The Steward of Ormond Beach

It's an increasingly rare sight along the coast: a pocket of entirely undeveloped beach and wetlands set aside for 200 migratory bird species and the human visitors who come to see them. Oxnard's Ormond Beach, considered to be the most important wetland restoration opportunity in Southern California, received nearly 22,500 visitors in the last year alone. "Birders love the trail on Ormond Beach," enthuses Walter Fuller, a lifelong birder and the steward of Ormond Beach. Located on the Pacific Flyway, the Ormond Beach Bird Refuge hosts migratory birds from as far as South America and Alaska.

"Being on a trail like we are, you have the opportunity to look for birds in the canal, you have another habitat at the beach, you have the wetland habitat, and then you have the upland habitat...that's what makes this area so vital," Fuller adds, gushing about the seemingly endless opportunities to connect with nature here. Ormond Beach fulfills a quest for birders and nature lovers alike, and thanks in part to the steadfast stewardship of Walter Fuller, this rare patch of coast will remain open to all who seek it.