On February 27, 1999, volunteers from the California Native Plant Society, North Coast Chapter (CNPS-NCC) first planted a long, triangular section of the steep slope site north of the Arcata Community Center, 321 Community Park Way, Arcata.

The planting was a result of an agreement between the City of Arcata, represented by Parks Superintendent Dan Diemer and CNPS-NCC, represented by Pete Haggard. The City would provide the site and planting stock,and CNPS-NCC would provide volunteers for planting and maintenance.

After 14 years the City now has a beautiful, stable, natural area that requires no City water, fertilizer, or mowing and very little physical maintenance by City employees. CNPS-NCC has converted this weedy slope on poor, fill soil into an urban native plant garden and home for native wildlife.

Both the City and CNPS-NCC have benefited through this cooperation and have provided the public with a permanent garden of natural beauty and increasing wildlife value.

Heavy pedestrian and bicyclist traffic of high school students, college students, and citizens patronizing the playing fields, the playground, the Community Center, and HealthSport make this garden an excellent location in which to demonstrate the worth of biodiverse landscapes in urban areas.

This website provides information to help people identify the plants and animals in the garden and learn how they interact.