About the Noyo Center
Our Mission: To advance ocean conservation through education, exploration and experience.
The Noyo Center was born in the salt spray of the Mendocino Coast, when a small community reimagined a thriving future for itself, the surrounding ecology, and the regional economy. In 2002, the closure of the lumber mill on the Noyo Headlands in Fort Bragg—after over a century of operation— represented an opportunity for the region to shift from an extractive to a restorative economy and to reconnect the people of California to one of the most rugged, beautiful and productive coastlines in the world. Noyo Center was founded in 2014 to be a world-class marine science center dedicated to education, science, and the regeneration of both natural ecosystems and the regional economy. In its first decade, the Noyo Center has responded to crisis and opportunity by growing in scope and capacity, stepping into its role as a recognized regional leader.
Our Story
In the past few years, the Noyo Center for Marine Science has grown exponentially. Each year we serve hundreds of students with a variety of field trips and in classroom educational experiences, and see thousands of visitors in our two interpretive centers, the Crow’s Nest on the Noyo Headlands Trail, and the Discovery Center in downtown Fort Bragg. There you can see marine animal specimens collected and articulated by our team with the help of student interns and community members, learn about the state of our oceans, and experience the ways that art and technology can bring science to life. Our facilities are friendly to all ages and accessibilities.
Read on to learn more about our vision and history and consider donating to support our work.
How We Started
The initiative to develop the Noyo Center for Marine Science grew out of public and municipal efforts to diversify and revitalize the economy and community of Fort Bragg as the former Georgia-Pacific lumber mill site redevelopment began.
Comprising over a third of the City’s total jurisdiction, including nearly three miles of Fort Bragg’s coastline, the redevelopment of the Georgia Pacific lumber mill site has been the focal activity of the City of Fort Bragg for a number of years. Through many workshops and meetings, the Fort Bragg community identified a marine science and education center as a high priority to anchor initial Mill Site reuse activities and help generate living wage jobs in the community. The future Noyo Center facility will become a showcase for sustainable development on the mill site and around the community with a mission to explore our dynamic connection with the ocean and to inspire the next generation of ocean and environmental leaders.
A Three-Pronged Approach
The Noyo Center has a three-pronged approach to development, supporting an innovative research program, creating an integrated education program and building a world-class facility for research, education and tourism. Our research and education programs support activities that engage the community, the visitor, and the scientist in order to inspire connection, communication, collaboration and creativity. Our future Ocean Science Center facility will be a dynamic environment that showcases sustainability through its landscape, buildings and operations. This campus will unfold from the land with one element leading naturally to another as it grows and changes over time, transforming the former lumber mill site.
The Noyo Center strives to:
Place the Mendocino Coast at the forefront of marine research and education.
Engage individuals of all ages in scientific exploration of the natural world.
Exhibit a rare blue whale skeleton that washed ashore near Fort Bragg in 2009.
Facilitate collaboration among scientists, public agencies and private business in research and management of natural resources.
Support the restoration and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Promote investigation of climate variability and education about improved resiliency.
Draw visitors to Fort Bragg and the Mendocino Coast.
Diversify economic development for Fort Bragg and Mendocino County.
How Whales Change Climate
Building Our Blue Whale
Noyo Center for Marine Science
Noyo Center Blue Whale — HD
Noyo Center for Marine Science: Fort Bragg Mill Site
From Beach to Bones Through Community