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Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and Chula Vista Nature Center 1080 Gunpowder Point Drive Chula Vista, CA 91910 Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, on the east side of south San Diego Bay, was once home to the Kumeyaay Indians, and later housed a kelp processing facility and truck farms. It is now one of San Diego’s endangered species refuges, supporting populations of light-footed clapper rail, California least terns, Belding’s savannah sparrows, and two federally listed plants, salt marsh bird’s beak and Palmer’s frankenia. Sweetwater Marsh is the only place in the U.S. where Palmer’s frankenia can be found. Surrounded by drought-tolerant gardens, the Chula Vista Nature Center soars like an ark above the 316-acre Sweetwater Marsh. The Nature Center is a living museum focusing on wetlands in particular, and coastal resources in general. The Nature Center provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the marsh through interpretive and interactive exhibits, guided nature and bird walks, a petting pool, and numerous aviaries supporting burrowing owls and other birds of prey. Aviary dwellers are all birds that have been injured or imprinted and cannot be released back into their native habitats. Docents lead groups of school children onto the refuge daily for outdoor classroom experiences. The Center is as well known for its unique wildlife art as for its architecture. The Sweetwater Marsh NWR and Chula Vista Nature Center are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors must park in the E Street lot, then take the trolley across the marsh to the Nature Center. The trolley runs continuously. Please call the Nature Center for information on admission, scheduled activities, and reservations for large groups. |
