Por JENNIFER MORRISSEY

The holiday season is here, and we’re excited that we can safely visit loved ones and breathe a collective sigh of relief that the most difficult days of the pandemic may be behind us.

We’re also optimistic because November 2021 marked the return of many of Mission Trails’ programs. Our volunteer Trail Guides are again leading regular walks, enriching park users’ experience by sharing knowledge about Mission Trails’ native plants, geology, wildlife, and, of course, its cultural history. We hope that you will take advantage of the Trail Guides’ free nature walks, which are drop in and take place at 9:30 a.m. from the Visitor Center on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and at 8:30 a.m. from Kumeyaay Lake Campground every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

The last 20 months have been tumultuous, but a bright spot through it all has been the rambling peaks and valleys of Mission Trails Regional Park. It has been a source of support to neighbors and area residents, offering respite and connection, and a safe place to meet with family and friends to experience nature.

During this time, the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation has continued to provide crucial support to the park and offer educational programs. Working in partnership with the City of San Diego, the MTRP Foundation has helped to protect and expand habitat for wildlife, and increase the population of endangered native plants at Mission Trails. While in-person events were on hold, the Foundation created “On Topic” an incredibly popular online lecture series that has been enjoyed by the community and utilized for distance learning. We recently held our first event at the Visitor Center, an outdoors program enjoyed by young explorers and their families.

For the MTRP Foundation to continue to advocate for the park and raise funds to preserve, protect, and enhance Mission Trails, as well as offer enriching programming, we need your generous support.

And, there are special incentives for giving:

All donations will be matched, $1 for $1, up to $30,000 if made before Dec. 31, 2021.

The first 200 donors who make a gift of $100+, or a recurring monthly gift of $10 or more, will receive a FREE Mission Trails Regional Park calendar as a reminder of the impact you’re making every month.

The CARES Act offers special tax incentives; contact your tax advisor to learn how the CARES Act can benefit you and MTRP.

Whether you’ve been a park user for decades, discovered Mission Trails more recently, or simply love the fact that you live near a nature preserve, you understand that this historic site and gem of the San Diego region needs to be supported and protected. Please show your commitment to Mission Trails by making an online donation at mtrp.org. You can also print a form out from our website and send it in to the Visitor Center, or come down to the Visitor Center between 9am-5pm daily to make your gift in person.

— Jennifer Morrissey es directora ejecutiva de la Fundación del Parque Regional Mission Trails.