The was arundo choking out the pond, passion vine destroying the trees, and palm trees where palm trees should not be. It was backbreaking work, removing the thousands of non-native plants from the surrounding area and then replanting natives in their place. Saturday after Saturday found volunteers doing this tedious work, and after a long while, they could "see the light" when Shipley could finally be considered in a state of maintenance.
Shipley Nature Center is a tribute to public/private partnerships. The Friends enjoys a formal relationship with the city of Huntington Beach through the Community Services Department, but it enjoys an informal one with the community itself through its availability and openness to the public. It is truly a tribute to citizens who care about their community.
Volunteers work tirelessly to keep the gates of Shipley open so that the community, especially our children and future generations, can come to a place of tranquillity and peace to learn about nature and their relationship to it. The center owes a big debt of gratitude and huge thanks to those tenacious volunteers, because without them, Shipley Nature Center would have closed its gates long ago and Dr. Shipley's dream would have been lost.
