Stormwater Pollution Prevention Events
FEBRUARY 2025
We all play a part in preventing stormwater pollution. Here are some ways to get involved in February 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), Think Blue San Diego, 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, Green Oceanside, City of San Diego, City of Carlsbad, County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, UC San Diego Natural Reserve System, San Diego Bird Alliance, Recycle for Veterans, and Wildlife Jewels.
February 1
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8:30am to 12:30pm – California State Parks Foundation Silver Strand Beach Cleanup. Learn more or sign up by selecting the 2/1 date.
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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 – San Diego River Park Foundation River Shore Clean-Up at the Estuary and Tule Boat Launch. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 12pm – Friends of Ruffin Canyon, Ruffin Canyon Cleanup. Learn more.
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9am to 2pm – UC San Diego Love Your Wetlands Day - Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve. Learn more or register.
February 4
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9am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation River Habitat Restoration – Mission Valley. Learn more or sign up.
February 6
February 7
February 8
February 11
February 13
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8am to 10am – San Diego River Park Foundation River Center Care Team at Grant Park. Learn more or sign up.
February 14
February 15
February 18
February 19
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8am to 12pm – San Diego River Park Foundation Preserve Stewards at Eagle Park Ranch Habit Restoration. Learn more or sign up.
February 20
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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.
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3pm to 5pm – ILACSD and Green Oceanside - Stay Classy O’side: Libby Lake Community Cleanup. Learn more or register.
February 21
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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 – Garfield Street Trailhead. Learn more or sign up.
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9am to 12pm – TRNERR Friday Stewardship Cleanup and Restoration Session. Learn more or sign up.
February 22
February 25
February 27
February 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 February 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.
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 – Free 2025 County Workshops – The following workshops will be offered in 2025 sponsored by the County of San Diego.
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February 8, 9:30am to 11am – Planting Slopes for Beauty, Stability and Resiliency – Join Master Gardener Debby Dunn in learning how to transform your garden into a lush, low-water pollinator haven using the right plants. Topics include what to plant, where to plant it, and why with a special emphasis on hillside planting. Irrigation, stormwater runoff, and healthy soil topics will also be discussed. Learn more or register.
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February 22, 10am to 11am – Planting Soil, Growing Water! 101 – Join Eric Saline of Wild Made Design and learn the importance of creating healthy soil and keeping water in our landscapes. This class covers several water harvesting methods that provide a resource, reduce our impact on storm water infrastructure, and keep San Diego looking beautiful! Learn more or register.
Alta Vista Botanical Garden – Kids in the Garden Classes – February 15, 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 with February’s theme being Cotton and Nature Crafts. 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 – Spotted, Dotted and Spongy: Have You Seen These Invasive Pests? – February 20, 12pm – Learn insights into key invasive species, their distribution and impacts, quarantine measures, emerging threats, and resources to empower you in preventing and reporting these threats effectively. Learn more or register.
San Diego Botanic Garden Monthly SAPLinGS Sessions – Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in February, 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 February’s topic being Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice. 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 February. Dates and times vary. Hosted by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. See calendar and learn more or register.
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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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Take Back the Turf Phase 1 Update – Lunch and Learn Webinar – Get an update on the Take Back the Turf strategy - a watershed-wise alternative to the “non-functional turf” monoculture of ornamental green grass. Phase 1 includes San Diego, CA, San Juan Capistrano, CA and Littleton, CO 20 Minutes will be devoted to the update with a 25 Minute Q&A session.
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.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – The following composting events will be offered in February.
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2 de febrero, 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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February 9 and 16, 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 February 9th and 16th
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February 23, 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 waste reduction events will be provided in February.
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February 8, 8am to 12pm – Compost Giveaway – City of San Diego – Attend this free compost giveaway event to pick up some nutrient-rich compost for your garden. Offered to City of San Diego residents only. Site location Montgomery-Waller Community Park. Sponsored in partnership with the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department. Learn more or register.
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February 12, 10am to 11am – Green Business Solutions Webinar – Learn how to make your business more sustainable by focusing on zero waste practices. Topics include how going green can improve company culture and economic growth, how to implement lasting sustainable practices at your business, and how to increase employee engagement. Sponsored by Wells Fargo. Learn more or register.
Zero Waste San Diego – The following Zero Waste events will be offered in February.
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San Diego Fix-It Clinics – 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.
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12th Annual Zero Waste Symposium, February 26, 9am to 5pm – ($$ fees vary) – Learn about local green businesses, programs, policies, and local government zero-waste initiatives from a local lineup of national, and international speakers who share their expert knowledge on all things zero waste. Topics include SB1383 regulation and California policy updates, sustainable packaging, reuse and repair programs, and more. Breakout sessions and networking opportunities will also be provided. Registration closes February 21st. Site location: San Diego County Operations Center 5520 Overland Road. Learn more or register.
Solana Center for Environmental Innovation Waste Reduction Events – The following residential and business events will be offered in February.
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February 19 – 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, February 14th for the Wednesday, February 19th Urban Corps will contact you to confirm pick-up. Offered in partnership with Urban Corps. Learn more or sign up.
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February 22, 10am to 12pm – Backyard Composting Basics Workshop – Fallbrook – Learn the basics of traditional backyard composting including the importance and benefits of composting, composting bin options, tools, and materials, and how to build a compost pile. Funded by the County of San Diego. Site location and host Fallbrook Library. Learn more or register.
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February 22, March 1 and 8, 9:30am to 12pm – 3-Week On-Farm Composting Course – San Marcos – ($25 fee) – In this 3-week composting course that focuses on small farms and medium-sized composting approaches, you’ll learn how to manage crop residues, manures, and other organic waste while creating a stellar soil amendment. Topics include composting basics and management, composting/water saving benefits, neighbor-friendly composting best management practices scaled to farms, and what is permissible on farms without permits. Residents of Unincorporated County of San Diego will receive preferential registration. Sponsored by the County of San Diego Department of Public Works. Site location Teri Campus of Life. Learn more or register.
SD Environmental Services One-Day Collection Event – City of San Diego – February 8, 9am to 1pm – A household hazardous waste (HHW) collection event will be held at San Diego Miramar College, 10440 Black Mountain Road, San Diego. 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.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation – The following programs will be offered in February.
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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 February event.
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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 February topic being Habitat Happenings. 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 regístrese.
The Living Coast Discovery Center – Bilingual Sweetwater Safari Hike Series – 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 for the February 8th, 15th and 22nd hikes.
Keep America Beautiful – 2025 National Conference: Together Is Beautiful – February 10 through 13, Washington D.C. – ($$ fees vary) – Join industry leaders and changemakers to explore fresh ideas for connecting sustainability with social impact strategies, engaging employees, and empowering communities. Event includes speakers and networking opportunities. Learn more or register.
San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy – Connecting Creatures, Climate, and Communities – 2nd Wednesday Speaker Series – February 12, 6:30pm to 8pm – Join our 5 experts for a series of talks exploring how animals, climate, and communities are all connected! Learn more or get free tickets by selecting the 2/12 event on the events webpage.
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