In recent years, local elected leaders have acknowledged the important role that the Chollas Creek watershed has in our communities. Chollas Creek and its tributaries originate as far east as Lemon Grove and La Mesa, before largely running through Mid-City and Southeast San Diego and meeting San Diego Bay near the U.S. Naval Base San Diego.
With the Chollas Creek Regional Park now in the works, it’s important to recognize the advocacy of local nonprofit organization Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek in making the idea a reality.
Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek’s impact cannot be overstated. In 2007, Groundwork San Diego was invited by the City of San Diego to lead the Chollas Creek Enhancement Program, a masterplan for restoring the city’s most neglected waterway, which runs through some of the area’s most ethnically diverse and lowest-income communities.
Chollas Creek, once pristine Kumeyaay land and later a treasured recreational resource to San Diego’s earliest African American community, has experienced underinvestment, redlining and years of neglect. Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek works at the intersection of social, environmental and climate justice, and has generated more than $12 million in public and private investments in Chollas Creek and its surrounding communities.
Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek is making a difference in the ongoing restoration of the long-neglected Chollas Creek watershed while connecting underserved youth and families in Southeastern San Diego to initiatives focused on environmental stewardship.
A $35,000 grant from San Diego Foundation through the Opening the Outdoors initiative is playing a key role in funding a trio of Groundwork San Diego initiatives. Among them:
“Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek remains committed to providing high-quality, educational opportunities to the Southeastern San Diego, including City Heights, Oak Park, Encanto, Chollas View, Mount Hope, Mountain View, Barrio Logan, and Southcrest,” said Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek Executive Director Leslie Reynolds. “We are thankful for San Diego Foundation’s financial support of our mission.”
The SDF Opening the Outdoors initiative has supported more than 90 local nonprofits benefitting more than 50,000 youth and families through equitable access to parks, beaches, and green spaces.
Learn more about the Opening the Outdoors program and how it’s helping San Diegans discover the wonders of the natural world and enjoy the benefits of outdoor activity.
On August 9, 2022, we awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.
“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.
This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County.
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