Story Time with an Archaeologist
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us on select Thursday mornings for archaeology-themed story time at the Center. Stay afterwards to explore the museum with family-friendly activities like our Archaeology Quest and Field Lab.
Escondido Creek Conservancy: Conservation Conversation – San Diego Geology
The rocks, mountains, faults, and fossils found in San Diego County make it one of California's most interesting and diverse geological hot spots. San Diego County's geology nearly matches the region's biodiversity! Join Richard Halsey, director of the California Chaparral Institute, as he shares why our region's geology shouldn't be taken for granite! This event is hosted by the Escondido Creek Conservancy. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Historic Archery at the Center
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesWe're stringing our bows for a spot of archery right here at the San Diego Archaeological Center! Shoot some rounds, make some new friends, and learn about how different cultures around the world crafted, hunted, and fought with bows and arrows. We'll be showcasing handmade traditional bows, arrows, quivers, and cordage, and demonstrating how to craft them out of natural materials. No previous experience required. Please bring your own gear if possible. A limited amount of gear will be available to borrow - first come, first served. Family-friendly range time: 9 AM to 10 AM Adults only: 10 AM to 12 PM Cost: $10 (includes museum admission); SDAC Members Free
Save Our Heritage Organization: Marston House Garden Tour
Tour starts at the Marston House Museum Shop in the carriage house. With its uniquely California interpretation of the English Romantic and Arts & Crafts period landscape designs, this tour is a must for garden lovers. The garden tour takes you on an easy walk through two and a half acres of the estate beginning with the first plantings and landscape plan by nationally recognized landscape architect Samuel Parsons, Jr., and George Cooke in 1905 to the 1928 introduction of a formal garden. Several portions of the garden tour are not wheelchair accessible. This event is hosted by the Save Our Heritage Organization. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Archaeology Summer Camp Session 2
San Diego Archaeological Center 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin us for an unforgettable week at the San Diego Archaeological Center’s KIDS DIG Archaeology Summer Camp! Kids will embark on a journey through time as you explore the rich history and culture of our shared human past through a variety of hands-on activities, including basketry, local hiking, honing your archery and atlatl skills, crafting pottery, ancient games, and decoding Ice Age rock art from around the world. Whether your child or grandchild is a budding archaeologist or just eager to experience the past in a whole new way, our summer camp offers something for everyone. Get ready for a week filled with adventure, discovery, and endless fun! Space is limited to 25 campers per session. Ages: 6-12. Sign up now and let the adventure begin! View our Archaeology Summer Camp page for more details and registration.
San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy: Walk N’ Talk at Bernardo Mountain Lake View Trail
Join the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy for the first hike of the 8th year of the Walk N Talk Coast to Crest Trail Challenge! Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to explore stunning trails with fellow nature enthusiasts, while staying active, soaking up some sunshine, and making new friends along the trails. Don't miss out on this opportunity to embark on a memorable outdoor adventure! Feel free to enjoy the hike with us, as a group, or complete the challenge hikes in any order on your own schedule! Remember to send your 5 selfies at the completion of your challenge to sdrvc@sdrvc.org to receive your exclusive patch designed by Canyon Crest Academy students, as well as a certificate of completion! This event is hosted by the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Nature Collective: San Elijo Lagoon Discovery Tour
San Elijo Lagoon 2710 Manchester Ave, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA, United StatesDiscover the beauty of San Elijo Lagoon with the Nature Collective: where fresh water and saltwater meet and mix, migratory and resident birds share a sanctuary, and many animals find a home. This guided tour will inspire all to watch and listen for various birds that rest in – and fly across – the salt marsh and mudflats. No matter the season, you can enjoy, photograph, and identify a host of native plants. The Nature Center Loop Trail is accessible, providing fun for all. Volunteer Emmy Garnica leads your nature experience. This event is hosted by the Nature Collective. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
2nd Saturday Lecture Screenings
Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month for two screenings of our Living Room Lectures by archaeologists, experts, and authors. Lecture screenings start at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM and are included with museum admission. No reservations needed. Seating is first come, first served. 10:30 AM - It’s Grind Time! Recent Investigations of the Ancestral Maya Ground Stone Tool Industry in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize by Dr. Jon Spenard While conducting opportunistic regional survey in summer 2022 in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize, Dr. Jon Spenard’s Rio Frio Regional Archaeological Project was informed of a series of granitic rock debitage piles nearby. Investigations revealed them to be ancestral Maya quarries and ground stone tool workshops, the first of their kind recorded anywhere in the Maya region. Naming the site the Buffalo Hill Quarries, the project mapped over a dozen extraction features (quarry pits and cut faces) surrounded by debitage piles spread over an area of approximately 16 hectares (40 acres). Aided by data from an aerial LiDAR survey of the region, the project returned in summer 2023 to finish mapping the site and conduct test excavations on an extraction locus to investigate ancestral Maya quarrying methods and techniques. In this talk, Dr. Spenard will present the results of those two field seasons, introduce more results from the LiDAR survey, and discuss the next stages of the project, including examining who the quarry workers were and how their products may have been distributed. 12:30 PM - The Skeletons of La Consentida, Oaxaca, Mexico by José “Pepe” Aguilar Twelve burials, comprising 14 individuals, were excavated from an Early Formative Period (1950–1525 BC) site called La Consentida, in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2009 and in 2012. These burials were later analyzed in 2012 and 2019. Collectively, they represent the earliest formal cemetery in the Mesoamerican west coast. Note: this presentation will show photographs of human skeletal remains.
Save Our Heritage Organization: Penning the Past Zoom Lecture – La Mesa
Join the Save Our Heritage Organization to learn about the unique character of San Diego’s historic neighborhoods through the eyes of impassioned writers and historians. Brought to life by esteemed local authors, Penning the Past promises to be an enriching exploration of San Diego’s architectural legacy and historical tapestry. The series is free for SOHO members, $10 per lecture for non-members. Your participation supports SOHO’s mission of education and advocacy to preserve the historic architecture, sites, and cultural landscapes that surround us and add meaning to our daily lives. La Mesa by James Newland On February 16, 1912, La Mesa Springs, a community of 700 citrus farmers, home seekers, developers, and businessmen, incorporated into the City of La Mesa. Located among the rolling hills and mesa lands between San Diego and El Cajon, today's suburban city of over 56,000 is still renowned for its small-town character, featuring its historic village business district, family-friendly neighborhoods, good schools, and ample retail and recreational amenities. The area's centuries-old prehistory and history can be traced to the natural springs that attracted stockman Robert Allison in 1869. Allison Springs, later renamed, prospered and grew after the arrival of the railroad in 1889. After incorporation, the young city grew steadily, reaching 3,925 residents by 1940. Post World War II La Mesa exemplified the exponential suburban growth of the region, expanding to the north and west of the old downtown to accommodate 50,000-plus residents by 1980—all were attracted, as today, to the "Jewel of the Hills." Author bio Historian and planner for the California State Parks Department, James Newland has been a stalwart in the field of historic preservation since 1991, and is past president of the La Mesa History Center. He has an MA in public history from San Diego State, has authored four insightful books on local history—Cleveland National Forest, Grossmont Hospital: A Legacy of Community Service, Around Mt. Helix, and La Mesa—and has made countless contributions to our community's heritage. This event is hosted by the Save Our Heritage Organization. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum: Science & Engineering Night
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum 320 North Broadway, Escondido, CA, United StatesJoin the San Diego Children's Discovery Museum for an after-hours event and watch the Museum transform to host hands-on activity booths featuring science, technology, reading, engineering, art, and math (STREAM)! Through hands-on activity booths and an endless amount of fun, children will learn about: Animals and biodiversity with Biology Through Art Aerodynamics with Fleet Science Center Physics of golf with San Diego Pop Up Mini Golf Hands-on ocean science with Ocean Connectors Archaeology with San Diego Archeological Center Satellites with Sally Ride Science Program Science of scent Electrical engineering with Snap Circuits Nano Materials Plus, you won’t want to miss a special dry ice presentation by Science Guys of San Diego! Conducting science experiments is hard work! Be sure to enjoy the food truck, Taco Spot and Cabetos Pops for a sweet treat. This event is hosted by the San Diego Children's Discovery Museum. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.
Lecture: Geology of San Diego County – The Formative Years
This talk will focus on amazing geological forces and events from the last 200 million years that have shaped the San Diego County we see today. From regional tectonics to massive volcanism, uplift and erosion, and the many current infrastructure challenges San Diego currently faces, Mike Thacker will tell the story behind our broad mesas, dramatic coastlines, canyons, and wide valleys. Attendees will be sure to come away with a deepened understanding of and appreciation for the geological history of our unique region. Cost: Pay what you wish Advance registration is closed. Please pay at door. About the Presenter Mike Thacker is a retired Senior Staff Research and Development Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He has a B.S. in zoology from San Diego State University and studied anthropology and archaeology at University of California Santa Barbara, Palomar College, and San Diego State University. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the San Diego Archaeological Center since 2018 and is a volunteer teaching assistant for Palomar College archaeological excavation field school and survey programs. Mike is passionate about his home of San Diego and leads interpretive hikes for the San Dieguito River Park and San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy. His interest in geology has motivated his study of the geology of the San Diego region for the last 14 years.
Save Our Heritage Organization: Marston House Architecture Tour
Marston House Museum 3525 7th Ave, San Diego, CA, United StatesTour starts at the Marston House Museum Shop in the carriage house. Take a walk on the architectural side with a 90-minute guided tour of the 1905 Marston House Museum inside and out. The San Diego firm of Hebbard & Gill designed the inviting English Arts & Crafts mansion with fluid indoor-outdoor connections. Irving Gill, who soon became San Diego's pioneering Modernist, created many of its design features and innovative conveniences. This tour was curated for SOHO by Erik Hanson, a leading authority on Gill and contributor to the book Irving Gill and the Architecture of Reform by Thomas S. Hines. The story begins at the carriage house for the estate (now SOHO's Marston House Museum Shop), then circles around the house in its Balboa Park and formal garden setting. Inside and out, architectural and construction details and period materials are highlighted, and include the Marston family's public and private rooms. Managed by SOHO for the City of San Diego, this property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is wheelchair accessible on the first floor only; several exterior portions of the tour are not wheelchair accessible. This event is hosted by the Save Our Heritage Organization. For more information, questions, and registration, please contact the event organizer.