Felton Discovery Park
Welcome!
This unique county park promotes environmental literacy through its design and through programs offered by Santa Cruz County Parks and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries.
The park serves as a model and teaching site for students, volunteers, and residents interested in learning about, protecting, and preserving our natural world. To volunteer in the park, click here. To learn about programs and activities, click here.
6121 Gushee Street, Felton (Get directions) Open sunrise to sunset.
Felton Discovery Park Features
- Native and riparian plant walkway and pollinator garden
- Natural play areas to engage children in climbing and exploration
- Interpretive signs about pollinators, watershed, riparian zones, and restoring fire’s natural role
- Musical instruments to play together
- Watershed displays to promote conservation and environmental action
- A “human sundial” to intrigue and inform
- Gathering area for storytimes and environmental literacy programs
- Benches and paths for strolling, conversing, and relaxing
Park Plants
The park is situated on an environmentally sensitive site with Bull Creek, a tributary of San Lorenzo River, bisecting the 2+acre library and park site. Native grasses, herbaceous plants, and trees were chosen to mitigate the removal of natives due to construction, inspire visitors with native plant ideas for home gardens, and provide a healthy sanctuary for struggling insect populations.
A wide pedestrian walk guides visitors through native riparian and pollinator demonstration gardens. Interpretive signs on pollinators and riparian ecology inspire and teach visitors about the natural world. Removal of invasive plants that compete with natives is an ongoing project led by Felton Library Friends and Santa Cruz County Parks.
Learn more:
Pollinator and Native Plants in the Park
Felton Discovery Park Invasive Weed Guide
Articles & Videos
The Felton Library Discovery Park lays the groundwork for healthy community building focused on a relationship with the natural world that promotes and protects the environment for generations to come.
A mini-documentary about the park’s landscape designer Patricia Algara, who creates imaginative places for children and pollinators, can be viewed here.
Park builders won an award from The American Public Works Association in the category “2021 Project of the Year: Structures Under 5 Million.” The park was also featured on the World Landscape Architecture industry website. Read the article here.
Felton Discovery Park Photos
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