SD Climate Tech Cities: March 17 - 24
Bluetech meetings, SD Fixit Clinic, Spring Bloom, Hikes, and more!
Hello San Diegans
Spring is upon us and by the next newsletter we will have a new season!
Our top picks for the week:
On Tuesday 18th, go to the 🌊 Legal Lift-Off Series: Essentials for BlueTech Startups or learn how SoCal looked liked millions of years ago with 🦏 When Rhinos Roamed and Walruses Were Weird.
On Thursday 20th, learn about the risks of ⚓ Clean Tech and Maritime Under the New Administration.
On Saturday 22nd, Hike the ⛰ Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, or go to 🌸 Spring Bloom at the Extension, or take a garment that needs mending to 🛠 SD Fixit Clinic: Textile Repair Event.
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
🍺 Trails and Ales, Tue, Mar 18
🌊 Legal Lift-Off Series: Essentials for BlueTech Startups, Tue, Mar 18
🦏 When Rhinos Roamed and Walruses Were Weird, Tue, Mar 18
🦑 2025 Ritter Memorial Fellowship Lecture Featuring Antony Adler, Tue, Mar 18
🚶♀️ Early deployment grants to de-risk debt capital, Thu, Mar 20
💼 Finding your next job in the new social sector, Thu, Mar 20
⚓ Clean Tech and Maritime Under the New Administration, Thu, Mar 20
🌿 Planting Party at Ocean View Growing Grounds, Sat, Mar 22
🌄 Gonzales Canyon Habitat Restoration, Sat, Mar 22
🐦Birding Outing: Marian Bear Open Space with Anitra Kaye, Sat, Mar 22
🦢 Wander the Wetlands: Work Party, Sat, Mar 22
🎨 Art and Wellness at Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary, Sat, Mar 22
⛰ Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Hike, Sat, Mar 22
🌸 Spring Bloom at the Extension, Sat, Mar 22
🦃 Birding Outings: Birding at Lindo Lake - East side, Sun, Mar 23
🛠 SD Fixit Clinic: Textile Repair Event, Sun, Mar 23
🥾 Hike with a Purpose: Headwaters Assessment, Virtual Trainig, Mon, Mar 24
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
🌬 Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator (Due March 21)
✏ What Design Can Do Accelerator (Due March 31)
🌎 AI for Nature and Climate program (Due March 31)
👩💻 2025 Venture For ClimateTech Global Innovation Challenge (Due March 31)
🔢 The Compute for Climate Fellowship (Due April 6th)
🔋 Cleantech Open Accelerator (Due April 13)
🌱 2025 Ray of Hope Accelerator | The Biomimicry Institute (Due April 25)
✨ Urban Future Prize Competition (Due April 28)
👉 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
🤝 Catalyst Convening: San Diego Region, Tue, Mar 25
🍺 BFG Spring Social Event, Mar 26
💹 NREL Industry Growth Forum, Mar 26-28
🥾 Hike with a Purpose: Headwaters Assessment, In-person Training, Sat, Mar 29
🌊 SPLASH 2025, April 5
⚖ Essentials for BlueTech Startups, Mon, Apr 21 & May 21
💙 BlueTech Week 2025, Mon, Nov 17
This Week in Depth
🍺 Trails and Ales
When: Tuesday, March 18th, 04:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: Juniper Canyon Trailhead, 2645 Teresita St., San Diego, CA 92104
Join SDRVC for the relaunch of the popular Trails and Ales program, with hikes led by SDRVC and 4 partners from the San Diego Region!
🌊 Legal Lift-Off Series: Essentials for BlueTech Startups
When: Tuesday, March 18th, 09:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Where: See the link for location
Shai Kalansky, Partner at Morrison Foerster, will walk participants through the key considerations when incorporating a startup. This session will cover entity selection (LLC, C-corp, S-corp), tax implications, liability protection, corporate governance, and compliance requirements. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how to set up their BlueTech ventures for scalability, investment-readiness, and long-term success.
🦏 When Rhinos Roamed and Walruses Were Weird
When: Tuesday, March 18th, 06:00 PM
Where: Online
Today, we know Southern California for its sunny days and sprawling cities. But if we travel through the pages of geologic history, the world we know would have looked unrecognizable through the ages.
🦑 2025 Ritter Memorial Fellowship Lecture Featuring Antony Adler
When: Tuesday, March 18th, 03:00 PM
Where: RSVP for location
Adler’s lecture is titled “The Deep Frontier: The Rise and Fall of Underwater Habitats in 1960s and 70s.” A reception with light refreshments will follow.
🚶♀️ Early deployment grants to de-risk debt capital
When: Thursday, March 20th, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Where: Online
In this first live session, we'll go deep with two founders on identifying, applying to, and receiving deployments grants to help them de-risk debt capital. Future sessions will cover other in-depth topics like equipment financing and project finance (stay tuned).
💼 Finding your next job in the new social sector
When: Thursday, March 20th, 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM
Where: Online
Join our next digital careers event featuring executive coach Dan Freehling and social sector talent agent Spencer Campbell, who have developed a model based on what they've learned while supporting hundreds of job seekers.
⚓ Clean Tech and Maritime Under the New Administration
When: Thursday, March 20th, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: 1100 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101
As the U.S. transitions to a new presidential administration, the role of clean technology in national security remains more critical than ever. In collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), TMA BlueTech invites our members to an in-person Trends and Opportunities event on March 20th at Park & Market in San Diego, exploring the evolving landscape of clean technology within the maritime defense sector.
🌿 Planting Party at Ocean View Growing Grounds
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 09:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Where: RSVP for location
Join us for a vibrant celebration of native plants as NPI partners with Ocean View Growing Grounds (OVGG) to expand their flourishing garden!
🌄 Gonzales Canyon Habitat Restoration
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 09:00 AM
Where: 13655 Sword Way San Diego, CA 92130
Be part of habitat restoration efforts while learning about local San Diego ecology. Come get your hands dirty with SDRVC and SD Canyonlands
🐦Birding Outing: Marian Bear Open Space with Anitra Kaye
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 08:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Where: 5544 Regents Rd, San Diego
A birding outing at local natural park. This field trip may be accessible for people with mobility challenges.
🦢 Wander the Wetlands: Work Party
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 09:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Where: 2055 Pacific Beach Dr, San Diego, CA 92109
Join us for a volunteer work party at Kendall-Frost Marsh
🎨 Art and Wellness at Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 11:00 AM to 02:00 PM
Where: 13003 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside, CA 92040
Bring your favorite craft or artistic hobby and immerse yourself in a day of relaxation, creativity, and connection.
⛰ Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Hike
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM
Where: RSVP for location
Come find a hidden mountain pond and abandoned gold mine in this high altitude section of Anza-Borrego.
🌸 Spring Bloom at the Extension
When: Saturday, March 22nd, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension
Join us the weekend after Spring Equinox for an exclusive guided tour of the Torrey Pines Extension, where 29 acres were touched by fire last summer. Led by California State Parks Environmental Scientists Darren Smith and Monica Stupaczuk, this special walk reveals nature’s vibrant response in the form of fire-following wildflowers, blossoming brightly across the renewed landscape.
🦃 Birding Outings: Birding at Lindo Lake - East side
When: Sunday, March 23rd, from 08:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Where: 12660 Lindo Ln, Lakeside, CA 92040
Let's go birding at Lindo Lake!
🛠 San Diego Fixit Clinic
When: Sunday, March 23rd, from 01:00 PM to 04:00 PM
Where: Encinitas Community and Senior Center
The SD Fixit Clinic is excited to partner with the Solana Center at the Encinitas Community and Senior Center for the upcoming Zero Waste Textile Expo 2025! This special event aims to educate our wonderful community about the effects of clothing and textile waste and highlight the importance of embracing sustainable fashion practices.
🥾 Hike with a Purpose: Headwaters Assessment, Virtual Trainig
When: Sunday, March 23rd, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Where: Online
During this virtual event, we will cover the basic protocols and procedures for our annual Headwaters Assessment. Volunteers will learn how to observe and record threatened and endangered species, hydromodifications, non-native invasive species, and more.