Galster Park Nature Center
Encyclopedia
The Galster Park Nature Center is a small museum
and educational center set in Galster Wilderness Park, a 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) wilderness park located on the north slope of the San Jose Hills
in the San Gabriel Valley
, California
. It is operated by the San Gabriel Mountains regional conservancy
in partnership with the City of West Covina, California
.
The center is named after Emil S. and Gladys Galster, who deeded the park to the City of West Covina in 1971. Emil and Gladys Galster stipulated that the park will always remain a wilderness park and be available for educational use to scouting organizations.
Galster Wilderness is one of the last remaining native plant
communities of Southern California Black Walnut
Woodlands, Juglans californica trees, which grow on the north slope of the San Jose Hills. Besides the non-natives, coastal sage scrub
dominates the remainder of the park.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and educational center set in Galster Wilderness Park, a 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) wilderness park located on the north slope of the San Jose Hills
San Jose Hills
The San Jose Hills are a part of the Transverse Ranges located in Eastern Los Angeles County, California, marking the border between the San Gabriel Valley and the Pomona Valley in the Inland Empire. It includes portions of Covina, West Covina, Walnut, Pomona, and San Dimas.- Geology :The San Jose...
in the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is operated by the San Gabriel Mountains regional conservancy
San Gabriel Mountains regional conservancy
The San Gabriel Mountains Regional Conservancy is a regional environmental organization located in the foothill area of the eastern San Gabriel Valley...
in partnership with the City of West Covina, California
West Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
.
The center is named after Emil S. and Gladys Galster, who deeded the park to the City of West Covina in 1971. Emil and Gladys Galster stipulated that the park will always remain a wilderness park and be available for educational use to scouting organizations.
Galster Wilderness is one of the last remaining native plant
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
communities of Southern California Black Walnut
Juglans californica
Juglans californica, the California black walnut, also called the California walnut, or the Southern California black walnut, is a large shrub or small tree of the Juglandaceae family endemic to California....
Woodlands, Juglans californica trees, which grow on the north slope of the San Jose Hills. Besides the non-natives, coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
dominates the remainder of the park.