Desert to Coast: Exploring the Coastal Link at Torrey Pines

Date: Saturday, September 21

Time: 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (End time is approximate.) 

Location: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve  

Cost:  

Non-Member $50/person/program  

ABF Member $40/person 

Student $20/person 

Non-Member – 3 program bundle (desert, mountain, coast) $130/person 

ABF Member – 3 program bundle (desert, mountain, coast) $100/person 

Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for those with financial hardship. If you’d like to request a scholarship, please reach out to [email protected] with a two-to-three paragraph description about why you want to attend this program and your need for a scholarship. 

Description: Celebrate the first day of Fall with a captivating day of exploration and learning how our desert ecosystem connects with the coast – specifically the gorgeous Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. This program focuses on the connectivity of ecosystems in the region between Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Pacific Ocean – desert, mountains, chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and the intertidal zone. In this case, we seek to highlight the important relationship between the desert and the coast and why we must understand and conserve connecting landscapes. This event offers a blend of education, adventure, and scenic beauty, perfect for nature enthusiasts and curious minds alike. This is a jointly hosted program between Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Anza-Borrego Foundation.   

The afternoon will consist of an engaging lecture at the Torrey Pines Outdoor Pavilion by Jess Mullins, PhD student and bee expert. Mullins will focus on the bee diversity of San Diego County, and the origin of bee diversity. As the human population continues to grow there is greater demand for urban development leading to habitat loss and fragmentation and an unparalleled loss in biodiversity. It will be followed by an interpretive hike presented by the TPSNR Docent Society throughout the Upper and Lower Reserves and along the beach. This easy to moderate hike may have some elevation gain, as TPSNR sits on a hill, but offers stunning views of the shrub-covered hills and the Pacific Ocean. We’ll end the evening by watching the sunset and savoring the incredible sandy, cliffside landscape.  

After the program, we invite everyone to enjoy a well-deserved (optional) dinner and a cold drink with us at Buonasera New York Pizzeria (cost not included in registration) where you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the afternoon’s insights and connect further with our participants. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, hike, and connect with nature and like-minded individuals. Register now to secure your spot! 

Physical Expectations:  

This field trip asks participants to walk for about three miles at a time at a slow pace, on uneven terrain and sand, with many stops (for interpretation). There will be some elevation gain to and from the beach.  

Space is limited! Please register in advance.  

Registration is closed. 

About the Location and Field Trip Leaders: 

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a wilderness island in an urban sea. This fragile environment is the home of our nation’s rarest pine tree - Pinus torreyana. Once this tree covered a larger area. It now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast near Santa Barbara. The park preserves not only the trees, but also one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California. The reserve features high broken cliffs and deep ravines on headlands overlooking the ocean. 

Jess Mullins is a PhD student at UC San Diego in the Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution Department. Her research looks at how land-use change and climate change interact to drive changes in native bee biodiversity in fragmented habitats. With this research, she seeks to identify key drivers of extinction risk for native bees to inform conservation efforts. Mullins is interested in how community science platforms like iNaturalist can engage a broad audience to gather crucial baseline biodiversity data using non-lethal monitoring methods. 

The Torrey Pines Docent Society is a volunteer organization that helps preserve and protect Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego, California. The Docent Society was established in 1975 and is one of the oldest volunteer groups in the California State Park System. Funding is allocated towards special projects and publications regarding the Reserve. 

Cancellation Policy:  Notification must be received at least 7 days before the first day of the event if you need to cancel and wish to receive a refund. For cancellations made after the 7-day deadline, we cannot issue refunds for any reason. We understand that unforeseen or emergency circumstances may arise, but our nonprofit organization operates on a limited budget and, while inconvenient, this policy enables us to sustain our programs even with last-minute cancellations. If ABF cancels a program, we will issue a full refund or credit. Thank you for understanding! 

Hikes may be cancelled due to unsafe weather or road conditions with 24-hour notice if possible