This 2-acre space has been designated for revegetation of native plant communities to support monarch butterflies and other pollinator species. Monarch butterfly populations have drastically declined over the last twenty years due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Not only can their decline have far-reaching impacts on plant diversity and ecosystem stability, but it can also serve as a warning sign about the overall health of ecosystems and the impact of human activities on biodiversity. Thanks to generous funding and support from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, we are able to begin preparing this site for installation of beautiful native plants that support monarch butterflies and other wildlife. 

Monarch Restoration Garden

The Louis Robidoux Parkland and Pecan Grove (LRPPG) is a 40-A property located along the Santa Ana River in the City of Jurupa Valley and County of Riverside.  Prior to April of 2017, the property had been managed for more than 50 years by owner, the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open Space District (RCPOSD). In the spring of 2017, budget concerns forced closure of the Parkland (then known as the Louis Robidoux Nature Center), as RCPOSD searched for an alternative site manager able to reinitiate activities at the site.

In May of 2019, site management was awarded to the then-Louis Robidoux Nature Center Consortium, a collaborative of partners including 501c3 Huerta del Valle and government agencies including Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, Orange County Water District, and the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.  Under an agreement with RCPOSD, the partners completed extensive rehabilitation of the existing education center on site; held community meetings to solicit public opinion on best next steps for the property; and created a series of long-term goals for return of site function and benefit focused on the surrounding community.  Unfortunately, a fire on Halloween of 2019 stopped forward progress with extensive damage to the site, including complete destruction of the education center building.

In the fall of 2020, the same collaborative group was re-awarded the right to manage the renamed Louis Robidouix Parkland and Pecan Grove (LRPPG) for a period of 25 years with two optional fifteen year extensions.  Since the contract update, partners have been working to advance individual and shared site goals within the common objective of return of site function and benefit to the community.  An in-progress master planning process is serving as the foundation of partner focus, ensuring funding and site work connects directly to priorities and needs of the surrounding community and on-site resources.  Major milestones achieved so far can be seen on the timeline section of this website, while highlights work planned in 2025 includes a workshop series; string of hosted volunteer events; large public gatherings like May 3rd’s Spring Fling and October 11th’s Fall Festival; and continuing site infrastructure updates benefitting the on-site nursery, multiple native plant gardens, and navigability of the property’s trail system open to all visitors. 

LRPPG remains open from dawn to dusk daily, and always offers free parking using the gravel lot adjacent to the park gates.  The LRPPG on-site kiosk features updates on the property as does this website, and Parkland partners are hopeful that members of the surrounding communities continue to actively engage and shape both current areas of work and the future of the property.