Take Only Photos
Leave Only Footprints

The Preserve is home to plants and animals. Please respect their home just like you want people to respect your home when they visit.

Let the flowers grow, please don't pick them. The flowers produce seeds for the birds. Plants provide food, shade and shelter for many animals.

The paths are especially made for people. Please stay on the paths so you don't accidentally step on a nest or step in a gopher hole or step in some scat.

Dogs and other pets aren’t allowed on the Preserve. There are plants and animals that can harm your pets. The Preserve animals are afraid of animals that don't live here. Dogs are welcome on the garden paths around the Nature Center.

Picnics for people are welcomed at the picnic tables but not on the Preserve. Don’t feed the animals; human food isn't good for wild animals.

Some areas are roped off to protect nests that birds build on the ground. Please respect the restricted areas. You would feel terrible if you stepped on a nest and killed the baby birds.

All of the animals on the Preserve are wild. They bite, claw and scratch to defend themselves. They are afraid of people. They will fly or run away if you get too loud or too close. Quietly observe animals and you may see more of them.

What is Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center?

• As the name suggests, the Preserve protects, manages, and maintains a tiny portion of the natural landscape as it existed long before the South Bay and Port of Los Angeles areas were developed. Development in the Preserve is kept to a minimum.
• This natural landscape attracts native plants, insects, and wildlife, including migrating birds, because it feels just like home for them. The Preserve has safe places for them to rest and sleep and the native plants provide the foods they’re used to eating.
• The Preserve isn’t the same as a public park like Wilson or Columbia Parks. Parks are developed specifically for active recreation, so they have ball fields, playgrounds, tracks, recreation centers, and areas for picnics and group activities.
• The Nature Center is located across the street from the Preserve. Its purpose is to provide nature-centric education programs and activities for the public of all ages.

What can I do at Madrona Marsh?

• Get out of the house or office and walk our trails. It’s good to get outside and enjoy our plentiful sunshine and our cool, clean ocean breeze.
• Look for some of those native animals living here (bring your camera or binoculars). Our water-wise Native Garden has many drought-resistant plants suitable for your own home.
• Stop by the Nature Center to see our art and science exhibits and visit the Gift Shop. Ask about our regularly scheduled docent-led nature tours, seminars, classes, and birding groups. Many of these activities are child-friendly.

What I cannot do at Madrona Marsh?

We’re here to protect and preserve the natural landscape and the native animals this landscape attracts. Contact the Nature Center for complete information or if you have questions. The following do the most damage and stress the native animals the most and are not permitted inside the Preserve:

• non-service dogs or pets,
• jogging inside the Preserve,
• food in the Preserve (picnic tables are available by the Nature Center),
• drones, bicycles

What else should I know?

• Our natural landscape attracts a lot of native Pocket Gophers and Striped Skunks. Don’t trip over the gopher holes. Striped Skunks are nocturnal but may be active around sunrise or sunset.
• Our native (red) California Harvester Ants are farmers, only interested in collecting seeds from the surrounding plants. Please don’t disturb their nests.
• The walking paths are slippery during and right after rain.

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