We are thrilled to share that San Diego Bird Alliance has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation (Fire Foundation) as part of its 2025 Project SAFE grant program. This funding directly supports the continued expansion of our Silverwood Fire Education Project at Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary in Lakeside.
As one of 31 community-based organizations to receive a portion of the Fire Foundation’s $300,000 in grant funding this year, we are honored to be part of a growing movement to increase wildfire preparedness and resiliency across San Diego County. This grant represents more than just financial support; it’s an investment in community knowledge, environmental stewardship, and public safety.
Expanding the Silverwood Fire Education Project
Thanks to this grant, we will build upon the success of our current fire resiliency programs with several exciting enhancements:
- Increased Fire Resiliency Walk and Talks: We will expand the number and reach of our guided interpretive hikes, offering them not only to the general public but also to school groups, high school and college students, and educators. These Walk and Talks explore key fire ecology principles and actionable mitigation strategies, particularly as they relate to the chaparral ecosystems unique to our region.
- New Educational Trail Guides: We will design and distribute handheld trail guides aligned with our Walk and Talk curriculum, offering self-guided experiences for visitors to learn about fire safety, defensible space, and native plant management.
- Collaborations with Lakeside FSC: We are proud to work in partnership with the Lakeside Fire Safe Council co-hosting events and providing outreach materials to support their efforts in wildfire education and defensible space advocacy throughout the community.
With over 2,000 annual visitors to Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary, we are uniquely positioned to engage and inform residents from Lakeside and across San Diego County. Through this project, we hope to inspire individual and community action that protects both people and the native wildlife that call our region home.
Gratitude to the Fire Foundation and Community Partners
We are deeply grateful to the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation, as well as their partners - the San Diego River Conservancy and San Diego Gas & Electric - for recognizing the importance of grassroots, place-based fire education.
We also celebrate the collective efforts of Fire Safe Councils across the region. With more than 50 active FSCs - more than any other U.S. region - San Diego is leading the way in community-powered wildfire resilience.
Together, we are building a more informed, prepared, and fire-safe San Diego.
Stay tuned for upcoming Walk and Talk events and trail guide releases, and thank you for supporting our mission to connect people with nature while empowering them to protect it.
