Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center
Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center
2202 S. Coast Highway
Oceanside, California
Call 760-439-BIRD for more information.
More info: Buena Vista Audubon Society
You can see the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center from Coast Highway 101 on the Carlsbad-Oceanside border, along the banks of the Buena Vista Lagoon. The wooden nature center is distinguishable from the nearby condos.
The Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center was built in 1988 by the Buena Vista Audubon Society. In the nature center's first 15 years, 75,000 people have visited, including 30,000 students, who have taken classes. camps, and nature tours.
The vegetation next to the nature center is all native, maintained by the local native plant club. The docents are good at pointing out which plants are native and which aren't. It's amazing how many plants have been imported.
Inside, the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center has several displays and exhibits, which showcase local animals in their natural settings. These displays are very realistic, using taxidermy animals and actual plants. The nature center has the most elaborate exhibits of all the lagoon nature centers along the San Diego coast.
In addition, the nature center has a library, as well as a lecture room, where docents and guest speakers conduct seminars and lessons for children and adults.
One or more docents are always on duty to greet you and answer any questions about the displays and lagoon.
In front of the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center are picnic tables and a kiosk with educational displays of the Buena Vista Lagoon and watershed, and a trailhead, which takes you about a quarter mile into the Buena Vista Lagoon wetlands. During wet season, parts of the path can be flooded. Best to check with the docents.
The Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center is open everyday except Sunday. Check schedule for guided nature walks and other activities for adults and kids.
The Nature Center teaches over 3,000 children from around San Diego County each year, about the local watershed, with its native plants and animals, and the importance of preservation. The nature center features its Kids Art & Nature Camp for elementary-age children during July. Other children activities are conducted throughout the year.
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