Restoration work is challenging and so is finding a suitable site, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. The purpose of habitat restoration is to re-establish healthy environmental conditions in an ecosystem that has been damaged, degraded, or destroyed. Obviously, restoration is not a substitute for land preservation, but in many situations, restoration can improve the value of the habitat and create a site that can support native wildlife once again. You can read more in our September 2023 Newsletter.

We can all look to Carlsbad resident David Newman for inspiration and the possibility of what can be accomplished by dedicated volunteers. David had been looking at an empty greenbelt in his neighborhood for years that was located between two HOAs on Calle Pera in Carlsbad. The plot of land was either bare of any vegetation or covered with invasive grass species depending on the time of year. He was inspired to restore the plot of land so it could support our local wildlife. Although it took longer than expected, in January 2023, Preserve Calavera and a group of neighborhood volunteers helped David plant 44 native plants over a 1.5 acre area. You can read more about his project: Newsletter.

Map of gnatcatcher wildlife corridor stepping stone locations.

The 14 priority areas are marked on the map. For a larger and more complete map and legend, follow this LINK.

Two key parcels of current focus are Vista de la Valle (4A and 4B on the map) and El Corazon (7 and 8A on the map).

The study provides a starting point and a way forward for the City of Oceanside to begin to implement the stepping stone wildlife corridor.



Some of the important study findings:

• Multiple parcels were identified that present opportunities for stepping-stones of connectivity.
• Multiple parcels were identified where restoration of coastal sage scrub (DCSS) and native grassland plant communities may lead to significant functional improvement of this portion of the corridor.
• The results also confirm and add to previous conclusions reached regarding the ability for the CAGN corridors to persist across SR-76. Bottlenecks, steep slopes and potential barriers are present at these key crossing locations, but enhancement opportunities exist and are identified to potentially improve the viability of the corridors at these locations.      

Next steps will specifically focus on restoration plans for two key parcels, Vista de la Valle and El Corazon (see map above), and updating the rest of the corridor to identify and prioritize the remaining restoration opportunities.  

Full implementation of the plan for the Wildlife Corridor Planning Zone is expected to take, perhaps, 20 years and could cost several million dollars. But achieving a functional corridor through Oceanside is priceless for the little CCGN, and for future generations who will still be able to smell the coastal sage scrub in the spring, and hear the call of CCGNs as they move through and stop and spend some time with us.  

Our local native plants and wildlife were very excited that Carlsbad had achieved its 20th Anniversary of the Habitat Management Plan. They asked Diane Nygaard, our board president, to present a Certificate of Appreciation to the City Council on their behalf. The certificate was signed by the very grateful wildlife that share the city with the human population. You can view their signatures below.

Collaborating for Biodiversity is a K-12 youth art project celebrating species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Students are invited to submit artworks created in collaboration with two or more youth artists. The Endangered Species Coalition created Collaborating for Biodiversity in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Endangered Species Day, Friday, May 16th, 2025.

You can find all of the project guidelines published on their website. The submissions form will remain open through Wednesday, April 23rd.

Previous artwork submission shown at right.