On November 3, the area around the Dinosaur Caves Park sign will be under construction, thanks to a few Pismo Beach Locals. Their goal is to give the succulent garden a well-deserved facelift.
“It's about time,” said neighbor Shelby Bowen. “I think it would be a fabulous upgrade in any way that it would come in this park. I see it used daily. I live right here on the street, so I see how much it's utilized and I think that it's got a lot of potential.”
Margaret Wagner first got the idea of adding more greenery to the park 18 years ago but she said life at the time pulled her away. However, Wagner said she’s since been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, prompting her to finally go ahead with the project with the help of her friend, Ben Trogdon.
“You kind of start evaluating, you know, what do I want?” Wagner said. “I hate to say legacy because it sounds so much about me, but what do I want to leave behind? What do I want to leave the community?”
Haley Dyson said she comes to the park three times a day. She said hearing about Wagner’s motivation behind the donation made her want to cry.
“The greatest things that she connected with in her life, many of those must have taken place here or been involved with this place and had a lot of memories,” Dyson said.
Wagner has donated $100,000 of her personal money to the park. She said this will cover her plans for the planter around the welcome sign and turn it into something noticeable year-round.
“In the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons, I thought this is what I want to do,” she said. “I want to give a gift to my community. Not only Pismo Beach, but anyone in the world that happens to pass here.”
Wagner has started a fundraiser and Instagram account to bring more attention to the renovation and encourage her community to join in. She said people who donate $1,000 or more will get their own plaques in the park, handmade by Wagner.
“They have beautiful parks in Pismo Beach but Dinosaur Caves is kind of the crown jewel,” Wagner said. “To make that crown jewel, you know, into a world-class garden is my dream.”
