Project Spotlight
Restoring Habitat and Reducing Wildfire Risk at Mission Trails Regional Park
RECON's Ecological Restoration Team is supporting a multi-year invasive vegetation management and habitat restoration project at Mission Trails Regional Park in partnership with the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation and the City of San Diego.
Since September 2024, RECON has carried out vegetation management and habitat restoration across approximately 756 acres of the park, helping reduce wildfire risk while supporting native habitat and the San Diego River watershed.
Funded through a $1.8 million award from the San Diego River Conservancy and administered by the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, the project focuses on reducing flammable fuel loads through invasive, non-native plant removal while protecting and expanding native habitat.
To date, RECON crews have removed 29 40-yard containers of green waste totaling 62.02 tons. The project is scheduled to continue through fall 2027.
The restoration work spans a range of native habitats, including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, grassland, coast live oak woodland, and riparian communities.
RECON is also reducing competition from non-native vegetation around sensitive native species, including San Diego ambrosia (Ambrosia pumila) and Orcutt's brodiaea (Brodiaea orcuttii). Natural re-establishment of native species has been observed in many treatment areas as invasive vegetation is reduced.
The project demonstrates how invasive vegetation management and habitat restoration can provide multiple benefits, including reducing wildfire risk, supporting native plant communities and contributing to watershed health.
In the News
The project’s progress has been highlighted by multiple San Diego news outlets. Click on the links below to learn more.
Left to Right: Ruth Vallejo-Reviczky, RECON Field Director; Rob Hobbs, RECON President; San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria; and Margaret Thompson, RECON Habitat Restoration Analyst
