In today’s world, where kids seem to exercise only their thumbs and their eyeballs, Wilder offers an exciting alternative — a real world frontier of physical and mental space where everything is new and unfamiliar. Come to think of it, this is not only true for kids, it’s true for adults, too.

That’s why we’re so intent upon preserving it and restoring nature as a key part of the Wilder experience. Along the way, it has led us to make some interesting choices …

• Of the 1,600 acres, we’re dedicating over 1,300 of them to open space.

• Guided by a Landscape Master Plan created by renowned landscape architecture firm Hart Howerton, we’re restoring a native ecology that, because of quarrying and cattle grazing, hasn’t been there for a hundred years. While Hart Howerton has a global practice, a few of their principals are residents of Orinda and have a personal interest in maintaining the town’s unique character. And they have established the core ideas of restoration and preservation that are at the heart of the plan for Wilder.

• With the help of a biologist, we’re preserving the big oak trees and planting thousands of new ones. And we’re protecting vital wildlife habitats.

• We’re creating miles of walking and biking trails that will connect you to surrounding open spaces and other destinations, including the Robert Sibley Volcanic Preserve, the East Bay Regional Park District, the Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, the Lafayette Reservoir and downtown Orinda.

When finished, Wilder will be a neighborhood of just 245 homes. If you look at the community plan, you’ll see that the neighborhood itself is just one small part of Wilder’s 1,600 acres … the civilized part, which will occupy about 300 acres. What you can’t see from the plan is the topography. How comfortably this neighborhood sits in the valley. How the homes nestle into the hillsides. How thousands of newly planted trees will grow to provide a shady canopy. And how the winding entry road reveals a little at a time, surprising you with views of playfields and ponds and the Quarry House overlooking the entire scene.

The name comes from another time, when these hills were put to different uses. Decades ago, the valley was filled with the sound of machinery and blasted rock. Soon it will be filled with other sounds: kids splashing in a pool, live music and people gathering for all kinds of occasions.

The Quarry House will be the recreational and social heart of Wilder, a gracious hacienda with outdoor spaces designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. And it will boast an array of amenities for children and adults alike. The swimming facility, designed with Orinda’s passion for competitive swimming in mind, will be the ideal place for swimmers to train and compete. A well-equipped fitness center and yoga room will complement the pools. For those who prefer less energetic pursuits, there will be lawns and terraces designed for socializing, sunbathing, gathering around an outdoor fireplace or simply taking in the valley view.

Certain places are best explored on foot or bike. Wilder is one of them. That’s why we’re creating an extensive network of trails and paths that will weave through the natural landscape and connect to existing trails in Orinda. These connections will open Orinda’s western boundary to the community and make this once private and gated land accessible to nature enthusiasts. Multi-use trails will provide regional connections to Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. And neighborhood pedestrian, equestrian and bicycle trails will link areas within Wilder to existing Orinda neighborhoods. Local trailheads will be established to allow for limited parking and easy access to the trails.

The trail design will be simple and understated, responding to the topography and natural landscape. There will be informal seating areas and rustic benches for the weary hiker, and varied overlooks and hideaways for the curious wanderer.

In a certain regard, Wilder is simply a long list of compelling arguments for spending more time outdoors. Hundreds of acres of natural open space. Creeks, woods, hills and meadows. The Quarry House. But there’s more to the list. Like playfields. There will be five of them, created mainly for soccer and baseball … ultimate Frisbee, maybe. Owned and operated by the City of Orinda, they will be open to the public and local sports organizations.

And then there’s the Art & Garden Center. With its terraced gardens, special exhibits and gardening classes, this public facility is sure to become a popular recreational and educational destination for the whole region. And, for Wilder residents, yet another excuse to get out and about.