Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation

Mission: To energize people through education and outreach to preserve the Agua Hedionda Lagoon as an accessible and healthy watershed. 

Our Vision: To be Stewards of the Watershed as we inspire future generations so we all have access to a healthy lagoon.  A safe space in nature…for all.

Who we serve: The AHLF 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. This magnificent community nature center hosts an award -winning Environmental Education School Program including field trips for school age students, After School Enrichment and a bustling Preschool Playdates program focusing on natural outdoor education and STEAM concepts. Additionally we host, bird walks, festivals, fundraising events, summer camps and other ecofriendly programs throughout the year including a daily educational interaction with one of our many exhibits, freely to the public. These families come to the Discovery Center 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.

Learn More About the Foundation Here.

In 2021, we were named Non-Profit of the Year by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. You can see our impact below.