Feb 20-22 - President Elect Learning Seminar in LA

Alisa and Jenny had the privilege of attending their second PELs in preparation of their ‘encore’ year of service as club co-presidents.  Carter and Amelie were also there representing the D5340 Environmental Sustainability Committee and ESRAG at a booth. This is a fantastic seminar for Rotarians to recharge their batteries, gain knowledge, make contacts and foster inspiration for year ahead. Our guest speakers were outstanding humanitarians including incoming RI president Olayinka Babalola (aka ‘Yinka’) from Nigeria. We also heard from Erin Gruwell, the amazing teacher at the heart of the movie Freedom Writers. While there was a massive amount of information handed out, it was interspersed with plenty of fun, food and festivities. Altogether an excellent weekend in preparation for our year ahead. It was a wonderful reminder that Rotary is an outstanding service organization doing great work around the world. 

Feb 24 - Field Trip to Rose Creek

Our field trip to Rose Creek took place on an incredibly beautiful, warm, sunny winter morning – the kind of day that makes the rest of America a little jealous. We were accompanied by pedestrians and bikers going by, kayakers in the water, amazing birds flying overhead. The perfect conditions only emphasized the phenomenal beauty of Rose Creek and the need to protect it. This tour was well timed for other reasons. We had just had speakers Karin Zirk (Friends of Rose Creek in December) and Andrew Meyer (ReWild Mission Bay/ San Diego Bird Alliance in January) visit and talk to our club about the past, present and future of this very important area. There are also an extraordinary variety of birds migrating through the area this time of year as part of the Pacific Flyway. Evidently, the birds enjoy our weather too. 

Karin gave us a tour that started on the pedestrian and bike bridge close to the outlet of Rose Creek (Mike Gotch Bridge). From here we could see north to two other bridges that span an unusual concentration of different ecosystems – from Mission Bay to mud flats (high nutrient habitats) to estuary (salt marshes) to just a glimpse of the riparian area beyond. This creek is now the only source of fresh water to Mission Bay, making it critical to marine life because this tidal wetland habitat is rich in essential nutrients. The area also acts as a filter to clean the water (by bioremediation) before entering the ocean and as a sponge to protect us from flooding during storm surges. Sadly, the area has been overlooked for decades. Pollution is a never-ending problem and unhoused people populate the areas under bridges. Friends of Rose Creek regularly remove trash and invasive plants, restore habitat and advocate for enhanced environmental protection.

From the bridge we looked south to Mission Bay. 200 years ago, this area was 4000-acre of wetlands - an enormous breeding and feeding ground for birds and marine life. The Kumeyaay described this area as so dense with wildlife that the sky would darken when birds would suddenly take flight. During the 1950s and 1960s, the bay was dredged for better boat access and new land was development – beaches, housing, resorts, a golf course, amusement parks. This project was a boon for economics of the city and created the largest water park in the US, but it at the expense of an immense and beautiful ecosystem. 

To the right of the bridge as we looked at Mission Bay is an area leased to Campland, then the Kendal-Frost Marsh beyond that. The KF Reserve is 21 acres and together with the Northern Wildlife Reserve protect 40 acres of the only wetlands left in Mission Bay (that’s just 1% of the original). Rose Creek historically connected to the marsh. Today, the Kendal Frost Marsh is dying slowly without this connection and the rich nutrients of the creek. To the left is the old De Anza Motor Home Park that was emptied after years of litigation. It’s open to the public now, so we were able to walk through to see more of the space known as the ‘boot’. Check the pictures below. 

Here is the good news: this entire area at the mouth of Rose Creek is slated for habitat restoration from the Kendall Frost Marsh to the west to De Anza Cove on the east although the exact plans and timing are still being determined. It will be a massive restoration project that entails the removal of Campland (finally reconnecting Rose Creek to the KF Marsh) and the removal of the entire ‘boot’ that made up the De Anza Mobile Home Park. The city has approved one plan, De Anza Natural Plan, that is being reviewed by the coastal commission now. It will add 140 acres of restored wetlands but also includes visitor accommodation and other development. ReWild Mission Bay has alternative plans that consider sea level rise that will occur in the next decades. It creates additional acres of restored wetlands and upland habitats for a total of 170 acres. Experts believe this second model to be superior in protecting water quality, wildlife and the coast from storm surges in the years ahead. It creates open space for passive enjoyment and allows for expected periodic flooding.  Both Friends of Rose Creek and ReWild Mission Bay strongly advocate the passage of the second plan (aka ReWild's ‘Wildest’ Plan).

During our tour, we discovered for ourselves that Rose Creek and surrounding areas are an outstanding natural treasure for our city. However, habitat restoration is needed and the funds for this are available through the lease revenue of surrounding businesses - The Mission Bay Park Improvement Fund. Right now, the city is stalled on moving forward with all promised restoration projects and is using funds earmarked for Mission Bay habitat restoration for maintenance on bathrooms and parking lots in Mission Bay Park. Environmental groups are hoping to change that with consistent education and advocacy.  

What can Rotarians do to support the best restoration efforts?  It has been said that the more you know a place, the more you will love it and want to protect it. Please take your friends and go visit Rose Creek and De Anza Cove. Karin gives tours frequently. Rotary Clubs can participate in regular cleanups and habitat restoration projects by the organizations listed below and educate others about the two plans being proposed. SBECO Rotary will keep supporting those working hard to see the best restoration plans for Rose Creek and surrounding areas. Find out more/consider your support for

• Friends of Rose Creek-   https://saverosecreek.org/
• San Diego Bird Alliance- https://www.sandiegobirdalliance.org/
• ReWild Mission Bay https://rewildmissionbay.org/

Mar 3 Mtg - Jenny Parker/ Tijuana River Project

Alisa ran a stimulating business meeting complete with special announcements and a fun game to learn more about Rotary. She highly suggests that we check our club calendar regularly. March and April will be very busy months for the club. April also has some significant changes to our usual schedule. 

Our speaker for the evening was Jenny Parker who spoke about potential Rotary projects involving the Tijuana River Pollution Crisis. She started with ‘Why get involved in this complicated problem?’ The answer is that this pollution crisis affects almost all areas of focus for Rotary including Protecting the Environment, Water and Sanitation, Disease prevention, Mothers and Children, Economic Development, Peace and conflict management, making it a deeply meaningful project. It is the largest pollution problem in San Diego County, making it a concern for our Eco Club in particular. Also, Rotary’s international network and resource capacity position it well to help solve this issue. Rotary is a trusted, neutral, international organization known for being able to bring together community, experts from around the globe and enormous resources to find solutions when others cannot. 

Jenny has conducted a needs assessment in preparation for the project, connecting with officials and organizations on both sides of the border. The US side faces water and air pollution affecting public health, economy, biodiversity, and marine life; meanwhile, extreme poverty in Tijuana prioritizes immediate needs like clean water, food, shelter and jobs. Any sustainable solution must address all these factors.

Similar river pollution challenges exist worldwide, and lessons from other regions can inform this project. While each river is unique, we can draw on expertise and solutions from around the globe.  We also have significant resources in ESRAG, WASHRAG, UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programs) and our Cadre of Experts. We have connections with other environmental and community-based organizations who know what has and has not worked in the Tijuana area in the past and what programs might work in the future. We have many clubs in the D5340 and D4100 that are eager to help in any way. We have Rotarians with connections to businesses and governments that can assist us as well. As our Rotary theme states, we can UNITE FOR GOOD. 

Also integral to this project is an outstanding Rotarian who is leading multiple water projects in the US, Mexico and Central America, Steve Bender. Steve is President of The Rotary Club of Newport Beach and a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability and community development. He has been the CEO and consultant to corporations and non-profit organizations worldwide and has been involved in many environmental programs and green building in addition to his water projects. He heads the Rotary Reef project, desalination projects in Latin America and multiple river projects. Steve would like this new Tijuana River Project  (https://tijuanariverproject.org/) to come under the umbrella of his Building Bridges through Rotary  (https://buildingbridgesthroughrotary.org/). This broader structure will allow us better visibility and impact. 

The most effective solutions to river pollution involve preventing the pollutants from reaching the river in the first place. Looking at the causes of pollution in the Tijuana River, they can be divided into three general categories: sewage, toxic chemicals, large waste (mostly tires and plastic). Steve and Jenny investigated the source of each of these pollutants, considered solutions and found the best starting point would be tires and plastic. They found that few aluminum cans and glass bottles end in the river because the Tijuana locals can get a small fee for returning them. Tires and plastic don’t recycle easily and there is minimal municipal waste pickup in Tijuana, so these items are left in the streets or thrown into canyons or streams. They all end in the river.

An excellent environmental organization called WildCoast  (https://wildcoast.org/) is active around the world in marine conservation and they have been doing outstanding work in the Tijuana River Watershed.  WildCoast has set up plastic collection sites in Tijuana and two trash booms across river tributaries to collect waste. They train the locals to retrieve the waste to be disposed of properly. Most of what is collected is transported to an area far away for landfill or recycling.  This is an excellent program for preventing this waste from reaching the US, but quite expensive and not sustainable long term. WildCoast has had creative programs to build parks from recycled materials and excellent environmental education events for the community. However, more still needs to be done and a wider audience needs to hear the message. 

Steve suggests creating industries in Tijuana that recycle tire and plastic waste into eco-friendly cost- effective products, inspired by successful models abroad like RiverRecycle. These would create local jobs and financial incentives, supporting both the community and river restoration. Later plans include using recycled materials for affordable housing in Tijuana.

While this is only the first step of a very complicated project, Steve is confident creating circular economy in Tijuana will make a tangible difference. We are working on Tijuana River Project goals for July 2027 and a five-year plan. Continued support from local Rotary clubs for WildCoast and community engagement is essential. Those interested can contact Jenny at 619-985-2999.