Hundreds of people got together in Mission Bay for the Love Your Wetlands Day, an annual celebration of the water habitat that provides a home to hundreds of plants and animals.
Armed with buckets, and rubber boots, hundreds of volunteers spent the day cleaning the Kendall-Frost Marsh, enjoying the wildlife and learning how to maintain the precious resource that is our coastal wetlands.
“This is part of Mission Bay Park. It’s a part [of the county] the general public doesn’t always get to access, except for this day," San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. "I really want to encourage San Diegans to see this important part of the park and understand why we’re recommending growing this corner of the park when it comes to wetland and natural habitat.”
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There are several endangered species in the Kendall-Frost Marsh. They rely on tidal marsh habitat like this. Mission Bay used to have 4,000 acres and there are only 40 acres left, said Andrew Meyer, Director of Conservation at the San Diego Audubon Society.
Environmental leaders hope the volunteers cleaning the marsh will get a better appreciation for the wetland habitat.
“It sequesters carbon. It cleans water. It’s resilient to sea level rise and it’s important access that we can restore and help reconnect communities that have not been able to get in there and not been able to be near it for a long time,” Meyer said.
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For volunteers, there's a strong sense of fulfillment.
“It was a great experience cleaning up making everything better and just learning more about the environment and how the little things help in the bigger picture,” said volunteer Monette Banks.
The Kendall-Frost Marsh is a sensitive habitat and is only open once a year to people. City and environmental leaders are working to expand the marsh and make it more accessible to people in the future.
