NORTH COUNTY -- Designed by nature and protected by its inhabitants, the unincorporated rural community of Elfin Forest has a new weapon in its fight against overdevelopment.

The Elfin Forest Interpretive Center, located in the parking lot staging area of the 750-acre recreational reserve, opened Saturday with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony.

James T. Hubbell, of the San Diego architectural firm Hubbell & Hubbell, which designed the Interpretive Center building, expressed his hopes that the center will make a difference in how the whole valley is developed.

"People undervalue it," he said. "It's a beautiful part of our region, and they shouldn't just chop it down."

Hubbell said he has been visiting Elfin Forest for more than 50 years and was married there in 1958.

Jeff Anderson, supervisor for the park, described the center as a place to educate visitors about the value of open space and how to protect the watershed. Instructional programs are planned that will include interactive displays, monuments, artwork and classes. Anderson added that the purpose of the building is to inspire people to venture out into the reserve and experience nature.

Developed in partnership between the Olivenhain Municipal Water District and The Escondido Creek Conservancy, the interpretive center represents the capstone of a project that's been going on for decades.

Joseph Randall of the water district said the center was a dream of the district back in the 1980s. He said the partnership will provide a model for other public agencies throughout the region and state.

"It's a great example of a public-private partnership," he said. "This marks the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve as a destination for folks all over the region."

Architect Drew L. Hubbell, designer of the interpretive center said that the circular-shaped 1,000-square-foot structure is built using Perform Wall, a material made from a mixture of recycled Styrofoam and concrete, which insulates about five times the value of a wood-framed structure and, unlike wood or other organic material, dries quickly after it gets wet.

The site will run completely on solar power using its own photovoltaic system, Hubbell said. The building's design incorporates a green roof, not commonly seen in San Diego, with 8 inches of topsoil, which helps to insulate the building and contributes to the natural look and feel of the structure. Â

Longtime Elfin Forest resident Jennifer Coburn, of Coburn Topiary Sculpture, characterized the event as a community effort and a shared vision of people who are dedicated to keeping the land as it once was.

"It's the galvanizing of a shared vision to preserve the land so that people can remember what it's like to see sycamore trees at the edge of a beautiful stream with ducks and fish," she said. "You just don't see these things anymore."

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