Introduction

Led by the Volcan Mountain Foundation, students travel through mature conifer and oak forest to take a guided hike to the top of the Sky Island Trail where they observe the San Dieguito Watershed from a mile above sea level. They then head back down to VMF’s Volcan Mountain Nature Center stopping at the year-round spring that feeds the San Dieguito River. Along the way they explore the riparian habitat and its inhabitants and test the water for its ability to support life in the watershed. At the nature center, students participate in a hands-on demonstration of how watersheds function by creating a spray bottle “rainstorm” over a 3D relief map of the Volcan Mountain Range.