The bridge at Wagner Ranch Nature Area spans the wooded landscape that John Muir Land Trust hopes to restore into an accessible outdoor learning center, serene oasis and community gathering place. The $5 million project is expected to take two to three years to complete.
When local students returned to school this year, it was again without one of its most unique and popular classrooms – the Wagner Ranch Nature area.
Stormy winters wreaked havoc on the beloved park, causing its closure by the Orinda Unoin School District. But in December 2025, the non-profit John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) acquired the 16-acre wooded, oak-canopied park.
Its vision is not only to restore the nature area as an outdoor learning center, but also as a serene oasis and celebration spot for all.
“Wagner Ranch is so centrally located, it can serve all the local communities,” said JMLT Executive Director Linus Eukel. “More importantly, we will deliver a space for relaxation and healing. It will be inclusive, with trails for people with mobility issues, sensory issues like blindness, and those with cognitive issues.”
The $5 million project is on its way to its funding goal, Eukel said, but will need major funding and the community’s help. Already the project has raised $1.5 million and Eukel has been speaking with major donors.
As a start, Moraga Orinda Fire District crews have helped clear the storm damage from the recent wet winters, including some fire hazards.
The entire project, if funding cooperates, will take two to three years to complete. But Eukel said it will be worth it. “There really hasn’t been any pushback,” he said about the organization’s plans for the area.
Lisa Lomba, JMLT’s chief advancement officer, outlined the three major touchpoints of the new Wagner Ranch Nature Area: Access and exploring; restoring and stewarding; and learning, playing and gathering.
“Wagner Ranch will welcome people of all ages and abilities,” she said, echoing Eukel’s enthusiasm. “Hard-surface trails, accessible parking and restrooms, and comfortable seating areas let everyone enjoy the space. Trail loops give you options – stick to easy paths or wander off on earthen trails.
“As far as restoring and stewarding, we know that healthy ecosystems keep everyone safe,” Lomba said. “Managed fuel breaks and grasslands [will] reduce wildfire risk. Creek restoration protects special-status native plants while adding habitat complexity and expanding the floodplain. Invasive species get removed, and native plantings flourish.”
Finally, she said that the outdoor classrooms and gathering areas can host educational programs.
“Adventure trails with logs and boulders give kids – and adults – room to play. Interpretive signs and QR codes tell the site’s history and introduce visitors to native plants and wildlife. Shade structures will make visiting comfortable year-round,” Lomba said.
The designs for the new nature area were not developed in a vacuum. Eukel said he first met with small groups like horticulture experts, educators and fire abatement experts from the Moraga-Orinda Fire Department.
JMLT then held three larger community meetings at Wagner Ranch Elementary School for input. The concepts the groups came up with can be viewed at jmlt.org/our-places/wagner-ranch/, and Lomba encourages the community to share their input. She also said more specific concepts for the three major themes can also be viewed there.
JMLT hopes to have the final schematics completed with designs, and incorporate more community input, by early fall, with the unveiling of the final design soon after.
Right now, fundraising is a key priority, Lomba said.
“This is a people-powered effort, for sure,” she said. “The doubtless bright future of Wagner Ranch Nature Area depends on all of us to make it happen.”
Eukel agrees. “This project has every aspect of community – we can’t do it without the community.”
Staff Writer Michelle Jun contributed to this story.