Living Coast Discovery Center

LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER STUDENT SCIENTIST SERIES

REFUGE LIVING LABS

THE LIVING COAST CENTER PROVIDES HANDS-ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE SWEETWATER MARSH UNIT OF THE SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE LIVING COAST INSPIRES THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT WITH AND CARE FOR OUR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT. OUR PROGRAMS SERVE K-12 STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS IN UNDERSERVED AND TITLE 1 SCHOOLS, AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE SAN DIEGO REGION REPRESENTING DIVERSE ETHNIC, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS.TODAY, MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF AMERICAN FAMILIES LIVE IN URBAN AREAS, AND MANY LACK EASY ACCESS TO SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES, ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. AT THE SAME TIME, KIDS ARE SPENDING MORE HOURS THAN EVER BEFORE IN FRONT OF SCREENS INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE. PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO SPEND TIME OUTDOORS ALLOWS THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND THEM AND INSPIRES POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT.WITH SUPPORT FROM U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND THE SOCAL URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE PROJECT, THE LIVING COAST WILL CONNECT PEOPLE WITH NATURE THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS INCLUDING REFUGE-BASED FIELD TRIPS AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. AS A COMMUNITY ASSET, WE WILL PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INDIVIDUALS AND SCHOOLS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE SWEETWATER MARSH AND LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER.OVER 60 OF CHULA VISTA RESIDENTS IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC LATINO, AND 47 SPEAK SPANISH. PEOPLE OF COLOR AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM SCIENCE RESEARCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT A SENSE OF BELONGING IN NATURE IS A FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENT TO DEVELOPING A PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL IDENTITY. A 2015 STUDY BY LATINO DECISIONS, A POLLING FIRM FOCUSING ON HISPANICS IN AMERICA, FOUND THAT OVER 80 OF HISPANICS IN THE COUNTRY ARE CONCERNED WITH THE NEGATIVE IMPACT HUMANS HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, HOWEVER, AT LEAST 77 OF THEM SAID THEY DON T FEEL ENCOURAGED BY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO GET INVOLVED. SUPPORTING BILINGUAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE AND PROVIDING THEM THE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH THEIR OWN COMMUNITY WILL STRENGTHEN OUR MISSION AND THE STEM FIELD IN GENERAL.

THE LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER PROVIDES HANDS-ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE SWEETWATER MARSH UNIT OF THE SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE LIVING COAST INSPIRES THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT WITH AND CARE FOR OUR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT. WORKING WITH U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) AND THE SOCAL URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE PROJECT, THE LIVING COAST WILL CONNECT PEOPLE FROM URBAN AREAS WITH NATURE THROUGH TWO PROGRAMS: URBAN REFUGE NATURE EXPLORERS AND SWEETWATER SAFARI. AS A COMMUNITY ASSET, WE WILL PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INDIVIDUALS AND SCHOOLS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE SWEETWATER MARSH AND LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER.IN URBAN REFUGE NATURE EXPLORERS, STUDENTS LEARN HOW REFUGES CAME ABOUT AND THEIR PURPOSE, UNDERSTAND WHO LIVES ON REFUGES, AND DISCOVER THE RESEARCH THAT OCCURS ON THE SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND OTHER REFUGES NATIONWIDE. THE LIVING COAST WILL CONDUCT LIVING LAB FIELD TRIPS FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY STUDENTS (GRADES 3- 12). IN COLLABORATION WITH USFWS STAFF, THE LIVING COAST WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON, STANDARDS-BASED URBAN REFUGE NATURE EXPLORERS PROGRAMS FOR 46 CLASSES (UP TO 1,472 STUDENTS) FROM UNDERSERVED AND TITLE 1 SCHOOLS. ADDITIONALLY, EVERY FIELD TRIP CLASS WILL PARTICIPATE IN A HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT ON THE REFUGE. LIVING COAST WILL ALSO CONDUCT ITS URBAN REFUGE NATURE EXPLORERS SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAM IN CLASSROOMS FOR 12 CLASSES (UP TO 384 STUDENTS) FROM UNDERSERVED AND TITLE 1 SCHOOLS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.THE SWEETWATER SAFARI PROGRAM PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GUESTS TO EXPLORE THE REFUGE TRAILS, USE SCIENTIFIC TOOLS, AND LEARN ABOUT LOCAL PLANTS AND WILDLIFE WHILE VISITING THE LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER. GROUPS CAN SELECT TO PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATOR-GUIDED OR SELF-GUIDED TOURS OF THE REFUGE TO GAIN AN UP-CLOSE EXPERIENCE WITH THE SWEETWATER MARSH. WITH USFWS SUPPORT, THE LIVING COAST WITH OFFER 40 TOTAL EDUCATOR-GUIDED AND SELF-GUIDED REFUGE-BASED PROGRAMS TO GIVE GUESTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE REFUGE, USE SCIENTIFIC TOOLS, AND EXPERIENCE NATURE, REACHING OVER 500 PEOPLE, INCLUDING BOTH ENGLISH- AND SPANISH-SPEAKING GUESTS.

THE LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER WILL INCREASE EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY WITH THE OUTDOORS FOR COMMUNITIES IN SAN DIEGO USING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION ON THE SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF AMERICAN FAMILIES LIVE IN CITIES WHERE SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES ARE LIMITED. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN SOUTH SAN DIEGO BAY AND CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE A 2024 COMMUNITY WALK AUDIT FOUND A LACK OF SAFE PASSAGE TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS ON THE WAY TO AND FROM SCHOOL. ADDITIONALLY, HIGH ENTRANCE FEES FOR PARKS AND OUTDOOR FACILITIES FURTHER PREVENT FAMILIES FROM ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. THE LIVING COAST WILL PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY STUDENTS. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE OUTDOOR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING REFUGE-BASED FIELD TRIPS AT THE SWEETWATER MARSH UNIT. THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WILL INCREASE THEIR FAMILIARITY WITH THE OUTDOORS, SPECIFICALLY THE SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, FOSTERING A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR AMERICAS CONSERVATION LEGACY

THE LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER AS A PARTNER IN THIS PROJECT PROPOSED THE PROGRAM REFUGE DISCOVERY AT SWEETWATER MARSH TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES FACED BY URBAN FAMILIES IN ACCESSING OUTDOOR SPACES AND ENGAGING IN WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES.

THE LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER WILL STREAMLINE ITS OPERATIONS AND ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE BY IMPLEMENTING AN INTEGRATED SOFTWARE SYSTEM. THE NEW SOFTWARE WILL REPLACE SIX DIFFERENT SOFTWARE SYSTEMS AND WILL SUPPORT TICKETING, ADMISSIONS, AND GIFT SHOP SALES. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL FOCUS ON WORKING WITH A SOFTWARE COMPANY TO IMPORT DATA INTO THE NEW SYSTEM AND TRAIN STAFF ON ITS USE. THE PROJECT WILL BENEFIT MUSEUM STAFF BY REDUCING THE TIME CURRENTLY SPENT MANAGING MULTIPLE SOFTWARE PROGRAMS WHILE ALSO PROVIDING DASHBOARDS WITH METRICS ABOUT ENGAGEMENT WITH VISITORS, MEMBERS, AND DONORS. SUPPORTERS, FAMILIES, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, LOCAL VISITORS, AND TOURISTS WILL BENEFIT FROM A USER-FRIENDLY, IMPROVED GUEST EXPERIENCE.

INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH HABITAT RESTORATION

LIVING COAST DISCOVERY CENTER: 15-PASSENGER VAN CHALLENGE GRANT