We had a whale of a good time with residents of east county San Diego as we embarked on an oceanic whale watching adventure, introducing some of the community to the ocean for the very first time. The excitement was palpable as children and adults gazed out at the vast blue in search of nature’s giants, and imagine the look on everyone’s face when we spotted a gray whale! This wasn’t just a day at sea with family and new friends, it was a cherished memory in the making.

This program is part of our Education through Recreation program, funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services.

On the same day as Whale Watching, we embraced the rain at Mt. Helix Nature Day and had a wonderful time! Rain or shine, engaging with a passionate community and celebrating nature is always a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

We had all hands on deck on the same day as Nature Day and Whale Watching, because we also attended the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering at Snapdragon Stadium! We had nonstop visitors at our station and had a blast doing activities and interacting with kids and their loved ones. It was our first time at this festival and possibly the biggest event we’ve ever participated in!

We spent an amazing morning with EDI members at our milkweed farm in Lakeside for a Monarchs & Milkweed workshop! We enjoyed coffee and pastries together while learning about monarch butterflies and growing native milkweed - and even spotted several monarch caterpillars. Members also had the opportunity to plant narrowleaf milkweed seed to take home with them. Thank you to those of you who attended - we hope to see you at the next one!

We were thrilled to attend the grand opening of Kim Emerson’s “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies” mural in Normal Heights. We loved meeting with people from the community, educating them on native milkweed and handing out narrowleaf milkweed seeds. We are so grateful we were able to attend - the mural is incredible and a true work of art!

You may know her as a fellow monarch lover (and so do we): Lyla, EDI’s Conservation Technician, has officially been part of the EDI family for a year! She proves each day how invaluable her knowledge and expertise is, and her initiative to learn more and teach us more each day is inspiring. Lyla has grown well within her role and we cannot wait to watch her career continue to blossom!