A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the new George F. Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, in Rolling Hills Estates.
Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Frank V. Zerunyan said the Nature Center will be a “hub for education, community gathering and environmental stewardship.”
“We’re investing in this place as it will serve as a gateway to the great outdoors, hopefully for generations to come, as it had been for several generations previously,” Zerunyan said. “This project certainly reflects what is possible at all levels of government, community organizations and dedicated partners come together around a shared vision.”
Adrienne Mohan, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy executive director, said the Nature Center, as a “gateway to the whole Peninsula,” “will open doors for discovery, connection and fostering love of nature.”
“It’s a place where families will come to explore, where neighbors can gather, and, perhaps most importantly, a place for young people,” Mohan said. “Because when kids have the opportunity to step outside into nature, and they get their shoes a little dirty, they smell the freshness of trees, catch a glimpse of wildlife, they’re going to develop curiosity, build empathy, and begin to see themselves as part of something bigger.”
A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Frank V Zerunyan speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
California State Sen. Ben Allen speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. Pictured are Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Executive Director Adrienne Mohan, Councilmember Debby Stegura, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, Councilmember Britt Huff, Councilmember Velveth Schmitz and Mayor Frank V Zerunyan (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
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A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the future home of the George F Canyon Nature Center took place March 31, 2026, in Rolling Hills Estates. (Photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
The Nature Center will feature custom kiosks, multimedia content and interactive exhibits “highlighting the area’s unique flora, fauna, geology and natural history, Zerunyan said.
The design of the Nature Center has “sustainability in mind,” Zerunyan said, including “energy efficiency systems, photovoltaic panels, the drought tolerant native landscaping, electric,” along with vehicle charging stations.
State Sen. Ben Allen was able to secure $1.2 million in funding, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office committed $500,000, and the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy awarded a $424.200 grant. The city of Rolling Hills also donated its Propostion 68, the Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018, funds to support to new Nature Center.
“There’s something so visceral about man’s relationship with nature, and yet for so many of our young people growing up in this massive urban conurbation, that distance starts to grow,” said Allen at the ceremony. “It’s hard to connect with nature, and yet we know it makes such a difference to your mental health, to your your own sense of self worth, your ability to disconnect and your ability to manage the stresses of life.”
While the Nature Center is closed, with completion expected by summer 2027, the nature trail continues to remain open and the PVPLS still hosts nature walks the first Saturday of the month as well as other events.
For more information, visit pvplc.org.