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Tijuana River Valley Updates 

Last Updated: 10/28/2024

The Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County (RCD) is a governmental special district with a mission to protect, conserve, and restore natural resources through information, education, and technical assistance programs. The RCD manages the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden and Wild Willow Farm & Education Center. We prioritize the health and safety of the staff, garden members and visitors in these spaces.

Cross-border pollution is a long-standing issue in the Tijuana River Valley. The County of San Diego’s South Region public health-focused website offers links to frequently asked questions, educational materials, local data, and information about other agencies monitoring and investigating health concerns over air and water quality. Other agencies are also providing information – some of those resources are linked below.

We acknowledge our elected officials and the county, state, and federal environmental and health agencies for their collaborative efforts with researchers from UC San Diego and San Diego State University. Together, they are prioritizing cross-border pollution research and supporting the South County community in exploring potential health impacts.

 

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El Distrito de Conservación de Recursos del Gran Condado de San Diego (RCD) es un distrito gubernamental especial que tiene la misión de proteger, conservar y restaurar los recursos naturales mediante programas de información, educación y asistencia técnica. El RCD gestiona el Jardín Comunitario de Tijuana River Valley y la Granja y Centro Educativo Wild Willow. Priorizamos la salud y la seguridad del personal, los miembros del jardín y los visitantes de estos espacios.

La contaminación transfronteriza es un problema que existe desde hace mucho tiempo en Tijuana River Valley. El sitio web de la Región Sur del condado de San Diego centrado en la salud pública ofrece enlaces a preguntas frecuentes, material educativo, datos locales e información sobre otros organismos que supervisan e investigan los problemas de salud relacionados con la calidad del aire y del agua. Otros organismos también facilitan información, y los enlaces de algunos de esos recursos pueden consultarse abajo.

Agradecemos a nuestros funcionarios electos y a los organismos de medio ambiente y sanitarios del condado, estatales y federales por sus esfuerzos de colaboración con los investigadores de la Universidad de California, San Diego y la Universidad Estatal de San Diego. Juntos, están priorizando la investigación de la contaminación transfronteriza y apoyando a la comunidad del condado Sur en su tarea para conocer los posibles impactos sobre la salud.

 

Southern California Soil and Water Hub 

The Southern California Soil and Water Hub (SoCal Hub) currently includes the following Resource Conservation Districts but may grow to include others: RCD of Greater San Diego County, Mission RCD, Upper San Luis Rey RCD, Inland Empire RCD, and Coachella Valley RCD. Agriculture in Southern California faces many challenges, particularly around rising costs of water and land, as well as opportunities around developing urban markets. RCDs in the region provide critical conservation assistance helping to ensure that working lands can remain in production instead of conversion to non-irrigated or un-grazed uses or urbanization. Given the region’s shallow topsoil and limited rainfall, regenerative practices are rapidly gaining interest. The region already has a large and growing percentage of small farms and Certified Organic growers. The SoCal Hub serves to coordinate and amplify the efforts of individual RCDs in the region in order to accelerate adoption of soil and water conservation practices. The Carbon Cycle Institute (CCI) and California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) are actively supporting Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) across the state in establishing carbon farming and soil health programs and seven Regional Carbon Farming Hubs, including the SoCal Hub, through training and education, fund development, regional planning, and other capacity building efforts.

For questions about the SoCal Hub, email Hub Coordinator Rachel Petitt (rachel.petitt@rcdsandiego.org) or call Rachel at (323) 475-8580.

Carbon Farming Resources 
May contain: outdoors, nature, flare, light, field, scenery, and sunlight
Carbon Farming Plan:
  • This conservation assessment plan highlighted how carbon farming practices could significantly decrease carbon emissions and increase soil carbon, while providing multiple farm co-benefits for a 3,100-acre ranch operation.
  • Carbon Cycle Institute: CCI works to advance carbon cycle solutions: working models of alternative practices, technologies and economic value chains that can produce food, fiber, and flora in ways that improve the environment and are climate- and carbon-beneficial.
  • Marin Carbon Project: Seeks to enhance carbon sequestration in rangeland, agricultural, and forest soils through applied research, demonstration and implementation in Marin County.
Community Garden Hedgerow:
  • We have created a chart to list the plants in the hedgerow at the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, as well as their bloom period and flower color.
Grazing Management Resources 
May contain: person, human, outdoors, field, nature, grassland, and countryside
Grazing Handbook:
  • Check out this guide on grazing management for rangelands.
Prescribed Grazing Plan:
  • The detailed plan developed by Liz Kellogg of Tierra Data that has guided the prescribed grazing practices at Rancho Jamul. 
Pollinator Health Resources 
May contain: plant, field, flower, and blossom

Monarch and Pollinator Conservation:

  • Butterfly Farms: Education and conservation organization and nursery all on one site. Come visit their butterfly free flight house and buy pollinator plants for your garden.
  • Monarch Joint Venture: A national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration.
  • Monarch Watch: A wealth of information about monarchs – creating habitat, citizen science, migration, biology, and more.
  • The Xerces Society: An organization dedicated to the protection of wildlife through supporting invertebrates.  They offer information and resources about issues affecting monarchs and other pollinators and what you can do to help these vital insects.

Native Plant Resources

  • California Native Plant Society – San Diego Chapter: An organization dedicated to increasing understanding, appreciation and conservation of California’s fascinating variety of native plants in their natural environment and in horticultural settings. “Gardening with Natives” and “How-To Brochures” links on their website have lots of info on native plants and butterflies.
  • Native West Nursery: A wholesale nursery specializing in growing California native plants. The nursery holds public plant sales four times per year.

Milkweed Seed Sowing and Plant Care Instructions:

Milkweed Care:
  • Our leaflet on how to sow and care for milkweed seeds.
Planting Milkweed:
  • A quick guide to planting milkweed plants.

Creating Pollinator Habitat:

Establishing Pollinator Meadows from Seed:
  • A guide from the Xerces Society on how to create your own pollinator meadow.
Gardening for Monarchs Fact Sheet:
  • Tips from Monarch Joint Venture on attracting monarchs (and other pollinators) to your yard.
  • Monarch Waystations: A certification for gardens that provide the resources that monarchs (and other pollinators) need. By registering as a Monarch Waystation, you join a national network of pollinator habitats.
Pollinator Toolkit:
  • Check out this easy guide on how to create pollinator habitat in your yard.

Harvesting Elderberries from a Native Hedgerow

  • An in-depth look at the ecological, cultural and economic benefits of including elderberries in a native hedgerow or wind break. 
  • Watch this video (English and Spanish) on best harvesting and food safety practices for elderberry producers. 

Citizen Science Programs:

  • Journey North: a country-wide monarch monitoring program. Report your monarch sightings and check out their interactive map of sightings so far this year!
Monarch Citizen Science programs:
  • An overview of monarch citizen science contributions and programs across the United States, including information on how to get involved.  (link to document title Monarch citizen science overview)
  • RCD Milkweed for Monarchs iNaturalist project: join this project and contribute observations of monarchs in your gardens.
School Garden Resources 
May contain: outdoors, person, human, and garden
Watershed Resources 
Educator Resources:
  • We created this index of resources to connect teachers with classroom activity ideas to follow your watershed education presentation, resources for curriculum support including online video tools, local organizations leading the way to healthy water systems, and a listing of both in and out of the classroom field trip opportunities.
  • Watersheds in San Diego County: Learn more about the ten watersheds in the county.
Fire Safety & Forest Health Resources 
  • Preparing for Wildfire: valuable information about what to do before, during, and after a
    wildfire emergency.
  • Tree & Forest Health:  learn more about the beetles infecting trees throughout the county and
    what you can do to protect your property.
  • Fire & the Environment: resources that discuss the links between wildfire and climate change.
RCD Video Library 

Please visit our YouTube Channel to view a variety of videos highlighting our programs and priorities. New videos are always being uploaded, so check back often.

 

  • This beautiful video produced by the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation highlights the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden and the diverse and passionate gardeners who enjoy all it has to offer.
  • Monarch Butterfly “Tag-and-Release” Event: North County students and elected officials enjoy a chance to get up close with Monarch Butterflies at this fun and informative event hosted by Butterfly Farms, the RCD, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
  • See our Community Garden from a bird’s eye view! Drone footage of the TRV Community Garden – the largest community garden in the county – gives you a new perspective on its size and layout, including our recent expansion.
  • Learn about our High School Conservation Speak-Off competition. This is a great opportunity for high schoolers to practice their public speaking skills and possibly earn up to $550!
  • The vision of the Resource Conservation District and Fire Safe Council of San Diego County is to foster a fire safe / fire wise region that has developed through an ongoing course of public education, training, and community collaboration in project support.
  • Learn more about the devastating Kuroshio Shot Hole Borer Beetle, in this important interview with our partner, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Entomologist, Dr. John Kabashima, as he sheds light on how this pervasive beetle is destroying the trees in this beautiful region.

 

Here is a workbook with an overview of programs hosted in the San Diego County to support land owners and managers.  Please take a minute to check out our Partners and learn more about the valuable work they are doing to improve the lives of residents in San Diego County. 

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