Our Winter/Spring kayaking trips to Los Cerritos are available to book and I urge you to reserve your spot because they usually sell out. It’s an affordable and fun way to spend a weekend morning.
Our kayaking dates and times are scheduled for Saturday, January 13th at 10:30 am Saturday, February 10th at 10:00 am Saturday, March 9th at 9:00 am Saturday, April 6th at 8:30 am.
Each kayak trip takes about 2 hours.
Kayaking Los Cerritos Wetlands is a unique and fascinating experience. It’s a chance to check out Steamshovel Slough, which can only be viewed via kayak.
We meet at Mother’s Beach near the children’s playground. Street and metered parking is available but can fill up on weekends, so plan on arriving early so you have enough time to find a place to park.
The cost to kayak with us is $40 (an amazing deal!) to help cover the rental expenses of kayaks, paddles, life-vests, and for the tour leaders who guide the trips. Tour leaders will be experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions and environmental educator Katy Dressendorfer.
Hope to see you out on the water with us! You will have an awesome time. Please email if you have any questions.
You can check out a great article in the Long Beach Post about our wetlands kayaking program here.
Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must be in decent shape to handle about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have been kayaking before, of course, novice kayakers are welcome to join us. Wear proper attire for kayaking; you will get splashed (no jeans and tennis shoes). If you are a minor 12 years of age (or older) you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
In her new book, celebrated environmental journalist Rosanna Xia reveals what we stand to lose as the world’s oceans expand—unless we can begin to imagine a more climate-wise future. California’s 1,200-mile Pacific coastline has enjoyed relative calm for the last hundred years due to a rare confluence of atmospheric factors. However, shifting tides, exacerbated by climate change, are bringing this serene century to a screeching close. In California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline, Pulitzer prize finalist Rosanna Xia dives deep into the stakes, stopgaps, internecine struggles, and potential paths forward for the 27 million people who call this coastline home.
Hear directly from Ms. Xia and excerpts from her book at a special event hosted by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and our partners. The conversation will be led by Dr. David A. Pepper, Lecturer, at the CSU Long Beach Geography Department.
What: Conversation and book-signing with author and journalist Rosanna Xia.
The event is free of charge, but you must reserve a ticket, which you can do here.There will be books on site for purchase thanks to Page Against the Machine, a local Long Beach independent bookseller.
We are proudly partnering with: Aquarium of the Pacific CSU Long Beach, Environmental Science & Policy Program CSU Long Beach, Geography Amigos de Bolsa Chica Long Beach Area Group – Sierra Club Long Beach Chapter, Surfrider Foundation Orange County Coastkeeper
Hope to see you there, and if you have any questions, feel free to send me an email.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust.
You are invited to join us and our partners, environmental educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a beautiful nature walk of Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, December 2. Get outside with us and enjoy some of our unique local open spaces and interesting habitats.
Our nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to our wetlands. We will stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and a number of other species that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while learning about the important restoration planning for the Seal Beach portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
We will complete our walk by heading back to the access parking area. Bring binoculars, if you have them; we will observe many different kinds of interesting wildlife.
WHAT: Raptor Ramble on the Hellman Portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, December 2, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
Also on October 7th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are being restored and made beautiful because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun, fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated! For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
Please send a letter to the Coastal Commission before their hearing on Thursday, October 12th.
A proposed development (former Congressional Place) near Los Cerritos Wetlands violates new zoning. We need your help to stop it.
For those of you who have been following the new development proposals moving forward near Los Cerritos Wetlands, it has been a lot to take in. These new developments will bring a lot of height and density to an area that is adjacent to sensitive ecological resources.
We are doing what we can to improve these new projects and make them as environmentally friendly as possible, including this one. Thus we appealed to the Coastal Commission a development that is slated to replace Congressional Place. What is being proposed is a 6-story residential building (over one level of basement parking) with over 3,000 square feet of retail space to replace the current 2-story building (over one level of parking).
The developers have availed themselves of a statewide law that allows them to go up in height if they provide some low-income housing. Therefore, you would think the City (and the Coastal Commission) would at least hold these developers to the new zoning rules approved back in 2021. Especially the parts that protect habitat and sensitive ecological resources.
The Project Fails to Comply with Required Wetlands Buffers.I am sad to report that the City (and now the Coastal Commission staff) would allow construction of this project even though it violates the buffers put in place to protect nearby sensitive habitat (in this case the marine habitat of the San Gabriel River).
There is supposed to be a 100-foot buffer between the property and the river, instead, both agencies are allowing a cut-down buffer of 76 feet. While that may not seem like a big deal, in reality, it is. After all, our wetlands and nearby habitats already suffer from nearby urban intrusion and can’t afford any more intense light and noise than they already have to deal with.
Ironically the Coastal Commission staff’s recommended action agrees the 100-foot setback applies to the Project, and that it does intrude into the required buffer area. However, instead of requiring compliance the Coastal Commission staff is letting this inadequate buffer stand. What’s the big deal you might ask: the area is already crowded, dense, and urban. So then we ask ourselves, what is the point of this new zoning, which ostensibly was designed to protect wetlands if the rules are ignored with no consequences? What kind of precedent do you think that sets for future development proposals in the area?
We are disappointed that the Coastal Commission does not agree with us that this vital protection should be enforced or at least (as a compromise) mitigated.
Elizabeth LambeExecutive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. For a little background, you may remember there was a multi-year process to update and rezone the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands. In the end, what was approved by the City Council and then subsequently by the Coastal Commission was new zoning for the area. The new SEASP is a combination of good things and bad. The old plan was woefully outdated and could have allowed development in sensitive wetlands. The new plan has bird-safe lighting, a native plant palette, and robust buffers between the wetlands and development. But it came at a price: density and height (mostly along the PCH corridor). We didn’t agree with the new density and height and did our best to fight them (going so far as to sue the City). However, in the end, as so often happens, we won on some issues but lost on others. We need to keep fighting for the provisions we did win, which are robust buffers to protect wildlife. This project does not comply with that provision.
You are invited to join us for a refreshing kayak trip to Los Cerritos Wetlands.This year’s trips will be on October 28th and 29th, November 11th and 12th, and December 2nd and 3rd.
Kayak trips will start in the morning and will wrap up by noon.
It will be a unique and fascinating experience and we hope you will join us. It’s a chance to check out Steamshovel Slough which can only be viewed via kayak. Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must be in decent shape to handle about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have been kayaking before, but novice kayakers are welcome to join us. Wear proper attire for kayaking; you will get splashed (no jeans and tennis shoes). If you are a minor 12 years of age (or older) you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Meet at Mother’s Beach near the children’s playground. Street and metered parking is available but can fill up on weekends, so plan on arriving early so you have enough time to find a place to park.
The cost to kayak with us is $40 (an amazing deal!) to help cover the rental expenses of kayaks, paddles, life-vests, and for the tour leaders who guide the trips. Tour leaders will be experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions and environmental educator Katy Dressendorfer.
You might see a sea turtle like this when you attend our Turtle Trek nature walk on October 7th. Photo by Katrina Plummer.
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, October 7th.
You will observe sea turtles and interesting wildlife like egrets and perhaps a great blue heron or two.
Environmental educators from Tidal Influence will lead attendees on a beautiful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will walk through Los Cerritos Wetlands to a spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.
For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler Marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.
We will stroll past Calloway Marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee, and walk past privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, October 7th, 2023, at 8:00 AM sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 a.m. and close at 8:10 a.m. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 a.m. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
Also on October 7th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are being restored and made beautiful because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun, fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated! For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
New zoning allows for new development adjacent to Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Trust me. I get it. The new development proposals for South East Long Beach near Los Cerritos Wetlands are concerning. But for those of us who have been actively working to protect Los Cerritos Wetlands for over a decade (or longer), we have been anticipating this day.
Some background: You may remember that the City of Long Beach started updating the zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands in 2014. In some ways, that was a good thing since zoning for those lands was a mishmash of old laws that needed to be improved. We engaged in the zoning update process every step of the way. We participated in every public meeting, mobilized our members, sent in comment/feedback letters, engaged experts, and even filed a lawsuit when we saw issues that violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
That process resulted in a final zoning plan (approved by the City of Long Beach and then, with some good modifications, by the California Coastal Commission) We didn’t love it, but we acknowledge the good things about the new zoning. For example, robust buffers between development and the wetlands, bird-safe lighting, and drought-tolerant/native plant landscaping.
Subsequently, due to the acute housing crisis in California, new State laws were passed that override local zoning and have bumped up the allowed height of residential/mixed-use developments as long as certain conditions are met. Two of the proposed new developments include affordable housing units which triggered overriding SEASP and allow six-story buildings.
Carmel Partners proposes a development that qualifies for and complies with State requirements at 6615 E PCH (near the Pumpkin Patch). However, I am happy to let you know that, because of our talks with them, there will be some improvements to that project. Improvements1) Carmel Partners has agreed to consult Dr. Travis Longcore for his expertise, review, and feedback to enhance wetlands/bird-safe lighting and rooftop design elements. Dr. Longcore is a highly regarded expert on the impacts of light and other urban intrusions on fragile wetlands species. His involvement will help make the proposed development’s bird safety and wetlands-friendly features as robust as possible. Given that the Carmel development will be located so close to Los Cerritos Wetlands, that is something they must get right. 2) Another office building owned by Carmel Partners is currently located within the new 100-foot buffer zone designed to protect Los Cerritos Wetlands from the impacts and intrusions of the surrounding urban environment. Carmel has agreed to give the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust a “first option” opportunity to find a non-profit or government agency that could purchase the building and restore it to an open space/buffer area. I have closely followed the State of California’s 30 x 30 initiative, and a project that offers a robust buffer adjacent to wetlands meets those goals. I am optimistic that funding will be available to us.
See that office building, circled in red, sitting off by itself within Los Cerritos Wetlands? It needs to be removed so that it can no longer negatively impact the fragile Los Cerritos Wetlands ecosystem.
3) I have heard more than one person tell me that the solution to all new traffic woes brought on by new development in the area is to extend Shopkeeper Road through to PCH. But what if that isn’t true? Or what if extending the road is traffic-inducing or worsens nearby traffic? The best way to answer those questions is to conduct a traffic and mobility study to provide critical data. I am happy to share that Carmel Partners is committed to working with community leaders and partners to study “best practices” to address transportation issues in the area. A traffic and mobility study is the first step in that discussion. Roads adjacent to wetlands harm and kill fragile species. It is in the interest of all of us who care about Los Cerritos Wetlands to at least look at transportation alternatives, and I hope we do. While I’m never going to be happy with the new development so close to Los Cerritos Wetlands, we must acknowledge it when developers go beyond the minimum required and Carmel Partners has done that. Stay tuned. There are more developments proposed for the area, but you can be sure we will be all over them and will work to improve them as much as we possibly can.
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
The operating life of the environmentally damaging AES pumps has been extended for a few more years. Let’s hope it’s the last time!
I am sad to report to you that the environmentally damaging AES cooling water pumps recently got a three-year extension from the State Water Resources Control Board to keep operating. AES’s pumps kill a lot of marine life because they suck in huge amounts of water from Alamitos Bay to cool their generators. Those pumps (and others like them) were supposed to be phased out because of all the damage they cause to marine life. But the State of California is concerned about the reliability of the energy grid so they were granted an extension.
Sure, we get it, reliability is important, perhaps even more so these days, as the climate gets more extreme. But for the health of the planet, plants and animals, AND humans we have to transition (quickly) away from our reliance on carbon-producing energy sources. And for the health and restoration of the wetlands, the pumps must be permanently shut down.
The government has been “balancing” these extensions (since the pumps kill so much sea life) by funding marine protected areas off the coast of California. We love marine life and marine protected areas but our local power plant is an unusual case. AES Alamitos is a gas-powered energy plant that sits in wetlands and thus, is killing marine life specific to wetlands. We made the case to the Water Board that if they allow the local AES powerplant to continue to run, any required mitigation should go to improving the local Los Cerritos Wetlands marine ecosystem. We hope the decision makers will agree when they meet again to talk about how best to calculate the mitigation and how best to spend the mitigation fees. You can read further details here. We will update you as we learn more.
A.B. 1633 is a grave threat to our environment and communities and will give unchecked power to developers to unleash a flood of litigation against public agencies.
Why do we oppose AB 1633? This bill would unleash a flood of litigation against public agencies as it allows developers of qualifying housing projects to bring legal action against a public agency before the administrative record is complete andbefore the project is approved or denied. This totally upends the existing procedures for CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
CEQA is the law that requires that state and local agencies disclose and evaluate the significant environmental impacts of proposed projects and adopt all feasible mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate those impacts.
Of particular concern to environmental justice organizations is the bill’s drastic limitations on the ability of petitioners to recover attorneys’ fees – which would severely limit meritorious lawsuits under CEQA to enforce environmental justice.
For a great overview of the importance of CEQA, which AB 1633 would weaken, check out the video below. And then contact Governor Newsom and tell him to veto AB 1633 today!
On September 13th at 6:00 PM, Councilmember Kristina Duggan, AES, and the City of Long Beach are hosting ameetingto discuss the City’s plan to keep water circulating in Alamitos Bay. Click here to RSVP. We appreciate the public outreach on this proposed project and hope you’ll join us there.
The City wants to address water pollution in Alamitos Bay by replacing massive cooling pumps at the AES power plant with “fish-friendly” pumps. The existing pumps are being shut down because the Clean Water Act requires it. Regulations passed in 2010 mandate phasing out “once-through cooling” statewide because these systems devastate the marine environment. Small plant and fish organisms, mostly eggs and larvae, are sucked into the pumps (entrainment) and killed by the pressure. Larger organisms, like fish and crabs, are killed on screens before entering the pumps (impingement).
Pollution in Alamitos Bay is an ongoing and significant problem that MUST be addressed. But it’s not the only problem. The entire Los Cerritos Channel watershed suffers from water pollution accumulating in Alamitos Bay. State and local governments are simultaneously planning an equally critical effort to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands to better ecosystem health. We support addressing all these goals with a coordinated and economical solution.
We hope the City will answer these questions at the meeting:
1) Water pollution in our Bay is primarily the result of contaminants like bacteria, nutrients, heavy metals, and trash running off our urban environment and ending up in the Bay or ocean. Will constructing and running new pumps solve that problem? Will the proposed pumps eliminate the pollutants or move the pollution problem into the San Gabriel River and, eventually, the ocean?
2) Can the City look at other less expensive and multi-benefit solutions to tackle water quality problems in Alamitos Bay? More modern solutions to water pollution include multi-benefit projects that clean up runoff near the source while creating more neighborhood “green space” and recharging groundwater. Examples are bio-swales in parks, parking lots, and streets (you can see one at work at the Colorado Lagoon) as well as other non-point source pollution collection solutions.
3) The proposed pumps project will cost a LOT of money, so let’s be sure the City has looked at all other solutions, which would cost much less before we go too far down this path. The proposed pumps would cost around $30-45 million to purchase and install and about $2 million annually to operate. We need to know how the City is planning to fund this project. And given that taxpayers already contribute to LA County’s “Safe Clean Water Program,” can that funding source be used to address water pollution?
4) Last but certainly not least, it is good news that significant funding is on its way to help restore the highly degraded Los Cerritos Wetlands. With the vast majority of Southern California wetlands lost forever to development and infrastructure, we need those few wetlands that remain to be high-quality habitat that protect and sustain fish and other species. Despite the plan to use “fish-friendly pumps,” won’t the operation remove local fish and vegetation and deposit them in the San Gabriel River? If pumping becomes the solution to water quality problems in Alamitos Bay, will it interfere with wetlands restoration goals?
I get it. I really do. AES pumps have been circulating the water in Alamitos Bay for decades, and no one wants water quality to worsen. On the other hand, how about exploring alternative solutions – nature-based projects that eliminate pollution near its source? Solutions that clean water (or catch trash) before it lands in the Bay provide multiple community benefits and are worth discussing.
Before we commit the City to spending millions of dollars – with no end in sight – let’s ensure all options have been explored.
I’ll be at the meeting to learn more and express my point of view and hope you will attend also. Details about the meeting, from Councilmember Kristina Duggan’s office, are below.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. The cover article in our most recent newsletter outlines how the deadline for phasing out once-through cooling keeps extending despite all the harm to marine life. You can read it here..
After years and years of public meetings, review, and planning, the restoration of the Los Cerritos Wetlands’ southern acreage is set to receive significant funding. This multi-year restoration will restore a wide range of wetland types from subtidal wetlands to upland transition habitats. Its design will take into account historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, public access, resiliency to sea level rise, and current site biotic and abiotic conditions. This funding will enable this important restoration project to get started and it can’t come a moment too soon. Learn more and then do your part to help ensure this critical funding moves expeditiously so restoration can begin.
LEARN MORE Attend our 7 PM, September 5th community briefing featuring special guest speaker Eric Zahn to learn further details and how you can help. Eric Zahn is the Principal Restoration Ecologist at Tidal Influence LLC and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project manager. The meeting will be via Zoom so you can easily attend virtually and I hope you will.
Email me to RSVP and I will send you the Zoom link. In addition to being really informative, Eric Zahn is an engaging and interesting speaker and you won’t want to miss him. Don’t forget to RSVP now!
DO YOUR PART Whether you attend the briefing or not please take a moment to send in a letter of support to the California Coastal Conservancy supporting this proposed funding.
Don’t forget to add your name & address at the end and include why Los Cerritos Wetlands is important to you!
Why we support the project: • The restoration of the Los Cerritos Wetlands provides a tremendous opportunity to increase open space for the community and wildlife in a densely populated area. • The Los Cerritos Wetlands represent one of the few remaining opportunities to restore a significant area of coastal wetlands in the Los Angeles and Orange County region. • Funding for this project will facilitate the final design for the restoration of 100 acres of wildlife habitat and the creation of new public access trails and facilities. It will also support the implementation of over 50 acres of habitat restoration. • The project will result in important benefits for wildlife, coastal access, and improved resilience to climate change.
Thank you for caring about Los Cerritos Wetlands and hope to see you at the community briefing on September 5th.
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
Below is the the Southern area of Los Cerritos Wetlands on a sunny day. The wetlands look good but they will look even better and provide better habitat once they are restored and invasive plants, like the yellow mustard weed in this photo, are removed. Did you know that invasive plants take over and crowd out native plants? We need native plants to provide food and shelter to coastal wetlands species. Photo: Jason Lustig
The California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2023 (AB 1322) needs your support! Please reach out to the representatives listed below and let them know you do not want toxic rodenticides to harm wildlife like owls, raptors, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, and small mammals that are critical to the health of our ecosystem. Protect wildlife at Los Cerritos Wetlands and across the state of California by making your voice heard!
KEY FACTS ● The California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2023 would expand restrictions on toxic rat poisons and set a moratorium on a deadly first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide. ● The legislation would extend an existing moratorium on second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. ● Widespread rodenticide use harms children, pets and wildlife. ● More than half of wildlife tested in California have been exposed to rodenticides.
The bill is now before the Senate Appropriations Committee chaired by Senator Anthony Portantino, and that committee will decide whether to advance the bill on September 1st. During this critical step in the process, many bills are “held,” and do not advance.
We would greatly appreciate your help urging Senator Portantino to advance the bill. Contact information for Senator Portantino is available here and an email template is listed below, which we encourage you to add your voice to.
COPY & PASTE EMAIL:
Dear Chair Portantino and Committee Members,
I strongly support the California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2023 (AB 1322) that protects California wildlife and communities against harmful rodenticides.
Anticoagulant rodenticides are poisoning California wildlife and have been documented in at least 38 nontarget species, including the critically endangered San Joaquin kit fox and California condor. The problem is so severe that over 70% of wildlife tested in California are exposed to rodenticides. National Park Service researchers have documented the presence of anticoagulant rodenticides in 39 out of 40 mountain lions tested in the Santa Monica Mountains, which are already threatened with local extinction from habitat fragmentation and lack of wildlife connectivity. In September 2022, the four unborn kittens of a pregnant mountain lion named P-54 also tested positive for anticoagulant rodenticides.
AB 1322 is desperately needed to extend the existing moratorium on dangerous second generation anticoagulant rodenticides and strengthen future restrictions on anticoagulant rodenticides, including the first generation anticoagulant diphacinone, to better protect wildlife, children, and pets.
Please advance the bill past Senate Appropriations.
Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, September 2nd. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. Our Raptor Ramble nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, followed by a stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and other birds that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail. We recommend bringing binoculars if you have them, and the walk is great for both beginner and experienced birders. • WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st St and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly. Once you start the walk with us you must stay for the entire time as we are walking behind locked gates in a restricted access area. • WHEN: Saturday, September 2nd, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM. • RSVP on Eventbrite here! Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
Also on September 2nd, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are being restored and made beautiful because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun, fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated! For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
We are so happy to host an informative and interesting in-person meeting (held outside to be extra safe). I hope you will attend the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust’s community meeting on Thursday evening, July 13 at 7:00 PM.
The purpose of our meeting is to update the community about the progress of the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands. It still blows my mind that at one point there was a golf course, strip mall, and houses proposed for our fragile local wetlands. I am thankful that while threats remain, those harmful projects were never realized and that now half of Los Cerritos Wetlands are publicly owned with more on its way. Now that this much-degraded land is safely in the public trust the next goal is to restore the land and bring it back to life. Eric Zahn has been spearheading that effort and he has important updates to share.
Learn details at our member meeting (anyone is invited to attend) on July 13. In addition to hearing from our speaker, Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust members will be voting on some Board of Director positions.
In addition to Eric’s presentation, we will be using this occasion to conduct our Board of Directors election, with four of our sitting directors seeking terms. Before the feature presentation, each of our Board candidates will have an opportunity to speak to attendees about their continuing commitment to Los Cerritos Wetlands, and Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust members will be able to vote.
Whether you are a member or not, all are welcome at this meeting. For more information about the meeting or to RSVP, email Elizabeth.
Hope to see you there!
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. Below is an image of the Seal Beach part of Los Cerritos Wetlands which is the first area scheduled to be comprehensively restored. Attend our July 13 meeting and learn more. (Photo by Jason Lustig)
I urge you to sign up now to attend our August 5 Heron Hike nature walk.
Join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, August 5.
The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Perhaps there will be water within Marketplace Marsh, but certainly, there will be lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Environmental educators will take participants on a walking tour to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.
During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed.
WHAT: Nature walk to Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to email any questions you may have.
Also on August 5th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are being restored and made beautiful because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun, fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated! For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
Background The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), is a bedrock environmental law that consistently improves development projects from habitat and community perspectives. It gives stakeholders a voice in environmental issues where special interests often have too much power and influence with decision-makers through campaign contributions.
Governor Newsom is trying to weaken the law in a very inappropriate manner – not through the usual legislative process but rather through last-minute “budget trailer bills” that don’t have regular public hearings.
Action Requested Time is very short, and we would like to ask you to take action today or as soon as possible. Please call and leave a message for the Governor at 916-445-2841, or email him here. Below is a sample message:
I oppose the budget trailer bills that weaken the CEQA process, harming the environment and limiting the ability of citizens and communities to participate in governmental decision-making.
By Joe Geever, Energy and Environmental Consultant
This summer, the California State Water Resources Control Board will decide whether to extend permits for several coastal power plants to continue using once-through cooling (OTC) – including the AES Alamitos Energy Center here in Long Beach. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has some concerns about that plan.
OTC is a design feature of older power plants. The generators are cooled by water drawn from a waterbody, pumped through the cooling system and discharged back into the waterbody. Those old cooling systems also withdraw and kill marine life, causing a significant adverse impact on healthy marine life populations and ecosystems. This intake and mortality of marine life is particularly concerning here because the cooling water is withdrawn from Alamitos Bay and the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
In 2010, the California State Water Board passed regulations to modernize these antiquated cooling systems. The new rules allowed time for all the power plant owners to prepare, and included a schedule to stagger the modernizing retrofits and avoid any risk to electrical grid reliability. Until completed, the power plants were required to pay mitigation fees to “replace” the marine life killed.
The AES Alamitos power plant has completed one phase of that transition by replacing several of the older generators with more efficient gas turbines that don’t require OTC. But there are still some older AES Alamitos generators operating. These OTC generators were originally scheduled to be phased out in 2020, but the state’s energy agencies requested an extension to leave them online until 2023 to ensure grid reliability. Now, the energy agencies are requesting another extension until 2026, and that decision will be made by the State Water Board hearing this summer.
In brief, the energy agencies proposed the original schedule and now have requested two extensions. It’s not clear in the pending request that there won’t be more extensions. Of course, these extensions also prolong the marine life intake and mortality in the wetlands. Did you know that since the OTC regulations were adopted, the mitigation fees have not been adequate to meet the promise of “replacing” the marine life lost, and none of the mitigation fees have been designated for restoration projects in Los Cerritos Wetlands where the harm is caused?
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is well aware of the difficulties of transitioning to a new energy reliability future. But we are concerned that the current transition from antiquated generators of the past is not meeting the promises of mitigating the impacts. Further, we think the State Water Board needs to make it perfectly clear that the energy agencies cannot continue requesting extensions of the law indefinitely.
Adapting our energy system to mitigate climate change is a thorny and difficult issue. But our coastal wetlands are also threatened by climate change and need restoration and protection. We strongly believe those goals can and must be met with equal urgency.
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has submitted its concerns to the State Water Resources Control Board. View the comment letter below.
Additonally, we are asking our supporters to sign a petition that will be submitted to the State Water Board this summer. To sign the petition visit www.change.org/AES-Extension
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority will be hosting its third public meeting (virtually) to discuss its Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project and the related environmental analysis document, as required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, April 27th from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm.
You can access the meeting by clicking this link. I urge you to attend to learn the latest news about the status of restoration planning within the Los Cerritos Wetlands Complex.
The Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project involves the restoration of tidal wetlands on 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. It will facilitate the restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal habitat to upland transition habitat. The restoration design considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, public access, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.
This public meeting will include a presentation of the restoration design and a discussion of the CEQA Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). The LCWA and members of the consultant team will also provide a brief summary of their prior public meetings and share information about the next steps in the process. There will be several opportunities throughout the meeting to ask questions. Additionally, the LCWA is releasing an IS/MND analyzing the project’s potential impacts. The IS/MND are available for a 30-day public comment period beginning April 10, 2023, and ending May 10, 2023.
The current two-story building (over one level of parking) will be demolished and replaced with a 6-story residential building with 281 units and 3,000 square feet of retail space. Due to California’s low-income housing laws, the development is allowed more height than a market rate development would receive under the new SEASP regulations. That is because the new development will contain 13 low-income units that qualify for additional stories and other benefits. For the record, we don’t deny that California needs more affordable housing. However, this development (likely the first of many in the area) will be denser, higher, and more traffic-generating than the current structure on the property. We worry about how all of that will impact nearby fragile wetlands.
We reviewed the development carefully and while there are some important and good things about the project (bird-safe lighting and native plant landscaping for example) we are still scratching our heads about a couple of things and shared our concerns with the City in the form of this letter.
We appreciate our good dialog with the project proponents and plan to continue to engage with them about our concerns about the project. Stay tuned, as we learn further details we will share them with you.
Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, February 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. With all of the recent rain, there should be lots of water throughout the marsh and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other water-loving wildlife.
This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some marsh habitats that few people get to see. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands. • WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs.
RSVP for the walk through our Eventbrite page and if you have any questions feel free to send an email.
Important things to know are that close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Also on February 4th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are being restored and made beautiful because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun, fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated! For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
A limited number of springtime kayak trips to Los Cerritos Wetlands are available. Sign up now!
You are invited to join us for a refreshing kayak trip to Steamshovel Slough, an amazing watery portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands. The Kayak trips will be on March 18th & 19th and April 1st & 2nd. Kayak trips will start in the morning and will wrap up by noon.
Steamshovel Slough is one of the most pristine salt marshes in Southern California. Kayaking with us will give you a glimpse into the future of a restored Los Cerritos Wetlands.
The kayak trips are about 2 miles out and back and will launch from Mother’s Beach.
It will be a unique and fascinating experience and we hope you will join us. It’s a chance to check out Steamshovel Slough which, at this point, can only be viewed via kayak.
Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must be in decent shape to handle about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have been kayaking before, but novice kayakers are welcome to join us. Wear proper attire for kayaking; you will get splashed (no jeans and tennis shoes). If you are 12 years of age (or older) you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Logistics: Meet at Mother’s Beach near the children’s playground. Street and metered parking is available but can fill up on weekends, so plan on arriving early so you have enough time to park.
The cost to kayak with us is $40 (an amazing deal!) to help cover the rental expenses of kayaks, paddles, life-vests, and for the tour leaders guiding the trip. Tour leaders will be experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions and local educator Katy Dressendorfer.
Please reserve your kayaking spot with us soon since there is limited availability and we will likely sell out.
Hope to see you out on the water with us! You will have an awesome time. Please email me if you have any questions.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) will be hosting its third public meeting to discuss the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project and the related environmental analysis document.
The meeting will be via Zoom on Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
The Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project (Project) is in the planning stages of restoring tidal wetlands on 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. The Project will facilitate the restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal habitat to upland transition habitat. The restoration design considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, public access, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.
As the lead agency under California Environmental Quality Act, the LCWA will release an Initial Study–Negative Declaration (IS/ND) analyzing the project’s potential impacts in early March. The IS/ND will be available for 30 days for the public to provide comments on the proposal.
The upcoming March 23rd meeting will include a presentation of the restoration design and a discussion of the IS/ND. Also, the LCWA and their consultant team members will give a brief summary of the previous public meeting and share information on the next steps. There will be opportunities throughout the session to ask questions.
We, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, have been involved in the restoration planning process every step of the way and have regularly provided comments and feedback. These LCWA-hosted meetings are a great way to get the latest news about the restoration process. We hope you will attend and share information about this meeting with friends, neighbors, and anyone else you think would be interested.
Check out the LCWA website for additional information
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust was recently featured in the Long Beach Post for our advocacy work and public outreach initiatives, including our monthly nature walks and field trips. Check out the article below!
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) is the government agency that manages the publicly owned portions of Los Cerritos Wetlands. They are in the process of putting together a plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of Los Cerritos Wetlands. It’s an involved process, as I am sure you can imagine, with lots of agencies and stakeholders involved. It’s been a while since the LCWA’s last meeting and next week they will be hosting an in-person meeting to update the public on the status of the planning process and share updates.
The meeting will be held in person only, at 6:00 p.m. on January 25 at the Mary Wilson Library in Seal Beach. The meeting will include a recap of the initial public meeting, an update on the restoration design, and a discussion of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approach and permitting for the restoration project. The LCWA will also be sharing the results of the public access questionnaire which was disseminated last year. There will be time set aside for attendees to ask questions.
Background The design process for the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands began in early 2021 for 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. The plan will facilitate the near-term restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal areas to upland transition areas. The restoration planning process considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, regional and socioeconomic needs, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.
Once completed, this multi-benefit project will provide a critical native tidal marsh and transitional habitat for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, remediate contaminated soil, provide access to tribal groups, and provide new public access opportunities in an urban area.
What: Public Meeting for the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project
The California Coastal Commission needs your help to photograph extreme high tides on January 21 & 22, this Saturday and Sunday.
It’s been a tough few weeks with record rain, high surf, and flooding. While many are still dealing with the resulting damage, the forecast looks like the weather will calm down just in time for the next King Tides on January 21 and 22. While the photos you take this weekend may not look as dramatic as the previous storm waves, they represent the everyday water level of our near future.By taking pictures of the high tide and uploading them you are helping the Coastal Commission plan for the impacts of sea level rise on our communities in the future. And it’s fun and easy!
Can you imagine a storm of the magnitude we just experienced coinciding with base water levels two feet higher, or coinciding with that amount of sea level rise plus a king tide? While acknowledging the hardship and damage that occurred, we can be grateful that the past month’s waves did not coincide with a king tide.
Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, February 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. With all of the recent rain, there should be lots of water throughout the marsh and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other water-loving wildlife.
This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some marsh habitats that few people get to see. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands. • WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st St and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly. • WHEN: Saturday, Feb 4th, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM. • Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org RSVP via our Eventbrite link or send us an email.
Also on February 4th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
We thank you and ask that you continue to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Why support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust this holiday season?
Our commitment to the defense of our local coastal wetlands. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust works every day to protect and preserve this vulnerable plot of urban nature, a remnant of a once-vast ecosystem. We have and will continue to defend Los Cerritos Wetlands from harmful development and encroachment.
Slowly and surely, our wetlands are being brought back to life. We are deeply involved in the ambitious habitat restoration program to create and rehabilitate invaluable acreage of tidal salt marsh.
We are committed to continuing our nature walks into 2023 and keeping them accessible to all. Over the years, thanks to our free-of-charge monthly nature walks, (which we have been hosting for over ten years!) the public has directly experienced and learned about our fragile local wetlands.
We help future generations develop an appreciation for the natural world. Los Cerritos Wetlands serves as an outdoor classroom for students throughout Long Beach. We are proud that we have helped a generation of kids feel connected to nature through our hands-on ecological education programs.
We can’t do it without you! The success of our efforts to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands is owed to members and supporters like you. We’re so grateful for the partnership of our members for allowing us to persevere.
Help us move forward into 2023 by renewing your membership or becoming a member today. Your tax-deductible gift, at whichever level is comfortable for you, makes a huge difference in our ability to run successful advocacy, outreach, and education programs.
We hope you will celebrate the wetlands with us this year, and choose to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Please join us in our commitment to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands today!
Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season,
Elizabeth Lambe, Executive Director and all of us at the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. If you don’t already, I urge you to follow us on Facebook and on Instagram. And share our posts when you can! Not only do we hope that more and more people will know about and understand the value of wetlands, but our social media growth shows decision-makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands matter to the community. By following us you will be the first to know about breaking news regarding Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, January 7th. Not only will you observe sea turtles but also interesting wildlife like egrets and perhaps a great blue heron or two.Environmental educators from Tidal Influence will lead attendees on a wonderful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will walk through Los Cerritos Wetlands to a spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.We will stroll past Calloway marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee, and walk past both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, January 7th, 2022, at 8:00 AM sharp!
The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 am. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
Also on January 7th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
We are hosting a fun holiday gathering on Saturday, December 10th from 9 am to noon at the Zedler Marsh area of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,
Join us for a holiday celebration where you can check out some of the impressive restoration of Zedler Marsh out at Los Cerritos Wetlands. Due to the sensitive habitat of Zedler Marsh, this area is usually off-limits to the public so this is a truly unique opportunity.
As part of the celebration, at 10:30 a.m. attendees will gather to hear the latest about the Pacific Green Sea Turtles who reside in the San Gabriel River from Cassandra Davis, who manages volunteer programs for the Aquarium of the Pacific
“Ms. Davis works directly with volunteers, scientists, and communities to connect them with ocean science. Her areas of expertise include the resident population of green sea turtles found locally in the San Gabriel River and surrounding wetlands and the Aquarium’s volunteer-driven green sea turtle monitoring program. Davis received her master of science degree with a focus on marine science and education in museums, aquariums, and zoos from Oregon State University.“
You will also be able to tour the trail at Zedler Marsh and check the fantastic native plant nursery out on the site. Guided tours of Zedler Marsh will be at 9:30 a.m. and again at 11:30 a.m. Tours will be led by educators from the ecological consulting company Tidal Influence.
I hope you will join us for this fun and informative gathering.
What: Holiday party, sea turtle update, and tours of Zedler Marsh
When: Saturday, December 10th from 9 a.m. to noon
Where: Zedler Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands
We urge participants to park at 1st and PCH in Seal Beach by 9:00 a.m. and a staff member will guide you to Zedler Marsh through the wetlands. Alternatively, If you can’t make it by 9 am you have the option of parking in the same area and then walking or biking to Zedler Marsh along the San Gabriel River bike path (be vigilant for fast-moving bikes!).
There is limited space for cars to park at Zedler Marsh but we do have parking for those who are disabled or have mobility issues. Just let us know and we will make arrangements for you.
Please wear closed-toe shoes and rain cancels the event.
I was very sad to hear about the passing of Timothy Anderson, former Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Executive Director. He might even have been the very first one. I never met Tim in person but I heard many interesting stories about him and, as is so common these days, got to know him through his postings on Facebook.
He was truly beloved by so many people both here in Long Beach and also in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, where he retired.
Below are how Tim’s brother Carey Anderson described Tim from a Facebook account of his memorial service.
My brother was a hoot. He loved most everyone, designed and built great and beautiful boats, and loved sailing, nature, birds, and libraries. Tim used to tell me “ libraries should be open 24 hours and have free coffee”, and requested that he be buried with his most valuable possession, his Library Card! He loved the Morehouse Parish Library, one of the librarians came and spoke at the service. Tim finished the 8th grade and took off from home seeking adventure and understanding and he never stopped learning and acquiring new skills. He could build computers, and 3D print tools he designed, use his laser printer and cutter, build a curved Oak stair rail, and designed some great boats. He built me the world’s most beautiful sailing canoe, no brag, just fact.
You gotta give a shout-out and a thank you to all who work to preserve the natural world and wild spaces of our planet and Tim Anderson was one of those people. Please send a thought and a prayer to all who loved Tim and let’s keep on working together to protect and preserve local important natural areas like Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, December 3rd. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. Our Raptor Ramble nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, followed by a stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and other birds that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail. • WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st St and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly. • WHEN: Saturday, December 3rd, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM. • Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.
The Port of Long Beach (in partnership with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust) participated in Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine summer programming this year by sponsoring field trips to Los Cerritos Wetlands for kids who are enrolled in summer programs at Silverado, Drake, Seaside and Admiral Kidd Park (as well as other parks in Long Beach).
On these wetlands field trips kids learn about the value of protecting wetlands and the role wetlands play in a functioning ecosystem. As part of the field trip experience, attendees help plant a wetlands plant which helps restore and bring our local wetlands back to life and they participate in an educational walk through Zedler Marsh where environmental educators help kids learn about wetlands plants, and animals.
Sadly, due to COVID protocols, these popular field trips were canceled for the last couple of years, but now they are back! It was great to see our youth learning firsthand why it is important to protect our local wetlands while at the same time making memories and expanding their knowledge of an important ecosystem.
You can check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands for yourself by attending a free-of-charge guided nature walk that takes place on the first Saturday of the month from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM. Hosted by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, there are three different tours that you can sign up for, the Heron Hike, Turtle Trek, and Raptor Ramble. For more information or to rsvp email Elizabeth
The Los Cerritos Wetlands is a unique resource that provides the community with an opportunity to spend quality time in nature while also serving as important coastal habitat for threatened species.
California Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 9 AM-Noon. Help remove the trash and plastic pollution at beaches and waterways throughout the state, including in Long Beach.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust urges you to join one of the coastal clean-up sites located near Los Cerritos Wetlands, such as those sponsored by Save Our Beach, or check out those in Long Beach sponsored by Heal the Bay and the El Dorado Nature Center at the Belmont Pier. You can find all the Coastal Cleanup sites here.
It is a sad fact that trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up near the mouth of the San Gabriel River helps prevents more debris on our local beaches and wetlands. Close to 17,000 Californians participated in a neighborhood cleanup during September 2021, preventing over 150,000 pounds of trash from entering our stormwater systems and potentially polluting our coast and ocean.
However you choose to participate, please do your part to keep our beaches and waterways clean and healthy!
Our nature walks have been quite popular this year. People seem really happy to be able to do things together again, especially outside. So I urge you to sign up now to attend our August 6th Heron Hike nature walk.
Join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, August 6th.
The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Perhaps there will be water within Marketplace Marsh, but certainly there will be lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Environmental educators will take participants on a walking tour that will take us to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.
During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed.
WHAT: Nature walk to Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, August 6th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.
We had a good meeting last Tuesday and I really appreciate all who attended what was our first in-person event in over TWO YEARS (held outside for extra safety.) Shout out to the Belmont Heights United Methodist Church for allowing us to meet in their courtyard, it was the perfect spot for a meeting.
A highlight of the meeting was our program, led by Terry Watt who is an expert in general and specific planning. Terry helped attendees delve into the details of the new zoning (South East Area Specific Plan/SEASP) for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands and the pending development applications for that area. Since new zoning was approved, first by the City and then by the Coastal Commission, it is no surprise that development applications would follow.
Some key take aways from Terry’s presentation are:
Any development brought forward within SEASP must be reviewed and found to be “consistent” with City and Coastal Commission approved planning, zoning and other applicable requirements. That includes all new mitigation measures and policies that are now required within SEASP.
Members of the public (and advocacy groups like the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust) can and should recommend improvements during the public review process to proposed development projects to help make them better. For example, my take away from our meeting is that reasonable improvements to help mitigate traffic impacts or impacts to wetlands would be welcome.
For any building proposed to be over 5 stories high we can (and will) ask for wetlands improving considerations and incentives (additional “community benefits” are now required for developments trying to build beyond the new approved height limit of 5 stories).
We can bring up other issues, as you or we think of them. For example at our meeting one gentlemen suggested that, since we are in a drought, water use for new development should be more efficient than the current existing water use. Reasonable suggestions to achieve low – or even net zero water use – should be appreciated.
I know some people were unhappy to see the amount of development that is allowed under the new SEASP, but keep in mind even more height and density was on the table at one point and it was rejected.
Furthermore, thanks to our advocacy, some important protections were won such as wetlands sensitive lighting for new development, a wetlands friendly plant palette for landscaping the area and new development will include a fund to protect and restore wetlands. Lastly there will be robust protective buffers, free from non-essential infrastructure, between development and Los Cerritos Wetlands to protect fragile plants and animals from the harmful hubbub that development and traffic will inevitably create.
Stay tuned, as we learn more, we will share it with you. In the meantime thank you for caring about Los Cerritos Wetlands. The below map is an important reminder of what a vast wetlands area South East Long Beach once was (and Bolsa Chica too!) and how much has been lost forever to development. It is so very important to protect and restore what is left. With your help we have been successful and will keep at it.
There is new development proposed for within the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) area. Attend our July 13th meeting to learn further details. Whew, it has been so long since we have been able to meet in person. Over two years at least. We are so happy to be able to once again host an in-person meeting (held outside to be extra safe). That’s why I hope you will attend the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust’s community meeting on Wednesday evening, July 13th.
The purpose of our meeting is to update the community about development applications that have been submitted to the City for within SEASP, the zoning area that includes Los Cerritos Wetlands. It is no surprise there would be new development proposed for the area, since new zoning for that part of Long Beach was approved by the City Council and then the Coastal Commission a few years ago.
Learn further details at our member meeting (anyone is invited to attend) on July 13th. In addition to hearing from our speaker, Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust members will be voting on some Board of Director positions.
Our special guest speaker will be Terry Watt, whose work focuses on making California lands resilient against the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. Terry provides planning and strategic advice to clients working to conserve California’s important natural and working landscapes. Prior to forming her own consulting group, she was the staff planning expert with the environmental and land use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. Terry is an expert in general and specific planning, open space and agricultural land conservation and environmental compliance. She works with a wide variety of conservation clients throughout California (including the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust), government agencies and foundations.
In addition to Terry’s presentation, we will also be using this occasion to conduct our Board of Director’s election, with five of our sitting directors seeking terms. Before the feature presentation, each of our Board candidates will have an opportunity to speak to attendees about their continuing commitment to Los Cerritos Wetlands, and Land Trust members will be able to vote.
Whether you are a member or not, all are welcome at this meeting. For more information about the meeting or to RSVP, email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
Hope to see you there!
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. Below is a map of the development applications that we are aware of within SEASP. We will review these applications in greater detail at our July 13th meeting.
Our next nature walk will be the Heron Hike. Reserve your spot!
The Marketplace Marsh is a freshwater area located on the part of Los Cerritos Wetlands owned by the City of Long Beach. Check it out with us on August 6th.
Our nature walks have been quite popular this year. People seem really happy to be able to do things together again, especially outside. So I urge you to sign up now to attend our August 6th Heron Hike nature walk.
Join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, August 6th.
The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Perhaps there will be water within Marketplace Marsh, but certainly there will be lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Environmental educators will take participants on a walking tour that will take us to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.
During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed.
WHAT: Nature walk to Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, August 6th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.
Hope to see you there!
Some good news…..there will be less polluting plastic in California thanks to Senate Bill 54
I am happy to report to you that Senate Bill 54, was recently signed into law. It will require the makers of plastic packaging pay for recycling and reduce or eliminate single-use plastic packaging.
It is an especially significant bill because it requires plastic producers to both make less plastic and to ensure that all single-use products are recyclable or compostable. California’s law follows similar laws, passed in Maine and Oregon, known as producer-responsibility laws. That means that the costs of recycling infrastructure, recycling plants and collection and sorting facilities, will be shifted to packaging manufacturers and away from taxpayers, who currently foot the bill.
All forms of single-use packaging, including paper and metals, must be recyclable or compostable by 2032. This is most significant when it comes to plastic products, which are more technologically challenging to recycle.
California will require a 25 percent reduction across all plastic packaging sold in the state, covering a wide range of items, whether shampoo bottles, plastics utensils, bubble wrap or takeaway cups.
Manufacturers will pay for recycling programs and will be charged fees based on the weight of packaging, the ease of recycling and whether products contain toxic substances, such as PFAS, a type of virtually indestructible chemicals that have been linked to increased risk of some cancers.
In addition, the law requires plastics manufacturers to pay $5 billion into a fund over the next 10 years that would mitigate the effects of plastic pollution on the environment and human health, primarily in low-income communities. Cheers to our local State Senator, Lena Gonzales who was a co-author of the bill, it is an amazing achievement.
Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, June 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. Our Raptor Ramble nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, followed by a stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and other birds that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail. • WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly. • WHEN: Saturday, June 4th, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM. • Per CDC recommendations, vaccinated people can attend mask-free, and face coverings and physical distancing are required for unvaccinated attendees.(Of course anyone can wear a mask if they prefer) Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, and many other national and local environmental groups, are concerned about the Poseidon desalination plant, proposed for the coast of Huntington Beach, because it will harm our climate and local marine life.
Poseidon’s outrageous energy requirements will increase greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. Rising tides, accelerated by climate change, threaten wetlands around the world, including Los Cerritos Wetlands
Poseidon’s desalination plant will harm marine life. Poseidon would pull in more than 100 million gallons of sea water each day using obsolete intake pipes that cause significant mortality to ocean life. The Regional Water Board estimates that Poseidon would kill 108 million ocean organisms each year, impacting marine life from Palos Verdes to Dana Point.
Poseidon is not needed. Conservation, recycled water, and rainwater harvesting are better for the environment and our community – and are much cheaper.
RSVP here to join a community briefing (which will be via Zoom) featuring greenhouse gas quantification expert Bill Powers, on Monday, May 2nd at 7:00 PM.
Bill Powers, an expert with more than 35 years of experience in energy and environmental engineering, will brief meeting attendees about the climate change impacts of Poseidon desalination, something the Coastal Commission must take into account when they meet to vote on the matter later this month. Bill Powers is a compelling speaker who has the rare ability to to take a complicated subject (like quantifying green house gasses) and break it down so that non-experts and community members (like all of us) can understand. I’ve worked with Bill Powers over the years on various issues and trust me, you don’t want to miss his presentation.
WHAT: Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, May 7th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. There will likely be water in Marketplace Marsh, and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, egrets, and other water-loving wildlife. This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, May 7th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
People’s State of the City is this Thursday, April 28 at 6:30 PM. It’s a wonderful event that always helps me understand how the lives of those of us who live in Long Beach are intertwined. I always learn something new when I attend the People’s State of the City. Long Beach is a diverse city and a great city, but there is still work to be done to make it an equitable city for all who live here. I urge you to attend the People’s State of the City and learn the latest on what is being done to make Long Beach the fair and equitable city that we all want it to be. Click here for details about how to watch the event online. Rsvp through this link.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, and many other environmental groups, are concerned about what the Poseidon desalination plant, proposed for the coast of Huntington Beach, will do to our marine sea life and our climate. We are concerned because:
Poseidon’s outrageous energy requirements will increase greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change.
Poseidon’s desalination plant will harm marine life. Immense amounts of sea life that feed the ecosystem will get sucked into Poseidon’s intake pumps and be destroyed. Furthermore, desalination produces a toxic brine discharge that will pollute our ocean, harm local marine life and our ocean water quality for as many as the 50 years that Poseidon could be in operation.
Poseidon is not needed. Demand for water in Orange County has been decreasing for years, despite population growth and economic development. Conservation, recycled water, and rainwater harvesting are better for the environment and our community – and are much cheaper.
Hear for yourself, from Dr. Charles Lester, a leading expert, what’s wrong with Poseidon desalination and how it will harm our coast and our marine environment. Join a virtual community briefing (via Zoom) on Monday, April 25th at 7:00 PM. RSVP here.
You are invited to join us for a refreshing kayak trip to Steamshovel Slough, an amazing watery portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands. The kayak trips are about 2 miles out and back and will launch from Mother’s Beach. On the kayak trip, you will learn about the history of the wetlands as well as about other amazing wetlands sites that are being restored. It will be a unique and fascinating experience and we hope you will join us. It’s a chance to check out Steamshovel Slough which, at this point, can only be viewed via kayak. Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must be in decent shape to handle the paddle – about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have been kayaking before, but novice kayakers are welcome to join us. Wear proper attire for kayaking; you will get splashed (no jeans and tennis shoes). If you are 12 years of age (or older) you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Logistics: Meet at Mother’s Beach near the children’s play area. You will need to pay for your parking. The cost to kayak with us is $40 (which is an amazing deal!) to help cover the expenses of the kayaks, paddles, life-vest rental, and tour guides. You must sign up and pay via Eventbrite. Tour leaders will be experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions as well as naturalists from Tidal Influence. Reserve your spot through Eventbriteto kayak with us. We just have a few spots left for our trip on April 30th, so don’t delay. If you have questions or need more information send an email to Elizabeth.
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabriel River on Saturday, April 2. It’s a lot of fun! Not only will you observe sea turtles but also interesting wildlife like egrets and perhaps a great blue heron or two.
Environmental educators from, Tidal Influence, will lead you on a wonderful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will be led on a tour of Los Cerritos Wetlands that will take us to the spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.
For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.
We will stroll past Calloway marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee, and walk past both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 am. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Check it out for yourself on Saturday, February 5th. There will likely be water within Marketplace Marsh, and lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Our tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, who will take participants on a walking tour that will take us to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.
During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how wetlands and oil operations co-exist at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHAT: Nature walk of the Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, February 5th, 202, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information or to rsvp, send an email to Elizabeth.
Hope to see you on Saturday, February 5th!
P.S. We were so happy that acclaimed local journalist Franklin Sims attended our most recent nature walk, the Turtle Trek. He did a great job of summing up the need for nearby open space for all of those who live in Long Beach to enjoy. We like to think our free-of-charge community nature walks help address that deficit. Check out his insightful video report below. Regular nature walk attendees will recognize Jayde Bahrami of Tidal Influence doing a great job of describing the need to protect wetlands and the need for nearby accessible natural open space.
Our next nature walk will be the Raptor Ramble on the Hellman property at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Why not kick off the holiday season with a guided nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands? I hope you will join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, December 4th. I urge you to get outside and enjoy some of our natural open space.
We will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (CDC) for our outdoor nature walk, which means vaccinated people can attend mask-free. However, as the CDC recommends, face coverings and physical distancing for unvaccinated attendees are required. Of course, anyone can wear a mask if they prefer.
Per the CDC. . .people are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at two or more weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two or more weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). If you feel sick and/or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home, and we hope to see you another time.
Our nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to our wetlands. We will stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and a number of other species that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks before hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail to discuss how tidal circulation shapes our local wetlands.
We will complete our walk by heading back to the access parking area. Bring binoculars, if you have them; we will observe many different kinds of interesting wildlife.
WHAT: Raptor Ramble on the Hellman Portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, December 4th, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes are required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information about the nature walk or to rsvp (which is now required) please email Elizabeth.
See below for a map of where we meet. Hope to see you there!
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, October 2nd. It’s a lot of fun! Not only will you observe sea turtles but also interesting wildlife like egrets and perhaps a great blue heron or two.
Environmental educators from, Tidal Influence, will lead you on a wonderful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will be led on a tour of Los Cerritos Wetlands that will take us to the spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.
For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.
We will stroll past Calloway marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee, and walk past both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, October 2nd, 2021, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 am. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. Also on October 2nd, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, is the Aquarium of the Pacific-sponsored, community-based restoration event. Our wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive. That’s because of all the hard-working folks who have volunteered their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place new, “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!
For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com. Click here for a comprehensive list of all the upcoming stewardship events at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, October 2nd. It’s a lot of fun!
Join us and environmental educators from the environmental consulting company, Tidal Influence, on Saturday, October 2nd for a wonderful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will be led on a tour of Los Cerritos Wetlands that will take us to the spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.
For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.
We will stroll past Calloway marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee and walk past both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, October 2nd, 2019, at 8:00 am sharp! Parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 am. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Please wear close-toed shoes, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Plant a wetlands plant with us on Saturday, October 2nd. It’s a lot of fun!
Our wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive. Thanks to all the hard-working folks who have volunteered their time, tons of trash has been removed from Los Cerritos Wetlands. Invasive plants and other weeds have also been removed, and new, “habitat friendly” plants are replacing them. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. If you have either of those qualities, then we hope you will join us on Saturday, October 2nd for a habitat restoration volunteer day at Los Cerritos Wetlands. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and is greatly appreciated!
What: Volunteer Habitat Restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands. When: Saturday, October 2nd, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, (directly after our nature walk.) Why: To help grow native salt marsh plants and help remove a persistent nonnative plant called Black Mustard or Brasica nigra that dominates and damages wetlands habitat. Where: Meet at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach.
To volunteer, close-toed shoes are required, and please bring sunscreen and water. Participants are eligible to win prizes such as a T-shirt or tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com. Click here for a comprehensive list of all the upcoming stewardship events at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Thanks to the vision and the tenacity we have accomplished amazing things. Since our founding, now over half of Los Cerritos Wetlands is in the public trust, we have beaten back some really bad and damaging development proposals and provide unique, on-the-ground educational experiences, for local school children, especially those who reside in the most urban parts of Long Beach, where natural open space is at a premium.
We have so much to celebrate locally when it comes to protecting and restoring our local wetlands habitat. I am especially looking forward to the transfer of more of Los Cerritos Wetlands into the public trust and that plans to restore the wetlands are moving forward.
I am proud that even with the world locked down for much of 2021 we provided educational virtual wetlands field trip for kids who were attending school virtually. Even though we are still unable to lead on-the-ground field trips for students (yet) our community nature walks are back and we encourage you to join us at the next one, which will be on Saturday, October 2nd.
Of course, defending undeveloped, and therefore rare, coastal open space from those who wish to exploit our local wetlands requires community support, and we are so appreciative of all of who have joined our fight to protect Los Cerritos Wetlands.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is participating in Long Beach Gives, a one-day giving cycle for Long Beach non-profits. On September 23, 2021, we will raise funds for the protection and preservation of Los Cerritos Wetlands via Long Beach Gives. Our organizational fundraising goal is $10,000. Supporting the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust helps to ensure the protection, preservation, and restoration of our unique and vital local wetlands habitat. Additionally, with help from supporters such as you, we will continue to educate students in Long Beach and Orange County public schools about wetlands, and provide them with tours and lessons in order to foster a connection to nature and each other and help bring classroom concepts to life.
Your donation, large or small, will make a difference and help move the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust closer to our fundraising goal.
Please follow the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust on Facebook and Instagram, visit our website, and forward this email to your friends and family to get the word out. We appreciate your support!
Our next nature walk is Saturday, October 2nd. We will be trekking for sea turtles in the San Gabriel River.
Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, October 2nd. It’s a lot of fun!
Join us and environmental educators from the environmental consulting company, Tidal Influence, on Saturday, October 2nd for a wonderful walk along the levy of the San Gabriel River, which bisects Los Cerritos Wetlands. Attendees will be led on a tour of Los Cerritos Wetlands that will take us to the spot along the San Gabriel River where the sea turtles love to hang out.
For part of our tour, we will view and discuss the Zedler marsh ecosystem while keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Much of our walk will take us through the Signal Hill Petroleum oil operations, where walk attendees will learn about the history of oil extraction and its impact on the wetlands.
We will stroll past Calloway marsh, take the PCH bridge over to the western levee and walk past both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.
WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, October 2nd, 2019, at 8:00 am sharp! Parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 am. Kids are welcome, but they must be closely supervised and able to walk for 2 hours without needing to turn back. Closed-toe shoes are required!
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Please wear close-toed shoes, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Putting a price on carbon is a fast and effective way to bring down greenhouse emissions quickly AND benefit the economy. Click TAKE ACTION!
Did you know that a strong, economy-wide price on carbon could reduce America’s carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting us on track to reach net-zero by 2050? HR 2307 is the legislation that can make that happen.
When long-time Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust activist Tom Hazelleaf came to talk to us about the Citizen’s Climate Lobby and their simple proposal to put a tax on carbon production to save the planet, we were inspired by the simplicity of the idea. Talking with Tom I learned that:
A strong, economy-wide price on carbon could reduce America’s carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting us on track to reach net-zero by 2050.
A carbon tax fast tracks the pathway to affordable clean energy because when the government puts a price on carbon, it sends a signal through the economy. A carbon tax is affordable for ordinary Americans because the money collected from fossil fuel companies is given as a dividend, or “carbon cashback” to every American. It is estimated that 95% of low and middle-income earners will break even or save money while protecting our planet.
A carbon price will save 4.5 million American lives over the next 50 years by restoring clean air in communities across the country, something we sure could use in Long Beach.
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust supports HR 2307, the Energy Innovation AND Carbon Dividend Act and we hope you will too. Please ask your representative to put a price on carbon into the budget reconciliation package. It takes 10 minutes (or less) to email and call.
If your Congressman is Alan Lowenthal, in your message please thank him for supporting HR 2307. Another cool thing about Congressman Alan Lowenthal is that he is a member of the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus which includes 23 Republicans and 41 Democrats.
It will help the Citizens Climate Lobby more successfully advocate for this legislation if you can submit your comments by August 31st, so don’t delay!
I hope you take the time to submit your comment…It’s a simple, fast, and easy way to help protect the planet and our local wetlands, which are under the threat of sea-level rise (and more) due to climate change.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trus
Our next nature walk will be the Raptor Ramble on the Hellman property at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Why not kick off the beginning of the fall season with a guided nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands? I hope you will join us and our partners, biologists, and environmental educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, September 4th. I urge you to get outside and enjoy some of our natural open space.
We will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (CDC) for our outdoor nature walk, which means vaccinated people can attend mask-free. However, as the CDC recommends, face coverings and physical distancing for unvaccinated attendees are required. Of course, anyone can wear a mask if they prefer.
Per the CDC. . .people are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at two or more weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two or more weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). If you feel sick and/or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home, and we hope to see you another time.
Our nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to our wetlands. We will stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors(birds of prey) and a number of other species that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks before hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail to discuss how tidal circulation shapes our local wetlands.
We will complete our walk by heading back to the access parking area. Bring binoculars, if you have them; we will observe many different kinds of interesting wildlife.
WHAT: Raptor Ramble on the Hellman Portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, September 4th, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes are required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
See below for a map of where we meet. Hope to see you there!
For more information about the nature walk or to rsvp (which is required) please email Elizabeth.
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Meet in the driveway near 1st street and PCH. Map of where we meet is below and you should park in the driveway. Event starts at 8:00 a.m. and the parking lot gate closes at 8:10 a.m. No latecomers can be admitted. Events are family-friendly but strollers are not permitted. Close-toed shoes are required. Please bring sunscreen and water. Rain Cancels.
After a year and a half hiatus, I am delighted to announce that we are resuming nature walks out at Los Cerritos Wetlands. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be able to once again share this important and unique landscape with you. To restart out nature walks is just another small step towards normalcy and I, for one, am grateful.
We are able to invite you to walk among the wetlands because COVID-19 levels are lowering and vaccine rates are increasing. Three cheers for that good news! For the walk, we will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (CDC), which means vaccinated people can attend mask-free. However, the CDC recommends face coverings and physical distancing for unvaccinated attendees.Of course, anyone can wear a mask if they prefer.
Per the CDC. . .people are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at two or more weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two or more weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). If you feel sick and/or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home, and we hope to see you another time.
Our 2-hour guided nature walk begins at 8:00 AM and wraps up by 10:00 AM. We will look for wildlife sightings, learn about the rich ecosystems, reflect on the history of our local wetlands, and observe current restoration activities.
Our walk begins with a brief orientation to Los Cerritos Wetlands. We will discuss their history and see an important portion of them, including the Pumpkin Patch property, as we walk along the San Gabriel River and across Westminster Blvd. to view the sea turtles. On our return, we will stop at Zedler Marsh, where there is a nursery for wetlands plants and where restoration is progressing. We will then walk on the levee back to our meeting place. Bring binoculars, if you have them; besides the turtles, we will observe many different kinds of interesting wildlife.
For more information about the nature walk or to rsvp (which is required) please email Elizabeth.
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Meet in the driveway near 1st street and PCH. Map of where we meet is below and you should park in the driveway. Event starts at 8:00 a.m. and the parking lot gate closes at 8:10 a.m. No latecomers can be admitted. Events are family-friendly but strollers are not permitted. Close-toed shoes are required. Please bring sunscreen and water. Rain Cancels.
We are happy to share with you that you are invited out to enjoy Los Cerritos Wetlands for the first time in over a year. That’s because COVID-19 levels in Los Angeles and Orange County are lowering and vaccine rates are increasing. We will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (CDC) for this outdoor event which means vaccinated people can attend mask-free. However, the CDC recommends face coverings and physical distancing for unvaccinated attendees. (People are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at two or more weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two or more weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson & Johnson). If you feel sick and/or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home and we hope to see you out in the wetlands another time). Of course, anyone can wear a mask if they prefer.
We’ve decided to take it slowly since it has been a year since the public has been allowed out at Los Cerritos Wetlands, so we are kicking off reopening Los Cerritos Wetlands with an “Open Trails Day” at Zedler Marsh. What does that mean? It means the public is invited to bike or walk out to Zedler Marsh, where they can enter the property from the San Gabriel River bike path.
Parking will be challenging but biking out there will not, so we urge you to take your bike for a spin on the San Gabriel River bike path south of Second Street to where you will see a gate open to welcome you to Zedler Marsh.
If you prefer not to bike to the open trails event, there will be parking available at noon in the driveway entrance area at the corner of 1st and Pacific Coast Highway in Seal Beach. Those who arrive at noon will be guided as to where to park and be led out to Zedler Marsh. There they will be offered a guided tour of the marsh that will start at 12:30 PM.
There is a lot to see out at Zedler Marsh; lovely trails lined with important California native plants, a wonderful view of the on-the-way-to-being-restored Zedler Marsh itself, and my favorite thing, a fascinating native plant nursery where most of the plants being used to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands are grown. So we hope you will join us.
Please email me to rsvp and with any questions you may have.
Looking forward to seeing you out at Zedler Marsh on June 5th and stay tuned for other events at Los Cerritos Wetlands as we once again safely open up the wetlands to the public while adhering to national, state, and local guidelines.
Earth Day is coming up fast and I want to share with you that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will be hosting a really fun Earth Day event featuring our colleague, restoration ecologist Eric Zahn. We’ve worked with Eric for years and appreciate all he has done, not only to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands but also the Colorado Lagoon.
Eric Zahn, Principal Restoration Ecologist at Tidal Influence, was a key figure in moving forward the restoration planning process for Los Cerritos Wetlands, which resulted in the certification of the Environmental Impact Report for the area. At our special Earth Day event, Eric will share the details of that wetlands restoration process, what the next steps are, and how the public can help.
Eric has a really fabulous presentation about the past, present, and future of Los Cerritos Wetlands. I know because I have seen it. Eric is a great speaker, has some really interesting slides to share, and does a great job of mapping out where we are with the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands and where we are headed. I encourage you to join us.
What: Earth Day evening Celebrating Los Cerritos Wetlands and honoring its past, present, and future
When: Thursday, April 22nd at 7:00 PM (which is Earth Day!) via Zoom.
Why: To celebrate Earth Day and all that we are doing to protect our local wetlands
Who: Hear from restoration biologist Eric Zahn, of Tidal Influence, about the past, present, and future of Los Cerritos Wetlands
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (They manage the publicly owned portions of Los Cerritos Wetlands) will be hosting a Zoom meeting on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 7:00pm to discuss their Draft Wetlands Restoration Habitat Plan. At the meeting representatives of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority will provide an overview of the Draft Plan and answer questions from the public. How to join the meeting is below.
The Draft Wetlands Habitat Restoration Plan is available for public review and comment. We, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, are thoroughly reviewing the document and plan on submitting our feedback on the draft plan by the comment deadline, which is March 25th.
If you have any of your own comments to share about the Draft Restoration Plan, you are asked to send them to lcwa@tidalinfluence.com by March 25th. Once the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has finished our review, we will be sure to share it with you.
Hoping to see you (virtually) on Thursday and someday soon out at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
I have a unique invitation to share with you. It is to a conference hosted by the Newkirk Center for Science and Society at the University of California at Irvine, and you are invited to attend, free of charge. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will be participating in the conference, Extinction: Solutions for Species on the Brink, with our colleagues from Tidal Influence. We will be talking about the increased number of Belding’s Savannah Sparrows at Los Cerritos Wetlands, thanks to conservation efforts and improving their habitat. There are just a few thousand pairs of these little birds left in the world, so helping to improve their numbers is critical. Why are there so few Belding’s? Well, it turns out they like living in the same habitat that we do, close to the beach and only in temperate areas. Much of the Belding’s habitat has been lost forever to development and infrastructure here in Southern California. That’s why it’s so important to protect what remains, which is in open spaces like Los Cerritos Wetlands, Bolsa Chica Wetlands, and Banning Ranch.
The conference sounds really interesting. I’ll be attending and hope youwill too. Details and how to register are below.
Extinction: Solutions for Species on the Brink A free virtual conference hosted by the University of California, Irvine February 9th and 10th from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm PST
Here is a great opportunity to learn and engage in the extinction crisis, both local and global. Experts and advocates will address threats to ecosystems and biodiversity, and the efforts being made, demanded, and imagined in order to protect and restore species in decline. The program presents a series of distinctively different approaches to species conservation and management from conservation action leaders and scientists. The Keynote speaker is former US Senator Tom Udall. To register for this free conference, and for a full agenda, please visit the conference webpage.
Conference themes include: Framing the Magnitude of the Threats and Unmet Challenges Solutions: Saving Them in the Wild Solutions: Achieving 30 by 30 COVID-19 – Opportunities to Save Species Ex-situ Conservation: The Role of Zoos and Reserves in Reducing Extinctions Experimenting with Technology to Stop or Reverse Extinction The Imperative for Action Conference speakers include: Tom Udall, Former US Senator, New Mexico John Baker, Chief Program Officer, Managing Director, WildAid Suzanne Case, Chairperson, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Kathy MacKinnon, Chair, IUCN’s World Commission of Protected Areas Jennifer Norris, Deputy Secretary of Biodiversity and Habitat, California Natural Resources Agency Carl Safina, Founding President, Ecologist and Author, The Safina Center Ronald Swaisgood, Brown Endowed Director of Recovery Ecology, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Charles R. “Chipper” Wichman, Jr., President, National Tropical Botanical Garden Lindsay Young, Executive Director, Pacific Rim Conservation Dan Silver, Executive Director, Endangered Habitats League
Elizabeth Lambe, Executive Director
P.S. If you don’t already, I urge you to follow us on our Facebook page! Not only do we hope that more and more people will know about, love, and understand the value of our wetlands, our growth also shows decision-makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands matter to the community. By following us on Facebook you will be the first to know when we re-start our monthly wetlands nature walks (or be able to participate in community-based wetlands habitat restoration).
We thank you for your support and ask that you continue to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Why support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust this holiday season?
We are vigilant in our defense of local coastal wetlands. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is the leading organization working on the ground every day to protect this vulnerable plot of urban nature, a remnant of a once-vast ecosystem.
Slowly and surely, our wetlands are being brought back to life. We are proudly participating in an ambitious habitat restoration program to create and rehabilitate invaluable acreage of tidal salt marsh.
We are committed to restarting our nature walks in 2021. . . and keeping them accessible to all. Over the years, thanks to our free monthly nature walks, thousands of people have experienced and learned about our local wetlands. With COVID-19 hopefully soon behind us, we look forward to restarting our nature walks as soon as they are allowed, and it is safe.
We help future generations develop an appreciation for the natural world. Using Los Cerritos Wetlands as an outdoor classroom, we have helped a generation of kids feel connected to nature through our school-age ecological education programs. Due to COVID 19, we have moved those programs online. While it’s not the same as an on-the-ground field trip experience, we are proud we are able to continue to provide important education about the value of wetlands.
We simply couldn’t do it without you! The success of our mission to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands is owed in huge part to members and supporters like you. We’re so grateful for the partnership of our members for allowing us to persevere.
You can help us move forward into 2021 by renewing your membership or becoming a member today. Your tax-deductible gift, at whichever level is comfortable for you, makes a huge difference in our ability to run successful advocacy, outreach, and education programs.
We hope that you will celebrate the wetlands with us this year, and choose to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Please join us in our commitment to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands today!
Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season,
Elizabeth Lambe, Executive Director and all of us at the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. If you don’t already, I urge you to follow us on our Facebook page! Not only do we hope that more and more people will know about, love, and understand the value of our wetlands, our growth also shows decision-makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands matter to the community. By following us on Facebook you will be the first to know when we re-start our monthly wetlands nature walks (or be able to participate in community-based wetlands habitat restoration). 2021 is sure to be a better year than 2020 and a sign of that will be our resumption of these great community events.
Dr. Joy Zedler, Aldo Leopold Chair of Restoration Ecology at the University of Wisconsin, is known for her passion and expertise about wetlands restoration.
As a San Diego State University (SDSU) faculty member (1968-1998) and researcher at Tijuana Estuary, she followed in the footsteps of activist Mike McCoy, who prevented the Tijuana River Estuary from being developed into a marina. Dr. Zedler founded SDSU’s Pacific Estuarine Research Laboratory, which trained dozens of students and field hands in ecological restoration. Their collective work on the restoration of the Tijuana Estuary has guided those working to bring back degraded wetlands, and it has been a source of information and inspiration in efforts to restore Southern California wetlands.
Zedler Marsh, part of Los Cerritos Wetlands, is named in her honor as recognition of the important work she has done to guide the restoration of urban wetlands areas. Dr. Zedler also edited the well-known Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands, which has been invaluable in the effort to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Recently, Dr. Zedler gifted the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust with 100 copies of her newest book, Mud and Mudflats: Essential to the planet. It features science-based information, and it reprints more than three dozen drawings by Donovan McIntire that he created for Dr. Zedler’s 1992 book about the Tijuana Estuary. We are donating most of these books to local schools for whom we have hosted educational field trips to Los Cerritos Wetlands for the past 5 years. An important aspect of our work is to educate the community, particularly those who live in the most urban portions of Long Beach, about wetlands and the value of protecting them. Dr. Zedler’s important work and her books help us achieve that goal.
We are honored that Dr. Joy Zedler will be our keynote speaker at our virtual holiday gathering on Monday, December 21st, 2020, at 6 PM. We hope you will join us.
Dr. Zedler will be briefing attendees about her new book, Mud and mudflats: Essential to the planet, while discussing the need to protect and restore tidal mudflats. Recent research by others has strengthened an early argument that mudflats are critically important ecosystems, despite their small area. Find out how Long Beach mud likely contributes to global ecosystem services!
Our local wetlands give our community so much. They support fragile and endangered wildlife, provide an outdoor classroom for local students, and offer a chance for all of us to spend time in nature. Sadly, our guided nature walks are currently on hold right now, but stay tuned. We hope that in 2021 we can start them again.
Over the years Los Cerritos Wetlands has been exploited, degraded and generally misused. But that is now changing. Slowly and surely, Los Cerritos Wetlands are coming back to life, and that is because of people like you, people who understand the value of this unique natural resource.
Our supporters have written letters and attended meetings when Los Cerritos Wetlands have been threatened by development proposals ranging from strip malls, to golf courses to luxury housing. Our community has helped to restore wetlands by planting native plants, removing trash, and removing non-native “invasive plants”. Our success is measured in the slow return of threatened and endangered species like the Belding’s Savanah sparrow. It is also measured by how much of the remaining wetlands is now in the public trust–currently close to half, with more on the way.
I am asking that you do one more thing and that is today, on Giving Tuesday, celebrate our local wetlands by making a contribution to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. There are many admirable and effective environmental protection groups here in Long Beach and we are proud to partner with them. But only the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is out there working every day to protect this vulnerable yet valuable eco-system which is a remaining remnant of a once vast wetlands complex that has all but disappeared. Your contribution, however much you can afford, makes a difference to the work we do. Not only does your contribution directly impact our ability to effectively advocate for Los Cerritos Wetlands, but it demonstrates to decision makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands is important to the community and worthy of their support and protection.
Thank you for supporting the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust by participating in Giving Tuesday with me.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. I know times are tough right now. If you can’t afford to donate please consider supporting our local wetlands by signing up for AmazonSmile. By signing up, when you shop on the AmazonSmile website, a percentage of your purchase is automatically donated to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. We hope you take a look and then sign up for the program. We appreciate your support!
Save the date. Virtual holiday community meeting featuring Dr. Joy Zedler.
Featuring special guest, Dr. Joy Zedler!
We are glad that our traditional end-of-the-year gathering will happen, but this year we will be gathering “virtually” on Monday December 21st 2020, at 6:00PM, via Zoom.
We are beyond excited that Dr. Joy Zedler, distinguished ecologist and groundbreaking researcher on the restoration of Southern California Wetlands, will be our keynote speaker.
Dr. Zedler will be briefing Land Trust members and supporters on the details of her new book for students (Mud and mudflats: Essential for the planet) while discussing the need to protect and restore tidal mudflats. Recent research by others has strengthened an early argument that mudflats are critically important ecosystems, despite their small area. Find out how Long Beach mud likely contributes to global ecosystem services!
To rsvp or for details about how to attend the meeting on December 21st or to obtain a copy of Dr. Zedlers book send an email to Elizabeth.
Wetlands restoration vote will be Thursday, December 3rd
A certified environmental impact report for Los Cerritos Wetlands will provide guidelines for a someday fully restored wetlands. Certification of the PEIR will be followed by a public process to complete an optimized restoration plan. The Final PEIR and optimized restoration plan will enable the LCWA to move forward restoration projects. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust have publicized and attended all public meetings, submitted many comment letters (aka feedback), and have worked very hard with the LCWA to improve their final plan. We are supportive of the certification of the PEIR, and we plan to say so at Thursday’s meeting. Of course, that doesn’t mean the end of our watchdogging and advocacy. A PEIR is a broad overview document from which restoration projects will spin off, each requiring its own review in order to determine impacts and benefits. Given how important wetlands are and how so few of them remain, public input and oversight will be critical.
What: Public meeting of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) When: Thursday, December 3rd, 2020, at 12:30PM Attend: Click this Zoom meeting link or attend by phone at 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 823 9641 3191 Passcode: 953048 Why: To participate in the LCWA’S upcoming board meeting and discussion about the certification of the LCWA’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report.
We hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and are able to celebrate the holiday even though these times require we be socially distant and thoughtful in our interactions with other people.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is thankful for you and your care and concern for our local wetlands. As an organization we have come a long way from that first group of citizens who gathered in someone’s living room to begin the conversation of how they, ordinary people, could work together to advocate for the protection and preservation of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Fast forward to today where almost half our wetlands are safely in the public’s hands, and the conversation is more and more about how best to restore and rehabilitate them.
That is good news, and it’s important to take the time to celebrate it.
With appreciation for your support and vision of a fully restored Los Cerritos Wetlands,
Sincerely, Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s review of their Environmental Impact Report will be Thursday, December 3rd.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s (LCWA) meeting to review and likely certify the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), as part of the plan to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands, has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 3rd at 12:30PM. Those of you who have been following the restoration planning for Los Cerritos Wetlands will likely remember the many community meetings, public feedback, and expert analysis that led to this moment.
We, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust have been involved in the restoration planning process every step of the way. We have publicized and attended all public meetings, submitted many comment letters (aka feedback), and have worked very closely with the LCWA to improve their final plan. After some serious discussion, we are supportive of the certification of the PEIR, and we plan to say so at the December 3rd meeting. Of course, that doesn’t mean the end of our watchdogging and advocacy. A PEIR is designed to be a broad overview document from which restoration projects will spin off, each of those projects requiring its own review in order to determine impacts and benefits. That’s how the system works, and given how important wetlands are and how so few of them remain, public input and oversight will be critical.
What: Public Meeting of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) When: Thursday, December 3rd, 2020, at 12:30PM Attend: Click this Zoom meeting link or attend by phone at 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 862 8490 3707 Passcode: 504516 Why: To participate in the meeting and discussion about the certification of the LCWA’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report.
Check out the LCWA’s proposed resolution certifying the Final Program Environmental Impact Report and adopting Findings and Facts, a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
I’ll be attending this meeting and hope you will too.
The vote to certify the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) as part of the plan to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands is coming up fast. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) is expected to hear about and then vote to certify the document on Thursday, November 5th at their quarterly meeting. Those of you who have been following the many years of planning for restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands will likely remember the many community meetings, public feedback, and expert analysis that lead to this moment.
The LCWA is required have a certified environmental impact report for Los Cerritos Wetlands because it is part of the roadmap (even if it takes a long time) to a final and fully restored wetlands. Certification of the PEIR will be followed by a public process to complete an optimized restoration plan. Together, the Final PEIR and optimized restoration plan will enable the LCWA to consider restoration projects and seek funding for restoration activities. A certified plan allows potential funders (both governmental and private) to have specific information about how their donations will be implemented.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has been involved in the process every step of the way. We have publicized and attended all public meetings, submitted many comment letters (aka feedback), and have worked very closely with the LCWA to improve their final plan. After some serious discussion, we are supportive of the certification of the PEIR, and we plan to say so at Thursday’s meeting. Of course, that doesn’t mean the end of our watchdogging and advocacy. A PEIR is designed to be a broad overview document from which restoration projects will spin off, each of those projects requiring its own in-depth review in order to determine impacts and benefits. That’s just how the system works, and given how important wetlands are and how so few of them remain, public input and oversight will be critical.
What: Public meeting of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) When: Thursday, November 5th a 12:30PM Attend: Click this Zoom meeting link or attend by phone at 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 823 9641 3191 Passcode: 953048 Why: To participate in the meeting and discussion about the certification of the LCWA’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report.
The LCWA, as lead agency, is required under the California Environmental Quality Act to make written findings concerning each alternative and each significant environmental impact identified in the Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration PEIR. The Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations for that document is available here.
If you would like even more information check out the LCWA’s website about the project.
It will be a big day for the furtherance of restoration within Los Cerritos Wetlands. As always not everyone will agree, but we are pleased with this outcome and the role we played to make it better.
Outcome of Friday’s Coastal Commission vote on new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands was basically a good one.
The plan approved by the Coastal Commission included 16 recommendations by their staff that significantly improves protections for the wetlands and other habitat areas.
While we are happy with the overall outcome we are disappointed that Commissioners did not include our 3 additional recommendations which were 1) tie increased building heights to even more robust wetlands buffers, especially at the Marketplace property since it directly abuts sensitive wetlands; 2) tie increased building heights directly to benefits for wetlands and environmentally sensitive habitat areas; 3) make lighting standards as wetlands friendly as possible, based on science, to protect sensitive wetlands creatures.
We will continue to advocate for those additional improvements but are happy, overall, with the outcome of Thursday’s Coastal Commission vote.
The new rules for the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) are now better for wetlands, and we will work to make them even better, and that is a good thing.
We are glad that there will be new zoning for the area so everyone will understand the rules.
Watch our testimony on our new You Tube Channel here.
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
I can hardly believe it, after years and years of community meetings and discussions, new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands will have its final hearing this Thursday, October 8th, before the California Coastal Commission. It’s an important vote since the outcome will shape the future of Southeast Long Beach for years to come.
We, for the most part, support the final plan as long as the Coastal Commission agrees with their staff and accepts the 16 additional recommendations.
Beyond that there are just a few more things we would tweak:
1) If the heights of the buildings in the proposed South East Area Specific Plan (SEASP) area are going to go up (and they are) then there need to be large and robust buffers between the new buildings and the wetlands. In fact, buffers should be a prerequisite for any increased development height, but especially in the Marketplace shopping area since that area is right up against fragile wetlands. It is really the only site within the SEASP planning area where expanded buffers could recoup some of the wetlands/sensitive habitat loss due to development.
And of course, the Marketplace, and other spots in South East Long Beach do warrant revitalization. But unlike the other sites, only Marketplace directly abuts the wetlands. So while there will be new development, it should be configured is such a way that protects and expands the wetland footprint. Roads, utilities and shoreline protection devices should be located outside of the buffers and located on the development site where there is room.
2) Building heights above 3 stories should only be granted if additional wetland and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) protections are provided. Incentives should directly protect wetlands and ESHA through wider buffers, voluntary purchase of wetland mitigation bank credits and purchase of wetlands to be conveyed to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.
3) Lighting for buildings near wetlands should meet the highest of standards for protection of wildlife. SEASP currently incorrectly calculates the illumination from moonlight. This sets the wrong standard for illumination at the edge of habitat and needs to be fixed. Also, new development located on properties that contain or are located within 100 feet of wetlands, ESHA, or sensitive coastal habitat areas should be designed to achieve the minimum degree of illumination necessary for public safety, minimize light trespass, and limit the illumination of open space and sensitive coastal habitat areas to the maximum extent feasible. At the edge of habitat, the lighting from development should be downward directed, shielded, energy efficient, dark sky-compatible, and incorporate state-of-the-art improvements in lighting technology when replaced. Replacement bulbs or fixtures must be upgraded to incorporate best available technology, and programmable timing devices shall be utilized to turn off unnecessary lights where possible.
If you agree with us, please send a note to the Coastal Commission and tell them so. To make it as easy as possible, the note is even pre-written (although feel free to customize your note in any way you wish).
Lastly, please plan to attend (virtually) the Coastal Commission meeting on Thursday, October 8th, if you can. The Coastal Commission is famous for being one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in California. It’s fascinating to watch them in action. Our item appears to be on halfway through their agenda that day. It’s easy to sign up to testify (and I hope you will).
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
As you likely know, we are busy preparing for the upcoming Coastal Commission hearing, which is scheduled for October 8th, when the new zoning (SEASP) proposed for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands will be heard.
In order to prepare for the Coastal Commission hearing we are hosting one more community briefing, this one featuring Dave Hubbard from Coastal Restoration Consultants.
Coastal Restoration Consultants is a consulting company that specializes in planning, managing and implementing large-scale ecological restoration projects.
For the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, Coastal Restoration Consultants reviewed the Sea Level Rise Modeling Study for the SEASP Area and Biological Support for the SEASP, Specifically Mapping of Areas Meeting the Criteria for Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) within the 1,475-Acre SEASP Area.
It’s sounds complicated but it really isn’t. ESHA are lands within the Coastal Zone that merit a higher level of protection from development and other impacts. Therefore, it is important that those fragile and important areas within Los Cerritos Wetlands that deserve that extra protection be fully identified, mapped out, and accounted for.
Climate driven changes, including sea level rise, increased flooding, and storm surge that can inundate the wetlands are an important consideration when planning for the future of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Therefore it is vital that decision makers have the latest, most up- to-date information on the potential impacts of sea level rise and these other climate change driven events.
I am delighted to share with you that Mr. Hubbard will be providing an overview, virtually, to Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust supporters. He will talk about Coastal Restoration Consultants’ research and what they recommend we advocate for to improve the final SEASP.
Mr. Hubbard, co-principal of Coastal Restoration Consultants has an impressive background and has been planning, implementing and monitoring restoration projects for wetlands and other native habitats since 1996. These projects have supported a range of goals ranging from re-establishment of hydrology and native vegetation, improvements in native biodiversity, ecosystem services, rare species habitat, water quality, and invasive species control.
Coastal Restoration Consultants’ research is fascinating and I think you will enjoy learning about it.
What: Special briefing featuring Dave Hubbard of Coastal Restoration Consultants. When: Monday, October 5th at 7:00PM Why: To learn more about what is being proposed within the zoning update, especially in the areas of ESHA and sea level rise.
Email me to rsvp and for information about how to join the October 5th briefing.
Also at the meeting will be Terry Watt, our planning and land use advisor, who will help answer any questions you may have.
Hope to see you on Monday, October 5th, for our interesting community briefing, and then also on October 8th at the Coastal Commission meeting. I’ll send details about how to attend the Coastal Commission hearing in my next email.
Important Upcoming Meeting I completely understand if you don’t remember SEASP because it has been quite a few years since it has been on anyone’s radar screen. SEASP stands for the South East Area Specific Plan, which is the proposed new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands. After much discussion and community dialog, it was passed by the City Council back in 2017.
Since then, the City of Long Beach has been in dialog with the Coastal Commission’s staff regarding SEASP because the final approval needed will be by the Coastal Commission. We recently found out SEASP will be before the Coastal Commission on Thursday, October 8th.
Where we are now is that Coastal Commission staff is recommending to Commissioners that they should approve SEASP as long as 16 additional conditions are met. Some of the additional conditions we agree with and some we don’t. For example the language contained within the staff recommendations really recognizes the important role that buffers play in protecting sensitive wetlands habitat from the hubbub of urban life. The Coastal Commission’s staff report strengthens the protections provided by buffers. However we think perhaps the lighting levels and standards could be tweaked to better protect fragile wetlands species. We are also worried that the final plan be able to truly protect Los Cerritos Wetlands from climate change, particularly steadily increasing sea level rise.
We too have been busy and have hired our own experts to provide extra review and subsequent recommendations to ensure the final outcome is the best it can be for animals, habitat, and the community. To learn more about the status of SEASP, our views on the matter and those of our experts we will be hosting two Community Zoom meetings. At these meetings you will hear directly from our experts to learn what’s in store for Los Cerritos Wetlands and how to make it better.
Zoom Community meeting #1 will feature Dr. Travis Longcore, a truly accomplished educator and scientist who had done groundbreaking research on the impacts of urban lights on fragile wetlands wildlife, especially on those species that are primarily nocturnal. He will walk us through the impacts of lighting on wetlands habitat, how best to measure impacts to habitat and how to make SEASP the most wetlands friendly it can be. The new SEASP is already pretty good, employing bird-safe standards recommended by the Audubon Society. But Dr. Longcore will talk about things that can be done to make it even better. After all, whatever is voted on by the Coastal Commission will set the standards for the foreseeable future, so we better get it right.
What: Community meeting featuring Dr. Travis Longcore. When: Thursday, October 1st at 7:00PM
Why: To learn the latest details about the proposed SEASP and how to improve it, especially in the area of habitat friendly lighting, email me to rsvp and for information about how to join the meeting.
Our second community briefing will be on Tuesday, October 5th and feature Dave Hubbard from Coastal Restoration Consultants talking about Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas and other issues within Los Cerritos Wetlands. I’ll be sending out further details about that meeting in my next email.
Also at these meetings will be Terry Watt, our planning and land use advisor, who will help answer any questions you may have.
Hope to see you on Thursday, October 1st, and then on Tuesday, October5th, for two interesting and thoughtful community briefings.
Long Beach Gives Last week was a real whirlwind for those organizations that participated in Long Beach Gives, on Thursday, September 24th.
Collaboratively, in one day, 154 Long Beach based non-profits (including us!) raised $1,738,941. Isn’t that amazing? The goal was for one million and they came pretty close to 2 million. The goal for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust was to raise $8,000 and we came pretty close, too. We raised $7,452. Since I am a compulsive person (LOL) I sure would love it if we could hit our goal of $8,000. It would only take $458 to make it happen. If that motivates you, (and I hope it does) I urge you to make a donation through the Long Beach Gives portal. All contributions to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust are tax deductible.
Another cool thing about Long Beach Gives is finding out you have new friends and supporters. In this case we made new friends with the folks that produce the Ohana Festival, who donated to the Land Trust through Long Beach Gives. How cool is that?
AB 1788 Thanks to everyone who made phone calls or emails and letters to Governor Newsom and our local legislators in support of AB 1788. Sincere appreciation for our local legislators, Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, Senator Lena Gonzalez and Senator Tom Umberg for voting yes on the bill. I am certain they were under a lot of pressure. Also three cheers for Assemblymember Richard Bloom for his years of persistence in tackling this issue!
This is a great win, not only for raptors but for other wildlife, and pets too.
AB 1788 will prevent more poisonings by strongly curbing the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (with some exceptions) until the California Department of Pesticide Regulation finishes its reevaluation.
I urge you to send the Governor a note of thanks for signing this important bill.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust works to restore, preserve and provide public access to a unique habitat, the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Thanks to the vision and the tenacity of our early founders, we have accomplished amazing things. Since our founding over half of Los Cerritos Wetlands is in the public trust, we have beaten back some really bad and damaging development proposals and have provided unique on-the-ground educational experiences for local school children, especially those who reside in the most urban parts of Long Beach, where natural open space is at a premium.
With all the bad news that is emanating out of Washington D.C. these days, isn’t it great we have so much to celebrate locally when it comes to protecting and restoring wetlands habitat.
Of course defending undeveloped, and therefore rare, coastal open space from those who wish to exploit our local wetlands requires community support, and we are so appreciative of all of you that have attended a nature walk, responded to an action alert, and spread the word about the value of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
We are excited about all of our progress, as plans to transfer more of Los Cerritos Wetlands into the public trust and restore them move forward. We are expanding into the virtual world our innovative programs for the public to experience our wetlands since in-person wetlands visits are temporarily suspended. We are proud of the role we played in urging our city to ban polystyrene products and single-use plastic bags, thereby keeping harmful pollution out of our fragile wetlands. These local victories uplift and sustain us during these challenging times.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has been chosen to participate in Long Beach Gives, a one-day giving cycle for Long Beach non-profits. On September 24, 2020 we are committed to raising funds towards the protection and preservation of Los Cerritos Wetlands via Long Beach Gives. Our fundraising goal is $8,000. Supporting the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust means ensuring the protection, preservation and restoration of our unique and vital local wetlands habitat. Additionally, with help from supporters such as you, we can make sure students in Long Beach and Orange County public schools continue to have access to wetlands tours and lessons, experiences that foster a connection to nature and each other and help bring classroom concepts to life.
Your donation, large or small, will make a difference and help move the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust closer to our fundraising goal.
Click any of the links in this post OR click the red “Long Beach Gives” button on our home page.
It won’t take more than a few minutes and the charismatic raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands and beyond will thank you.
Friendly reminder that we are waiting for Governor Newson to make a decision about AB 1788, which would limit the use of 2nd generation anti-coagulant rodenticides. This very sensible bill, which passed the state legislature a few weeks ago will protect important predators that keep in balance the Los Cerritos Wetlands and open spaces throughout California.
2nd generation rodenticides are bad because they make their way up the food chain and kill raptors, mountain lions, bobcats etc. when those predators consume poisoned rats, mice and other rodents. AB 1788 being signed into law would help the raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands, since they too are at risk from eating rodents that have been poisoned or killed by rodenticides.
Help Governor Newsom do the right thing and by sending him a note asking him to sign SB 1788 into law.
You can also contact the Governor on Twitter,Facebook and Instagram accounts which is another way to communicate with him if you prefer.
It won’t take more than a few minutes and the charismatic raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands and beyond will thank you.
It was quite an eventful week this past week up in Sacramento. There were two bills that we, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, were interested in. One passed and is at the Governor’s office, hopefully to be signed by him within the month. The other bill failed, likely turned into a two-year bill, hopefully to be reconsidered for next year.
AB 1788, which would limit the use of 2nd generation anti-coagulant rodenticides, passed both the Senate and then the Assembly in the final days of the legislative session. This is already better news than last year where the bill failed to get out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Governor now has 30 days to sign the bill into law. This very sensible bill, with exemptions should strong rodenticides be needed in special situations, will protect important predators that keep in balance the Los Cerritos Wetlands and open spaces throughout California.
2nd generation rodenticides are bad because they make their way up the food chain and kill raptors, mountain lions, bobcats etc. when those predators consume poisoned rats, mice and other rodents. AB 1788 being signed into law would help the raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands, since they too are at risk from eating rodents that have been poisoned or killed by rodenticides.
Kudos to Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, Senator Lena Gonzalez, and Senator Tom Umberg for voting in favor of AB 1788 (sad that local Assemblymember Tyler Diep voted no). These rodenticides have been wreaking havoc on the mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains (including the famous mountain lion of Griffith Park), not to mention the many, many owls, hawks, and eagles that have been harmed by their consuming of mice and other rodents who carry this harmful rodenticide in them and then are consumed. I’ll spare you the terrible photos of charismatic predators which have been killed that way, but it is not pretty and needs to stop. I know from personal research how very heavily the pesticide industry lobbied against this bill this year and last. Let’s hope Governor Gavin Newsom does the right thing and puts his signature on the bill.
Of course, in these modern times, all of these legislators also have Twitter,Facebook and Instagram accounts which is another way to reach them, and thank them, if you prefer.It won’t take more than a few minutes and the charismatic raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands and beyond will thank you.
SB 54 Another bill (that didn’t move forward to the Governor’s desk), was a really groundbreaking bill that would have transformed how we deal with single-use plastics in California. SB 54 would have required that packaging and products be reduced (single-use items swapped out for reusable), composted or recycled. The long term goal would be a 75% reduction of the waste generated from single-use packaging and products offered for sale or sold in the state, through source reduction, recycling, or composting by 2030. This would have addressed the plastic pollution and trash crises at both ends–both before a product is ever created or purchased, and after a single-use item is ready for disposal.
It’s too bad it didn’t pass, since we are drowning in plastic, as it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, ends up in the stomachs of sea birds, and even in the fish we eat. On the other hand, it was truly a groundbreaking bill, with lots of special interest opposition and it may well take another year (or more) to get it over the finish line. Cheers again to Patrick O’Donnell, Tom Umberg and SB 54 Coauthor Lena Gonzalez for voting yes. These can’t be easy votes, but their votes in favor of SB 54 bring to mind that moving saying “you must not think of yourself or of your family, not even of your generation. Make your decisions on behalf of the seven generations coming, so that they may enjoy what you have today.”I am grateful to have such forward thinking legislators representing me in Sacramento and I hope you are too.
Sincerely,Elizabeth Lambe, Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
It’s Coastal Clean Up MONTH! Traditionally, the California Coastal Commission hosts a Coastal Cleanup day in September. It’s a wonderful day where organizations up and down California’s coast sponsor cleanups from San Diego to Eureka. Thousands of people turn out to clean up their local beaches, parks and streams.
When you clean up your neighborhood, local park and street you are helping to protect our coast and local wetlands. Trash travels through storm drains, creeks, and rivers to become beach and ocean pollution.
This year, for safety reasons, there are no large, centrally organized cleanup sites. Instead, cleanups will be self-guided and close to home. You are urged to practice physical distancing, and strictly follow local ordinances. The Coastal Commission’s How-To Guide includes additional safety tips.
Cleanups are happening every Saturday in September. If Saturdays don’t work for you, don’t let that stop you! You can clean up any day, any time. What a great way to spend time with your family (or whoever is in your “bubble”) and make the world a better place.
If possible, you are asked to report your cleanup by recording data on the CleanSwell app or by completing this form. (You can also use that form to enter the Most Unusual Item Contest.) All cleanups in September will be included as part of Coastal Cleanup Month.
After your cleanup, take a 5 minute survey and you will get a coupon for free chips and guacamole from Rubio’s and be entered into a prize drawing.
Thank you for staying safe, cleaning your local beach or park, and protecting the coast!
#CoastalCleanup #ProtectYourHappyPlace
Long Beach Gives is just around the corner and we are proud to be a part of it! The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is proud to be a part of Long Beach Gives which is a 24-hour online giving day. This annual fundraising event is a fun and easy way for Long Beach (and surrounding cities) to give together. It facilitates having donors and nonprofits come together to improve the quality of life and create positive change for Long Beach. The goal ofLong Beach Gives is to inspire individuals and businesses in our community to make a difference in the exemplary work of the 150+ local, participating nonprofits. And this year that includes the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. We are honored and excited to be involved.
Last year was the first year of Long Beach Gives and the outpouring of support helped surpass the initial goal by over 300% in raising over $822,000 for 93 local organizations. Long Beach Gives is returning on Thursday, September 24, 2020 with a one million dollar goal!
We, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, are committed to raising $8,000 through Long Beach Gives,which will support our work educating the public about the value of wetlands and advocating for their protection. The first day you can donate to us via Long Beach Gives is September 17th. However, in the meantime we are looking for folks who want to help us raise funds towards our goal by becoming a peer-to-peer fundraiser.
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Fundraisers are members of the community, board members, or businesses who raise funds on behalf of causes they care about. They create custom fundraising pages on the Long Beach Gives website and share their personal fundraising appeal to their network of friends and family. Last year, these individuals, families, and groups of supporters helped to raise over $822,000 to lift up their neighbors and celebrate causes they believe in. If you might be interested in helping us raise funds via the Peer-to-Peer fundraising (it’s easier than you think) or just need more information, send an email to Bridget and she can walk you through it and answer any questions you may have.
The amount of plastic flowing into the sea is set to triple by 2040.
As plastics continue to flood into our oceans, the list of marine species affected by plastic debris expands. Tens of thousands of individual marine organisms suffer from entanglement or ingestion of plastics that permeate the marine environment-from zooplankton and fish, to sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds. Some of those sea birds and fish rely on Los Cerritos Wetlands for shelter and sustenance.
Plastics never go away. Instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which act as magnets for harmful pollutants. When eaten by fish, some of those chemical-laden microplastics can work their way up the food chain and into the fish we eat.
You can do something about this problem and you should do it today. Contact local Assemblymember, Patrick O’Donnell (who is a great friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands) and ask him to vote for the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (Senate Bill 54). This bill will establish state targets to reduce single-use plastic and packaging waste by 75 percent by 2032. This is exactly the kind of bold change we need to help save our environment from being swept up in a tide of dangerous plastic pollution — and it can start in California.
Here’s a great recap by Surfrider Foundation about the problems with plastics our ocean and what SB 54 will do to help address the problem.
I hope you will check it out and then take a moment to call Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell’s office, today, at (916) 319-2070 and ask him to support SB 54.
Tell whoever answers the phone that you are a constituent of Patrick O’Donnell’s (check here to see if you are) and are calling to urge him to vote YES on SB 54. He should vote yes because SB 54 would curb single-use plastic pollution in California. That’s all you need to say!
If you get an answering machine, leave a message. Call even if it is after work hours. Every call is counted.
If you don’t feel comfortable calling you can instead email Assemblymember O’Donnell and express your support for SB 54.
California must take robust steps NOW to reduce single-use packaging and plastic consumption and increase recycling. Thank you for your help.
There is a very interesting item on this Tuesday’s City Council agenda, and that is the issue of Community Choice Energy. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), also known as Community Choice Energy (CCE), is an alternative to the incumbent investor owned utility energy supply system. Instead, local entities in California and other States pool together the buying power of individual customers within a defined jurisdiction in order to secure alternative energy supply contracts.
Community Choice (passed into law in California in 2002) gives cities the choice of purchasing energy from a variety of providers, including those who produce renewable energy. According to the Sierra Club there are 47 California communities served mainly by community choice aggregation (CCA). In Southern California, one of those aggregators is the Clean Power Alliance, which contracts power directly from renewable resources like wind and solar farms for several cities, including Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, and West Hollywood. Aggregation allows cities to pool demand to reduce prices and make clear their long-term interest in renewable electricity generation. In this program, regional investor-owned utility Southern California Edison still operates the region’s transmission lines and delivers the clean electricity to residents and businesses.
Newer CCEs in California increasingly focus transition to local renewable energy sources rather than grid power. This could be good for Long Beach for a number of reasons.
1) Could give Long Beach the opportunity to purchase power from ‘greener” sources than those we have historically obtained energy from. Ratepayers would have to option to purchase 100%, 50% or 2/3rd clean energy.
2) Could make Long Beach more resilient against the problems that can beset large power providers that require a lot of infrastructure and transmission lines to deliver energy. That is because, with CCE, our energy would come from a variety of sources. For example, it would give Long Beach the option to have community solar programs that could relieve the power grid.
3) Could drive down the costs of power since energy sources would complete with each other. As well as speed up the creation of clean renewable energy that with time will reduce cost.
The threats associated with climate change are very serious, currently much of California is on fire due to extremely hot weather, Greenland’s ice sheets are melting and ocean temperatures are warming, which is acidifying our ocean. Expected sea level rise will have a significant impact on Los Cerritos Wetlands. Community Choice seems like a practical way to help move us off of fossil fuels and on to renewables. I’m planning to tune in to the City Council meeting on Tuesday to learn more, and I hope you will too.
AB 1788
AB 1788 would ban 2nd generation anticoagulant rat poisons in California. The banning of these poisons would protect raptors throughout California, including the raptors of Los Cerritos Wetlands. The sad chain of events is that hawks, eagles, owls and other animals eat poisoned rodents, thus the poison gets in their system and they sicken and die. An easy way to break that chain is to outlaw these very dangerous rodenticides.
This ban on these products, after passing several committees in the State Senate is headed to a full floor vote this week. Therefore I need you to contact either State Senator, Lena Gonzalez, (who represents most of Long Beach) or State Senator Tom Umberg, (who represents the eastern parts of Long Beach as well as Seal Beach and Los Alamitos), as soon as possible. After all, local voters in the district are the most potent force there is. If you don’t know which representative is yours, you can find that information here.
All you need to say is that you are a voter in their district and you support AB 1788 to ban 2nd generation anticoagulant rodent poisons because wildlife, pets and children are important to you!Here is a list of supporting groups of AB 1788, some interesting facts about the problem and how AB 1788 is the solution. As you can see, we are in good company.
Legislature Bill AB 1788 has already passed several hurdles -1) Three Assembly Committees and the full Assembly last year2) Three Senate Committees. It passed the critical 3rd Senate committee just on Thursday!
Let’s help get AB 1788 past this important hurdle by sending a quick email to either Senator Lena Gonzalez or Senator Tom Umberg. They are both good people who support Los Cerritos Wetlands. Please take this simple action to help protect the charismatic raptors that call Los Cerritos Wetlands their home.
The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s (the agency that manages most of the publicly owned portions of Los Cerritos Wetlands) process to comprehensively plan for the restoration of all of Los Cerritos Wetlands has been going on for several years now.
Recently, an important milestone was reached, and that was the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s release of their Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (Draft PEIR) for the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Under the California Environmental Quality Act, the purpose of an EIR is to determine the impact of proposed development (or in this case restoration choices) on the environment. An EIR identifies ways to reduce impacts and analyzes alternatives to avoid or minimize significant environmental harm.
Because it is our role and responsibility, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust throughly reviewed the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s Draft PEIR. We did the review with the help of wetlands experts and environmental attorneys. As you might expect there is a lot we like about the Draft PEIR, but there are some areas that we find deficient.
1) The Draft PEIR is unclear about the covered actions. We are clear that the purpose of the restoration plan is the long-term restoration of wetlands, habitat and tidal flow, while increasing public access. But what does that mean exactly? The eventual restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands will take 20 years or longer and involve many phases. Which phases of the restoration will require extra review and which do the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority believe are adequately covered by their Draft PEIR. That is one of the things that seems important to clarify.
2) We get it. We really do. It is a tricky thing to try and plan for the restoration of a fragile area that includes sensitive wetlands, privately and publicly owned land, endangered species, tidal flow, sea level rise, oil operations, public access, and so forth. The list of issues that must be considered goes on and on. However we feel that a particularly “solution oriented” restoration alternative really deserves additional consideration, and that is the alternative of a tidal connection below 2nd Street into the central area of Los Cerritos Wetlands (the area adjacent to the Marketplace shopping center that stretches to the San Gabriel River). Of the three areas (Northern, Central and South) the Central seems like the most challenging area to plan for. There is privately owned land, oil operations, nearby infrastructure. . .all of which are under the threat of sea level rise. We’re asking “Why not just hold off on that area and restore it last. . .so that there can be berms that will protect the Marketplace Shopping Center that could be lower in height than the planned 18 foot tall berms?” Maybe the plan can be figured in a way that includes the raising up of 2nd Street (which will have to happen anyway sometime due to sea level rise) so that the public will be able to continue to enjoy easy views of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
3) Lastly, we urge the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority to do a few more studies; for example (1) a wetlands delineation for the restoration area, (2) a deeper hydrology analysis and (3) studies helping us reconcile the fact in some parts of the restoration plan oil wells are treated as if they will remain but oil wells from other companies have been removed. We would like to see information about the number of wells on the various properties, the number sealed off in the last ten years and the number that are idle. We also think the Hitchcock property, located on Loynes Drive and cited by the Coastal Commission as important upland habitat, should be included in the comprehensive wetlands restoration planning.
As I said, we are very happy that comprehensive restoration planning for Los Cerritos Wetlands moves forward, and it is our intention that our comment letter will make the plan better for the wetlands and better for the community. I urge you to share your views and comments with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority which you can do by emailing Sally Gee who is the Conservancy Project Development Analyst for the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy.
P.S. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into the Draft PEIR and our comment letter I invite you to a Zoom meeting with our consultant, land use planning expert Terry Watt. We are hosting the meeting via Zoom at 7:00PM on Thursday, July 9th. Email me at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org for details and to rsvp.
Our local wetlands give our community so much. They support fragile and endangered wildlife, provide an outdoor classroom for local students, and offer a chance for all of us to spend time in nature. We host monthly free-of-charge guided nature walks on three different parts of Los Cerritos Wetlands, and I hope you have had a chance to attend one of them. Sadly, our nature walks are currently on hold right now, but stay tuned for one of our upcoming “virtual’ nature walks.
Our vision is a restored and vibrant Los Cerritos Wetlands. With your help we will get there!
Over the years Los Cerritos Wetlands sure has taken it’s share of “hits”. Our wetlands have been drilled upon, filled in, and generally misunderstood and misused. But all of that is changing. Slowly and surely, our wetlands are being brought back to life, and that is because of people like you, people who understand the value of this unique natural resource.
Our supporters have written letters and attended meetings when Los Cerritos Wetlands have been threatened by development proposals ranging from strip malls, to golf courses to luxury development. Supporters have helped restore our wetlands by planting native plants, removing trash, and also removing non-native “invasive plants”. Our success is measured in the slow return of threatened and endangered species like the Belding’s Savanah sparrow. It is also measured by how much of the remaining wetlands is now in the public trust, and that is now close to half, with more on the way.
I am asking that you do one more thing and that is, today, on Giving Tuesday, celebrate our local wetlands by making a contribution to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. There are many admirable and effective environmental protection groups here in Long Beach and we are proud to partner with them. But only the Land Trust is out there working every day to protect this vulnerable yet valuable eco-system which is a tiny remnant of a vast wetlands complex that has all but disappeared. Your contribution, however much you can afford, makes a difference to the work we do. Not only does your contribution directly impact our ability to effectively advocate for Los Cerritos Wetlands but it demonstrates to decision makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands is important to the community and worthy of their support and protection.
Please don’t delay. Become a member or make a contribution now to protect our wetlands. . . for ourselves, our families, and future generations.
Thanks for celebrating Giving Tuesday with me.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
A letter from LCWLT’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Lambe
Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,
I hope you are doing OK and have settled in to some sort of routine as these weeks of self-quarantine continue on. So much of what the Land Trust does during April, which is the month we all celebrate Earth Day, has been cancelled; but not everything, and not forever, and in that we take hope.
I want to share with you a few events that you might be interested in. Most are happening on Earth Day, which is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020.
Earth Day Tune in and take action There will be a huge virtual Earth Day event happening online this upcoming Wednesday, April 22nd. Some of the biggest climate change activists and artists from around the world will be joining together to commemorate Earth Day and bring us together in order to do our part to protect the planet. Over the 24 hours of Earth Day (12:01 am ET – 11:59 pm ET on April 22), Earth Day Network will fill the digital landscape with global conversations, calls to action, performances, video teach-ins and more. Tune in to Earth Day Live April 22nd (and 23rd and 24th) to watch, discuss and participate in a livestream featuring stories, performances and opportunities for digital collective action, as millions of people around the world go online for a three-day mobilization to stop the climate emergency.
International Dark Sky Weekand Great Films to Explore Long-time consultant for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is the amazing Dr. Travis Longcore, who is now associated with the UCLA Institute of the Environment. Dr. Longcore’s research focuses on the effects of artificial night lighting on wildlife, which is a very significant impact on the species of Los Cerritos Wetlands, who live so close to shopping centers, roadways and many other sources of artificial light. He is also very knowledgable on the impacts of roads in and around wetlands. Dr. Longcore and his partner Catherine Rich played a significant role in the Land Trust’s battle to stop the harmful Home Depot Design Center in back in 2008. They helped us again in 2010 in our effort to remediate the harm done to Los Cerritos Wetlands when illegal grading occurred on that triangle shaped piece of property on Loynes Drive between the Belmont Shores Mobile Estates and Studebaker Road. Dr. Longcore will be speaking on the impacts of lighting on the animal world at 10:50AM Pacific Time on Wednesday, April 22nd. Click on the this link at that time, to view his talk.
The “Story of Plastic” is on the Discovery Channel this Wednesday (April 22) at 2:00 P.M. The Story Of Plastic takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it. More details can be found here. According to our friends over at the Long Beach-based Algalita Foundation, The Story of Plastic documentary is also a phenomenal teaching tool for your classroom, family, and community. (and while you’re at it, why not take a moment to send a note to our local Congressman, Alan Lowenthal, to thank him for introducing the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020, a comprehensive and historic bill aimed at stopping the plastic pollution crisis. We are so lucky to have someone representing us in Congress who can always be counted on to do the right thing when it comes to protecting our environment.)
Patagonia Films newest film, Fishpeople, is now available to view, free-of-charge. I am personally a big fan of Patagonia, their great apparel and their philosophy of using their company’s resources to protect the environment. One of the ways Patagonia does that is through their amazing films (two of which the Land Trust has previously screened here in Long Beach). Fishpeople, Five Lives Transformed by the Sea is their latest film. It is now available to stream for free, and I urge you to check it out. After all, those of us who support protecting and restoring Los Cerritos Wetlands are fish people too. One reason is because coastal wetlands are homes for numerous fish species adapted to estuarine water. And wetlands are a critical part of maintaining healthy marine species’ populations by naturally removing pollutants that would poison the ocean, and providing a huge source of nutrients for marine fish to eat.
I sincerely hope you find the above opportunities inspiring and of interest. Hang in there. We are all in this together and will come through it together on the other end.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe,
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. I am working with my colleagues over at Tidal Influence to hopefully set up some virtual tours of Los Cerritos Wetlands since our in-person on-the-ground nature walks have been indefinitely postponed. Stay tuned for further details, but right now we are thinking of virtual tours of interesting places within Los Cerritos Wetlands like Zedler Marsh and the native plant nursery located out there, or Marketplace Marsh, which is full of water right now and teeming with wildlife. Take a walk with us while lounging in your pajamas drinking coffee. We would love that. I’ll be back in touch with further details as soon as I have them. In the meantime if there are spots out in Los Cerritos Wetlands that you think would make a great virtual tour, send them my way . . . I’ll take any and all suggestions. In the meantime stay safe and stay strong!
We are sad to say that we must cancel our upcoming Saturday, April 4th, 2020, Heron Hike out at Los Cerritos Wetlands. It just seems like the safest thing to do at this point, and it complies with the Governor’s and our Mayor’s orders that non-essential services be cancelled. We are exploring safer ways for you to enjoy Los Cerritos Wetlands that maintain social distancing, and I am in discussions about how to do so. We are thinking perhaps of introducing folks, via livestream, to cool areas like Marketplace Marsh (pictured), Zedler Marsh or Calloway Marsh. So stay tuned. It sure wouldn’t surprise me if our nature walks are postponed for beyond April, but we will let you know.
A great spot for getting out in nearby nature is the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach. As of yesterday, when I drove by, the trails were open and hopefully will stay that way as long as walkers are practicing appropriate social distancing, which means staying at least 6 feet away from other people. I also urge you to check out Newport Beach’s Back Bay which has some wonderful wetland areas. Always check appropriate websites before you head out. . . looks like many open-space areas are still open to the public, but that could always change.
We invite you to spend some time with us and get outside and enjoy our local wetlands. Los Cerritos Wetlands is always so green and fresh this time of year. That’s why I hope you will join us and our partners, biologists and environmental educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, March 7th. This is the time of year when our local wetlands look their best, so get outside and enjoy some of our natural open space.
Our walk will begin with a brief orientation to our wetlands. We will stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils, while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and a number of other species that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks before hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail to discuss how tidal circulation shapes our local wetlands.
We will complete our walk by heading back along the access to the parking. Bring binoculars, if you have them; we will observe many different kinds of interesting wildlife.
WHAT: Raptor Ramble on the Hellman Portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands.
WHEN: Saturday, March 7th, 2019, at 8:00 am sharp! Parking lot gate will open at 7:45AM and close at 8:10AM. No late-comers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00AM.
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Heavy rain will cancel the walk. If it is just lightly sprinkling, we will proceed.
RSVP by emailing elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org. For more information download a hike flyer or visit our website.
Hope to see you there!
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. As always, directly following our nature walk, you are invited to join the community-based wetlands restoration event that runs from 10:30AM to 12:30PM. Email the folks at Tidal Influence at iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com for further details or to sign up.
