San Diego River Days isn’t all about the namesake waterway. It’s also about a creek behind an El Cajon mall.
On Saturday, the annual civic celebration kicked off with events including ones at Parkway Plaza — which gave a tributary some TLC.
“We’re targeting a project in Forester Creek because in particular it’s very polluted and we see a lot of trash,” said Marina Varano, outreach and engagement coordinator for the San Diego River Park Foundation.
When it rains, the waste flows enters the San Diego River, she said, “so we want to engage the community in environmental stewardship.”
One way of promoting the cause is a mall mural. Artist Helen Kim painted the background and shoppers have added to it.
Also active at the event is Ravleen Khalsa-Basra, 26, a volunteer from Kearny Mesa. She’s a graduate student in environmental and ocean science at the University of San Diego.
“It’s so important to have some advocacy in this area to clean up debris that has come from residential areas and even the homeless community,” she said of Forester Creek, right behind the mall.
“A lot of people are coming here, but you don’t have access to (the creek) very easily,” she said. “So projects like this allow us to know what is out there and also be interested, especially at a young age to get kids involved and see what can be beautiful.”
The mural depicts what Forester Creek could be.
“It could be teeming with wildlife and vegetation, like they have already done in the Santee part of the tributary to the San Diego River,” Khalsa-Basra said. “I think it is a great project. … It’s important to learn about and take care of it because the health of our watershed is so valuable.”
You don’t have to be a San Diego River fan to love San Diego River Days.
The two-weekend series of events, spread throughout the county, has something for everyone, from fly fishing to Native American flute playing, from hiking to painting.
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If you missed Saturday’s events, many more are slated Mother’s Day and next weekend, with kids invited to most. (But check if you have to RSVP and note that walks are canceled if it’s raining.)
Sunday, May 12
OUTDOORS INDOORS: COLLABORATIVE ART PROJECT
When and where: 9 a.m. to noon, Parkway Plaza, 415 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon
MOTHER’S DAY SAN DIEGO RIVER GARDEN WORK PARTY
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., San Diego River Garden, 3382 Camino del Rio North, San Diego
SILVERWOOD TRIBUTARIES AND RIPARIAN HABITAT EXPLORATION
When and where: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary, 13003 Wildcat Canyon Road,
Lakeside
FLY FISHERS’ CASTING CLINIC
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., Lake Murray gazebo near the boat launch, 5540 Kiowa Drive
La Mesa.
GUIDED NATURE WALK FROM VISITOR CENTER
When and where: 9:30 to 11 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center
1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego
When and where: 10 to 11:30 a.m., Oakoasis County Preserve, 12620 Wildcat Canyon Road,
Lakeside.
When and where: 1 to 3 p.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center, 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.
Saturday, May 18
GUIDED BIRD WALK – VISITOR CENTER LOOP TRAIL
When and where: 8 to 10 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center, 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.
ADVENTURE 16 BACKPACKERS’ SWAP MEET
When and where: 8 to 11 a.m., Adventure 16 San Diego, 4620 Alvarado Canyon Road, San Diego.
SAN DIEGO PLEIN AIR PAINTERS WORKSHOP
When and where: 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Old Mission Dam, 10164 Father Junipero Serra Trail,
San Diego.
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., Tecolote Canyon, 5180 Tecolote Road, San Diego.
When and where: 9 a.m. to noon: Ocean Beach, 5156 W. Point Loma Blvd., San Diego
HIKE TO THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER
When and where: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Farmer Road Staging Area, 500 Farmer Road, Julian.
HABITAT HEROES @ ANZA NATIVE SCHOOLYARD HABITAT
When and where: 9 a.m. to noon, Anza Elementary School, 1005 S. Anza St., El Cajon.
LAKE CUYAMACA HIKE WITH THE RAMBLERS
When and where: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Lake Cuyamaca, 34689 Navajo Road, Julian.
NATURE STORY & CRAFT WITH A RANGER
When and where: 10 to 11 a.m., Kumeyaay Lake Campground’s picnic shelter, 2 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.
KUMEYAAY ETHNOECOLOGY GUIDED HIKE
When and where: 10 to 11:30 a.m., Flinn Springs County Park, 14787 Old Highway 80, El Cajon.
TRACKS AND SCAT – WHAT ANIMAL LEFT THAT?
When and where: 10 a.m. to noon, Flinn Springs County Park, 14787 Old Highway 80, El Cajon.
NATIVE PLANT WORKSHOP: MILKWEED, MONARCHS & BUTTERFLY FRIENDS
When and where: 10 to 11:30 a.m., Mission Hills Nursery, 1525 Fort Stockton Drive, San Diego.
VOLCAN MOUNTAIN FAMILY DISCOVERY DAY
When and where: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., VMF’s Volcan Mountain Nature Center, 22850 Volcan Road, Julian.
ALPINE GUIDED HIKE: NATIVE PLANTS & WILDFLOWERS OF WRIGHT’S FIELD
When and where: 10 a.m. to noon, Meet in front of Joan MacQueen Middle School, Wright’s Field Ecological Preserve, 2001 Tavern Road, Alpine.
When and where: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Meet at north entrance of pedestrian bridge (across from trolley stop) that crosses the river to the Town and Country Hotel, San Diego River Trail, Mission Valley, 7007 Friars Road, San Diego.
OPEN HOUSE: FLORA & FAUNA OF THE SAN DIEGO RIVER
When and where: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., The Historic Santee Barn, 9200 N. Magnolia Ave., Santee.
OPEN HOUSE: CREATIVE REUSE @ ART FORM SAN DIEGO
When and where: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Art FORM San Diego, 3316 Adams Ave. Suite B, San Diego.
PETTING ZOO, PONY RIDES AND RIVER CRAFTS
When and where: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway, San Diego.
OPEN HOUSE: CREATIVE REUSE @ ART FORM SAN DIEGO
When and where: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Art FORM San Diego, 3316 Adams Ave Suite B, San Diego.
FAMOSA SLOUGH NATURE AND BIRD WALK
When and where: 1 to 3 p.m., Famosa Slough, 2935 Famosa Blvd., San Diego.
CLEAN WATER MOBILE LEARNING LAB
When and where: 2 to 9 p.m., southeast corner of Claydelle Avenue and Main Street in downtown El Cajon.
When and where: 7 to 8:30 p.m., Louis Stelzer County Park, 11470 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside.
When and where: 8 a.m. to noon, Day Use Parking lot at the Kumeyaay Lake Campground, 2 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.
Sunday, May 19
ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY AT SILVERWOOD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
When and where: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary, 13003 Wildcat Canyon Road,
Lakeside.
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., meet at the Dog Beach Dog Paw on the River Trail in Ocean Beach,
5156 W. Point Loma Blvd., San Diego.
FAMILY BOULDER CREEK BONANZA OUTDOOR EXPLORATION
When and where: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Park & Ride Lot 29, 7920 Japatul Valley Road, Descanso.
POINT LOMA NATIVE PLANT GARDEN WORK PARTY
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., Point Loma Native Plant Garden, 4444 Greene St., San Diego.
When and where: 9 to 11 a.m., meet at Lake Murray gazebo near the boat launch, 5540 Kiowa Drive
La Mesa.
GUIDED NATURE WALK FROM THE VISITOR CENTER
When and where: 9:30 to 11 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center, 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego.
When and where: 10 to 11 a.m., Louis Stelzer County Park, 11470 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside.
When and where: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 12620 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside.
When and where: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Flinn Springs County Park, 14787 Old Highway 80, El Cajon.