Fun & informative author reading at one of Long Beach’s top cocktail (& mocktail) venues

Speaking of kayaking, did you know that the founder of LARiver Expeditions and the first person to navigate the Los Angeles River via kayak is also an author and Long Beach local? Yes, it’s true! Author George Wolfe took on the Los Angeles establishment when he and his friends kayaked the entire length of the Los Angeles River. His trip helped gain the LA River a more protected status, not to mention a lot of publicity which helped turn the conversation to what the Los Angeles River could look like if cared for and restored.

George is also the owner (along with his partner Thea) of The Wicked Wolf cocktail lounge in West Long Beach, famous for, among other things, their amazing hand-crafted cocktails, with a focus on elevating non-alcoholic versions.

George will be reading from his book “Into the River of Angels” at the Wicked Wolf at 6 PM on Sunday, June 30th. What a great way to wrap up a weekend. There will be books for sale. Mention you heard about the event via the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and get 15% off of your book purchase.

Author reading and book signing of “Into the River of Angels”. Details below.

You are invited……

On Sunday, May 19th the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is hosting a fun and educational book reading and author signing event.

Author George Wolfe will talk about, and read excerpts from, his novel for young adults entitled “Into the River of Angels”. It is a story about two teenagers who kayak the Los Angeles River and what they learn along the way. “Into the River of Angels”, tells how a high school kid’s plan to canoe the Los Angeles River spirals out of control—an urban journey on a dangerous, forbidden waterway, woven together by a series of epic fails.

George Wolfe is the founder of LA River Expeditions and gained some notoriety when he, and a group of friends, kayaked the entire length of the Los Angeles River. This action helped earn the Los Angeles River “federal navigable water” status which aided in the fight to protect and restore the Los Angeles River.

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us on May 19th at 3:00 PM for this free-of-charge book reading and author event. It will be a fun, relaxing, and educational afternoon.

What: Book Reading and Signing featuring author and activist, George Wolfe, reading from his book “Into the River of Angels”.

Where: Belmont Heights United Methodist Church
317 Termino Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90814

When: Sunday, May 19th, 3 PM – 5 PM

RSVP via Eventbrite here. Or by emailing elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org

“Into the River of Angels” (Books provided by Page Against the Machine) will be for sale at the event.

Our 2024 Spring Kayak Tours are now available

Sign up now to reserve your spot!

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.

Reserve your spot via Eventbrite now!

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.

You are invited to a special event featuring L.A. Times journalist and author Rosanna Xia

Our next nature walk will be the Raptor Ramble! Don’t forget to reserve your spot.

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.

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.

To learn more about the Raptor Ramble or RSVP, please reserve your spot through our Eventbrite page.

If you have additional questions send an email to elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org.

Why is this new wetlands adjacent development getting a pass from the City AND the Coastal Commission? Help us fight back.

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.

Please do your part by sending a letter defending the buffer width now.

Thank you,

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.

Our wetlands kayaking trips are back!

Sign up now to reserve your spot!

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.

Sign up here to reserve your spot!

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.

Please reserve your kayaking spot 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 if you have any questions.

Our next nature walk will be the Turtle Trek! Hope you can join us.

*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!

WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. Please wear close-toed shoes, and an adult must accompany kids under 16.

For more information or to RSVP visit our Eventbrite link or send me an email.

Wetlands Adjacent Development Update

*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

P.S. I hope by now you have heard the news! The California Coastal Conservancy voted to award $31,852,000 to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority for the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project, which will help with planning and permitting for restoration and providing public access for Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration efforts.

The AES pumps (and others pumps too) get a three-year extension from the State Waterboard.

*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.

Sign up now to reserve your spot!

Sign up now to reserve your spot!

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