This canyon, just a few miles from our office, is the largest in City Heights. We host monthly volunteer events where we remove invasive species, pick up trash, and plant native plants. We have made many partnerships along the way, including with Ocean Discovery Institute, SeaGrant, I Love A Clean San Diego, City Open Space Division, and several volunteer groups. This project was made possible by support from many funders, including an Urban Greening Grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, a Prop 1 Grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, an Opening the Outdoors Grant from The San Diego Foundation, and grant funding from REI.

A38 Kid Weeding 2015 KIDS.JPG

invasive species control

Invasive species are a huge threat to the native habitat in Manzanita Canyon. Our field crew, with the help of volunteers, remove thousands of pounds of invasive plants here each year.

A38 Canyon Planting Event 11-14-2015 KIDS PLANTING.jpg

native plantings

We have planted 5000 plants with over 1000 volunteers over the last 10 years and counting!

A38 Mustard Removal 01-28-2020.jpg

Fire prevention

Removing dry, fire-prone invasive plants and replacing them with San Diego natives can help reduce the risk of fires in urban canyons.

2019+05-30+Living+Lab.jpg

The Living lab

Ocean Discovery Institute’s Living Lab is situated at the mouth of Manzanita Canyon. We partner with ODI on volunteer events and habitat restoration efforts. Learn more about ODI.