January.
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5 de enero, 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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January 12 and 19, 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 January 12th and 19th
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January 26, 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) – ILACSD provides a variety of waste reduction events throughout the year. Please check their calendar here for January events.
San Diego Fixit Clinics – The following Fix-It Clinics will be offered in January. 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 January.
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January 15th through May 21st, 2025, Select Wednesdays, 6pm to 8:30pm – “All We Can Save” In-Person Sustainability Circle - Encinitas ($50 suggested donation plus book) – Participate in ten sessions of deeper discussions around climate crisis and building community around solutions. This is a continuation of dialog based on an anthology of writings (‘All We Can Save’) by 60 women at the forefront of the climate movement. Must commit to attending at least eight of the ten sessions. Learn more or register.
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January 15 – 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, January 10th for the Wednesday, January 15th Urban Corps will contact you to confirm pick-up. Offered in partnership with Urban Corps. Learn more or sign up.
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January 18, 10am to 12pm – In-Ground Composting with Worms Workshop – Borrego Springs – Learn about the benefits of vermicomposting (composting with worms). Topics include benefits of and how to use an in-ground worm bin, feeding of worms, and harvesting finished castings. Sponsored by the County of San Diego. Site host Borrego ART Institute. Learn more or register.
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January 22, 2pm to 3pm – Commercial Food Waste Prevention Webinar – Learn strategies to reduce food waste, save money, and get ahead of state regulations impacting your business. Topics include impacts of food waste on your business and the environment, organic waste legislation (SB 1383), practical tips to prevent food waste, how to save money, and more. Funded by County of San Diego. Learn more or register.
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January 25, 10am to 11am – Rain Barrel & Water Harvesting Workshop for City of San Diego Residents – Learn about the benefits of rain barrels and best practices for rainwater collection at this workshop designed for City of San Diego residents. Topics include an installation demonstration, downspout and rain chain connections, rain barrel maintenance and emptying practices, and rebates for City of San Diego residents. Webinar funded by Think Blue San Diego. Site host North Clairmont Recreation Center. Discounted rain barrels available for City of San Diego residents. Learn more or register.
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January 26, 10am to 11am – Green Living Tour ($5 suggested donation) – Learn how to live a more sustainable lifestyle with easy steps to address issues around water, waste, and soil health. You’ll see sustainability in action as you explore worm bins, grey water systems, innovative compost projects, a water-wise garden, tool lending library, and more. Learn more or register.
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.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation – The following programs will be offered in January.
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Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Adult Lecture Series – The Foundation provides monthly adult lectures the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30pm to 7pm. Please check their webpage here for the January event.
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January 2 and 3, 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 January topic being Deep Blue Sea. Learn more or register.
El Living Coast Discovery Center – Caminata Safari de Sweetwater Bilingüe – Los sábados 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. Obtenga más información o regístrese.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – Bilingual Sweetwater Safari Hike – Saturdays, 11:30am to 12:30 pm – Join the Center every Saturday to 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.
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