Copy

Fall 2022 
Celebrating the Turn of the Season
Fall is upon us, and with it comes cooler temperatures and the beginning of our rainy season. While it is predicted that we will have another La Nina year, meaning dryer and warmer average temperatures, this is still the ideal time to begin replacing or adding new California native plants to your garden!

If you are looking for some options to get started, check out the Native Landscape Planting Guide created by the San Diego chapter of the CA Native Plant Society.
 
San Diego Native Milkweed Project 
We are now in year 3 of the San Diego Native Milkweed Project, which is our effort to propagate milkweed native to our area and make it available for purchase at local nurseries. Local native milkweed is not widely commercially available now, and anything labeled "native" is sourced from a different part of California. We think that seed from the local area will thrive better and be more appropriate for habitat restoration, so we set out in partnership with US Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Earth Discovery Institute and others to collect seed from wild sources and farm them in our San Diego soil.

If you are a backyard enthusiast looking to plant some monarch habitat, we are happy to offer a free packet of seeds. If you are working on a larger scale restoration project, we are happy to discuss larger quantities of seed. Contact us at pollinators@rcdsandiego.org to get started!

Update: Due to CA Department of Fish & Wildlife listing of tropical milkweed as a Class B noxious weed, more nurseries are deciding to no longer grow and sell these plants. Most recently this includes Suncrest Nurseries and Monrovia!
Spring 2023 Milkweed Swap

Through a grant from the SDG&E Community Investment Fund, the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County will be hosting a native milkweed swap next Spring! We were inspired by our friends at Roger's Gardens in Orange County, who allow patrons to bring in a tropical milkweed plant in exchange for a free native milkweed plant. We would ideally like to host this swap over a week at multiple locations, so the option is more accessible across the county.

If you are interested in supporting this project by hosting a location, please let us know at: pollinators@rcdsandiego.org. 
Photo from San Diego Seed Company
Education & Events

Upcoming Native Plant Sales
CA Native Plant Society Annual Fall Sale
Saturday, October 15th | 8:00am - 3:00pm | Balboa Park, Casa del Prado

Earth Discovery Institute 
Saturday, October 22nd | 7:00am - 12:00pm | Crestridge Ecological Reserve, El Cajon 
You can shop the day of the sale, or you can place an online order between now and October 2nd at their site here. Order pick up will take place on October 22nd at Crestridge. For additional questions, email info@earthdiscovery.org.

San Diego Floral Association Fair - Birds, Bees, Flowers, and Trees
Saturday, October 22nd | 10:00am - 4:00pm | Balboa Park, Casa del Prado

Xerces Webinars
Bring Back the Pollinators: Providing Nesting Habitat for Bees
Thursday, September 29th | 10:00am - 11:00am
Learn more and register here.

A Win-Win for Insects: Nature-Based Climate Solutions Address both Climate Change and Biodiversity Concerns
Thursday, October 6th | 10:00 am - 11:00 am 
Learn more and register here. 

Xerces Western Monarch Overwintering Counts
It's that time of again! Put on your citizen science hat and survey our local overwintering sites to see how many Western monarchs are roosting in our community this year. Learn more about how to volunteer here.

Thanksgiving Count will occur November 12th - December 4th
New Year's Count will occur December 24th - January 8th

Northern CA | Monarch Community Science Workshop
Saturday, October 23rd - Sunday, October 24th | 9:30am - 3:00pm | Lake Merritt, Oakland
If you or any of your network are located in the Bay Area, check out this 1.5 day program sponsored by the Pollinator Posse and Monarch Joint Venture with grant funding from the US Forest Service. Participants will learn about Monarch biology and behavior, and be trained in protocols for monitoring and tagging monarchs in the wild. Register here. 
SAVE THE DATE: San Diego Pollinator Week 2023

The national pollinator week hosted by Pollinator Partnership takes place in June, which doesn't fully align with our strongest blooming season. We would love to create our own regional pollinator celebration during a week in the Spring and identify a host of activities, workshops and volunteer opportunities to get the community engaged. 

We would love to hear your ideas about how we could build a successful new tradition, and if you would like to be a part of the planning process. Please send your input and questions to: pollinators@rcdsandiego.org. 
Recent Study Shows Dangerous Levels of Pesticides on Milkweed Sold at Nurseries

Turf Grass Care to Keep Pollinator Habitat Thriving

iNaturalist Bees of San Diego County 
San Diego is home to over 650 species of native bees. Check out these community observations of different species and add your own!  
Pollinator Resources
“If a year was tucked inside of a clock,
then Autumn would be the magic hour." - V.E

 
(619) 562-0096 | pollinators@rcdsandiego.org 
11769 Waterhill Rd, Lakeside, CA. 92040 
www.rcdsandiego.org
YouTube
Email
Instagram
Website
Facebook






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
RCD of Greater San Diego County · 11769 Waterhill Road · Lakeside, CA 92040 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp