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Join us in creating an open space legacy:
A new nature park in the heart of Irvine

Friends – Our group of neighbors has been working with Irvine Company and hundreds of other residents on a historic opportunity: to transform private land (Oak Creek Golf Course) into the city’s largest nature park for all to enjoy. Imagine meadows, creeks, nature trails and native woodlands right in our backyard – that’s what we’re working on and we hope you join us.  Sincerely, Irvine Neighbors for Nature
Ryan Bates, (Co-Chair), Oak Creek Village
Mike Nystrom (Co-Chair), Northwood
Jennifer King, Northwood
Bill Shultz, Orangetree
Laura Borda, Northwood
Ray Borda, Northwood
Ryan Borda, Northwood
Tim Cheng, Woodbridge (fmr. Community Services Commission Chair)
Kristy Chen, Woodbridge
Greg Costigan, Woodbury
Neil Estrada, Turtle Ridge
Jon White, Turtle Rock
Hope Sherwood, Turtle Rock
 
“Planning this park is about my kids and their future. It is so inspiring to help deliver on something unlike anything else in Irvine and I can’t wait to see it come to life.”

- Ryan Bates, Oak Creek Village Resident

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Join the supporters working to establish Irvine's largest nature park. 
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Community Planning Process

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Nature planner Jenny Rigby leads a discussion

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Groups present their ideas for the park

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Groups present their ideas for the park

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Site tour to see the expansive area dedicated for the park

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Breakout groups on park concepts

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Site tour to see the expansive area dedicated for the park

Park Inspiration Images

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Nature Trails

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Nature Play

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Bridges and Trails

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Botanical & Pollinator Gardens

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Nature Center

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Boardwalk and Overlooks

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Meadows and Woodlands

Note: Images courtesy of Irvine Co.

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Important New Trail Connections: This map shows how the nature park will complete the missing middle of the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, creating new connections across the city.

Jennifer King

“The opportunity to create a signature space like this for all to enjoy is so rare. I truly can't wait to experience this nature park both as I'm running Irvine's beautiful trails, and as a destination in itself for my family to explore nature right in our backyard."

Mike Nystrom

“I moved to Irvine for the unique sense of community and ample parks and green space. As we look to the future of our city, I am excited to support the Nature Park and the thoughtful development continuing our trail system and providing a much needed amenity for our families.”

Hope White

“I love the prospect of a peaceful respite sitting right in the middle of our city. It will be a welcome, meticulously designed habitat for all wildlife and especially for pollinators, like the endangered Monarch butterfly.”

Jon White

“The nature park includes an extension of the Jeffery Open Space Trail. It will be another “building block” that will one day allow cyclists and hikers to travel from the North of our city all the way to the Pacific Ocean without competing with automobiles.”

Laura Borda

“The expert park planners utilized by Irvine Company have decades of experience that will transform the current golf course to a natural extension of the Jeffrey Open Space Trail with meandering meadows and walking trails through trees and plants that are native to our region. I look forward to having the chance to explore this beautiful park extension when it is fully developed and open for public use."

Ryan Bates

“To be part of the creation of this now truly open space is a once in a generation opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The fact that my children and future grandchildren will have the chance to explore nature right in the heart of this incredible city we all have the privilege of living in fills me with joy.  I enthusiastically support this plan and can’t wait to see it come to life.”

William Shultz

"I look forward to having convenient walking and bicycling access to the park via the JOST which from my home will mean not having to cross a single street at surface level. I plan regular walks in the nature park, enjoying the tranquility, the beauty and diversity of landscapes, the overlooks, the flowing creek, and the educational opportunities, all in the center of Irvine."

Tim Cheng

"Having lived in Irvine for 30 years, I fully support the plan for a new nature park in central Irvine as a vital return to the original master-planned vision of balancing development with preserved open space.  I am most looking forward to having a peaceful escape for trail walks and the opportunity to reconnect with the natural world just minutes from home."

About the Nature Park 

 
The nature park would benefit our entire community. It sits in central Irvine and will connect to the Jeffrey Open Space Bridge at the I-5 It would turn a  privately owned golf course – available only to those who can afford to pay – into a place for all of us to enjoy.  Based on early efforts, here’s what the nature park could include:
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  • 50+ acres of meadows, woodlands, creeks, gardens – larger than any community park in Irvine

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  • Complete the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, which currently stops in central Irvine

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  • New bridges over train tracks and Irvine Center Dr. to add to the continuous safe and beautiful crossings of Irvine’s trail system

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  • A new nature center for education and events for kids and youth

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  • Serene, escape-to-nature park in the heart of Irvine

 

This incredible plan evolved from an earlier idea for a mostly residential village, which has been significantly changed as a result of the nature park and would be considered in a year or so.

 

Visit the website for the nature park. 

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