The Escondido Creek Conservancy

The Escondido Creek Conservancy We are dedicated to the preservation & restoration of open space in the Escondido Creek watershed. 🌱🌎

We believe that everyone benefits by being part of nature, not apart from it. The Escondido Creek Conservancy exists to enhance the lives of people and wildlife in our Watershed and we do this by leading, educating, and advocating for our natural surroundings.

πŸ’š A heartfelt thank you to Mandy and the Merrill Bank of America team from the Northern San Diego Market for once again ...
06/13/2026

πŸ’š A heartfelt thank you to Mandy and the Merrill Bank of America team from the Northern San Diego Market for once again rolling up their sleeves and giving back! ✨

After volunteering with us at Mountain Meadow Preserve last fall, Mandy recently returned with her team to support restoration efforts at Elfin Acres, one of our newest protected properties. 🌱 Despite rising temperatures and blazing sun, they worked tirelessly to remove piles of metal debris left behind from the site's former days as an RV campground. Together, they helped fill an entire dumpster and made a lasting impact on the land. πŸ’ͺ🏽

We are incredibly grateful for Merrill's continued partnership and for the time, energy, and enthusiasm the team brought to this project. Conservation is truly a community effort, and supporters like Mandy and her crew help make this work possible and worthwhile. πŸ’š

Wildlife Wednesday: Discovering Nature's Clues πŸ” A mysterious burrow. A collection of prints. A curious spiral of verteb...
06/11/2026

Wildlife Wednesday: Discovering Nature's Clues πŸ” A mysterious burrow. A collection of prints. A curious spiral of vertebrae. And what is that? πŸ‘€

Not every wildlife encounter comes with a sighting of the animal itself. Oftentimes, nature leaves behind clues instead. 🐾

While working on our preserves, we frequently discover signs of wildlife activity long after the animals have moved on. Bones, burrows, tracks, feathers, s**t, nests, and other clues help reveal who lives around us and how our ecosystems stay connected. ✨

Now it's your turn, wildlife detectives! πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™€οΈ What do you think these trail treasures might be? Leave your guesses in the comments below! ⬇️

Every clue tells a story, and every discovery is a reminder that nature is always at work. 🌿

We're back in June with Part 2 of our Wellness in the Watershed Series for the 55+ community🧘🏽.  Sign-up on our Eventbri...
06/10/2026

We're back in June with Part 2 of our Wellness in the Watershed Series for the 55+ community🧘🏽. Sign-up on our Eventbrite today!

🌻Join Mandy McGaugh, a practitioner with over 25 years of experience in somatic (body-based) practices, for a session that connects human experience to ecology and the natural world. The session includes breathwork, guided meditation, and light mindful movement.πŸ’§

🌿Mandy is a proud lifelong resident of Escondido and owner/operator of local business, hea to Hand Holistic Healing. For over 25 years, Mandy has been providing massage therapy for all bodies throughout all seasons of life, in addition to facilitating holistic healing events and somatic (body-based) education.

πŸ—“οΈ: Saturday, June 27th, 2026
πŸ“: The Escondido Creek Conservancy
⌚: 9AM - 11AM

🌿 Please join us in welcoming Rick Noble to the Conservancy's Board of Directors!With a deep appreciation for nature and...
06/09/2026

🌿 Please join us in welcoming Rick Noble to the Conservancy's Board of Directors!

With a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors, Rick recently joined our Board to help support and advance the Conservancy's mission. ✨ From hiking New York's Adirondack Park to supporting conservation efforts today, protecting wild places and making a meaningful impact in the community have been enduring passions throughout his life. πŸŒ„

A successful business leader, attorney, and founder of Noble & Noble, Rick brings extensive experience in finance, real estate, and strategic planning. Inspired by his daughter’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, he is also the founder of Kiss the Sky to Conquer Diabetes, which has raised more than $1 million for research through mountaineering expeditions around the world. πŸ’š

We are honored to have Rick on board and excited for the leadership, expertise, and passion he will add to our work. 🌱

Hooray! It's Friday, and it’s World Environment Day! 🌎 Today, we are celebrating the places that inspire us, the people ...
06/05/2026

Hooray! It's Friday, and it’s World Environment Day! 🌎 Today, we are celebrating the places that inspire us, the people who care for them, and the natural connections that make it all possible. ✨

⬇️ Tell us in the comments: Where is your favorite place to enjoy nature in North County?

🌿 From ridge to reef, thank you for helping protect the lands, waters, wildlife, and outdoor experiences that make our region so special. πŸ’š

1. Escondido Creek
2. Green Heron at San Elijo Lagoon
3. Outdoor Education students hiking in Elfin Forest
4. Conservation Crew Volunteers

06/05/2026

🌳 β€œWhat might an oak tree say if we listened?” 🎢 Join us on June 12 at Mountain Meadow Preserve for a special performance by Dryad, blending music, science, and a love of the natural world. Through vocal harmonies, classical guitar, flutes crafted from tree branches, and nature-inspired lyrics, Dryad offers an enchanting musical conversation with the spirit of a tree. The duo brings together the talents of Sabina Kurz-Sherman, a longtime biology professor, and Jon Sherman, an ecomusician and flute maker, creating an experience that is both enchanting and thought-provoking.

Come for our Connect to Nature guided hike and gentle yoga, then stay for Dryad's performance beginning at 10:45 a.m. ✨ We can't wait to share this unique experience with our community beneath the oaks of Mountain Meadow. 🌿

This event is free but requires advance registration on Eventbrite:
πŸ”— https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990423258547?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/04/2026

πŸ“Ή Caught on camera! 🦊 Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, bucks, and many other animals rely on connected open space to move safely around us. πŸŒ„ Every sighting is a reminder of why linking natural lands and protecting waterways, from ridge to reef, matters. 🌊

🌿 This Wildlife Wednesday, help keep these pathways open and corridors connected for wildlife. Make a gift today and double your impact. ✨ Every dollar donated in 2026 will go twice as far to restore habitat, support healthy ecosystems, and give wildlife the space to thrive. πŸ’š

πŸ”— Donate at escondidocreek.org.

β˜€οΈ June is here and summer is near! In May, we wrapped up the school year with AP Environmental Science and Biology stud...
06/02/2026

β˜€οΈ June is here and summer is near!

In May, we wrapped up the school year with AP Environmental Science and Biology students from Orange Glen HS and Escondido High School, who returned to Mountain Meadow Preserve to care for the native habitat restoration plots they planted last fall. Along with hands-on restoration work, students took time to connect with nature through outdoor yoga and nature journaling. 🌿

These field trips marked the conclusion of our 2025–2026 outdoor education programs, which brought more students to nature through our third-grade Habitats Field Trip Program at the Interpretive Center and our high school environmental science field experiences. We are grateful to all the students, teachers, and partners who immersed themselves in the outdoors and made a positive impact for local habitats with us. We are thrilled to be expanding the program to additional classrooms this fall. 🌱

See you next school year! ✨

05/30/2026

β˜€οΈ Summer starts at the Conservancy! Join us for events in the watershed this June:

πŸŒ„ Welcome to the Watershed Hike Series
Sat, June 6 | 9 a.m.–12 p.m. | Elfin Acres at Keithley Preserve
Explore one of our newest preserves on a guided walk and talk. Once an RV campground and nearly lost to development, Elfin Acres is now permanently protected. Learn about its unique history and ongoing habitat restoration efforts.

πŸ§˜β€β™€οΈ Connect to Nature: Guided Hike + Gentle Yoga
Fri, June 12 & Sat, June 20 | 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. | Mountain Meadow Preserve
Enjoy an interpretive hike and gentle yoga in nature. 🌳 June 12 only: Stay for a special performance by Dryad, featuring vocal harmonies, classical guitar, and flutes crafted from tree branches. ✨ Ages 16+. Generously funded by the

🌿 Shrub Club Volunteer Day
Sat, June 13 | 9 a.m.–12 p.m. | Elfin Acres at Keithley Preserve
Help restore one of our newest preserves by removing non-native plants and debris while connecting with fellow conservation-minded volunteers.

✨ New for Ages 55+
Wellness in the Watershed
Sat, June 27 | 9 a.m.–11 a.m. | Mountain Meadow Preserve
Part two of our four-part wellness series featuring breathwork, guided meditation, and mindful movement with Mandy McGaugh. Generously funded by the

All events are free but advance registration is required through Eventbrite.
πŸ”— https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-escondido-creek-conservancy-35925539663

See you outdoors soon! πŸ’š

🍽 What’s on the menu this Wildlife Wednesday? 🐍 Looks like these nestlings are in for a feast! 🐿Not only are raptors fas...
05/28/2026

🍽 What’s on the menu this Wildlife Wednesday? 🐍 Looks like these nestlings are in for a feast! 🐿

Not only are raptors fascinating to watch overhead, they also play an important role in keeping ecosystems balanced by naturally helping to manage rodent and snake populations. Did you know? Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) can spot prey from hundreds of feet in the air using their incredibly sharp eyesight. πŸ‘€

πŸ¦… Lucky for this family, dinner is served.

πŸ“Έ Richard Murphy, Board President

Address

P. O. Box 460791
Escondido, CA
92026

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