Love Your Wetlands Day, which took place on February 4, 2023, was a great success and built upon the amazing work done by ReWild Mission Bay over the past year, exhibiting the growth and strength of our wide coalition to save our wetlands and support the wildest ReWild plan. AAP-CA3 had an active booth and offered information on chapter programs that encourage youth participation in climate advocacy. Dr. Ben Shleifer from Scripps Healthcare, Dr. Vi Thuy Nguyen from Kaiser San Diego and Dr. Melissa Campbell from Rady Children’s Hospital supervised a busy booth staffed by UCSD Pre-medical Intern volunteers Ashley Teo, Laisha Felix and Wayne Mai. We also had high school volunteers and Boys and Girl Scouts lending a helping hand. We gave over 100 “Pediatrics and Preservation” scout patches out to children who came to visit our booth and addressed the importance of youth voices in climate advocacy.

Whether touring the wonderful exhibits and learning about the importance of our wetlands, to cleaning the marsh and picking up trash, or meeting new people and making those important connections where we can strengthen our voice to save our wetlands, there was something for everyone and LYWD. The biggest highlight was getting out and being in our wetlands for the day. As a member of AAP-CA3’s Climate Change and Health Committee, we’re resolved to highlight the importance of our blue and green spaces to our children’s health. Saving our wetlands not only protects our planet for future generations, it also provides a place where kids can stay active, breathe clean air, and reconnect with our world and forget about the ever-present digital media and all the stressors that go along with it.

All said, LYWD has become an annual tradition where anyone can learn and show support for our planet and children’s health. Be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s Love Your Wetlands Day on February 3, 2024.

There are also numerous opportunities to Wander the Wetlands and get involved. Check out opportunities at https://rewildmissionbay.org/news/.