Viewing Scope

See better and further with the viewer at Sweet Springs

We are rooted in nature. Essentially every person who lives or visits San Luis Obispo County — seeks a natural experience. Natural areas, like the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve provide intrinsic environmental, aesthetic, recreation and societal benefits to our region.

In order to enhance that experience Celebrate Los Osos wanted to install a public, non-coin operated mechanical outdoor viewer to enhance the public’s experience of nature at the Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. If we could find the funding and get the various agencies permission we would proceed.

We were successful. In 2018 the viewer, a binocular-like device mounted on a permanent stand, was installed on the northwest corner of an existing platform in the Morro Coast Audubon Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. It is useable for viewing bird life, the mudflats and the bay by residents and visitors. The 20X magnification means birds or otters at 1000 yards off the viewing platform look like they are only 50 yards away. Wildlife at 100 yards will look like they are only 5 yards away.

Cultural and historical background of the Sweet Springs area:

The Native American Chumash were the first people to use the land at Sweet Springs. Evidence of their presence was found dating them from 500 AD through the 1700s. The land was part of the Mexican land grant, La Cañada de Los Osos. When it was sold and divided, Sweet Springs was designated the park area of a failed 1893 development called Sunshine Beach created by Norman Harrison and D. R. Oliver. They never registered the development, and the lots were never filed as separate, legal lots. This property was then owned by a succession of people: possibly Walter Redfield, who discovered in 1919 what was to become Los Osos; Charles Ferrell, who built the Duck Inn on the property, which had a much different use for it than the current nature preserve; William and Lydia Mickle, Canadian farmers; Henry Bumpus; Jan and Tom Corr; Harold and Orlien Broderson, who dug the ponds for their potato farm. The land was proposed to be used for a library, a boat launch, and a hotel, all of which failed due to public opposition. In 1985, Morro Palisades Company donated Sweet Springs Central for a park to the State Land Conservancy. In 1989, the State Land Conservancy donated the land to Morro Coast Audubon Society. In 2002, a boardwalk and viewing platform/deck was opened to the public.

Morro Bay is a haven for nature enthusiasts, especially bird-lovers. It’s an important stopping point along bird migration routes and is globally important as a vital part of the Pacific Flyway, used by billions of birds, which stretches from Alaska to South America. The natural diversity of nutrients, in and along the bay, attracts birdlife. Since the early 1990s, more than 350 bird species have been reported as being seen at and from Sweet Springs Nature Preserve. Some species are resident, like the Snowy Egret and the Great Blue Heron. Others are seasonal, such as Pacific Loon and American White Pelican).

Morro Bay and the estuary bordering Sweet Springs is an important winter feeding and resting area for many migrating species. Waterfowl, including Blue-winged Teal, Brant, and Northern Shovelers, use the area along with a variety of shorebirds such as Long-billed Curlews, Black-bellied Plovers, and an assortment of sandpipers.

Little did we know when we started we would be required to prepare a full blown Coastal Development Permit knowing we would only need a “negative declaration.” We are very grateful to several members of the staff of the California Coastal Commission and members of the Board of Directors of the Morro Coast Audubon Society for their assistance in providing invaluable information in order to file the permit in an accelerated time frame.          https://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/

Project partners:

Morro Coast Audubon Society graciously provided the location at no cost. The Los Osos Community Services District’s management company, Grace Environmental installed the viewer.

The San Luis Obispo County Infrastructure Grant funded the project of $5059.00.

This viewer is dedicated to Mimi Kalland—a person of rare vision. She was Celebrate Los Osos’ co-founder, who died August 5, 2018. She is greatly missed.