The Earth Discovery Institute (EDI) is a little secret that can be found if one choses to venture into the stewardship of nature. Upon submission of a request to join the Tuesday troop, a team leader will respond with a welcome e-mail. Further correspondence reveals meetups which can be attended with a much appreciated RSVP. This ensures the the arrangement is fulfilled. There are select locations that the party has access and meetups occur regularly. Sometimes, we miss a Tuesday. The locations include a milkweed farm in Lakeside, the National Refuge system in Jamul, the ecological reserve down Campo Road, El Monte reserve in Lakeside, and Crestridge Reserve in Lakeside. Each site offers a different opportunity to explore conservation and ecological niche. The milkweed farm is for harvesting seed and supportive of the monarch population. The monarchs need milkweed as a food source for their young and specifically feast on the plant as caterpillars. EDI supports habitat needs by growing new plants in a wintering zone in Lakeside. The ecological refuge is maintained by weeding invasive species and grooming overgrown plants. The site has been used previously to clean seed for the milkweed farm. The national wildlife refuge is the site which is most often attuned to. It hosts the Anza Elementary knoll that is milkweed watered and weeded regularly as a habitual activity per month. It houses some pretty interesting species which are representative of the Refuge as a whole. I remember sowing seeds in a basket that came from the Mount Miguel trail, and I recall the amazement when the tar plant sprung to life after the rain. The Yellow flowers were stunning. Crestridge holds the annual plant sale. Here, volunteers have the chance to speak about the plants that they engage with and boost native plant sales. This is a great chance to advocate California natives as opposed to decorative plants on the Home Depot market. El Monte Reserve features local wildlife that is under supervision and actively being accessed by organizations concerned with conservation. Two species of interest include the cactus wren and a ragweed species. Planting and monitoring at the site are positively impacting the two species in a way that reinforces the ecosystems integrity. Outside of the stewardship, there are opportunities to socially engage such as the Astronomy meetup that happens later this month. But each session offers a communal atmosphere that can be enjoyed by anyone who intends to connect with the outdoors. Special events aside, each week has a taste of adventure that can break a monotonous week. 5 stars!
EDI is doing exceptional work across many communities throughout Southern California! EDI creates opportunities for kids of low income families to get in touch with nature. Many kids who come into contact with members of the EDI community have never seen the ocean or been in a safe place outside. EDI works tirelessly to create these opportunities for kids to establish a connection with nature at a young age in hopes of creating future stewards of conservatorship. EDI is full of hardworking people with visions for a bright future.
Earth Discovery Institute is a fantastic nonprofit that helps community outreach to promote environment stewardship.
EDI does amazing work both on the conservation side and to bring disadvantaged kids out into nature and get them connected and thinking about their local ecosystems. I've had the pleasure of volunteering on the board for EDI and I can say with confidence that those in leadership positions at this nonprofit are exceptional individuals – incredibly dedicated to their work, very professional and organized, and I think they are leading EDI in the right direction. I'm so excited to see the continued growth of such an amazing nonprofit!
I have worked on the volunteer restoration projects and always have a great time. I also lean a lot about gardening with native plants.
A great nonprofit, restoring open space to native vegetation, providing labor to help the repopulation of endangered birds and butterflies, providing labor for the upkeep of public land.
EDI is such a great organization! I appreciate their commitment to habitat restoration. As a volunteer I've enjoyed the depth and breadth of activities to support our local native habitats. Leaders are knowledgeable and committed. The activities are worthwhile and meaningful. I thoroughly enjoy being a volunteer in this organization.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) owns and manages lands which are conserved and protected for the benefit of sensitive wildlife species and their habitats. I am the Reserve Manager for some of the CDFW properties in San Diego County. One of the properties I am responsible for is the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve (RJER). I have not always been a wildlands biologist. The road that brought me to this place was anything but straight.
I grew up in suburban southern California, in an area I now fondly think of as the Human Storage Facility (HSF). The HSF is encapsulated by the retaining walls that separate our suburbs from our freeways. Like me, children who grow up in the HSF reach adulthood still bearing the vague notion that food originates from grocery stores, water comes from the tap, and natural wonders are just places some of us got to visit during family summer vacations. The first time Earth Discovery Institute (EDI) hosted one of their K-12 environmental education field trips at RJER, I discovered what really defines the HSF. It is the experience of a childhood spent disconnected from the natural world. A void in human development, rather than a physical location or circumstance.
The morning of the EDI field trip began with sea of fourth graders spilling from the busses onto the RJER parking lot. My son happened to be one of them. Despite their excitement, EDI staff deftly gathered the students and organized them into small manageable groups. Each group was led by an enthusiastic instructor, who moved their students from station to station. At each station, the kids participated in hands-on activities related to natural processes, species, and habitats. They explored the importance of pollinators, planted native plants, and practiced biological discovery using species identification keys, binoculars, and magnifying lenses. By the time the kids loaded back into the busses, they were happily chatting about watershed processes, and coming up with ideas to enhance their own backyard habitats to help struggling populations of native butterflies and bees. In just a few hours, with the guidance of their qualified and caring EDI instructors, those kids began transcending the Human Storage Facility.
As adults, our choices and values determine who maintains residence in the HSF, and who does not. Local community members are provided opportunities to connect with the natural world through EDI’s outreach and community service programs. Our public lands provide the platform for healthy public connection, and the venues developed by EDI provide services which benefit the lands, and those of us tasked with managing them. My ‘neighbors’ are the residents who live near or adjacent the properties I manage. Many of them have infinitely more access to the lands than I have. It has been my experience that the more knowledgeable and invested my neighbors are, the more resistant our public lands are to damage from incompatible human activities.
Finally, the EDI volunteers. There is nobody I’d rather clean seeds with than the staff and volunteers at EDI. You know who you are. Week after week, you preserve my faith, and boost my spirits. Thank you for your persistent and dedicated efforts.
I always have fun and I always learn things when I volunteer for EDI. Plus, I now have several good friends from the experience. Totally worth it!
Earth Discovery programs are very special outdoor experiences for very special kids.
(Names have been changed) Jamal, Danielle, Cherise and Brula were in my field group one day. We were hiking along a stream through a beautiful Oak Woodland. Jamal said he had never been on a hike before. Brula said in the refugee camp she was in until she came to the United States they were not allowed to walk to the stream because it was too dangerous. Cherise said she grew up in San Diego but had never been to a natural area and wanted to know where the animal cages were because she thought it would be like the zoo. Danielle did not want to give back the binoculars because seeing the native birds up close was life changing.
Kids around the world are not allowed enough time in nature. Earth Discovery Institute takes them into natural habitats and allows them to experience wild nature, often for the first time in their young lives.
Personally, as an EDI field instructor, I love sharing with the kids and the pure wonder that nature experiences can inspire in them.
The experience is priceless and worth all the support we can give.
I've been the treasurer for this non-profit for over 10 years. I continue supporting this organization because it is important to me that we continue this valuable work to inform and educate our community of the importance of land conservation; especially school age children since they will be future voters.
I have had the opportunity to enjoy walks at the sites Earth Discovery Insitute stewards (like Crestridge Ecological Reserve), learn and contribute to their digital media, and work as a guide for their field trip youth programs. Their education and restoration programs, community outreach and partnership with other important environmental actors and organizations are a priceless resource in San Diego County, and their role in the lives of the area's underserved youth is life-changing! I wholeheartedly endorse them as an exceptional organization that I'm proud to be associated with.
EDI is a leading organization in environmental education programs in San Diego County. Their work is relevant, impactful, and driven by passionate people with a deep understanding of the land and the local habitats used by our unique plants and animals in the most biodiverse county in the lower 48. They really do a great job with getting the kids outside and learning about the importance of stewardship!
EDI has been incredible support at Casa de Oro Elementary during Distance Learning! EDI partnered with us and provided all of our students preschool through grade six with a Nature at Home Kit which was a take-home science kit that included science learning activities and tools for kids to do at home. Kits included seeds and other hands-on "fun" focused on growing seeds and how to observe nature at home and in your community! Science came alive at CDO because of EDI! Thank you, EDI!
Earth Discovery Institute is a wonderful organization that does so much for the community. With a focus on nature and conservation, they work with local communities in so many ways to help preserve the nature around us all. From volunteer work to education, they cover all the bases. Always willing to partner with other organizations and lend a hand where needed, they are truly a shining star!!
This nonprofit is near and dear to my heart. San Diego is full of biodiversity, and EDI is designed to preserve our precious resources, educate the public, and expose children to nature.
I became a volunteer with EDI some years ago and have always been impressed with their community outreach programs and environmental education programs for school children. The community outreach programs include plant identification, restoration, planting of native species and exploration of the Ecological Reserves and SD Wildlife Refuge. The school programs are often the same activities but geared towards children, often those who have limited experience or opportunities to explore and learn about nature. The staff and volunteers share a love and enthusiasm for California native plants and our wild spaces.
One of my greatest encounters with nonprofit. As a total stranger to nature conservancy, the EDI members embrace and educate me to a number of native plants and species. One of the unforgettable experiences is the creation of pond from scratch. Joyful voices of frogs still echoing in my mind. What’s more, the EDI provides many far-from-the-crowd hiking spots exclusively to members. So, you see, it’s not just plants we are associating but a number of fun activities we are playing. And it’s at the same time educational!
I’ve been involved with Earth Discovery Institute for over five years. During this time I have watched this organization provide children with the much needed tools to transform our society and our planet for the better. The directors of this program match their intelligence and charisma with a passion for teaching that has inspired me and lead to profound personal growth in my own life. I joined EDI on a whim after a chance recommendation from a friend and I can honestly say it is among the most transformative and valuable moves that I have made in my adult life.
I discovered Earth Discovery Institute (EDI) about 7 years ago. I completely believe in and support the mission of EDI! This non-profit provides free nature-based field trips to elementary schools for students primarily from low-income areas. The field trips are held within a few open space preserves in San Diego County. The students participle in hands-on activities while experiencing nature in a safe and fun manner. Many of the students that participate have never been to such vast and undeveloped areas before. I was with a group of the students one day at a marsh. As we walked on a trail a beautiful snowy egret flew overhead. One captivated student said, “it’s like an angel in a bird's form."
I was introduced to EDI by a friend and I have enjoyed many hikes & educational field trips hosted by them.
I have been working with EDI since 2019. EDI provides exceptional environmental education opportunities for all ages through outreach events and their 4th/5th grade school-sponsored field trips. These events focus on the importance of native species and the habitats on which they depend. During the field trips, kids get to participate in hands-on habitat restoration by planting native plants. Field trips also focus on how to use binoculars, bird adaptions, watershed ecology, and biodiversity. Currently, EDI is partnering with the San Diego Pollinator Alliance to start a native milkweed seed farm and promote the recovery of the monarch butterfly. Volunteers have helped restore native grassland and scrub habitats, clean milkweed seed, plant the milkweed seed farm, and other projects for local preserve land managers.
I have seen these devoted persons willing to give their time for meaningful causes. These are busy people who, nevertheless, use their talents to serve others.
EDI is a great group! Everything I have done, both as a volunteer and a participant, has been well thought out and to the point. I really think educating young people about nature and conservation is essential, without it we have no future.
EDI needs and deserves our support. Oh, and did I mention, they are loads of fun to work with!
Earth Discovery Institute is a great organization that makes it easy to make a difference. Our staff at SDG&E teamed up with EDI for a employee volunteer day at their native plant garden in El Cajon. The volunteer project was well-organized and employees and their families left with a strong sense of accomplishment. This organization is highly collaborative and committed to innovating to meet emerging environmental needs.
EDI has excellent programs for students of all ages. Rather than just hearing about how great our natural places are, students are immersed in it. They hike, participate in native plant restoration, look for animals and see the value of respecting the environment. With this first hand approach, kids are more joyful and value land stewardship.
Earth Discovery Institute has provided exceptional resources to our elementary school aged children by providing classes and opportunities for students to take learning field trips to important watersheds and natural environments in the San Diego area. Many of our inner city students do not have an opportunity to be in nature, explore how it supports our environment and see first hand how important it is in sustaining our quality of life. EDI has also provided ample opportunities for adult volunteers in the community to participate in caring for and learning about how to steward our natural habitats and resources.
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Earth Discovery Institute has been educating children about our environment and instills respect and stewardship. Projects and opportunities to get into the wild fire lands of San Diego County and learn about the ecosystem enhances and supports respect for our natural habitat. Cathy Chadwick, director of EDI, has worked tirelessly for the last 10 years to create a sustainable program in our county. We wish to salute her and all the hours she has put in to make EDI a success.
I have the pleasure of getting to partner with Earth Discovery Institute (EDI) on community science projects. It is an organization full of passionate people all working hard to inspire environmental stewardship. They do an amazing job of community outreach that is not only amazingly informative, it's also loads of fun!
#MyGivingStory Growing up I spent a lot of time outside with no one to really guide me. I climbed lots of trees, but never bothered to learn the names of the trees. I picked lots of flowers, but never learned the names. I caught lizards, frogs, bugs and bees (that probably wasn't very smart), but again I simply enjoyed them for a bit and moved on. Now, as an adult I have the pleasure of working for a wonderful non-profit Earth Discovery Institute earthdiscovery.org. It gives me the opportunity to share my love of teaching and working with kids while helping them learn all the facts and bits of info I missed as a kid. The best part of my job is that I bring my family to volunteer at almost every event. That might not seem like a big deal to some people, but if you have ever asked a teenager what they want to do early on a Saturday morning, cleaning graffiti off rocks or cleaning trash off hiking trails probably isn't the number one answer. I cannot afford to donate much money back to my organizations efforts so instead I give them my time and more importantly my family time. The time that we have spent together cleaning, scraping and building on the land has helped us build a bond that is much more important to me than anything I could get back in return. My kids go willingly and ask ahead of time what we will be working on. They have logged hundreds of hours of community service for school and college, but the time they have spent working side by side with their dad and I is the thing I am most proud of. At a time when most kids barely talk to their parents I am happy to cherish every moment with mine while teaching them the importance of volunteering and stewardship. Giving to your community means so much more when you realize what it gives you back.
Review from #MyGivingStory
This little non-profit with a big reach benefits local school-age children, citizen scientists and stewards of San Diego County's diverse public lands. Field science and environmental education are offered to elementary school students, while adults can participate in any of the program's outreach and volunteer events and workshops. I've had the pleasure of exploring chaparral, coastal sage scrub, oak woodland and other habitats while learning from Earth Discovery Institute's knowledgeable staff and partners in conservation. We plant acorns, remove invasive species, photomonitor sites, clean up public lands—all while engaging with new friends with unique backgrounds and similar interests. It's a wonderful opportunity to have fun while doing good for the environment!