Galster Wilderness Park Nature Center facts for kids
The Galster Wilderness Park Nature Center is a cool place where you can learn about nature! It's a small museum and learning center located inside Galster Wilderness Park. This park is a special wild area, about 42 acres (or 170,000 square meters) big. You can find it on the north side of the San Jose Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, California. The center is run by the San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy along with the City of West Covina, California.
Discovering Galster Wilderness Park
Galster Wilderness Park is a unique natural space. It's a great spot to explore and learn about local plants and animals. The park helps people connect with nature. It also teaches them why it's important to protect our environment.
Who Started the Park?
The park and nature center are named after Emil S. and Gladys Galster. They were the people who gave this land to the City of West Covina in 1971. The Galsters had a special wish for the park. They wanted it to always stay a wild place. They also wanted it to be used for learning, especially for groups like scouting organizations.
Special Plants of the Park
Galster Wilderness Park is home to some very special plants. It has one of the last remaining groups of Southern California Black Walnut trees. These trees, known as Juglans californica, grow on the north slope of the San Jose Hills. Besides these native trees, much of the park is covered in coastal sage scrub. This is another important plant community found in California.
