Redondo Beach, together with the South Bay Parkland Conservancy, held a ceremony for the lower pond and unveiled signs at Hopkins Wilderness Park on Monday, August 25.
Highly anticipated upgrades to the smaller lake were honored during the gathering.
Pond development is expected to finish near Thanksgiving and "offer an excellent environment for wildlife to return," stated Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light at the gathering.
We used to see frogs and salamanders around here," Light remarked, "but when it was paved over, they didn't enjoy this kind of setting, so they vanished.
Ducks were once plentiful at the pond, he mentioned, but "the ducklings were preyed upon by animals," such as coyotes and raccoons.
However, the newly built pond will offer some shelter for local animals, Light stated.
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City Mayor Jim Light addressed attendees at the official start of construction for the much-awaited upgrades to the lower pond and creek area within Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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New educational exhibits have been introduced at the Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Mayor Jim Light, standing in the middle, joined present and past city council members to mark the start of much-awaited upgrades at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Lauren Williamson silently enjoys an audiobook at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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A photograph taken at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Image courtesy of Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Turtles search for sustenance in a pond located at the Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Image courtesy of Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Hopkins Wilderness Park officially starts construction on much-awaited upgrades to the park's lower pond and creek area in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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New educational exhibits have been introduced at the Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Mayor Jim Light, standing in the middle, joined present and past city council members to mark the start of much-awaited upgrades to the lower pond and creek area at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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City Mayor Jim Light addressed attendees at the ceremonial event marking the start of significant upgrades to the lower pond and creek area within Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on Monday, August 25, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Four informational plaques—highlighting indigenous flora, the area's historical significance, and its role for monarch butterflies—were also introduced during the ceremony, with the SBPC leading and managing the revival of natural ecosystems across multiple sections of the park.
In October, Wilderness Park obtained essential financial support after SBPC secured a $40,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which was then allocated toward improvements at the park.
The funding is aimed at restoring six acres of natural coastal sagebrush habitat, offering a refuge for western monarch butterflies to endure the winter season prior to their breeding and migration in the spring.
The coastal sage scrub ecosystem, severely impacted by various factors including climate change and urban expansion, serves as a refuge for endangered animals like the gnatcatcher, cactus wren, and the El Segundo blue butterfly.
The SBPC has assisted in "re-wilding" the park, bringing back indigenous vegetation across multiple acres since 2017.
Spanning 11 acres, Wilderness Park is the biggest park in Redondo Beach.
Prior to being founded in 1977, the location served as Nike missile site LA-57 from 1956 until 1963. These facilities—located near areas such as San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes—were set up during the Cold War era.
In 1971, the federal government transferred the land to Redondo Beach for use as a public recreational area, according to Light.
In 2021, former Public Works Director Ted Semaan mentioned that in addition to the drought problem, which led to the water supply being cut off at the lower pond, the area had turned into a place where discarded animals and trash, such as old tires, were left behind.
Following the SBPC began restoring native vegetation there, Light stated, "One of the most common questions we receive is, where did the lower pond go, and are you planning to restore it?"
I approached this as a personal endeavor," Light stated. "I persuaded my closest friend, Bill Brand, to undertake it as his own project, and ultimately, it became his top priority.
The former mayor, Brand, passed away in February 2024 due to lung cancer.
Light was one of the original members of the SBPC board, an organization initiated by Brand in 2004, and has also held the position of president.
"We've created this area to include 30 to 40% native wetland plants in the water," Brand explained, "so it mimics a typical ecosystem found here, which will assist in cleaning the water and maintaining low nitrogen levels" to prevent algae growth.
The top pond now houses turtles and koi fish, along with various other animals, such as a rare heron sighting.
The city currently has no intentions of introducing local wildlife to the smaller pond, according to Light.
"Nature will make it work," he stated.
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