Interactive exploration at the chula vista nature center

Date Added: April 22, 2008
Story By: Rebecca Bamberger

At this renowned ecological center, Rainbow Trout, Moon Jellyfish, and Sting Rays splash and float. Peregrine Falcons, Great Horned Owls, and endangered Clapper Rails flap and flutter. This isn't Sea World or the San Diego Zoo. Where, then, is another internationally recognized conservation center in San Diego, or even Chula Vista? Nestled between the Sweetwater Marsh and San Diego Bay, the Chula Vista Nature Center remains an educational and ecological hallmark of the South Bay and beyond.

In June of 1986, construction of the Chula Vista Nature Center began on 3.3 acres in an area known as Gunpowder Point. Although the land had been previously abused in the 1980's by illegal trash dumping, the Coastal Conservancy and the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency funded and completed the Nature Center a year later in 1987. Gunpowder Point and Sweetwater Marsh, comprising a total of 316 acres, then became part of the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in 1988. The Nature Center then won one of the prestigious Orchid architectural award in the same year.

Today, the Nature Center boasts an array of achievements. Recognized as a department of the city of Chula Vista and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Nature Center is one of only four accredited nature centers in the United States and continues to provide the public with a remarkable living museum that showcases coastal resource conservation and environmental stewardship through hands-on experience and education.

One trip to the Nature Center will likely not be enough to uncover all of the attractions and exhibits the Nature Center holds. The Nature Center's aviaries, including the walk-through shorebird exhibit and "Raptor Row," display native egrets, ducks, herons, eagles, hawks, and falcons. Also outside is the Nature Center's newest exhibit, the David A. Wergeland Shark & Ray Experience, where visitors can observe sting rays gliding along sandy bottoms or spot sharks darting in the deep water through an underwater viewing area. Drought resistant gardens surrounding the Nature Center's grounds are also not to be missed.

In the summer of 2006, the Nature Center will unveil its redesigned main building that will continue to showcase numerous aquariums, hands-on exhibits, and interactive displays. Visitors will be able to experience new exhibits, such as the Turtle Lagoon, that will be home to two adult sea turtles. The new layout will also allow visitors to appreciate the architectural beauty and sweeping views of the Nature Center, which make its main building an attraction alone.

In addition to the education visitors can gain from a single visit to the Nature Center, the Center also offers a variety of educational programs for younger visitors. Tina Matthias, the Nature Center's senior office specialist, has been with the Center since its opening over 18 years ago. Throughout the Nature Center's growth, she affirms that educating the new generation of children about the importance of wetlands and their place in the South Bay remains the most imperative aspect of the Nature Center's mission. The Nature Center's director, Daniel Beintema, shows similar enthusiasm. "Seeing visitors enjoy the Center and learn about our remarkable wetlands is one of my favorite joys of my job. We're preparing to take our educational tools to the next level by polishing our educational programs from 'pretty good' to 'really great."

Currently, the Sweetwater Union High School District offers seven-week marine biology courses to high school students in the summer. For students of the Chula Vista Elementary School District, field trips and guided walks are prepared and organized by Karen Qurios, the Nature Center's full-time scientific resource teacher. Teachers from neighboring districts can also lead their students in nature craft workshops and utilize a number of different programs for their students' benefit. In addition to educating visiting students, the Nature Center also welcomes volunteers to learn about the wetlands and further the Center's goal of ecological education and appreciation. Volunteers who are at least sixteen years old are trained on a one-on-one basis by the Nature Center's staff. Over one hundred volunteers, from veterinarians to avid bird watchers, give an average of two to four hours a week to the Nature Center. "Our volunteers run the place," Matthias acknowledges. "We wouldn't still be here witout them!"

With the dedication of volunteers, staff, and city of Chula Vista to the Nature Center, Beintema comments, "I don't think anyone has a better job than mine. To have your office in the center of a national wildlife refuge, to be engaged in such a world-wide mission with a phenomenal staff, is just extraordinary." Beintema encourages Chula Vista residents to discover how accessible, affordable, and resoundingly important the Chula Vista Nature Center is. Brimming with attractions that educate and illuminate the delicate wildlife of a costal salt marsh, Chula Vista Nature Center certainly remains an ecological gem of the South Bay.

A $10,000 technology grant awarded by the AT&T Foundation will help the Chula Vista Nature Center upgrade Read More Here: Full Story
Added: January 16, 2008