Nix Center of tranquillity

It’s kind of strange to build a structure in honor of nature in the

midst of a gorgeous wilderness park. Still, we can get behind the Nix

Nature Center as many nature lovers have.

The idea behind the center is to promote the South Coast

Wilderness system and enlighten and enthuse visitors. Teaching

children to appreciate nature through interactive displays and

interesting graphics will only help the cause.

Now here’s the truly amazing part: the structure should be about

3,000 square feet. That’s not so tiny, yet, for once, it is a

development project that has met with very little opposition or

controversy.

It’s large, it’s in Laguna and it’s on schedule! Of course it

helps that the project was funded generously by the Nixes of Leisure

World. They pledged $500,000 in 2000. The foundation is raising

$300,000 for the interpretive exhibits and the county will kick in

$1,519,219 from its share of the Proposition 12 state park bond of

2000. There was also an anonymous $50,000 pledge. The total cost of

the building is estimated at about $2.3 million.

But still, large projects tend to bring out the anti-change crowd

pretty heavily -- just take a look at the skate park. Well, you can’t

take a look, cause after all these years they still haven’t even

decided on where it will be.

Surely it helps that the center is intended to honor and aid open

space -- advocates of which are often at the forefront of

anti-development action, but that’s not to say there hasn’t been any

naysayers.

According to Mary Fegraus of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, she

received a letter last week from a Leisure World resident who said

that once there is a building there, it will no longer be a

wilderness. But Fegraus did her best to explain the need for

education about open space, particularly in developed areas.

“When I finished, she said, ‘Carry on,’” Fegraus said.

On Saturday Celebrate Laguna Coast Wilderness Park will include a

ground-breaking ceremony for the center.

Buses will transport guests into Little Sycamore Canyon and the

center. The ceremony will be at 1 p.m. and the park will be open from

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shuttles to the nature center site will run continuously from the

ACT V parking lot, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For more information, call (949) 855-7275.