Headwaters Habitat Restoration

Enjoy the great outdoors and help the River Park Foundation restore an oak woodland along a free-flowing mountain stream. Volunteers can help create habitat for wildlife and keep water clean by removing invasive plants, watering native plants, and more! This is a great opportunity to give back by getting your hands dirty, learning about local ecology and habitat restoration science, looking for wildlife, and spending time in nature. The event takes place at Boulder Creek Preserve, a 13-acre preserve and the San Diego River Park Foundation education field station. Boulder Creek Preserve is located outside of Descanso, CA (about 45 minutes east of Downtown). Project Requirements & Important Notes Attire: Please wear long pants, close-toed shoes (tennis shoes or hiking boots) and layers. Bring: Plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. Waivers: All volunteers must complete a waiver to participate in activities with the San Diego River Park Foundation. To save time at check-in, you may download and bring the completed waiver with you! They will have copies of the waiver as well as community service forms. Waiver for adults over 18 ​Waiver for participants under 18 - must be signed by parent or legal guardian Location: Google Maps & other online maps are notoriously unreliable for this location, please follow the instructions in "Location Details" when you receive the confirmation email instead. You'll need to arrive by 8:30am to carpool to the site (an additional 40 minute drive). ​Weather: The event will continue in the case of light rain. If severe weather is forecasted, we will make sure to email all participants that the event has been cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the event. About The San Diego River Park Foundation The San Diego River Park Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of the San Diego River and creating a better quality of life for our community through the creation of a 52 mile river-long park system. Their programs, projects, and events are designed to connect people to our historic San Diego River and empower the community to steward and celebrate it.

Descanso, CA

Encinitas Beach Cleanup

Join fellow volunteers in the fun-filled atmosphere of cleaning the beach! You will help Surfrider Foundation preserve one of San Diego's greatest treasures - its coastline. The Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter and San Diego Coastkeeper coordinate public beach cleanups several times each month. Please check-in with the HandsOn San Diego Team Leader when you arrive. Project Requirements & Important Notes Attire: Please wear comfortable clothes, closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Bring: A reusable water bottle and help us Rise Above Plastics by bringing your own reusable supplies and reducing your plastic footprint! Reusable bags, buckets, gloves and grabbers will be available for those who do not have their own supplies. About Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.

Encinitas, CA

Tecolote Canyon Preservation Crew

Enjoy the canyon as you remove weeds, do a little watering and pruning! While removing invasive species, you can learn all about San Diego's native plants and ecosystem. This is great project for kids to get hands-on and learn about their own backyard! With your help, we can help keep San Diego thriving and beautiful. During the rainy season (Oct – April) you will get your hands dirty and plant native species! Come spring time, you can enjoy the satisfaction of watching your efforts grow and blossom. One of the most important environmental needs in San Diego is protection and revitalization of its fragile ecosystem. Southern California hosts some of the most fascinating species of plants and animals in the nation! Project Requirements & Important Notes Attire: You MUST wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Bring: A reusable water bottle, a hat, and work gloves (if you can) Waiver: For Minors, please print and sign the City of San Diego Minor Waiver​ About City of San Diego Parks and Recreation The mission of the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department is to provide healthy, sustainable, and enriching environments for all. Their vision is to connect all to the City’s diverse world class park system.

San Diego, CA

Water Trees and Beautify Logan Heights

Be a part of growing an urban forest in local disadvantaged communities! CAL FIRE, the State Forestry Department, gave Tree San Diego a grant to plant trees. They planted 600 trees in disadvantaged communities in Logan Heights and northwest Chula Vista. These trees need to be watered once each week for the next three years. This care is necessary to ensure that the the recently planted trees grow into a beautiful, mature urban forest, which will provide the communities with many health, environmental and economic benefits. Volunteers will carry buckets of water from a truck to pour on the trees. There may also be some weeding of the tree basins. Project Requirements & Important Notes Attire: Must wear closed toed shoes. Bring water, hat and sunscreen if desired. Physical Ability: Must be able to walk two miles over two hours and able to lift and carry a 16 pound bucket. Children are welcome but please remember the walking involved and the need to step into the street to fill the bucket. Weather: This project is subject to cancellation after heavy rain to prevent overwatering the trees. Note: Please be on time (not more than 10 minutes late) to the meeting location. Volunteers will be walking or driving down different streets and do not return to the meeting spot until the end of the volunteer event. There is no immediate access to bathroom facilities. About Tree San Diego Tree San Diego works to benefit the greater San Diego region by helping provide a healthier place to live, work and play. TreeSD’s mission is to significantly impact the quantity of quality urban forest in San Diego County and beyond. Quantity means increasing the percentage of urban forest. Quality means the right trees, in the right places, properly maintained.

San Diego, CA

Serve a Meal at Father Joe's

Come join the kitchen crew as they help prepare and serve meals to the men, women, and children that live on the streets of San Diego. There will be volunteers in the kitchen preparing food, serving food 'cafeteria style', and helping in the dining area. This project is very rewarding and a great experience. Serving meals at Father Joe's helps our neighbors in need break the cycle of homelessness and poverty by offering nourishment, support, and a friendly face. Project Requirements & Important Notes First Time Volunteers: Please print and sign the following documents: Volunteer Agreement Parent Authorization Form (for minors only) Food Handler Teach and Test Attire: No tank tops, shorts, or open-toe shoes are allowed. If you do not follow this dress code you will not be able to volunteer. When You Arrive: Underground parking is available. Enter from 16th Street. You will have to buzz in and tell security that you are volunteering to serve lunch/dinner. Park and go upstairs to the lobby. Exit the lobby building and go left along the sidewalk and straight through the entrance to the courtyard. ​We will be in the PCM Kitchen (not the family kitchen) which is the last building on the right side as you walk through the courtyard/blacktop area. It is building number 16 and has entrances on either side of the security booth. You'll enter a smaller courtyard and the door to the kitchen will be on the left. Our Team Leader will be inside to check you in. About Father Joe's Villages As San Diego’s largest homeless services provider, Father Joe’s Villages offers a wide variety of housing and services at several locations. They provide housing, rental assistance, healthcare, food, clothing, education, job training, mental health, addiction treatment and child development in an internationally modeled “one-stop-shop” approach.

San Diego, CA