Written by Cath Byrnes
This article was originally published in an Issue of Coronado Magazine. To read this article and more from Coronado Magazine, click the button below.
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. -John Quincy Adams
Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Butler is a powerful force of nature who has for nearly four decades performed her unique magic, igniting enthusiasm, involvement and action necessary to overcome daunting obstacles that transformed Coronado’s southern boundary. Scenic Highway 75, Silver Strand State Beach and the Coronado Cays community of waterways all benefited from significant improvements that changed these public areas into a Crown City jewel, exemplified by the award-winning “Nature’s Bridge to Discovery,” rich with natural beauty, art and recreational expanses.
Appropriately nicknamed “Spark Plug” by admiring collaborators, her impact cannot be overstated. Her vision and negotiation skills, along with sheer tenacity and charming persuasiveness, changed an eyesore into an area appreciated by both locals and tourists. She convinced considerably diverse groups to pool resources and accomplish extraordinary goals.
A native of Plainfield, New Jersey, Liza learned early to recognize needed change and to act rather than complain. Her hometown was a victim of economic decline and racial tensions prompting many long-time residents to move. She witnessed her attorney father, ‘a firm, engaging man’ step up and run for mayor, creating a Beautification Project during his successful campaign. This left an indelible impression on Liza that would later inspire the Silver Strand Beautification Project.
She also fondly remembers childhood days spent at the family shore house situated on a sandy beach bordered by ocean and bay, foreshadowing one of many parallels to her future Coronado home. Her father’s example of community work, and her belief that Beauty and nature above all else, would later inform her community activism.
Seeking adventure and a scene change, Liza enrolled at Stephen’s College in Columbia, Missouri. During her studies, a film entitled “The Harvest of Shame” on migrant workers near her New Jersey home left her shocked at being unaware of their existence. This inspired her educational path and career in social work.
After earning her undergraduate and master’s degrees and meeting the man with whom she would share her life, Liza spent seven years at Cornell and NYU University hospitals as a clinical social worker. Her heart eventually led her to El Cajon, California to join “The man I respected the most,” Harry Butler. After marriage and years of professional success, they purchased a second home in Coronado Cays to serve as a retreat from hectic careers.
Liza’s love of natural beauty above all else turned her beach walks along Silver Strand State Beach with newfound friends into a challenge. Seeing the unspoiled ocean and bay beauty contrasted with severe neglect, they determined to improve their community. The self-proclaimed ‘Beach Busters’ met bi-weekly to remove trash, plant and paint. They convinced the Navy to dispose of discarded machinery from coastline beaches and employ SEA BEE labor to remove unsightly power lines that also disrupted nesting endangered bird species. This collaboration was considered monumental: a rarely achieved partnership between the Navy and grass-roots environmental group.
This core group evolved into ‘The Silver Strand Beautification Project’ (SSBP). Federal and State grants were written and approved; Street Faires were held to raise funds and gain community support; architectural concepts were imagined and professionally designed; and government leaders convinced. The list of tasks was daunting and its historical significance immense.
A few major SSBP accomplishments include:
- Nature’s Bridge to Discovery Interactive Nature Trail and viewing decks
- Undergrounding utilities (75% to date) along State Scenic Highway 75
- Installation of aesthetically designed State Park fence and enhanced maintenance funded by Loews
- Developed proposal for Port’s creation of Grand Caribe Shoreline Park as educational native plant habitat
- Grand Caribe Isle Installation of ‘Sheltering Wings’ sculpture by Christopher Slatoff
- Unique Silver Strand Bus Shelters with nature and wildlife scenes
- Five landscaped ‘oasis’ medians along the highway’s new safety barrier in partnership with Caltrans
Liza’s contributions to Coronado are ongoing. She continues her private therapy practice near her east county home shared with her feline friend Clyde, but on trips back to Coronado, she can still be found sparking advocacy for unfinished projects. With fortunate timing, she may be seen leading Solstice celebrations, resplendent in purple cape, reciting poetry while bagpipes serenade those brought together and inspired by her decades-long dream realized.
While optimistic, Liza Butler is concerned about passing the torch to ensure this unique part of Coronado will be preserved for future generations, “there is still much work to be done”. Beauty and nature above all else remains her guiding principle. This unwavering conviction has served this inspiring, iconic local treasure and her Coronado Community very well.
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