Posted by Sharon Schendel on May 16, 2017
Rotarians and Boy Scouts ready to work!
Community Services Committee Chairman Bob Sonnhalter presents a donation from Del Mar Rotary to fund the mulch purchase
The park ranger gives a debrief on plant identification (top panel) and Brett Mattei (center with bucket) gets started mulching (bottom panel)
Chris Stewart and Klaus Gubernator (left panel) and President Tom Ryan and Sharon Schendel (right panel) take a break from work
Rotarian Gothic (Laura Williamson and Barrett Smith) at the Dust Devil Nature Trail
 
The San Dieguito River Park (SDRP) has long been special to the Del Mar Rotary Club.  This year Del Mar Rotarians helped remove invasive plants and mulch newly installed native plants near the Dust Devil Nature Trail. DMRC donated funds to purchase the mulch and more than 20 club members were on hand to help.  We were joined by members of Boy Scout Troop 713, which the Del Mar Rotary sponsors.  The Dust Devil Trail can be accessed from southbound El Camino Real and is a 1.7 mile loop that offers views of the ocean.
 
This project is another in a line of Del Mar Rotary projects for SDRP. The most prominent project was completed in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Rotary’s founding in 1905, wherein each club was challenged to undertake a significant project. Bob Fuchs conceived the idea of installing a boardwalk in the SDRP near Jimmy Durante Boulevard. Under Pat Dougherty’s expert supervision, Del Mar Rotarians installed more than 1,200 feet of decking in June 2007.  Bob still fondly remembers the reaction of his grandson, then 5 years old, to the sight of so many people coming together to accomplish a large project in one day.  His grandson looked at all the Rotarians working, shook his head and said: “This is really neat!”
 
Children enjoying the boardwalk installed by Del Mar Rotarians in June 2007 (photo from San Diego River Park)