​SDG&E Celebrates Its 22nd Year Supporting Coastal Cleanup Day

On September 23, nearly 200 employees from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Sempra and Sempra Infrastructure rolled up their sleeves to support I Love A Clean San Diego’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Preliminary results from I Love A Clean San Diego suggested that more than 5,000 San Diegans volunteered at this year’s event, removing more than 75,000 pounds of debris from 100 local parks, canyons, creeks and beaches.  

Organized each September by I Love A Clean San Diego, Coastal Cleanup Day is a long-standing tradition for SDG&E. This is the 22nd year our employees and their families have volunteered for the event. This year, we fanned out to three different locations across our service territory.  

​From Artists to Arborists, SDG&E Employees Bring the People Power  

SDG&E employees were able to put their personal and professional passions to use at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day, leveraging an array of talents to make an even greater impact. Many don’t realize that Coastal Cleanup Day is not just about picking up trash. Each year SDG&E contributes both funds and people power to support planting and beautification projects. 

At YMCA Camp Surf in Imperial Beach, SDG&E employee Hilary Dufour designed a mural that was painted by volunteers. The mural spoke to the core principles of Camp Surf – youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. When Hilary isn’t at SDG&E, she spends her free time as an artist and muralist. In Paradise Hills, employees joined Paradise Gardeners, a community-based organization, to assist with several big projects – including installing a new walking pathway and planting native plants – all to continue the momentum that Paradise Gardeners have built in turning a former landfill into a thriving native plant garden and community space. A trio of SDG&E employees – Elizabeth “Liz” Imada, Julia Varnergardner and Shannon Foglia – created a scenic painting on interpretive signage at Paradise Hills Native Garden.  

​“SDG&E’s volunteers worked hard and were delightful to work with. They had such a wonderful, positive outlook and they made the day fun and purposeful,” said Nancy Janssen, community volunteer and site leader for the Paradise Hills Native Garden. “And the kiosk art creation by Liz is beautiful. It will be a highlight as people enter the parking lot and can see the beautiful art from both afar and close up as they walk through the garden.” 

In Escondido, SDG&E Forester Jason Starkey led volunteers to properly plant over dozen trees and native shrubs in Felicita County Park. Proper tree planting techniques are key to ensuring species survival after planting. Jason’s insights and expertise as a member of SDG&E’s Vegetation Management team was an important asset to the tree planting efforts there. In total, SDG&E volunteers planted over 65 trees and native shrubs at Imperial Beach, Paradise Hills and Escondido.

This event is just one of a series of monthly projects that SDG&E employees participate in as part of the Environmental All Stars volunteer series.​