El Dorado Nature Center Dedication Ceremony is Scheduled for May 20

East Long Beach

The El Dorado Nature Center dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 11:30 am. The public is invited to celebrate the newly built entryway and plaza at 7550 E. Spring Street. The event will include interactive education stations where attendees can learn about wildlife and ongoing tours of the Nature Center.

“El Dorado Nature Center is truly a historic place that has been connecting people and nature for over 48 years,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This beautiful new entryway and plaza adds more function and flexibility to further these connections and to foster a sense of respect, understanding, and stewardship of the natural world.”

The El Dorado Nature Center entry project provides an enhanced arrival experience and increased functionality as well as improves accessibility to the Nature Center. Improvements include:

•              A new monument sign visible from Spring Street

•              A new gateway including a separate entrance for tour groups

•              Walkways that represent the San Gabriel River watershed that surrounds the Nature Center

•              Improved interior signage

•              A new amphitheater with seating for 80 for educational sessions and special events

•              Children’s exploration area

•              Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant pedestrian bridge connecting to the Nature Center building and trails

•              Improved drainage and lighting

“We are excited to see the new El Dorado Nature Center pedestrian bridge, entryway and plaza completed,” said Councilman Daryl Supernaw. “This caps off a series of improvements that have taken place since I took office two years ago. Our Nature Center is a unique gem in the middle of an urban environment; and I encourage all residents to visit this incredible resource.”

The new entryway and plaza was funded with $200,000 from California Proposition 84 through the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, $30,000 from the Center for Natural Land Management, and $1,215,000 in General Funds approved by Long Beach City Council as part of the FY13 and FY14 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budgets.