In the center of nature

Deep in the heart of Central Park is a little-known stand of redwoods

with massive branches providing plenty of shade in which to escape

the summer heat.

The small grove is a departure from its surrounding habitat,

mostly low-lying shrubs and California poppies.

“There was some debate about what we should do with the trees,

because they weren’t thought to be native plants,” Steve Ray of the

Shipley Nature Center said. “But we did a little research, and we

found at one time, there were redwoods in this area. Redwoods used to

cover Murdy Park.”

The shady stand marks one of about a dozen stops on the

interpretive trail at the newly reopened nature center. Left

abandoned for years, the center now tells a story of volunteerism and

precision, rejuvenated by dozens of residents who wanted to create an

authentic landscape detailing Orange County’s natural history.

Closed by the city in 2002, the center was officially reopened in

August and has been enjoying a flurry of activity in the interim.

More than 30 Boy Scouts have undertaken restoration efforts in the

hope of securing Eagle Scout badges, while labor unions of all trades

have donated time, labor and materials to bring the center back into

operation.

What now sits in the 18-acre space is an intricate trail system

wrapping around a small vernal pond and egret habitat, visited by

dozens of wild rabbits and squirrels, a few gopher snakes and the

occasional coyote. For many visitors, the park is a rare opportunity

to interact with nature and for others to stare up the trunk of a

giant redwood tree for the first time.

The Shipley Nature Center was first opened in 1974 by former City

Councilman Don Shipley as a nature reserve to anchor Central Park.

Facing development pressures, Shipley was said to have set aside

acreage in the “least desirable part of the park,” said Ray, while

the city developed the rest of Central Park, now the largest

municipal park in Southern California.

Shipley operated as a thriving natural center until the early

1990s when the city began to reduce its funding and assigned a lone

ranger to care for the facility.

“During that time, a lot of nonnative plants began to take root,”

Ray said. Most of the seeds were brought in by birds, animal

droppings or even the wind, Ray said, creating new thick foliage that

slowly choked out native species and required a lot more water.

Budget constraints prompted the city to close Shipley in 2002, but

just months later, a group of volunteers calling themselves the

Friends of Shipley Nature Center petitioned the City Council to lease

the facility and allow the nonprofit to restore and operate the

center.

The first Restoration Day was launched in November 2002, and

volunteers have come to the center since then on the first Saturday

of each month to pull weeds and plant native species. Ray estimates

that volunteers have hauled more than 350 tons off the site.

Dozens of unions have helped also. A plumbers union installed some

donated toilets and water lines on the site, while ironworkers and

stone layers built a cast-iron decorative fence to welcome visitors.

Dozens of other trade union members, from electricians to

tile-layers, also volunteered their time.

Recently, the Orange County Conservation Corps agreed to begin

performing field work at Shipley, and the county launched the Inside

the Outdoors program to educate local kids about nature. Future Eagle

Scout Nick Jarvis created the education areas for the outdoor

classrooms.

“It was pretty interesting getting this all together,” he said.

“We had some setbacks, but I’m happy with the way things are turning

out.”

Volunteers will continue working to restore the center, and they

hope to eventually plant an additional 50,000 plants on the site. To

raise money, Shipley officials plan to continue to sell native plants

and special “worm juice fertilizer,” Ray said. There’s also talk of

expanding the small building anchoring Shipley and constructing

several outdoor amphitheaters. And the center recently received a

$20,000 grant from the Municipal Water District

“That really says a lot to the volunteers who spend countless

hours out here,” Ray said. “It shows you that anything is possible.”

* DAVE BROOKS covers City Hall. He can be reached at (714)

966-4609 or by e-mail at o7dave.brooks@latimes.cof7o7mf7.