Improving our environment starts at the neighborhood level. That’s why more than 50 volunteers consisting of our employees and their families joined the nonprofit San Diego Canyonlands this past Saturday to spruce up Azalea Community Park and the adjacent Manzanita Canyon.

A team effort

San Diego Canyonlands, whose mission is to protect and restore natural habitats in our region’s canyons and creeks through education and community involvement, brought together key stakeholders for the cleanup event.

In addition to Team SDG&E/Sempra employees, participants included City Heights organizer Linda Pennington, City of San Diego Park & Recreation staff, Council President Georgette Gomez and residents from the Azalea Park neighborhood, which borders Manzanita Canyon.

Working side by side with community members, our employees took part in a variety of service projects, including weeding a native plant garden. The garden is cherished as place of respite and provides an opportunity to learn about the local flora.

Volunteers also rolled up their sleeves to paint over graffiti on the Recreation Center walls and clean up planter beds around the park. Some hiked deep into Manzanita Canyon to remove invasive plant species, such as wild mustard, that can choke off native plants. As these weeds dry out during the summer months, they can become a fire risk, so it's important to clear out the brush.

After a busy morning, volunteers were treated to burritos, generously donated by a local eatery, Chiquitas Mexican Restaurant in City Heights.

Volunteering is part of our commitment to improve lives and communities

As part of our Environmental All-Stars program, employees at SDG&E, as well as at our parent company, Sempra Energy, volunteer their time monthly for community projects that need boots on the ground.

Together with family and friends, our employees have spent many a Saturday morning working on projects that improve our community, in partnership with a variety of organizations, including Balboa Park Conservancy, I Love A Clean San Diego, the San Diego Audubon Society, the San Diego River Park Foundation, Wild Willow Farm, and many more.

Learn more about our monthly volunteer events here.