Pacifica Tribune
Pacifica Ocean Discovery Center envisions new future
By Elaine Larsen
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - It's been eight years since a
grassroots group of Pacifica citizens envisioned a future Pacifica
Ocean Discovery Center that would help educate children and adults
about the wonders of - and need to protect - the Pacific Ocean.
Despite a few false starts and some
internal regrouping, advocates of the proposed PODC are as optimistic
- and committed - as ever. They are hopeful that with public awareness,
successful fundraising and the blessing of permitting agencies, a
PODC teaching facility can be open and running by 2007.
Previous proposals
have ranged from a $12 million full-scale attraction at the former
sewer treatment plant in Sharp Park, to plans to convert the bait
shop at the Pacifica Pier, which is now a coffeshop.
Those leading
the PODC charge these days have set their sights on what they believe
is a much more realistic plan - adding a second story onto the city
of Pacifica's existing Linda Mar Pump Station. It is a plan they believe
is not only possible financially, but politically.
"This site
has a number of benefits. Not only is there already a large tourist
base at the beach, but the creek restoration has made that area so
much more beautiful. The restored tidepools at the site would be wonderful
for our teaching programs," says Aaron Tinker, who has been the
PODC Board's executive director for the past 14 months. "I am
really confident that we can get this center built and that it truly
can highlight the wonders of nature's classroom."
Plans call for
creating the PODC at the existing Linda Mar Pump Station, a city-owned
facility at the south end of Pacifica State Beach near the frontage
road to Pedro Point.
Although no
formal architectural plans have been drawn, preliminary sketches call
for adding a second story to the 3,200 square-foot cement building.
The new educational center would include an enclosed 2,800 square-foot
area for a classroom, library, reception area and office space for
local environmental groups. The rest of the second story would be
an observation deck or porch wrapping around three sides of the building
where visitors could enjoy the view as well as educational displays
and interpretive signage.
The concept
also calls for some kind of "wet lab" using the existing
pumping facilities so that children can get an up-close look and feel
of inter-tidal marine life such as sea urchins or starfish.
The exterior
of the entire structure would be redesigned to match the motif of
Pacifica State Beach, including the possibility of decorative tiles
or murals with ocean themes, much like those adorning the new beach
restrooms further north.
As for the education
center itself, "we want to make it as 'green' as possible using
solar panels, wind energy and reclaimed and reused materials for the
decking," Tinker says.
According to
the PODC's website and brochure, organizers envision the environmental
education center open seven days a week, for school children on a
field trips and the general public "for presentations and hands-on
fieldwork in coastal, creek and estuary environments."
The website
adds that "Visitors can learn about restoration efforts taking
place around San Pedro Creek as well as about offshore kelp forests
and other coastal habitats."
"With the
tidepools at the San Pedro Creek Estuary so accessible, we can use
them to teach children proper tidepool etiquette. That way when they
visit more pristine tidepools like those at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve,
they know how to act," Tinker says.
At the forefront
of the renewed energy of the PODC group is Tinker, 33, a Massachusetts
native who has lived in Pacifica's isolated Shelter Cove for 3-1/2
years.
Tinker first
became interested in a career in marine sciences as a teenager during
a trip to Mexico to explore sea turtles. He studied marine biology
at McGill University in Montreal, a program that included a stint
working in a marine lab in Barbados. He later earned a graduate degree
in marine policy at the University of Washington where he worked to
organize seven different groups working on marine conservation at
Puget Sound, Georgia Basin.
Tinker later
worked in Washington, D.C. and in Oakland as a marine program manager
for the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. While with
the association, Tinker helped organize the campaign to create "no-take"
marine protective areas around the Channel Islands off the Coast of
Santa Barbara.
Budget cutbacks
in the wake of 9-11 sent Tinker searching for a new career path. He
first learned of the PODC through his friend, Pacifican Mitch Reid,
and began volunteering with the group. When Reid stepped down as executive
director to join the Board himself, Tinker volunteered for the job.
He eventually hopes to run the center as a paid staffer with the help
of volunteers or other staff as funding is available.
With an extensive
background in marine biology, conservation and stewardship, Tinker
makes a competent addition to the PODC's Board of Directors - an eight-member
group that reads like a "Who's Who" of local ocean environmental
activists.
Along with Reid,
who runs an award-winning recycling design business on the Midcoast,
"Eco-Pop Designs," the Board also includes president Steve
Patton who has been involved since the beginning; longtime ocean advocate
Penny Keating; former Oceans Week teacher Virginia Szczepaniak; Bob
Breen who formerly ran Fitzgerald Marine Reserve; Alison Sanders who
is involved in marine conservation in Marin County; Barry Snitovsky
who is also involved in the local chapter of the American Cetacean
Society; and Lizelle Saure who teaches marine biology at El Camino
High School.
In addition,
the PODC Board has an advisory panel of educational professionals
from Skyline College and San Francisco State University, including
Pacificans Shari Snitovsky and Mike Vasey and Coastsider Mel Zucker
as well as affiliations with the California Academy of Sciences, Gulf
of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Stanford University.
The PODC also
lists among its supporters such local organizations as the Surfrider
Foundation, Save Our Shores, Coastal Conservancy and the Pacifica
Land Trust.
Tinker says
that in addition to the educational possibilities, the PODC could
also serve as a home base for Pacifica's own environmental groups
such as the Pacifica Beach Coalition, Pacifica's Environmental Family
or the San Pedro Creek Watershed Coalition.
"There
is a huge untapped potential for local groups to be even better organized
when it comes to environmental stewardship issues," says Tinker,
who praised the efforts both groups and city leadership have shown.
"There's a movement now known as 'retreat and restore' that involves
things like taking down old houses right next to the beach and restoring
the area. That kind of thing was done in Pacifica to make way for
the Linda Mar Beach plan. The city is providing awesome leadership."
Current efforts
are now focused on fundraising. The PODC recently hosted the airing
of the KQED documentary "Coastal Clash" and a community
event with the band "Hot-Buttered Rum." They are planning
a second daylong Earth Day event at Pedro Point Shopping Center with
Gearhead Bike Shop. (See next week's Tribune for a full report on
the April 23 event which will begin with 8 a.m. yoga on the beach
and continue on through the afternoon with music until sunset). In
addition to individual donations, the PODC is hoping to tap into private
and public grant funding.
Tinker estimates
the total cost as being somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000,
but final estimates still need to be done. "Our plan was to draw
up some preliminary plans which we have done, have an architect draw
up something formal and then sit down and figure out a budget and
launch a capital plan," he says.
Some preliminary
sketches of how the interior and exterior of the future PODC might
look were done by Sheryl Webster and Todd McCune Bray, who was recently
appointed to the Pacifica Planning Commission.
The PODC Board
is hoping to get substantial help from the city of Pacifica, which
will be remodeling the pump station as part of the beach master plan.
The city would continue to own and operate the building as a working
pump station and, it is hoped, would lease the new upper portion to
the PODC for a nominal fee.
In addition
to the blessing of the City Council and city permits, the project
also needs permission from the California Coastal Commission, but
PODC advocates are confident the agency will be supportive since there
is no increase in footprint to provide a coastal nature for the project.
Pacificans who
are interesting in become a part of the PODC's activities are encouraged
to contact Tinker (aaron@oceandiscoverycenter.org).
"We meet
once a month and are always looking for active volunteers regardless
of whether they have a marine background or not," says Tinker.
"It's really going to be exciting when we get the PODC built."
For more information
about the PODC's vision and how you can help financially or otherwise,
visit www.oceandiscoverycenter.org.
