Revived Huntington Beach running event is literally for the birds

It’s back, and better than ever.

Huntington Beach-based nonprofit Amigos de Bolsa Chica is holding its “Running is for the Birds” 5K/10K run and walk on Saturday morning at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

The run started in 1978, and was done every year up until 2006 before it was discontinued. But the idea to bring it back started to take flight last year, race director Cat Navetta of Amigos de Bolsa Chica said.

“It was definitely time,” Navetta said. “This year is unique in that we’ve partnered with the Bolsa Chica State Beach. They’re co-sponsoring this event, and by doing that they’re allowing people to get into the beach at no cost, they’re giving us the space to use at no cost. And they’re having a beach cleanup at the same time.”

The race features interesting components. The course will have some educational components, Navetta said, and participants are also invited to go “plogging” — picking up litter while jogging.

Cat Navetta, with Amigos de Bolsa Chica, takes a photo of a Ridgway’s Rail bird at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve on Wednesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

The Running is for the Birds event is one of the first in the area to incorporate that into the race.

“I read about plogging, I think the week before Cat brought up the run to me,” said Elizabeth Bailey, an interpreter for California State Parks. “It was just kind of a weird, fortuitous thing. I brought it up to her, and we both were like, ‘Yes, this sounds like so much fun.’”

Proceeds from the race go to benefit Amigos de Bolsa Chica, whose mission continues to be protecting the Bolsa Chica wetlands, which encompasses 1,300 acres. The nonprofit invites school children to come and visit the wetlands and learn about the ecology there.

Navetta said Amigos de Bolsa Chica has also developed a strong working relationship with California State Parks with things like its FLOW (Follow and Learn about the Oceans and Wetlands) program.

At its essence, FLOW is a citizen science group that meets every Friday, takes water samples from the ocean and reports those conditions to the state.

Two geese float in the water at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve on Wednesday in Huntington Beach.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

Community members are invited to sign up for the race online. The action begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Bolsa Chica State Beach, just north of the visitor center, and participation includes free parking at the beach.

“We’re still trying to raise money to raise the awareness of the next generation coming up,” said Nancy Curtis of Amigos de Bolsa Chica. “It’s a beautiful area, so of course you’re always going to have people who are going to want to develop it, try to find their way around the Coastal Act. The more people understand about the importance of the wetlands, not just to save wildlife species but for the human race, the better. It’s a carbon sink that reduces climate change. It produces more oxygen than a tropical rain forest, which is really important for people to know.”

As for the run itself, Navetta doesn’t plan for it to go away again anytime soon.

“We’re already in plans for next year’s run,” she said. “It’s definitely going to stick around.”