Volcan Mountain Foundation

In December of 2011, the 37 acre Santa Ysabel Creek headwaters property at the end of Farmer Road was acquired for conservation by the Volcan Mountain Foundation.  Rich in riparian habitat with incredible coniferous forest, oak woodlands and meadows, this uniquely situated property is also contiguous to VMF’s Sky Island Trail property on the north, and the County’s Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve on the east, helping to patch together important wildlife corridors and habitat.  Owned by the Grand family for many years, the property also has a charming cabin not too far from the main gate to Volcan Mountain that had been nicely fixed up.  The cabin will now be the focal point for establishing a nature education center at the base of Volcan Mountain.

The cabin will:
• be an indoor classroom
• be an orientation point for visits to the center
• offer audio/visual support for lectures and trainings
• provide an on-site office for VMF’s Education Coordinator
• provide overnight accommodations for researchers or special guests

Of course, the main focus will be to get visitors outside exploring nature and learning more about Volcan Mountain and how it connects to the urban and coastal areas of San Diego through water, wildlife and wildlands.  The landmark facility will support education, outreach and stewardship programs and activities not only for the Volcan Mountain Foundation, but many collaborative partners.

This fall VMF was awarded two grants for the nature education center.  In September, The San Diego Foundation selected VMF for a $36,000 2012 Environment Grant to fund infrastructure improvements which include:
• upgrading the aging cesspool
• putting in a well
• installing a solar electric supply

The septic improvement was completed in November by local contractors Richard & Justin Stanley, with the well and the solar following soon.

In December, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) selected VMF for a 2012 Environmental Champions grant in the amount of $2,500 as part of VMF’s Regenerating Oak Woodlands project started by Education Coordinator Kathleen Beck in September.  In an effort to address the potentially devastating effects of the Gold-Spotted Oak Borer Beetle, Ms. Beck has led student groups through collecting, preparing and planting local acorns to establish native seedlings in their natural environment, and also provide the start of a local native plant nursery.  Healthy juvenile oaks will carry on genetic stock while research continues to seek solutions to protect our oak-growth oaks.

The Volcan Mountain Foundation is excited to be engaging, inspiring and cultivating the next generation of conservationists with help from our partners and supporters!  For more information, please contact VMF:  [email protected]. 

We’d like to thank and for their generous support!