Escondido, CA – AP Environmental Science students from Escondido, San Pasqual, and Orange Glen high schools have completed the pilot year of The Escondido Creek Conservancy's High School Habitat Restoration Field Trip Program, funded by the NOAA Planet Stewards Grant Program.
 

In the fall of 2024, students participated in a field trip to the Mountain Meadow Preserve, where they planted 125 native coastal sage scrub (CSS) plants below the Conservancy’s soon-to-open outdoor classroom. They also collected initial data to assess how much carbon the plants will sequester. In the spring, students returned to their restoration plots to retake measurements and conduct a classroom project to track the plants' growth and carbon capture. Total carbon sequestration measured was 38,849.66 grams (38.85 kg), averaging 377.18 grams per plant. This means that the student-planted habitat is already helping fight climate change by removing nearly 39 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
 

The Mountain Meadow Preserve, 693 acres including a former avocado grove, was acquired and protected through a partnership of the Conservancy, the County of San Diego Parks and Recreation, and the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. This initiative marks an important milestone in the ongoing restoration of the land.

“This program provides students with a unique hands-on learning experience, while introducing them to habitat restoration careers and environmental science,” said Ariel Reed, Education Director at The Escondido Creek Conservancy. “Not only are students actively restoring local habitats, but they’re also gaining the skills and knowledge that will help them become the next generation of environmental stewards.”
 

The program’s success has laid the foundation for future expansion, with the Conservancy looking to grow these opportunities for students and continue improving the Escondido Creek watershed in North San Diego County.