CARLSBAD, Calif. — The Buena Vista Audubon Society is taking the next step in helping restore their part of the Buena Vista lagoon. In 2008 there was a proposal to put a hotel on the site, but the California Coastal Commission denied that request. Then in 2016 the Buena Vista Audubon Society was able to pull together $1.5 million to purchase the land.
Natalie Shapiro, Executive Director of the Buena Vista Audubon Society sat down with CBS 8 and said, "So, this is part of what we call a string of pearls, estuaries up and down the San Diego coast. We're so excited because this funding makes a dream come true that we can restore this precious part of Oceanside and the native habitat for wildlife.”
The money for the restoration of three plus acres comes from a grant the Dorrance Family made to Audubon California.
Shapiro said, "At the same time, SANDAG has taken the lead on restoring the Lagoon, which is huge because it is a 220-acre lagoon. Because the lagoon is blocked off from the ocean it has become choked with cattails and filled with sediment, which is what SANDAG will restore, Shapiro says they'll work on their land.
Shapiro added, "Right now, the habitat is in really poor condition. There are mainly invasive weeds, there is a lot of erosion, and a lot of debris. We want to restore it for the wildlife, but also the community.”
However, before the work can get started, Shapiro says a lot of planning must be done to get it right. "Restoration or changing the habitat is a long process. We have to start out doing studies, looking at the topography, the hydrology, soils and plants that's there now and what could be there in the lagoon.”
So, that means that every piece of the puzzle fits so nature can thrive.
WATCH RELATED: Working For Our Planet | Visit a local lagoon and observe the many species