Last week, I mentioned an incredible group of people at the San Diego Habitat Conservancy (SDHC) who are working to save the local ecosystems right here in San Diego County. Why you ask? Because our county is second only to Hawaii (that’s right, the entire STATE of Hawaii) in containing the greatest diversity of wildlife species in the nation. Our home has a truly unique habitat consisting of coastal tidewater lagoons, freshwater marshes, upland scrub habitat, mountains, and deserts – and the entire team over at SDHC is making it their mission to protect and preserve these ecosystems. How you ask? Besides physically acquiring and managing the preserves, the SDHC team is doing it the old fashioned way: by visiting local schools and showing our students firsthand how important these resources are. In March, Sarah (she was holding the awesome boa last week) and Jim Rocks (the Habitat Manager) spoke with 1^st grade students at Innovations Academy Charter School in Scripps Ranch.  They were in the middle of learning about indigenous plants and animals when Jim and Sarah literally brought their studies to life!!! Jim brought in the tools he uses as a field biologist and actual images of the animals he is encountering at the preserves. The kids were absolutely amazed and couldn’t stop asking questions - even the students at Audubon K-8 School in the Lomita Village area still raving from Sarah and Jim’s last visit. SDHC’s educational outreach is expanding to bring area school students out to their preserves to foster an interactive experience and encourage our children to get outdoors more often. Their goal, like mine, is to help people reconnect with the beautiful, natural world that surrounds us all! If you’d like to bring your classroom into the great outdoors, just contact Sarah @ [email protected] and visit their website at www.sdhabitat.org!