Living Coast Discovery Center Explained

The Living Coast Discovery Center is a zoo and public aquarium in Chula Vista, California. An environmental education center, it is located in the Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge. Permanent displays at the Living Coast focus on native animals and plants found in Southern California and San Diego Bay.^[1]

Exhibits

The site consists of several large exhibit spaces:

• Turtle Lagoon – Green sea turtles^{[2] [3]}
• Discovery Center Galleria – includes seahorses, jellyfish, eels, sharks, lobsters, crabs, octopus, garibaldi damselfish, sea stars, snakes, lizards
• Shark & Ray Experience & Sting Ray Touch pool – Leopard sharks, grey smooth-hound sharks, horn sharks, swell shark, shovelnose guitarfish, bat rays, round rays, diamond rays, crabs, fish, and loggerhead sea turtle^[4]
• Burrowing Owl Courtyard
• Shorebird Aviary – light-footed Ridgway's rail, black-crowned night heron, black oystercatcher, red-breasted merganser, hooded merganser, and more
• Raptor Row – red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, Cooper’s hawk, peregrine falcon, turkey vulture, barn owl, great horned owl, burrowing owl, American kestrel
• Eagle Mesa – golden eagle, bald eagle
• Native plant gardens and composting demonstration garden

There are 1.5 miles of trails from the Center in the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge out to the shore of San Diego Bay.

In addition to general public exhibits, the Living Coast hosts over 15,000 school children at their facility each year for educational field trips that focus on Science and Environmental programs.

History

The center was originally opened in 1987 as the Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center that was owned and operated by the City of Chula Vista. In 2010, the organization transitioned over to an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit and its current name.^[5]

External links

32.6401°N -117.1104°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: September 30, 2014 . City extends contract with Living Coast . 18 July 2016 . San Diego Union-Tribune.
2. Web site: Turtle Lagoon. Living Coast Discovery Center.
3. News: 130-pound Sea Turtle to Make Home at Chula Vista Center. Times of San Diego. September 25, 2014. Jennerfer. Vigil .
4. Web site: Living Coast Discovery Center – San Diego’s Hidden Nature Center. Bernasconi Bits. 18 July 2016. February 12, 2014.
5. Web site: Wildlife Neighbors at the Living Coast Discovery Center. Tree Huggers International. 18 July 2016. May 6, 2012.