Santee Turns Mast Park into a Classroom

Shannon Quigley of SD River Foundation with 4th graders

Santee city staffers  teamed up with the San Diego River Park Foundation to be guest teachers during a recent field trip with local fourth graders along the San Diego River.

The science-oriented excursion took place at Mast Park, where students from Rio Seco Elementary School learned about the river’s wildlife, water quality and ecology.

Fourth graders from teacher Heather Glanz’s  class took photos and notes, which they took back to the classroom to expand on what they had learned in the field.

Shannon Quigley of the River Foundation showed students the proper way to take water samples from the river and test them for acidity, dissolved oxygen and water clarity.

Simulating how pollutants enter the river

“I loved when we were all at the river dipping our samples and waiting for the temperature to normalize and counting to 60 together out loud,” Quigley said.

Santee Storm Water Program intern Nicole Sabay provided a lesson on how trash and pollutants carried by storm drains end up in the river and affect the water quality and wildlife.

 To illustrate how pollutants enter the river, Sabay  had students pour liquid into a plastic tube (simulating a storm drain) that emptied into a large plastic basin with rubber ducks and plastic fish.

Sarah Hutmacher and Shelsea Ochoa  from the River Foundation gave a lesson on native plants and leaf adaptation, allowing the kids to inspect the flora up-close with magnifiers.

“Through hands-on exploration of native plants, insects, and water quality, we hope to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards,” Hutmacher said.

Arborist Annette Saul, Santee’s Parks and Landscape Supervisor, explained the benefits of native trees and plants.

 “It was really fun to see how excited the kids were to be in an outdoor classroom,” Saul said.  “The students were able to understand how the river, native plants and trees are all connected in our local environment.”

Walking Tall on National Trails Day

What better way to acknowledge National Trails Day than by grabbing a walking stick and joining a free naturalist-led hike along the San Diego River in Santee this Saturday, June 2.

The hike, which is an easy 3-mile round trip, will start at 9 a.m. at the historic Edgemoor polo barn at 9113 Magnolia Ave and finish around noon.  Children and dogs are welcome to participate. The hike leader will identify local flora and fauna and explain existing and future San Diego River trail connections.

The event is sponsored by the San Diego River Park Foundation and Friends of Santee’s River Park.

National Trails Day was started in 1993 to encourage the development of walking trails. The impetus came from a 1987 report by a presidential commission recommending designated trail access within fifteen minutes walking distance from every American residence.

To double-check information about Saturday’s hike, you can call (619) 297-7380 or check the foundation’s website by clicking here.

River Cleanup Effort

The Friends of Santee's River Park were at it again this morning (Friday, Aug. 5), cleaning trash and debris from the San Diego River at Santee’s Mast Park.

The Friends were assisted by 6 military volunteers from the Navy’s submarine base at Point Loma and two staff members from Naval Medical Center, San Diego.

We salute the Friends and our military volunteers in helping Santee remain beautiful.

Since 2008, the Friends have removed more than 35,000 pounds of trash and junk along the San Diego River in the city of Santee.

Scouts Improve Mast Park Trail Connection

Photo courtesy of Gary Strawn,
San Diego River Foundation volunteer

A group of about 20 Girl Scouts and other youthful volunteers from Santee toiled for nearly two hours the morning of May 14 to place indigenous river rocks along the Carlton Hills Drive/San Diego River underpass.

The rock markers designate the underpass as the connection between the Mast Park riverfront trail and the new pedestrian and bicycle trail at Mast Park West.

The volunteers, including their adult supervisors, were participating in the San Diego River Park’s Youth Day of Service.

More improvements are planned for this trail connection, including additional signage and a proposed mural for the concrete walls of the underpass.

New Trail Dedicated at Mast Park West

Nearly 40 people turned out May 11 for a ceremony dedicating a newly completed half-mile section of the San Diego River Trail at Mast Park West.

Mike Nelson of the San Diego River Conservancy celebrated Santee's partnerships that made the trail possible.

Many stayed after the ceremony for a guided walk led by Shannon Quigley, (center, in white) program coordinator for the San Diego River Park Foundation. Ms. Quigley gave an animated talk about the flora and fauna found along the path, which bisects a 43-acre habitat preserve the city obtained in 2009 from The Environmental Trust.

The trail, which cost $405,586 to construct and took six months to complete, was funded by a state grant obtained on behalf of Santee by the San Diego River Conservancy, a state agency.

The new trail connects with about 2.5 miles of existing riverfront paths in Santee.

Pedestrians and bicyclists can now travel along the San Diego River from the city’s western boundary at Carlton Oaks golf course to the center of the city at Town Center Community Park.



Four new interpretive signs provide
information about the River's natural habitat.



Jordan Richardson of Troop 51 displayed
one of the markers along the trail.
The medallions were donated by the
San Diego River Park Foundation
and were installed as part of
Richardson's Eagle Scout project.