Chula Vista Nature Center - How To Be Politically Active and Politics Free

This weekend, my family and I visited the Art Aquatic exhibit at the Chula Vista Nature Center. It was breathtaking! Not just the combination of art and nature, but the crowds of people and families enjoying the place.

I couldn’t help but remember the recent saga that threatened the existence of the center, but then gave it a whole new life.  It was a prime case study on how a community can be politically active AND politics free.

For those already familiar with the story, I’ll make it brief. It was a time of devastating budget cuts – sound familiar.  On December 5, 2008 the city announced it would be closing the Nature Center in January 2009 in order to help close the budget gap.  The announcement spread throughout the community as neighbors, moms, volunteers, students and many more came together to discuss what they could do. Step 1: Awareness

Crowds filled the chambers at City Council meetings to speak publicly in support of the Center and to plead with city leaders to reconsider. Groups of volunteers organized a media outreach campaign to spread the cause to a wider audience and solicit help broadly.  On December 28, 2008 a fundraiser on the Bay raised over $25,000 cash and the media campaign had resulted in over $300,000 in donations from foundations and private donors. Step 2: Take Action – Be Politically Active

The community was laser focused in what it wanted – The Nature Center to stay open. Community members met with City Council members to discuss ways the Center could survive without the support of the city’s general fund.  Community members met with council members to discuss how the Center could remain open without the assistance of the general fund.  South County Economic Development Corporation worked with the Friends of the Nature Center and the City and determined that the Center could become its own non-profit organization – it just needed the time to transition.  In January, the City Council approved the continued operation of the Center until the transition was complete. Step 3: Work Together not Against – Be Politics Free

The Nature Center has survived and is thriving! As you walk through the place, you can’t help but feel the very life of the community pulsating through the aquarium.

As I walked through the Art Aquatic exhibit, I experienced the beauty of nature in a way I could not have imagined. I also left that day feeling extremely proud of the community for what they had accomplished through their willingness to be Politically Active and Politics Free!