SAN DIEGO CHAPTER www.sandiego.sierraclub.org

www.FamilyAventuresinNature.org www.icfi.com www.mtrp.org

More information about nature places at www.sdchildrenandnature.org/findnature.php San Diego is home to the most bio-diverse county in the lower 48 and has some of the best weather in the country! Please use this information and the links to facilitate finding nature – nearby, or a little further from home! For more information on connecting children to nature, and to find even more nature places, please visit www.sdchildrenandnature.org and www.facebook.com/sdchildrenandnature

Torrey Pines State Beach South Bay Botanic Garden N. Torrey Pines Rd., Del Mar (Southwestern College) www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=658 900 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista www.swccd.edu/5thLevel/index.asp?L4=574 Silver Strand State Beach 5000 Highway 75, Coronado www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=654 Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center 2505 N Ave., Naonal City City of San Diego Beaches www.olivewoodgardens.org www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches La Jolla Shores The Water Conservation Garden La Jolla Cove 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive, West El Cajon Children's Pool www.thegarden.org Windansea Beach Ocean Beach Summers Past Farms 15602 Olde Hwy 80, Flinn Springs North Pacific Beach www.summerspasarms.com Pacific Beach Mission Bay Beaches Balboa Park Gardens: Mission Beach www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/Gardens South Mission Beach Point Loma Native Plant Garden 4444 Greene Street, San Diego These websites contain informaon about the lakes’ www.sandiegoriver.org/plnpg.php fishing, camping, trails and other amenies. Old Town State Historic Native Plant Garden Lake Cuyamaca 4002 Wallace Street, San Diego www.lakecuyamaca.org/ www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24882

Lake Hodges www.sdrp.org/projects/lakehodges.htm

Lake Jennings www.lakejennings.org/index.htm City of Coronado Miramar Lake www.coronado.ca.us www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/reservoirs/ miramar.shtml City of El Cajon www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us/dept/rec/_parks.html Lake Morena www.sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/Camping/ City of La Mesa lake_morena.html www.cityoflamesa.com/index.aspx?NID=212

Lake Murray City of Lemon Grove www.mtrp.org/lake_murray.asp www.ci.lemon-grove.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=114 Lake Poway www.poway.org/Index.aspx?page=671 City of Poway www.poway.org/Index.aspx?page=92 Santee Lakes www.santeelakes.com City of San Diego www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks San Vicente Reservoir www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/reservoirs/ City of Santee sanvicente.shtml www.ci.santee.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=174 Rose Canyon Open Space Park www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ rosecan1.shtml

San Diego County Trails Black Mountain Open Sapce Park www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/hikes.html www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ blackmtn/index.shtml San Diego River www.sandiegoriver.org/brochures.php Blue Sky Ecologica Reserve www.blueskyreserve.org/ San Dieguito River Park Trails www.sdrp.org/trails.htm Cowles Mountain www.mtrp.org/directions.asp?idno=2 Scripps Ranch Trails www.scrippsranch.org/community/maps.html Crestridge Ecological Reserve www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region5/crestridge/index.html Sunset Cliffs Natural Park www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve shoreline/sunset.shtml www.sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/openspace/ Sycamore_Goodan.html Tecolote Canyon Natural Park & Nature Center www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ Iron Mountain Peak teclte.shtml www.powaytrails.com/trails/IronMountainPeakTrail/ index.html William Heise County Park www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/Camping/ Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve heise_map.html www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ penasq.shtml

Louis Stelzer County Park www.sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/picnic/stelzer.html Many of these parks include camping facilities and Marian Bear Memorial Park other amenitites. www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/ Anza-Borrego State Park marbear2.shtml www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 www.abdsp.org/ McGinty Mountain Ecological Reserve www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/region5/mcginty.html Cabrillo National Monument 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego Mission Trails Regional Park www.mtrp.org/ www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm

Oak Oasis Preserve Cleveland National Forest www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/openspace/ www.fs.usda.gov/main/cleveland/home oakoasis.html Palomar Mountain State Park Poway Trails www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=637 http://powaytrails.com/trails/ www.palomarsp.org/

Ramona Grasslands Preserve Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/openspace/ www.torreypine.org/ Ramona_Grasslands.html www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=657

More information about nature places at www.sdchildrenandnature.org/findnature.php Research indicates that children who learn and play in nature are happier, healthier and smarter. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 60 minutes of daily unstructured outdoor play. Here are some simple, fun and FREE ways to help your children connect to nature: O Look under the pots in O Make mud pies and O Look up at the clouds. your yard. Who did you cakes! Decorate them What shapes do you find? with leaves and see? flowers. O Make a “pet rock”. O Start an acorn What will you name it? O Chase a butterfly! collection. O Take a walk in the rain O Roll down a grassy hill. O Catch a tadpole. Let it and splash in the go! puddles! O Find a trail of ants and follow it as far as you O Go on a rock hunt. O Dig in the dirt or sand. can. Start a collection! O Go on a ladybug hunt O Climb a tree! O Find the Big Dipper and find aphids too! and Orion’s Belt in the night sky.

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Out Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. Originally published in 2005, this is the book that launched the movement to connect children and nature. A true “must read” for parents, teachers, and anyone interested in the overall well-being of children.

The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. Published in 2011, this book delivers another powerful call to action – this time for adults.

www.childrenandnature.org National website and home of the movement to connect ALL children, their families and communities to nature through innovative ideas, evidence-based resources and tools, broad-based collaboration and support of grassroots leadership. Many FREE toolkits and resources available for download. Also features “C&NN Connect” where people can virtually meet, discuss, and support one another.

www.SDChildrenandNature.org The San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative, a collective effort of numerous organizations and volunteers who bring together San Diego’s natural resources for children and nature.

www.FamilyAdventuresinNature.org San Diego’s FREE family nature club!