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For Immediate Release: April 21, 2006
Shipley Nature Center in Shipshape for Spring Festival
Final Touches Underway to Complete Renovation of 18-acre Preserve
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. The Friends of Shipley Nature Center, a non-profit group of community members who have worked to restore the 18-acre preserve, are hard at work again, this time planning the first ever Shipley Spring Festival to be held Saturday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Shipley's Spring Festival will begin with a continental breakfast and will include a California Native Plant Sale and nature friendly information fair. The Metropolitan Water District will be honored with the dedication of Shipley's newly created Demonstration Gardens and the Fifth Wheel Blue Grass Band will provide entertainment. The day will include a habitat tour through the nature center at 12:30 p.m.
Shipley Nature Center has undergone enormous renovation, thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Shipley Nature Center who are responsible for preserving and maintaining the facility. Reopened in August 2005 after more than three years of renovation work, the preserve has gone from a weed-choked wasteland, to what it is today, a vibrant nature center teeming with wildlife.
"We are so proud to share the Shipley Nature Center with the public. This is a wonderful facility and probably one of the best kept secrets in Huntington Beach," said Steve Engel, president of the Friends of Shipley Nature Center. "While we still have a ways to go before our renovation project is fully complete, we have made tremendous progress and it's time we celebrate."
Before the renovation, the Shipley had fallen into disarray. Droves of arundo donax (giant reed) which is not native to the area, were taking over the entire 18-acre area.
"It took a Herculean effort to restore this nature center to the condition you see it today," said Engel. "As a result of all of the volunteer efforts, we have created a lush environment of native plants and haven for migratory birds. In fact, we recently spotted a pair of white tail kites, which aren't necessarily rare, but they are unusual here at Shipley. That, in and of itself, is an indication that we're doing something right."
Along with being home to more than 85 different species of birds and other animals, Shipley is a demonstration center for a wide variety of California's native plant life. Visitors to the center enjoy numerous trails that meander through oak and riparian woodlands, torrey pines, meadows with vernal pools, coastal sage scrub, a natural freshwater wetland with mature willows, Blackbird Pond and even coastal redwoods. Situated at the entrance to the preserve is the Interpretive Building which features displays on the natural and geologic history of the area, including hands-on exhibits of local wildlife and ecology. Also featured are a California native plant nursery, composting and vermiculture (worm) education areas and the new demonstration gardens, which include a wide variety of California native plant habitats, plus butterfly and hummingbird gardens.
Shipley Nature Center is located within Huntington Central Park at 17829 Goldenwest Street in Huntington Beach, California. It is part of the prehistoric Bolsa River watershed, and is contiguous with the larger Bolsa Chica wetland and upland ecosystems. First opened in 1974, the nature center was named after former Mayor Donald D. Shipley. Due to budget cuts, the City closed Shipley in 2002. A group of concerned citizens formed Friends of Shipley Nature Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to restore and reopen Shipley as an educational and recreational resource. Shipley Nature Center officially reopened on August 1, 2005 and is managed by the Friends. The center is open to the public Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For more information call (714) 842-4772 or visit www.fsnc.org.
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