At the base of LMU’s Westchester bluffs, where sagebrush meets sidewalk and hawks soar over tech offices and family homes, Ballona Discovery Park invites visitors to slow down and be present. Tucked beside the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, this 1.7-acre “museum without walls” is small on a map but huge in spirit and meaning.
An outdoor classroom, cultural touchstone, and community commons, Ballona Discovery Park was created through a rare partnership with Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Friends of Ballona Wetlands, and Playa Vista Parks and Landscape Corporation (PVPAL), as part of the creation of Playa Vista.
“We love what we do. We teach about the balance between the wild and the urban,” says Lisa Fimiani, Drollinger Environmental Fellow at LMU’s Center for Urban Resilience and president of the nonprofit board that manages the park.
Her path to the park started with volunteering for the Friends of Ballona Wetlands more than 35 years ago; today, she helps care for the place where nature, science, history, and civic life meet every day in the sunshine.
A Gateway to L.A.’s Living Watershed
Ballona Discovery Park opened in 2011 with a clear purpose: tell the Ballona story, including how water shaped this landscape and how humans have shaped it in return. Located at the trailhead of the Ballona Wetlands, the last remaining wetlands in L.A., interpretive panels in the park trace that history from the 1800s to modern day, guiding visitors along a short watershed walk that becomes a lesson in Los Angeles ecology. Native plants bring butterflies and birds. Shade and seating turn learning into thoughtful lingering.
For Eric Strauss, President’s Professor of Biology at LMU and founding executive director of the Center for Urban Resilience (CURes) and Ballona Discovery Park, the park is both a symbol and an engine.
“To me, the park is an invitation and a welcome mat for people to learn more about the ecology of Los Angeles and about the opportunities at LMU for participation,” says Eric.
Courses from across campus use the space: sciences and engineering, education, liberal arts, and even restorative justice programs and admissions tours visit the one-of-a-kind space. With Wi-Fi and power discreetly integrated, the site can host poetry readings, lectures, and small concerts, while remaining a natural refuge.
“It can function as a traditional kind of rustic park,” Eric says. “But at the same time, it’s undergirded with the infrastructure that lets us do some very sophisticated things.”
That blend of practical and poetic runs throughout the park. Consider the oak story: when the park was planted, only a handful of coastal live oaks took root as part of the original plan. Over time, however, things took off.
“Birds and other wildlife voluntarily deposited acorns, which germinated. We went from about 10 oak trees to about 80,” Lisa says, calling the oak tree a “keystone” species at the top of the pyramid of important plants for the ecosystem benefits it provides.
Meanwhile, CURes and Friends of Ballona Wetlands run regular bird surveys here because, as Eric puts it, “Birds can fly, they’re diurnal, and they vote with their wings. This makes them an immediate assessment of the health of an ecosystem, whether our restoration and management projects are successful.”
Many researchers and nature enthusiasts share their observations on the eBird and iNaturalist apps, transforming neighborhood sightings into globally studied data.
For Jody Skenderian, LMU’s Executive Director for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives and a Ballona Discovery Park Partners board member, the draw is daily.
“I love that it’s so accessible,” she says.
Traveling between LMU’s Playa Vista Campus and Westchester, she often stops for, “Great moments just to unplug for a few minutes and enjoy the sounds of nature. And the peace.”
A Unique Vision that Reconciles the Past, Present, and Future
When Playa Vista’s development was approved, it came with many considerations, including building a park to tell the Ballona story and reconstructing a 51-acre freshwater marsh. Rather than create a park in name only, the developer partnered with LMU, PVPAL, and Friends of Ballona Wetlands, and a nine-member board (three from each partner) was formed to manage the park for the public.
“This is an extraordinary project and serves as a model for others invested in sustainability, education and cultural preservation,” Lisa recalls, witnessing genuine respect among all parties during the development process. “The relationships forged there continue in the park’s storytelling.”
The result is a space where students and visitors encounter the Gabrielino Tongva story of Juana Maria (the real story that inspired the book, “Island of the Blue Dolphins”) and discuss the Catholic Missions’ legacy, colonization, and faith. The hope was for the process to be one of healing with the park’s tagline being, “Neighborhood wellness begins here!”
Annual migration celebration and more ways to get involved
Since opening, more than 300,000 visitors, including 30,000 LMU students, have passed through Ballona Discovery Park for classes, tours, and calming nature visits. Another 4,000 school visitors from over 200 schools around the region come each year as part of Friends of Ballona Wetlands and LMU CURes education programs.
“This makes the park an extension of community classrooms across the region,” Jody says.
Programs range from pre-K field trips led by Friends of Ballona Wetlands to college and post-grad research through CURes. Interdisciplinary educational events, cultural celebrations, and tours, invite new audiences to find their way to the park.
Each May, the Friends of Ballona Wetlands hosts a Migration Celebration, which draws more than 700 people to the park for hands-on activities, wildlife talks, wetland tours, and tables staffed by local environmental groups. It’s a fun entry point if you haven’t visited before, and a community builder for long-time supporters.
In its 14th year, the park has also begun building a digital front porch, recently launching its first official website and social media presence to make it easier for neighbors to follow events, sign up to volunteer, and support operations.
This summer, the park board hosted a fundraiser called, “Nature’s Pairing: A Craft Brew & Wine Walk,” which drew more than 75 supporters for tastings, music, and guided tours.
“While our partners provide essential support, public contributions are just as critical to Ballona Discovery Park’s future,” Lisa says. “This park thrives because of community generosity. Every donation, visit, and volunteer hour makes a difference.”
A Small Park with a Big Invitation
Ballona Discovery Park isn’t just a place in nature, it’s an invitation to participate, learn, reconcile, and belong. Grateful to be a part of this dynamic community, Lisa smiles as she says, “Every day presents a teachable moment and provides a new adventure.”
Ballona Discovery Park is located at 13110 Bluff Creek Drive in Playa Vista, at the trailhead to the Ballona Freshwater Marsh.
For more info, visit ballonadiscoverypark.org or follow the park on Instagram @BallonaDiscoveryPark or on Facebook at DiscoveryParkBallona.
Story by Shanee Edwards. Photos by Zsuzsi Steiner.