Hats off to another successful Kids’ Ocean Day – ILACSD’s 18th and the state’s 23rd annual event! Kids’ Ocean Day is a unique, annual event centered on engaging our youth as environmental stewards. After a school assembly about ocean conservation, 3rd-5th grade students from eight Title 1 schools around the county joined together at South Mission Beach to leave a lasting impact on their environment.
Take a look at how we spent the day!
Staff arrived at 5:00 AM to lay the aerial art design in the sand.
Volunteer groups, like Kohl’s Associates in Action, led students during the cleanup to ensure the day ran smoothly!
Thanks to additional sponsorship this year, ILACSD provided 50 reusable buckets for the cleanup, reducing the amount of disposable trash bags used at this event.
Volunteers reviewed safety tips for the cleanup and got students energized for the day!
Over 950 students, teachers, and volunteers participated in a beach cleanup, ensuring fewer pieces of land litter become marine debris.
Zero Waste in action! Most students created temporary trash bins from repurposed milk jugs, which they later recycled.
Fresh air + fresh dance moves + a freshly cleaned beach = a great day.
Students waiting patiently for the helicopter to circle overhead and capture the perfect shot of the aerial art.
And lastly, the official image! Great job, team! To get involved with an upcoming event, please visit CleanSD.org!
Happy World Ocean’s Day! Today we celebrate the ocean for the joy it brings us, the food it provides us, and the oxygen it supplies us. The mysterious and vast ocean with its other-worldly creatures captivates young and old alike. From nudibranchs and sea hares to sharks and rays, the ocean holds amazingly unique creatures. Unfortunately, many are threatened by human actions that negatively impact their habitats. Therefore, today must also be a call to action to protect these organisms and preserve our ocean!
Ocean acidification threatens ocean ecosystems that include oysters, reefs, and the foundation of several food chains, plankton.
Ocean acidification is one way in which humans are driving drastic changes in the ocean. Ocean acidification is the alteration of ocean chemistry as a result of increased carbon absorption, which is a direct effect of increased carbon emissions. One serious consequence of ocean acidification is that it becomes very difficult for certain organisms, such as corals, oysters, and even plankton, to both build and maintain the calcium carbonate structure that they depend upon, such as shells and reefs. This can negatively impact the organism itself, as well as entire ocean ecosystems.
Coral and sea urchins are also affected by ocean acidification.
Thankfully, we can control how much carbon we each emit into the atmosphere. Follow these four easy steps to reduce your carbon emissions.
Travel by foot, bike or trolley more often to reduce your carbon footprint!
Environmental Education Specialist, Grace enjoying one of San Diego’s many bike trails.
Spend less time in your car. This could mean riding your bike, walking, taking public transportation, or carpooling. The average car produces about 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon. Reducing your need to fuel up helps to lessen your impact on the environment and your wallet all at once.
Lower your electricity bill. This doesn’t just mean turning off lights, but can include simple and easy practices such as unplugging appliances when they aren’t in use, utilizing energy saving light bulbs, and enabling the sleep function on your computer.
Buy local. Products have less distance to travel when you choose to buy locally made and grown products, reducing the amount of energy used to transport the goods.
Practice the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Go even one step further and purchase items made out of recycled material. Less energy will go towards manufacturing new products and finding natural resources to make them. Don’t know where to recycle something? Check out WasteFreeSD.org.
Looking for more tips? Come to our Zero Waste Summit this Saturday, June 11th in Encinitas to build your zero waste toolkit with great giveaways! The whole family is welcome to come out, tour our interactive booths, and hear from a panel of zero waste experts. With your effort, we can keep our oceans healthy and accessible well into the future. Enjoy World Ocean Day!
ILACSD, Solana Center and Jimbo’s will all have interactive booths this Saturday!
ILACSD’s Admin Assistant, Erika, took a weekend hike to explore one of our newest adoptable sites in Escondido.
This past Monday was Summer Solstice, which marks the longest day of the year and the official onset of summer! With the longer days, it’s the perfect time to get out and explore the endless hiking trails around San Diego County. This weekend I did just that and took a trip to Dixon Lake, one of I Love A Clean San Diego’s newest inland adoptable sites in North County.
The perfect spot for a picnic. For easy cleanup, choose reusable utensils and pack snacks in tupperware instead of sandwich bags that can get blown into the lake.
When I first walked through the ranger station, I was pleasantly surprised to see several covered and uncovered picnic areas. Below is one of the areas I found, which I will definitely be coming back to for a summer picnic! I spotted several trash cans in the area, but whenever there aren’t any, the most important thing to remember is the principal of pack it in, pack it out. By making sure that you carry out all the trash that you brought into the open space or park, you can easily help to reduce litter at the source.
Walking past the picnic tables, I crossed a little bridge which led to the 2.1 mile trail that follows the edge of the lake. The trail was mostly flat and perfect for hikers of all ages.
About half a mile into the trail there was the opportunity to turn onto a bridge covered in reed grass. My curiosity got the best of me, so I veered off the path and crossed the bridge, and I’m so glad I did!
The bridge led to a dock right on the water, providing a beautiful view of the entire surrounding area. I took a few moments at this spot to enjoy the morning tranquility of the lake.
Behind me, there was a fisherman enjoying some early morning fishing off the end of the dock. One more of the activities you can take advantage of at the lake!
Dixon Lake is also a great fishing spot for locals!
On the way back to the parking lot I decided to take the service road, which runs several feet above the trail. I was a little disappointed to stumble across some trash in the middle of the road. With just a few feet of separation between the road and the lake, the trash could easily end up in the water within a matter of seconds. Thinking back to the beautiful views from the dock, I know I would not want that view ruined by a fast food bag and coffee cup floating in the water.
Unfortunately, plastic bags, pet waste as well as food wrappers and bottles are commonly found along the trails.
Interested in keeping Dixon Lake clean? Visit AdoptSD.org to learn more and to schedule your own cleanups! We provide a free educational presentation to kick off your first cleanup, and if you complete three cleanups over the course of a year, you can apply to have your group’s name posted on a sign on site.
Whether it’s your favorite, beach, canyon or park, let’s keep San Diego clean, together. Find out how you can get involved in a program that fits your schedule at CleanSD.org!
“We generate enough trash to fill Qualcomm Stadium each year…”
The words spoken by my Conservation Science and Policy professor sent an unsettling feeling straight to the pit of my stomach. That is an insane amount of trash. Buried right here in the City? No way.Yet, there I was sitting in a desk learning about waste management policies and how they impact our environment. I learned that the Miramar Landfill is San Diego’s only active landfill. San Diego’s trash is buried in a site that opened in 1959 and is projected to close between 2020 – 2025! That got me thinking. Where will the trash go? How does that much even exist here in the City? Enough to fill Qualcomm? Is recycling not enough to reduce landfill input?
photo credit: KPBS; Katie Orr
All of these questions echoed in my head when I found myself sitting in a bus on a field trip, in the middle of the current open “pit” at the Miramar Landfill. There I was in a crater of trash, an eyesore of waste piled multiple feet high. The view unearthed the ugly truth that waste is a huge issue that is usually out of site, out of mind. Sitting in the middle of the trash I had the same unsettling feeling and I felt compelled to act.
Toothbrushes made from recycled yogurt cups and benches constructed out of milk jugs serve as proof that we can do more with our resources.
From that day on I decided to embrace the zero waste lifestyle. I started by reflecting on the trash I produced and looking into organizations that were helping to combat the waste issues in San Diego. Research led me to stumble upon I Love A Clean San Diego. I was inspired by the cleanups and the passion for sustainability the organization embodied. I became more impressed when I found WasteFreeSD.org and how it is a resource for residents like me who want to divert their waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
Start with the basics!
I feel fortunate to now be a part of the team! Assisting the Call Center allows me to direct residents to proper disposal facilities, help keep hazardous waste out of the landfill, and provide repair and reuse options to those who are also waste conscious. My journey with zero waste all started with the pit, both literally and figuratively. Think back to a time that really impacted you, maybe you acted on it, maybe you didn’t but the impact it had is still just as important. Grasp that feeling; it can change your life and the planet’s.
Leila (far left) and two of our interns checking out cleanup supplies at our annual Creek to Bay Cleanup!
Visit CleanSD.org to learn how you can get involved in making a lasting impact on our environment!
Happy World Ocean’s Day! Today we celebrate the ocean for the joy it brings us, the food it provides us, and the oxygen it supplies us. The mysterious and vast ocean with its other-worldly creatures captivates young and old alike. From nudibranchs and sea hares to sharks and rays, the ocean holds amazingly unique creatures. Unfortunately, many are threatened by human actions that negatively impact their habitats. Therefore, today must also be a call to action to protect these organisms and preserve our ocean!
Ocean acidification threatens ocean ecosystems that include oysters, reefs, and the foundation of several food chains, plankton.
Ocean acidification is one way in which humans are driving drastic changes in the ocean. Ocean acidification is the alteration of ocean chemistry as a result of increased carbon absorption, which is a direct effect of increased carbon emissions. One serious consequence of ocean acidification is that it becomes very difficult for certain organisms, such as corals, oysters, and even plankton, to both build and maintain the calcium carbonate structure that they depend upon, such as shells and reefs. This can negatively impact the organism itself, as well as entire ocean ecosystems.
Coral and sea urchins are also affected by ocean acidification.
Thankfully, we can control how much carbon we each emit into the atmosphere. Follow these four easy steps to reduce your carbon emissions.
Travel by foot, bike or trolley more often to reduce your carbon footprint!
Environmental Education Specialist, Grace enjoying one of San Diego’s many bike trails.
Spend less time in your car. This could mean riding your bike, walking, taking public transportation, or carpooling. The average car produces about 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon. Reducing your need to fuel up helps to lessen your impact on the environment and your wallet all at once.
Lower your electricity bill. This doesn’t just mean turning off lights, but can include simple and easy practices such as unplugging appliances when they aren’t in use, utilizing energy saving light bulbs, and enabling the sleep function on your computer.
Buy local. Products have less distance to travel when you choose to buy locally made and grown products, reducing the amount of energy used to transport the goods.
Practice the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Go even one step further and purchase items made out of recycled material. Less energy will go towards manufacturing new products and finding natural resources to make them. Don’t know where to recycle something? Check out WasteFreeSD.org.
Looking for more tips? Come to our Zero Waste Summit this Saturday, June 11th in Encinitas to build your zero waste toolkit with great giveaways! The whole family is welcome to come out, tour our interactive booths, and hear from a panel of zero waste experts. With your effort, we can keep our oceans healthy and accessible well into the future. Enjoy World Ocean Day!
ILACSD, Solana Center and Jimbo’s will all have interactive booths this Saturday!
Hats off to another successful Kids’ Ocean Day – ILACSD’s 18th and the state’s 23rd annual event! Kids’ Ocean Day is a unique, annual event centered on engaging our youth as environmental stewards. After a school assembly about ocean conservation, 3rd-5th grade students from eight Title 1 schools around the county joined together at South Mission Beach to leave a lasting impact on their environment.
Take a look at how we spent the day!
Staff arrived at 5:00 AM to lay the aerial art design in the sand.
Volunteer groups, like Kohl’s Associates in Action, led students during the cleanup to ensure the day ran smoothly!
Thanks to additional sponsorship this year, ILACSD provided 50 reusable buckets for the cleanup, reducing the amount of disposable trash bags used at this event.
Volunteers reviewed safety tips for the cleanup and got students energized for the day!
Over 950 students, teachers, and volunteers participated in a beach cleanup, ensuring fewer pieces of land litter become marine debris.
Zero Waste in action! Most students created temporary trash bins from repurposed milk jugs, which they later recycled.
Fresh air + fresh dance moves + a freshly cleaned beach = a great day.Students waiting patiently for the helicopter to circle overhead and capture the perfect shot of the aerial art.
And lastly, the official image! Great job, team! To get involved with an upcoming event, please visit CleanSD.org!
