• Volunteer with the County as a park ambassador, community center helper, or park docent/naturalist. Students/youth under age 18 years old are welcome.
• Attend a Community Planning Group meeting
• Help at a community cleanup event with I Love a Clean San Diego 
• Educate youth on climate change using science, art, and storytelling with the Climate Science Alliance Climate Kids program. 

Reduce Energy Use

Did you know? Buildings account for almost 40 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Green buildings are profitable, cost-effective and good for the economy.

• Build a green building
  • Check out U.S. Green Building Council San Diego events
• Apply for a roof-mount solar permit online
• Convert agricultural equipment to electric through an Air Pollution Control District grant

Did you know? The average Californian commutes approximately 30 miles roundtrip per day. Compared to gasoline, $0.60 of electricity can take you as far as a single gallon of gasoline, which can cost updwards to $4/gallon. 

• Make your next car electric and save $7,000 through the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program 
  • Find EV charging stations through the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Station Locator
  • Learn more about EVs at Veloz.org
• Install an electric vehicle charging station

Did you know? Up to 70% of your water bill goes to watering your lawn and garden!

• Practice water wise landscaping. Water your lawn 1-2x/week instead of 5x/week to save 840 gallons/week, or 43,680 gallons/year.  
• Conserve water: 
  • Rethink how you use water
  • Learn about Sustainable Groundwater Management 
  • Be WaterSmart with San Diego County Water Authority  
  • Visit The Garden at Cuyamaca College
  • Follow Save our Water tips 
  • Design your garden utilizing San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Guidelines
  • Follow a California Watershed Approach to Landscape Design  

Reduce Waste

Did you know? 40% of all plastic littered or dumped ends up in the ocean each year. Surfrider collected 174,000 pieces of waste, including 7,800 plastic straws and lids at a 2018 county clean up event.  

• Don’t throw it out! Reuse or repair it instead
• ReThink Waste  
• Recycle at home and at work: Recycling Guides 
• Recycle used paint, motor oil, and batteries: Household Hazardous Waste disposal locations and collection events 
• Recycle green yard debris
• Rise Above Plastics

Did you know? 40% of edible food in San Diego County goes uneaten, while 1 in 7 San Diegans face food insecurity. In California, 6 million tons of food is thrown away! That accounts for 18% of materials in the landfill while nearly 5 million Californians remain “food insecure.” 

• Prevent wasted food
  • Read the Food Waste Prevention & Donation Newsletter
  • Plan your next event with the SaveTheFood.com Guest-imater
• Donate excess fruit from fruit trees: visit Feeding San Diego and San Diego Food System Alliance

Did you know? Adding an inch of mulch twice a year to your garden can help retain moisture, build soil fertility, and protect plants. 

• Access no cost yard debris chipping services if you are an unincorporated resident 
• Learn how to compost with DPW Recycling
  • Purchase a discounted compost bin  

Help Build Healthy Soil

Did you know? Added to soil, compost increases water holding capacity, makes soil less prone to erosion, requires less fertilizer, and sequesters significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

• Conserve agricultural use on your farm: apply for the Purchase of Agricultural Easements program
• Plant a tree, select the right tree characteristics by using Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute's SelecTree  
  • Learn about the County's heritage tree program  
  • Follow sound tree planting techniques
• Take a composting workshop at the Solana Center