Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center is a small zoo and aquarium educational facility located on the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, Sweetwater Marsh Unit.^[1] Permanent exhibits at the Living Coast focus on native flora and fauna found in Southern California. The site consists of several large exhibit spaces:

• Turtle Lagoon (Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles)^[2][3]

• Discovery Center Galleria (Seahorses, jellies, eels, sharks, lobsters, crabs, octopus, garibaldi, sea stars, snakes, lizards)^[4]

• Shark & Ray Experience & Sting Ray Touch pool (Leopard sharks, grey smooth-hound sharks, horn sharks, swell shark, shovel-nose guitarfish, bat rays, round rays, diamond rays, crabs and fish, Sapphire the Loggerhead sea turtle)^[5]

• Burrowing Owl Courtyard (burrowing owls)

• Shorebird Aviary (Light-footed clapper rail, snowy egret, black-crowned night heron, black oyster catcher, red-breasted merganser, hooded merganser, and more)^[6]

• Raptor Row (Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Turkey Vulture, Barn Owl, Great-horned Owl, Burrowing Owl, American Kestrel)^[7]

• Eagle Mesa (Golden eagle, Bald eagle)^[8]

• Native Plant Gardens & Composting Demonstration Garden (Shaw’s Agave, Coastal Sagebrush, San Diego Sunflower, Saltwort, Mountain Lilac, Coast Cholla, Coastal Bush Sunflower, Flat top Buckwheat, Coast Barrel Cactus, Alkali Heath, Baja Bush Snapdragon, Gumplant, Toyon, Chapparal Candle, Iris, Goldenbush, Bladderpod, Chaparral Bushmallow, Coast Monkey Flower, etc.)^[9]

The Living Coast runs a new seasonal exhibit each year, featuring animals from around the world, from late March/April through Labor Day.

In addition to general public exhibits, the Living Coast hosts over 15,000 school children at their facility each year^[10] for educational field trips that focus on Science & Environmental programs.

Originally opened in 1987 as the 'Chula Vista Nature Center'- owned and operated by the City of Chula Vista, the organization transitioned over to a 501(c)3 Non-profit in February 2010.

"The Living Coast Discovery Center inspires the care and exploration of the living Earth by connecting people with coastal animals, plants and habitats.

The mission of the Living Coast Discovery Center is to:

• Partner in collaborative research and restoration of coastal wetlands and bays.
• Provide student-focused education through STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.
• Increase knowledge of coastal environments, climate change adaptation, and human coexistence with the natural resources of San Diego Bay."^[11]

References

1. PR Newswire (February 18, 2015) "SDG&E Establishes $2 Million Endowment Fund To Support Chula Vista's Living Coast Discovery Center" CNN Money
2. "Turtle Lagoon". Living Coast Discovery Center.
3. Vigil, Jennerfer (September 25, 2014). "130-pound Sea Turtle to Make Home at Chula Vista Center". Times of San Diego.
4. "Discovery Center Gallery". Living Coast Discovery Center.
5. "Shark & Ray Experience". Living Coast Discovery Center.
6. "Shorebird Aviary". Living Coast Discovery Center.
7. "Raptor Row". Living Coast Discovery Center.
8. "Eagle Mesa". Living Coast Discovery Center.
9. "Native Plant Gardens". Living Coast Discovery Center.
10. "Schools & Programs". Living Coast Discovery Center.
11. "About Us". Living Coast Discovery Center.

Coordinates: 32°38′24″N 117°06′37″W / 32.6401°N 117.1104°W