Nature Center

People seem to be enjoying the outdoors even more this year than last. The Friends of Shipley Nature Center report that they've had 5,377 visitors so far this year, versus 4,900 for all of 2006. If you haven't been in a while, you'll be shocked at how much the plants have grown. There are always plenty of flowers in bloom, and there are even a group of newly-fledged Cooper's hawks to enjoy. To accommodate the increased interest in the nature center, the Friends of Shipley Nature Center are opening the facility in Central Park on Thursdays during July through August from 4 to 8 p.m. so people can enjoy the habitats in the cool of the evening.

When the Shipley Nature Center opened in 1974, it was dedicated to providing an educational preserve of Southern California’s unique habitats. Years of neglect, however, saw its native plants slowly being pushed out by invasive species that spread through the center unchecked. Passion Vine gleaned nutrients from the soil, choking off the center’s redwoods. Animals that had made their homes among the natural flora in Huntington Central Park became scarcer, and Blackbird Pond suffered from a lack of oxygen.

It has been a week of eco-consciousness throughout Huntington Beach, with Earth Day celebrations and service work taking place last weekend. But those with an eye toward habitat restoration have more to look forward to this Saturday, as the Shipley Nature Center in Central Park has its second annual Spring Festival. The festival, which begins with a continental breakfast at 9 a.m., will feature entertainment for kids and adults as well as educational opportunities, from face-painting to talks on the Western Monarch Butterfly.

Huntington Beach police continue to investigate vandalism to 34 recently planted pine trees in Central Park but have so far found no leads, authorities said Wednesday. Walkers in Central Park in front of the Shipley Nature Center discovered March 8 that someone had snapped young pine trees in half throughout the area the night before. Some of the destroyed saplings were memorial trees planted in honor of donors' loved ones, said Jean Nagy, director of the Huntington Beach Tree Society.

It's winter, but while some may not be brave enough to dive into the surf in a 4/3 wetsuit, across Pacific Coast Highway you can still get a taste of the great outdoors. On the first Saturday of every month, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is open for free tours, letting visitors explore the grounds on guided trails while learning about the story behind the wetlands. And it is quite a story. The tidal lands were almost destroyed after the natural ocean inlet was closed for improved duck hunting, according to the Amigos de Bolsa Chica website.

Diana Nguyen spent Tuesday at the Shipley Nature Center in a hard hat, orange vest and gloves, working by the outdoor nursery in the sweltering July sun. Her job? Preparing for rain. Nguyen, a sophomore at UC Berkeley, joined about a dozen other LA Conservation Corps members to install 12 large plastic tanks outside the public restrooms at the facility in Huntington Central Park. The tanks, designed to catch rain as it falls from the roof, will provide Shipley with a ready source of water for the nursery plants it sells at fundraisers.

John Scandura I applaud your editorial that called for sparing the Shipley Nature Center from budget cuts so that it can remain open. The nature center is truly an invaluable educational and recreational resource. Each year 40,000 visitors of all ages enjoy the trails, habitats and wetland that provide a natural refuge from suburban development. Countless school children, including my own, take field trips to the nature center to learn about the plants, wildlife and habitats in their natural setting.

Stephanie Pacheco There seems to be conflicting information about the status of the Shipley Nature Center. In the Huntington Beach City budget presentation, the city says it has relinquished its responsibility for the $117,000 operational costs for the center by allowing a nonprofit group to run the center. They are referring to the Friends of Shipley Nature Center, a local group of a few dedicated volunteers that was started this year to help the nature center.

Nearly a year after the city cut funding and closed its doors, the Donald G. Shipley Nature Center has reopened to visitors once again. For 28 years, the 18-acre nature center in Huntington Beach Central Park afforded some 40,000 visitors a year the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the wonders of nature. A large majority of those visitors were school children, many of whom who came from cities where they otherwise saw very little of nature's treasures.

GETTING INVOLVED runs periodically in the Independent. If you'd like information about getting your organization listed, call (714) 965-7170. The Friends of Shipley Nature Center needs volunteers to help restore the nature center from 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of the month. Volunteers meet at the nature center in Huntington Beach Central Park. Please bring garden tools, and closed-toe shoes. Free restoration tours are also offered on the same day at 11 a.m. Information: (714)