Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Center

Who We Are:

We are a 501C3 non-profit organization formed in 1990 by passionate Carlsbad citizens who strive to promote the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in its global context. We are not affiliated with or obligated to any government, religious, or for-profit organization. Our initiatives, including our educational programs and events, are supported by ordinary citizens, grants, supporters and members; donations are tax deductible. 

Our Mission:

Inspire people through education and outreach to preserve the Agua Hedionda Lagoon as an accessible and healthy watershed. 

Who We Serve:

We are open to the public, but we primarily serve families with school aged children who care about the environment, the watershed and the local community. These families come to Agua Hedionda Lagoon foundation for active ways to involve their kids in fun, hands-on, educational experiences that give them a sense of accomplishment.

What Makes Us Different:

By providing direct access to nature (in the form of gardens, wildlife, aqua culture, and water-based recreation), we uniquely offer fun, interactive experiences with diverse bodies that rely on the lagoon. We do this differently from others by offering learning experiences that focus on the hands-on doing (and not just viewing) of how people and wildlife depend on active watershed management.

The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, a non-profit 501c3, operates the Discovery Center, an extraordinaire collection of hands on nature activities that allow visitors to “taste nature” experiencing both the lagoon and the ecological reserve that resides in Carlsbad. We are located on Eastern end of the lagoon, and operate this amazing teaching hub to inform the public about how each and every individual can interact with this beautiful estuary serving all of North County; open seven days a week. This magnificent community nature center hosts an award -winning Environmental Education School Program, as well as lectures, bird walks, festivals, summer camps and other ecofriendly events throughout the year. Please stop by the Center to experience yourself how we inspire people through education & outreach to preserve the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, as an accessible and healthy watershed.