300 Volunteers Needed Clean Up San Diego's Radio Canyon on Jan. 28, 2012

Nov. 22, 2011 - PRLog -- A call for help is coming from a local non-profit organization planning to clear non-native species and replant 3,000 native plants in Southeast San Diego’s Radio Canyon. Located at Market Street just east of Euclid Avenue, a restored Radio Canyon will provide valuable open space and passive recreation for thousands of Encanto families.

“Radio Canyon has been badly neglected and needs our help,” said Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek Executive Director Leslie Reynolds. “We’re asking residents, schools, scouting troops, church groups and service clubs to join our clean-up efforts on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. We’ll provide tools and plants for 300 volunteers to remove renegade non-native species and replant native vegetation. These efforts will begin to restore the canyon to its natural beauty, and make it available again for both residents and wildlife, including the threatened cactus wren and gnatcatcher.”

Potential volunteers are asked to contact Leslie@groundworksandiego.org or call 619 543 0430.

Groundwork San Diego was invited by the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department Open Space Division to help revive Radio Canyon. Funding is being provided by a grant from SANDAG Transnet (http://www.sandag.org). The TransNet Extension Ordinance and Expenditure Plan, approved countywide by voters in November 2004, includes funding for critical habitat acquisition, management, and monitoring activities as needed to help implement the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) and the Multiple Habitat Conservation Program (MHCP).  

“Radio Canyon’s degraded condition now causes severe erosion and flooding, which blocks trails and destroys habitat,” said Reynolds. “Dense stands of non-native acacia and arundo post fire danger and attract homeless encampments and illegal dumping. It’s time to take our canyon back.”

Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek is an independent nonprofit business that strives to improve the environment, economy and quality of life in Southeast San Diego. Groundwork works in partnership with the City of San Diego and with the assistance of volunteers, communities and businesses to restore creeks and open spaces, provide educational outreach on water conservation and climate change issues.

For more information, please visit www.GroundworkSanDiego.org.

Register yourself or a group online: http://radiocanyon.eventbrite.com

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