EACEA plans to develop a robust ecology center, including permaculture teaching gardens; botanical and agricultural history of Encinitas, landscaping around the perimeter of the site, from native vegetation to olives and grapes and lima beans to fruit groves to flowers to organic vegetables; showcasing sustainable water collection, recycling and distribution systems, best practice soil regeneration, organic growing, composting, zero waste and low carbon footprint energy creation and consumption, including passive building heating and cooling, in order to achieve net-zero energy use goal for the site.
The Historic Schoolhouse, built in 1883, was originally equipped with gardens for each student to learn the arts of farming, at that time the only local industry. EACEA plans to bring back and demonstrate that knowledge of traditional and modern food growing and preparation skills on site, and then take these programs out to K-12 schools and into the suburbs. There will be shady places to study in the gardens, outdoor furniture and sculpture, interpretive displays as well as rare vernal pool habitat with related native flora and fauna.
EACEA also plans to feature the Swamis Marine Protected Area (MPA) as an interpretive exhibit celebrating the underwater park’s unique mix of plant and animal ecologies that abut the Encinitas coastline in front of Pacific View, extending from Cottonwood Creek at Moonlight Beach south to Seaside bluffs, including the San Elijo Lagoon and State waters to three miles out. This successful ocean plant, fish, invertebrate, bird and marine mammal nursery, breeding and feeding station, is part of California’s large interconnected MPA network, serving the entire California coast, the only network in the world like it. Abundant marine life is a critical element in maintaining clean, clear coastal waters, acting as filters and consumers of everything that flows to the sea from our local watershed.
If you are an artist, student, member of the community or a visitor to Encinitas that would like to be involved and/or propose an art, ecology, or cultural programming idea for the future PVAA, please email EACEA at pvaaencinitas@gmail.com.