Earth Discovery Institute

Splendid Mariposa Lily ( Calochortus splendens ) 🌸 The Splendid Mariposa Lily is a rare find along the coast, foothills, and valleys of San Diego. The pale lavender-to-pink blooms appear from April to June, and like other mariposa lilies, its name derives from the Spanish word for “butterfly,” a reflection of the way it appears to flutter in the wind. With only 60 to 70 species in the entire genus, mariposa lilies are a relatively small group on a global scale. California, however, is a...

On the Open Ocean We took 76 east county community members on a private Whale Watching tour with San Diego Whale Watch this month! One of our favorite parts of these open ocean adventures is that a certified marine biologist joins in on the fun, providing us with loads of fun facts about San Diego's incredible ocean ecosystems, and of course that includes lots of information about whales! While we didn't actually see any whales on this excursion, we still enjoyed a beautiful, warm morning...

Composting 101 with Asilia We recently hosted a hands-on workshop about hot composting and vermicomposting at Centro Cultural de la Raza, led by Asilia Diaz Vasquez (they/she/he), one of our California Climate Action Fellows. Participants of all experience levels got their hands dirty as they learned how composting works and how organic waste can be diverted from landfills. Community members learned how to compost at home and take green waste to local composting centers to help reduce...