Did you know that there are 11 locations along the San Diego coastline that have been designated as Marine Protected Areas?
These designated areas help preserve the health of these important coastal ecosystems, allowing for the plants and animals in those areas to thrive and be protected from human disturbances. For example, the kelp forests off of Point Loma and La Jolla serve as home to sea lions, nudibranchs, and garibaldi, just to mention a few signature species.
Wetlands also play an important role along our beautiful coast, dotting the landscape from the beautiful Tijuana River Estuary to the Buena Vista Lagoon located along the Northern Coast of San Diego County. These wetlands serve many purposes, from water filtration, to plant and animal habitat, some of which are endangered, to flood control, and recreational purposes.
The coves, cliffs, and beaches of San Diego are varied and beautiful. Take some time this month to visit your favorite part of the San Diego coast and thank the Earth for providing humans with this amazing resource!
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Photo Source: C. Starr Howe |
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Please share this newsletter sign-up link with others so they can receive future Environmental Literacy News and Updates. Bookmark our webpage to stay informed about upcoming events and see a full calendar of offerings!
San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) Environmental Literacy Coordinator
San Diego Children and Nature (SDCaN) Executive Director
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Cabrillo National Monument
The Cabrillo National Monument hosts some of the most beautiful vantage points of San Diego. From the top of the Bayside Trail you can see the San Diego Bay and downtown as well as hike amongst the well preserved coastal sage scrub habitat. You can visit one of the original eight lighthouses on the West Coast and gaze out at the Pacific Ocean. The tidepools are home to limpets, mussels, crabs, and sea hares. Visiting the Cabrillo National Monument provides experiences in science, history, and an opportunity to connect with nature.
Cabrillo National Monument offers seven different science education programs in San Diego's only national park, including programs in their pristine tidepools. These programs are NGSS-aligned and span topics such as adaptations, climate change, and conservation science. Choose from virtual or in-person K-12 programming, all of which are free to accredited education organizations. Bus funding for Title 1 and 4th grade classrooms is available (while funds last). For more information, head to Cabrillo's Science Programs webpage.
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Photo Source: C. Starr Howe |
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Environmental Educator Leaders Network Kicks Off New School Year |
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More than 40 educators attended the Environmental Educator Leaders Network to mingle, learn, and enjoy the outdoors together. We participated in harvesting at Coastal Roots Farm and shared snacks, including a tasty baba ghanoush! A get-to-know-you bingo game led to finding common love of the outdoors as well as lots of laughs.
We dove into learning about Southern California’s biodiversity in the National Parks system with Keith Lombardo, the director of the National Parks Service (NPS) Southern California Research Learning Center. We all want to know more about mountain lions, resource management, and local agave plants!
We are looking forward to continued events and learning activities as a network this year!
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Please spend five minutes to complete a review of your 2022-23 programming. This information will help EELN better serve the network and help all of us better serve students.
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Photo Source: C. Starr Howe |
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For Environmental Educators
Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon
Join us to improve the activities you do with students. Bring a lesson from your program to add in strategies to improve student’s observations and discussion skills. Get feedback and suggestions from your peers and experts in outdoor learning.
Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon
This workshop will provide a refresher or introduction to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for environmental education program instructors. Consider how NGSS connects to your field or in-school program and how to highlight the dimensions of NGSS for students.
See environmental education open positions for San Diego. This document is updated regularly, so you may want to bookmark it for future use.
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For Environmental Educators and Classroom Teachers
Nature Journaling Club for Educators
Learn nature journaling skills and activities that you can use with your students, all while exploring the biodiversity of San Diego with like-minded educators. Nature journaling improves our observation skills and piques our curiosity, leading us to ask questions about and have stronger connections to nature. It also helps calm our nervous system, and inspires creativity and independent thinking.
Sessions will be held every second Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m.
Learning in Local Nature
This one-day professional learning for K-8 teachers will be offered at a variety of locations in Southern California during 2023-2024. We will focus on environmental literacy in science and how to use your campus as an outdoor classroom. Identify local environmental phenomena and get tips on connecting with community partners. Learn from experts in the field and collaborate with other classroom educators from across Southern California. Substitutes will be reimbursed!
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Eco-Club Coalition
The Eco-Club Coalition (ECC), a Youth4Climate program, is an alliance of hundreds of students at more than a dozen high schools across San Diego County. Their goal is to build community amongst a diverse group of students, educate youth on climate issues, and use their collective power to mobilize students and organize impactful events. Please fill out this ECC sign up form for more information on how you can join an Eco-Club or establish one at your school.
CAELI Partner Portal
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) has launched a new Partner Portal that promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of community-based partners and their products and services and fosters relationships between educators and community-based partners for increased student enrichment and engagement. The goals of the hub are to increase the visibility and access to environmental education community-based partners and be a reliable central repository for districts, schools, and teachers to identify programs that align with their local needs and meet educational standards. Learn more about our San Diego partners.
Project WET
EcoLogik STEM Workshops
Join STEM professionals for a variety of workshops exploring the real science conducted in America’s national parks. Participants will use technology to investigate real-world problems and learn ways to solve them, empowering them to preserve and protect nature and sparking an interest in STEM. These workshops are free to the public, and will be located at Cabrillo, libraries, and other community spaces around the county. Register for these free workshops on the Cabrillo National Park website.
Ms. Smarty-Plants Assemblies, Field Trips and Classroom Visits
The Water Conservation Garden and Ms. Smarty-Plants™ are providing fantastic free, fun programs for your students this school year. She can visit your school in person, or you can visit us at The Garden to explore our garden exhibits. She will inspire students about water conservation, gardening, and science! Water Districts throughout the county are funding these programs for schools. Please reach out to our education team to see if your school qualifies for a free program! Please email SmartyPlants@thegarden.org or visit the Ms. Smarty Plants website.
Fleet Week
Student STEM Day inside the Fleet Week Innovation Zone brings exciting hands-on STEM activities to students. The Innovation Zone will showcase new and emerging technologies sourced in both military and civilian applications. Elementary, middle, and high school students will thrill to these interactive displays, tours, and demonstrations.
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Where: Broadway Pier, Downtown San Diego
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When: Nov. 8-9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Who: K-12 students and educators
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California Black Sea Hare
October is the month of creepy-crawlies ... but this California Black Sea Hare (Aplysia vaccaria) is anything but. Just look at that squishy little face! This large sea slug can be seen along the California Coast in places like Cabrillo National Monument's tidepools, but there's nothing to fear — they're herbivores that feed on brown algae, which gives them their dark coloration. And they grow quickly! At an average of 4.9 grams a day, this sea slug is the largest of its kind, making them difficult prey for the predators that might eat them. Not bad for a species with only a one-year lifespan.
And speaking of lifespan and the lifecycle, California Black Sea Hares are simultaneous hermaphrodites, which means they have both sexes at the same time. This makes finding mates a much easier process as they can mate with any other California Black Sea Hare — if only dating apps were that simple.
But why is it called a sea hare? All sea hares are so named for the long, rabbit ear-like structures (rhinophores) on top of their heads. These rhinophores are external organs for smelling and tasting.
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If you have any questions or comments about Environmental Literacy News and Updates, please contact one of our Environmental Literacy Science team members.
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Environmental Literacy Coordinator
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Science Administrative Assistant
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