Smart Park Management: Using Technology to Improve Habitat Restoration

​​Team Lead: Austin Zhang
Team member: Ben Wang, Chris Zheng, Peimeng Xu, Ella Zhao, Ethan Tsoi, Claire Wang

Project Abstract:
​Part 1: Initiative
Black Mountain Open Space Park in San Diego faces a significant threat of biodiversity reduction, wildfire and drought due to its expansive 2,350-acre rugged terrain and conditions. The park's dense vegetation and varied topography make it particularly susceptible to environmental threats. 
Our project aims to raise awareness and educate communities about habitat restoration and promote organism diversity. By organizing workshops, events, and conversations with local authorities, we aim to foster a community-wide effort towards sustainable practices. By hosting fundraising events, we aim to raise money for high tech tools of sustainable park management.

Project Goals:

1. Educate the Community: Increase awareness and knowledge about habitat restoration and preservation
2. Fundraising: Buy high tech tools for the park
3. Collaborate with other Organizations: Rangers from the City and naturalists from Friends
4. Share Findings: Present outcomes at the API conference
5. Sustain Long-term Efforts: Continue through local youth and environmental clubs.

Part 2: Advancement
Our team is making strong progress on a two-part project focused on habitat restoration and technology integration to support environmental conservation. We believe using drones and other technologies will help improve restoration outcomes, making fundraising for this equipment a critical goal.
Since May, we’ve brainstormed ideas, submitted proposals, and presented at the Black Mountain Board Meeting (7/8) and Torrey Pines Docent Society (7/12). We’ve partnered with Friends of Los Peñasquitos for restoration events and are in ongoing discussions with City rangers about upcoming fundraising events.
Alongside fieldwork, we are leading educational workshops at Casa De Amistad and volunteering as teaching assistants at SDSU’s Drone and Robotics Camp, helping introduce STEM tech skills to underrepresented students. We’re also preparing a restoration workshop for local children at the 4S Ranch Library (planned for 7/29, proposal https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1enRG6fWYWGsRqkKWqufk_JwrGw1WRIao0msP84AHJ1o/edit?usp=sharing) and organizing a STEM outreach event at Children Without Borders in Tijuana on July 25th.
These activities are helping us combine hands-on restoration with technology-driven solutions, building a model that supports both environmental sustainability and community education.

Part 3: Execution
This year, our efforts centered on community engagement, environmental stewardship, and youth education through a variety of service and outreach initiatives.
We joined biweekly restoration projects with Friends of Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, spending every other Sunday watering native plants and removing invasive weeds under the guidance of naturalists Del and Mike. These consistent restoration efforts directly contributed to habitat recovery at Black Mountain.
In addition, we organized a series of educational workshops highlighting both technology and environmental conservation. Topics included drone technology, robotics, and sustainability, with one workshop dedicated entirely to Black Mountain restoration. Highlights included:

• A week of workshop at Grace Academy
  
• A week of workshop at Casa de Amistad
• ​A teaching assistant role at SDSU Drone Robotics 7 days’ Camp, supporting underrepresented students in drone technology
• An online education session with Children Without Borders in Tijuana, followed by a day trip to Tijuana for an on-site workshop
• ​A public education workshop at the 4S Ranch Library, where Friends of PQ generously shared valuable educational materials and showed up to support

Beyond workshops, we dedicated significant time to event organizing and fundraising. On August 30, we hosted a Fun Run at Black Mountain Ranch Park, raising funds to purchase additional native plants for restoration and to support the use of scanning drones, helping make restoration efforts smarter and more efficient.
Through these initiatives, we strengthened our community’s connection to nature, advanced the role of technology in conservation, and empowered youth to take part in sustainable action.