Nature Center Overview

Mission of the Chula Vista Nature Center
Nature Center Board of Trustees
Friends of the Chula Vista Nature Center

The Chula Vista Nature Center is not unique. Not in the slightest. Considering all the "nature" places which quickly come to mind, the places which we recall after some effort, as well as the numerous places which contact the Nature Center for information and networking on a regular basis - there are thousands of facilities in the United States alone which have "nature" as their singular or tangential focus.

At the Chula Vista Nature Center, we take a lot of pride in trying to present elements which thoughtfully frame the wonder of nature, and while it is felt that this institution does a pretty good job of it, even our best efforts - by definition - fall short of the awesomeness of the real thing. All institutional efforts do.

All the same, there must be a compelling reason for pursuit of these nature-oriented educational endeavors. John Muir once penned that "...when one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." While it seems an uphill struggle at times to get the general populous to pay attention to this elementary notion, the natural world is the basic building block which so completely defines our existence. Rene Dubos writes, "Man shapes himself through decisions that shape his environment." It is important that we understand the extreme order of the natural world, even when we perceive overwhelming randomness in it.

The attention we pay to nature as we wrought out our existence will pay us back one way or another. Think about it. The Chula Vista Nature Center exists to provide a window through which we can view a portion of the foundation upon which our modern lives depend. Just as one window in a home provides only a view of one sector of the world outside, it takes many institutions with their many windows to provide views which together make up the whole picture. Our window on the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge provides a glimpse into a salt marsh environment subtended by urban encroachment and influence. It is a small window, but an important one nonetheless.

It is our hope that we'll all pull up a chair, at one time or another, and take a moment to look through it. Come join us! Why not?

Mission Statement

The Chula Vista Nature Center is dedicated to serving the public by
providing a quality nature center/living museum experience
while promoting coastal resource conservation and environmental
stewardship through education.

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Nature Center Board of Trustees

Susan Fuller, (Chair) Nature Center Volunteers Representative

Bill Cañedo, Citizen at Large
Greg Cox, Chula Vista Rep. to Board of Supervisors

Sharon Harmon,Citizen at Large

Eileen Maher, Chula Vista Rep. to San Diego Unified Port District

Barbara Main, Citizen at Large
Sharilyn Sarb, CA Coastal Commission
Margie Stinson, Educational Community Representative

F.L. Wergeland, Jr., M.D., Friends of the CVNC Representative

Andy Yuen, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Herb Young, Environmental Community Representative

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Friends of the Chula Vista Nature Center

Brian Joseph, DVM (Chair), Owner, Living Exhibits, Inc.
Greg Cox, Supervisor, SD County Board of Supervisors
Anthony Cutri, AIA Architect, Martinez + Cutri Architects
Roland Daniel, Hanson Aggregates

Maryellene Deason, Instructor, Southwestern College
Janie DeCelles, Advisor, Hattie Ettinger Conservation Fund                

J. David Gardner, Sr., Principal, Highland Partnership, Inc.

Patricia Ludi, Chula Vista Elementary School District

Christine Malone, Nature Center Volunteer

Natasha Martinez, Citizen at Large
Steven L. Miesen, Facility Manager, Pacific Waste Systems

Marianne Mievers, Nature Center Volunteer
Frank A. Powell, Jr., Retired SeaWorld Executive
Roderick L. Reinhart, CFRE, City of Chula Vista

Frank Roseman, Retired
Donald W. Smith, CFP Vice President, Merrill Lynch
Louis Vignapiano, City of Chula Vista
Kenneth Weimer, Retired Business Owner
F.L. Wergeland, Jr., M.D., Retired