New view on nature

Suzie Harrison

It’s a nature enthusiast’s dream, comprising 17,000 acres of open

space inhabited by indigenous plants, flowers, lakes and wildlife --

and it’s all in Laguna Beach’s backyard.

In a county where land and open space is a rare commodity, Laguna

Coast Wilderness Park offers the ultimate outdoor experience in

hiking, trail running, horseback riding and mountain biking.

To enhance this experience, a goal that has been in the works for

many years will be unveiled with the groundbreaking ceremony of the

$2.3 million James and Rosemary Nix Nature Center in the park’s

Little Sycamore Canyon.

The celebration will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday

with an unveiling of the nature center’s plans at 1 p.m. on site, and

a plethora of guided and unguided hiking opportunities.

Laguna Canyon Foundation Executive Director Mary Fegraus is

thrilled that it is coming closer to fruition and said it is another

step in achieving the goals of the Wilderness Park’s general plan.

“There are multi-use trails and once the nature center is open the

staging areas will be open seven days a week, now they are only open

on Saturday and Sunday at the Willow staging area and Dilly Reserve,”

Fegraus said. “It will spread out the use.”

She said these plans are part of the general development plan set

in motion before the park was officially open in April 1993.

“It went through the public process, it is part of the plan staged

in increments,” Fegraus said.

The strategy was to start slowly, first the Dilly Preserve and

Willow staging area, which started by being open only once a month

and now on weekends -- things have progressed as planned.

“The center is on 17,000 acres of contiguous open land and is one

piece of the coastal plan,” Fegraus said.

Jim Nix said he and his wife Rosemary, who reside in Leisure

World, decided to get involved after receiving a letter from the

foundation advertising the park.

“I called up and said I’d like to get involved and asked what was

needed,” Jim Nix said. “They said they need a nature center and that

appealed to me the most.”

He said he and his wife made that commitment about four and a half

years ago.

“We started it when access was very limited, it is a way of

opening up another section,” Fegraus said.

The Nixes, who donated $500,000 for the center to be built, said

that they made a couple of requests.

“We didn’t want it to protrude on the scenery, we wanted something

that would blend in,” Jim Nix said. “And we wanted it to provide a

view of the surrounding area.”

Rosemary Nix said she thinks it’s great, she and her husband have

lived in the area for almost 23 years.

“We have enjoyed this area all this time and are delighted that

this area has been kept in a wild state,” Jim Nix said. “We’re

partial to Little Sycamore and the lakes there -- we like it on top

of the hills. [You] see down to Laguna Beach and get quite a

panoramic view.”

Fegraus said the nature center will be the nerve center of the

park.

The Nix center will be 3,000 square feet and will feature 2,000

square feet of exhibition space, an outdoor painters pier for artists

and their easels, a wheelchair-accessible trail loop and water-saving

landscaping with native plants. The building construction will

incorporate rammed-earth walls, solar energy, radiant floor heat and

site-sensitive design elements.

Jim Nix said they have sat in on the meetings regarding the

center, learning about the architectural plans and the building’s

exhibits.

“To be there at the park, to get away from all the noise of cars

and civilization -- it’s peaceful, quite restful to get back to

nature,” Jim Nix said. “It’s a great experience ... the feeling of

getting away from pressures of today.”

“The entire park will be open for the celebration with free

shuttle buses to transport people to the Nix center to view the

architectural models, drawings, maps and exhibits.

Park-goers are also invited to choose from a variety of guided and

independent hikes. Shuttle buses will also run continuously from the

ACT V parking lot, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road. Parking at ACT V is free.

A $2 parking fee will apply to those parking at the Willow Canyon

staging area, 20101 Laguna Canyon Road, and at the Dilley staging

area on Laguna Canyon Road.

Docent-led hikes require a $2 fee and reservation. Call (949)

923-2235 to save a spot. For more information, call (949) 855-7275

(PARK) or visit www.lagunacanyon.org.

Celebrate Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is sponsored by Laguna

Canyon Foundation, Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. and the County of

Orange-Harbors, Beaches and Parks.