South Bay : ‘Marsh Man’s’ Job Preserved for Now

Walt Wright is the official “marsh man” of Torrance. For years, he has tended the island of grassland called the Madrona Marsh Nature Preserve, protecting the birds and tree frogs that persevere amid stores and homes.

But now, as City Hall grapples with budget problems, Wright’s future is murky--and so, some fear, is city support of the marsh. The City Council recently agreed to fund Wright’s $40,000-a-year salary as city naturalist for two more years; thereafter it will pay half his salary, with the remaining funds to be raised from other sources.

“The city’s new philosophy is, ‘We aren’t going to touch this.’ And I think that’s terrible,” said Shirley Turner, co-founder of Friends of Madrona Marsh. But City Councilman George Nakano counters: “The city’s commitment to the marsh is there.”