The Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Foundation was founded by Jean Hatton, Dorothy Leonard, and Michael R. Pent in 1988 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to preserve, improve, develop and maintain the park and to foster public appreciation and understanding of the 8000 acres that constitute the park.

In 1991, the City of San Diego and MTRP Foundation entered into an agreement regarding their relationship, which included the approval of the foundation’s annual work program. Regular MTRP Foundation activities reflected in the work program include soliciting funds (private donations, grants), publicizing the park, maintaining a gift shop, sponsoring programs such as for the park’s annual Arbor Day, hiring and maintaining MTRP Foundation staff, purchasing supplies and equipment for foundation and city use, funding exhibits, films, construction projects and coordinating activities with City staff.

The first joint endeavor of the City and MTRP Foundation was construction of the Visitor and Interpretive Center, which opened in 1995. The MTRP Foundation secured millions in funding for the project, more than half of what was needed. The resulting design, with its soaring architecture, stunning views and spacious amenities now serves as an ambassador and gateway to the park. Each year, more than 10,000 San Diego County school children begin their exploration of the park from the visitor center and these field trips to MTRP have become a much-looked-forward-to rite of passage for many of the region’s elementary students.

In February 2020, members of the MTRP community gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new 5,000-square-foot ranger station in the East Fortuna Staging Area. A major entry to the Fortuna area of the park, the completion of this long-awaited facility was funded by the City of San Diego and the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. This important park investment gives rangers improved resources and a state-of-the-art facility to better protect the park and engage with park visitors.

Find out more about the park, the foundation, the activities it supports, and how you can join the work of this important resource at mtrp.org/the-park-2/.

Our next Town Hall Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. by way of Zoom. A further notice with the Zoom link will go out by way of email to our mailing list.

Following reports from our public representatives, this meeting will feature a presentation by Professor Eric Frost of San Diego State University relative to the Alvarado Creek watershed and what needs to be done to relieve f looding during heavy rainstorms. Professor Frost is currently working along the US-Mexico border in both countries assisting in solving problems with natural resources, environmental challenges, educational challenges and preparation of students to respond to disasters and manmade challenges to both countries. He has worked on solutions for the Adobe Falls part of Alvarado Creek for about a decade, mostly as a Del Cerro resident. His motivation is not as research for the University but as a member of the community. He works on these matters in the context of complex laws surrounding the flow of water to help the city resolve the issues. Your attendance at the Town Hall Meeting will support that work.

The next Friends of Navajo Canyon event will be on Saturday, March 19.

On each third Saturday of the month the Friends participate in removal of trash and invasive plants. The restoration and preservation of this important ecological resource is a demanding community responsibility. Find out more about this meeting and sign up to join this work at aggccouncil.org by clicking first on Community Projects then on Friends of Navajo Canyon.

Join our board and bring your neighbors the benefit of your ideas and energy. Join our mailing list by using the “Contact Us” page at aggccouncil.org to give us your email address, to bring us your ideas for Community Council tasks and to nominate yourself to join the board to work on those matters. There is so very much we can do together.

—Shain Haug, is president of AGGCC

(Photo courtesy of Mission Trails Regional Park)