SD Climate Tech Cities: Feb 24 - Mar 3
Bird Festival, Intersolar Conference, USGBC Winter Social, Zero-waste Symposium, Biking, Free Yoga, Hikes and more!
Hello San Diegans,
This week is packed with exciting events. Mark your calendar for as many as you can!
Our top picks for the week:
On Tuesday 25th, the flagship event of the clean energy in San Diego, ☀ Intersolar & Energy Storage North America starts and continues until Thursday.
On Wednesday 26th, 🦃 2025 San Diego Bird Festival kicks-off with plenty of events and programs that continue until Sunday March 2nd. Don’t forget about 🗑 12th Annual Zero Waste Symposium.
On Thursday 27th, go to USGBC-CA ❄ San Diego Green Building Winter Social, or listen in to the panel on 🚗 Future of Electric Vehicles in San Diego.
On Saturday 1st, go to 🚴♂️ Brothers on Bikes or do one of the hikes at ⛰ Nature Hike: Mission Trails Regional Park (Seda Trail) or 🥾 Epic Hike: Eagle Peak Ranch to Bathtub Creek Preserve.
Scroll down for the full list of upcoming events. Also note that certain email services may cut the newsletter at the bottom.
Best
Ehsan & The Climate Tech Cities Team
🏦 Field trip to Verdani Partners, Tue, Feb 25
🦃 2025 San Diego Bird Festival, Feb 26 - Mar 2
🏭 Harnessing Geothermal for District Heating, Wed, Feb 26
🗑 12th Annual Zero Waste Symposium, Wed, Feb 26
👚 Slow Down Swap Party at Mt. Hope Community Garden, Wed, Feb 26
❄ San Diego Green Building Winter Social, Thu, Feb 27
🚗 Future of Electric Vehicles in San Diego, Thu, Feb 27
☀ Intersolar & Energy Storage North America, Feb 25-27
🌻 Chiipam Hap (Spring Awakening), Sat, Mar 1
📑 Green Routines Workshop, Sat, Mar 1
👩🌾 Backyard Composting Basics Workshop – Bonita, Sat, Mar 1
🚴♂️ Brothers on Bikes, Sat, Mar 1
✋ Volunteers Needed for San Diego Science Expo, Sat, Mar 1
⛰ Nature Hike: Mission Trails Regional Park (Seda Trail), Sat, Mar 1
🥾 Epic Hike: Eagle Peak Ranch to Bathtub Creek Preserve, Sat, Mar 1
🧘♂️ Yoga at the Birdwing, Sun, Mar 2
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings.
Community Shoutouts!
Claim $25 to back solar projects on Renewables.org
Renewables.org is offering Climate Tech Cities subscribers $25 free to get started with their Global South solar investing nonprofit. When you back solar projects on Renewables.org, your funds help build the world’s highest carbon impact renewables across India and Africa. The best part is you get repaid to your Renewables.org account where you can choose to withdraw funds or redeploy them for even more impact.
Opportunities
Upcoming and Rolling Deadlines
👩💼 B Local San Diego for BIPOC Entrepreneurs (Due February 28)
☘ NEW: Seed Spring 2025 Application (Due February 26)
👩 Young Energy Ambassadors (Due March 1st)
🚀 Caltech’s Rocket Fund 2025 (Due March 3)
💡 MassChallenge Switzerland (Due March 5)
⚡ InnovateMass 2025 (Due March 17)
🌬 Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator (Due March 21)
🔋 Cleantech Open Accelerator (Due April 13)
👉 Would you like to feature a grant opportunity, fellowship application, or incubation program in the SD Climate Tech Cities newsletter? Reach out to us with the info.
Upcoming Events
📄 LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Virtual Training, Tue, Mar 4
🌳 Understanding the Public Health Crisis in the Tijuana Watershed, Tue, Mar 4
📐 Sustainable Interiors Roundtable and Epson Tour, Thu, Mar 6
⛰Trails and Ales, Tue, Mar 11
👩💼 Monthly BlueTech Networking: San Diego, Wed, Mar 12
🌊 Legal Lift-Off Series: Essentials for BlueTech Startups, Tue, Mar 18
🏹 Clean Tech and Maritime Defense Under the New Administration, Mar 20
🌬 Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator - Cohort 3, Mar 21
🍺 BFG Spring Social Event, Mar 26
💹 NREL Industry Growth Forum, Mar 26-28
🌊 SPLASH 2025, April 5
⚖ Essentials for BlueTech Startups, Mon, Apr 21 & May 21
💙 BlueTech Week 2025, Mon, Nov 17
This Week in Depth
🏦 Field trip to Verdani Partners
When: Tuesday, February 25th, 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM
Where: 6130 Innovation Way, Carlsbad, CA
Verdani Partners is a full-service ESG consulting firm that helps other organizations create sustainable buildings and obtain green building certification. Come see what their green offices look like during this field trip and hear more about current green building practices.
🦃 2025 San Diego Bird Festival
When: February 26th to March 2nd
Where: RSVP for location
The San Diego Bird Festival has over 150 activities available to you over 5 days!
🏭 Harnessing Geothermal for District Heating
When: Wednesday, February 26th, 11:00 AM
Where: Online
Join this semina by three PhD students from UCSD who work with Cascade, a rural town in Idaho, as a case study to examine the technical-economic feasibility of a geothermal district heating and cooling system and the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
🗑 12th Annual Zero Waste Symposium
When: Wednesday, February 26th, 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Where: Online
This year's Symposium will highlight recent local policy developments, organizations, and businesses pioneering impactful circular solutions across food systems, the built environment, mobility, and community engagement through rapid-fire presentations.
👚 Slow Down Swap Party at Mt. Hope Community Garden
When: Wednesday, February 26th, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: 4261 Market St, San Diego, CA 92102
Join I Love A Clean San Diego for a FREE clothing swap at the Mt. Hope Community Garden! Let’s slow down our consumption, slow down for the day, and exchange some clothing and accessories.
❄ San Diego Green Building Winter Social
When: Thursday, February 27th, 05:00 PM to 08:00 PM
Where: 5555 Oberlin Drive San Diego, CA 92121
Join USGBC-CA for a night of networking and fun at Moda Sorrento - Café de Anza and celebrate this new year of sustainability and celebrating our past year of achievements.
🚗 Future of Electric Vehicles in San Diego
When: Thursday, February 27th, 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM
Where: 4612 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92116
Join San Diego Green Drinks and Climate Collective San Diego to hear from expert speakers and network with likeminded individuals in the local sustainability community.
🌻 Chiipam Hap (Spring Awakening)
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: 1080 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91910
This event is an opportunity to visit the plants at the Marsh and participate directly in plant restoration efforts. This event is also a special unveiling of the second location of the “Hear Our Names” project, which utilizes interactive signage to hear and learn the plant’s Indigenous names.
📑 Green Routines Workshop
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Where: 567 S 28th St, San Diego, CA 92113
During this workshop, we’ll cover: Zero waste practices to adopt in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and home common areas, Sustainable product swaps, Recommendations for local zero waste businesses
👩🌾 Backyard Composting Basics Workshop – Bonita
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Where: Sweetwater Community Garden, 5354 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902
Join Solana Center for this 2-hour workshop where you will learn the basics of traditional backyard composting. Using trial-tested advice and demonstrations, our experienced educators will teach you all you need to know to get started with a bin that fits your needs and lifestyle. Perfect for beginners.
🚴♂️ Brothers on Bikes
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 9:00AM 1:00PM
Where: 6401 Skyline Dr, San DiegoCA 92114
Join us for a 10-mile bike ride! We will meet at MLK Community Park and bike along Paradise Valley Road, Meadowbrook Drive, Imperial Avenue, Skyline Drive, and more (with a pit stop for coffee along the way).
✋ Volunteers Needed for San Diego Science Expo
When: Saturday, March 1st
Where: 100 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
Would you like to share your outdoor knowledge and/or education? Want to inspire the next generation of youth to become scientists? Join our Education Program for one of our largest youth education opportunities of the year at the 2025 Festival of Science & Engineering at Petco Park.
⛰ Nature Hike: Mission Trails Regional Park (Seda Trail)
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: RSVP for location
Hike from the San Diego Natural History Museum
🥾 Epic Hike: Eagle Peak Ranch to Bathtub Creek Preserve
When: Saturday, March 1st, from 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Where: Eagle Peak Ranch, 5030 Eagle Peak Rd, Julian, CA 92036
Join us for an approximately 6 mile invigorating hike along the route connecting two of our properties in the Headwaters: Eagle Peak Ranch to Bathtub Creek Preserve. We call all of these preserves part of our Eagle Peak Preserve network. Bathtub Creek Preserve is our closest preserve to Cedar Creek Falls, a popular hiking destination in San Diego.
🧘♂️ Yoga at the Birdwing
When: Sunday, March 2nd, from 10:00 AM
Where: Birdwing Open Air Classroom, 15737 San Andres Dr, Del Mar, CA 92014
FREE monthly yoga hosted by the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy.