The Cactus Wren Restoration Project has been launched by Groundwork San Diego Chollas Creek, in partnership with Millennial Tech Middle School, to rehabilitate nearly 75 acres of cactus-wren friendly canyonland near Market Street in Encanto. Amid a tremendous loss of habitat throughout San Diego County due to wildfires, Southeast San Diego’s Encanto and Radio canyons provide a home for the cactus wren. Backed by a $240,000 TransNet grant, the two-year project will include cleanup, weed abatement, propagation of 21,000 cacti, reseeding several other native plants and wildlife monitoring. Students at Millennial Tech Middle School are playing an instrumental role. As part of their Conservation Science curriculum, they are propagating and planting the cacti, monitoring the birds with remote sensing cameras, and studying the bird's genetic make-up and ecosystem role at the Wild Animal Park's Beckman Center.
The goal of the program is to not only learn more about the coastal cactus wren and improve the quality of the habitat for this small brown and white bird, but also to connect the community with nature through hard work, learning and collaboration.
Listen to the Cactus Wren
Follow the project on Twitter.
Click here to read the latest cactus wren news.
To view more photos and video, visit the multimedia page.
Partners:
- TransNet
- Millennial Tech Middle School, SDUSD
- AECOM
- The City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Open Space Division
- SANDAG
- Southeastern Economic Development Corporation (SEDC)
Art students at Millennial Tech Middle School illustrate the cactus wren. To view more photos of MTM students engaging with the Cactus Wren Restoration Project, visit the multimedia page.
Welcome...
We are thrilled to welcome our newest supporter of the Cactus Wren Restoration Project, Jennifer Vaughan. Vaughan is a master's student at San Diego State University in the Department of Geography. She is a graduate of San Diego State University, and holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Geography with an emphasis in Natural Resource and Environmental Geography. Her thesis research is focused on the conservation of the coastal cactus wren and coastal California gnatcatcher on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The goal of her research is to use geographic methods for avian conservation. Working at Cabrillo National Monument, City of San Diego's Multiple Species Conservation Program, and San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, she has developed a strong commitment to conservation, geography and educational outreach.
Jennifer Vaughan and a coastal cactus wren nest. Click here to read Jennifer's blog.