December 2025 Newsletter

Earth Discovery Institute
Dec 22, 2025
3 min read

Volunteer Heroes Making a BIG Impact

This month, we had dozens of passionate people help us install HUNDREDS of native plants at El Monte, reaching a milestone of over 2,500 native plants in the ground at El Monte this year! We know what you're thinking...our highlight email early this month said over 1,000 plants this year, but we were totally mistaken - everyone put in hard work in the spring too, so we installed more than double that amount!! We are so impressed by all the team members, fellows, volunteers, and friends who make up our Conservation Dream team and have accomplished so much this year - thank you for such an incredible 2025!

Bringing Nature to the Classroom

Another round of our in-class Nature Science program wrapped up earlier this month! Our instructors led ten weeks of environmental science lessons for all five of Lexington Elementary's 3rd grade classes, delivering hands-on education about Watershed Wonders, Helping Habitats, Pollution Solutions, and more. From making schoolyard observations to dissecting an owl pellet to pitching a tent, these children built an understanding of the natural world and the issues facing it. We hope these lessons have stoked a life-long appreciation for our wonderful planet and a drive to be its stewards!

Finalizing Fall Field Trips

This semester, we proudly delivered 11 field trips to the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, welcoming a total of 635 students to the bay. Students from East County and South Bay San Diego explored the salt marsh habitat, practiced birding and identifying coastal plant and animal species, and learned about human impact on watersheds and habitat health! Working alongside their classmates, they also experienced giving back to nature by planting a total of 318 native sage scrub plants. Students left the bay eager to return and excited to continue exploring nature with us on their next field trip to Crestridge Ecological Reserve after the new year!

These field trips were made possible by the Coastal Conservancy's Explore the Coast grant.

Congratulations to Ashley Ersepke & Erin Francisco!

We are so excited to share that Ashley Ersepke has been promoted to interim Education Director (left, previously Education Coordinator) and Erin Francisco has been promoted to Education Coordinator (right, previously Senior Field Instructor)! These two have proven over the years that they're beyond reliable and competent, and we can't wait to watch them blossom in these new roles (we have already seen a glimpse and have no doubt this was the right vertical move for them both). Ashley and Erin have been instrumental in supporting our Education Dream team over the years and we know they're destined to excel. Please join us in welcoming Ashley and Erin in their new roles - we are so happy and lucky to have them!

EDI Holiday Party

We had a very merry evening celebrating the holiday season with the EDI team, volunteers, and friends! It's not often we get to come together in fresh clothes and enjoy each other's company without tools in hand and work goals on the mind (realistically they are always on the mind, but at least for this evening, not at the forefront!). What a treat to get together at Anneli's house, our wonderful board treasurer, to close out 2025 with some of our favorite people.

Family Day at the Bay

We wrapped up our coastal education programming for the year with a truly special Family Day at the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge! A total of 46 community members - family members and students of all ages - joined us for a day filled with exploring, learning, and connecting with nature. Led by our enthusiastic field instructors, participants learned about the rich history of the refuge, discovered new plant and animal species, and spotted hundreds of coastal birds along the shoreline!

With support from Ashleyann Perez Rivera of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, each family helped give back to the refuge by planting two native plants as part of ongoing habitat restoration efforts. Our highlight of the day was a visit to the Living Coast Discovery Center, where we got an up-close look at local marine life - including octopi and sharks - and hands-on experience at the interactive touch pool. From gently meeting rays to holding shark eggs, there was excitement around every corner!

This unforgettable day was a meaningful experience for our East County families and the perfect way to celebrate the end of the semester before the holiday break.