Construction progress continues on the Catalina Island Conservancy’s new visitor center, The Trailhead, with retaining walls framing the site, metal flooring installed and steel columns extending to the third floor.
Construction progress continues on the Catalina Island Conservancy’s new visitor center, The Trailhead, with retaining walls framing the site, metal flooring installed and steel columns extending to the third floor.
Once completed, the 9,000+ square-foot facility will be an attractive multilevel building featuring taturalist trained staff to help guide visitors into the interior. It will also offer education and meeting spaces and serve as a transportation hub for the Conservancy’s popular eco tours. In addition, The Trailhead will have mission-related retail, a small café and a roof deck with expansive views of the harbor.
The Trailhead is expected to provide annual access to a potential of 700,000 visitors and be a portal for learning about Catalina’s ecology and natural history through Eco Tours into the Wildlands, the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, the Nature Center, and Airport in the Sky. The Trailhead also will offer extensive educational opportunities through conservation/education programs, lectures, exhibitions, and interpretive displays.
Through the Conservancy’s NatureWorks education program, The Trailhead will provide more opportunities to prepare Avalon students for college and science-related careers. It also will be a model for sustainability as Avalon’s first Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certified building, featuring a roof garden with native plants, a rainwater collection system, a photovoltaic system on roof surfaces, and saltwater flush toilets.
For visitors, The Trailhead will also increase awareness of how to engage in the 42,000 acres of property owned by the Conservancy
Fundraising efforts are ongoing and through the help of a group of board members and Conservancy donors. For more information, please visit catalinaconservancy.org.
About the Conservancy
Formed in 1972, the Catalina Island Conservancy is one of California’s oldest land trusts. Its mission is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. Through its ongoing efforts, the Conservancy protects the magnificent natural and cultural heritage of Santa Catalina Island, stewarding approximately 42,000 acres of land and more than 60 miles of rugged shoreline. It provides an airport, 50 miles of biking and nearly 165 miles of hiking opportunities within its road and trail system.
The Conservancy conducts educational outreach through two nature centers, its Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden and guided experiences in the Island’s rugged interior. Twenty miles from the mainland, the Island is a treasure trove of historical and archaeological sites. It also contains numerous rare and endangered animals and plants. The Island is home to 60 species—and counting—that are found only on Catalina. For additional information, please visit www.catalinaconservancy.org.
