Join the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy for a fun-filled afternoon of great food and wine, lively music, and tennis at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. The 2nd Annual River Valley Fest takes place on September 25, from 3:30pm until sunset, and celebrates 25 years of progress implementing and preserving the expansive San Dieguito River Park, and protecting San Diego’s natural legacy. The afternoon will feature delectable dishes from San Diego Paella, wine and sangria, desserts by Claire’s on Cedros, music by local guitarist Bill Fleming, round-robin tennis, and irresistible auction items. Tickets are $100 per person or $135 per person for tennis participants. Purchase tickets onlne. (www.sdrvc.org/rivervalleyfest)
For 25 years the nonprofit citizen-based SDRVC has worked with state and local government, nonprofit, and community partners to implement and sustain the vision of the 94,000-acre San Dieguito River Park and its 55-mile Coast-to-Crest Trail through land acquisition and stewardship, citizen involvement, education, and public outreach. Started in 1986 around kitchen tables in Solana Beach, the Conservancy today is proud to point out that a stunning 65 percent of the San Dieguito River Park is in protected public ownership, more than 70 miles of trails are open for the enjoyment of hikers, bikers, equestrians and nature enthusiasts, and invasive plant species are being treated on 1,000 acres to preserve habitat and precious water resources.
Spanning 94,000 acres, the planned San Dieguito River Park begins at the crest of Vulcan Mountain in Julian, the start of the San Dieguito River, to the beach in Del Mar, where the river meets the ocean. The River Park encompasses the cities of San Diego, Del Mar, Escondido, Solana Beach, and Poway, and the County of San Diego, and each government agency contributes to the River Park’s ongoing management and viability.
The San Dieguito River Park not only provides a vast array of recreational opportunities for San Diego County residents and visitors, but it protects one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots. The San Dieguito River Valley is one of the most significant, intact systems of ecological communities in the United States; boasting four distinct vegetation communities (salt march, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland) and exhibiting a spectacularly diverse palette of colors, terraine and plant and animal species.
Longtime River Park board member, County Board Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, explains, “In the world of policy-making, nothing compares to acquiring, preserving and restoring open space. That’s why the rewards of serving on the San Dieguito River Park’s board have been so great. Thanks to our efforts — and those of many, many supporters — the river valley will remain as a safe haven for plants, animals and people in perpetuity.”
