California Biodiversity Day SMRT Garden Bioblitz

California Biodiversity Week is Sep 6-13 and we are sponsoring a fun event.

In partnership with the San Dieguito County Park & Alejandro Santos, Park Ranger.

Join our SMRT Garden Bioblitz! Less than one year ago, Solana Beach Eco Rotary Club together with park staff created a SMRT (Stormwater Makes Retained Treasure) Garden in the San Dieguito County Park to attract more wildlife. We took a small lot at the bottom of a parking lot and road that was full of invasive weeds and cleared it. We created bioswales to catch stormwater and planted natives. The garden is thriving and teaming with life now. But how well is it generating biodiversity less than one year in? We will divide volunteers into 3 groups to measure biodiversity in three different gardens using apps iNaturalist and eBird.

• Group 1 will be our SMRT Garden group (mostly native plants)

• Group 2 will check out the nearby Butterfly Garden (mostly non-native pollinator plants)

• Group 3 will monitor the lawn area next to these gardens.

Each group will be given just under an hour to document every different bug, bird, lizard and other life they can find in that space. Don't worry if you have never used iNaturalist and eBird. At the end of our hour, we will tally up the totals and find the biodiversity winner. 

Date and Time: Sunday, Sept 6, 8:30-10am. We can learn about SMRT Gardens and the iNaturalist app first. Bioblitz starts right at 9.

Location: San Dieguito County Park, lower park (near corner of Highland Drive and El Camino Real). Entry gates will be closed at 8:30 so park off El Camino Real just to the right of the entry gate. Walk through the opening in the wooden fence, past the ponds, over the lawn to the right and look for a blue SBECO canopy near the Butterfly Garden.