Reconnecting with nature.
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.
GALLERY
The Wilder neighborhood.
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 comfo… — read more
The Quarry House: where Wilder comes together.
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.… — read more
Trails: How to get into the wildness.
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 m… — read more
More reasons to leave the house.
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… — read more
