This summer, the Los Cerritos Wetlands and the Land Trust made headlines. See the Long Beach Business Journal’s coverage of recent Coastal Commission actions here.
Additional coverage of the Coastal Commission hearing from the Press Telegram can be found here.
Additional local coverage of the deal as it developed is linked here.
OurWaterLA is a diverse coalition of community leaders and organizations from across Los Angeles County united to create a strong water future for Los Angeles. Their goal is to secure clean, safe, affordable and reliable water for drinking, recreation and commerce, now and for the future. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is proud to be a member of the coalition, and we are particularly excited about the opportunities to protect local wetlands as well as the important component of stormwater run- off capture. Capturing and using or storing stormwater runoff when it rains can help communities increase water supply reliability, and keep polluted runoff out of sensitive wetlands.
Join the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust in supporting clean water in Los Angeles, sign up to be a supporter of OurWaterLA, and help spread the word. The coalition is supporting a ballot measure to help fund the Safe, Clean Water Program, and we urge you to email our local County Supervisor, Janice Hahn and tell her you support the measure. Also, if you can, please attend the meeting below, where the vote will be held.
Who: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust supporters and anyone you know who supports clean water.
What: A press conference at 8:30AM, followed by a Board of Supervisors vote to put the measure on the ballot. Email acabrera@laane.org for futher details or to rsvp.
Where: Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W Temple St., Los Angeles CA 90012
When: 8:30am-12pm, July 17th
Why: We need as much support as possible at the County Board of Supervisors’ vote on the Safe, Clean Water Program to decide a) whether to put a property tax on the ballot to raise $300M for stormwater projects, and b) what the program for spending this money will look like, including job and equity standards as well as environmental protections.
Wear: A blue shirt!
It’s summer time which is a great time to get outside and enjoy our local wetlands. Join us and our partners, biologists and environmental educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful hike at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, July 7th. We are skipping our August nature walk because of the heat, so this is your best opportunity until September to get outside and enjoy some of our local 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, July 7th, 2018, at 8:00 am sharp! Parking lot gate will open at 7:45 am and close at 8:10 am. No late-comers 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 required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
RSVP: Email Elizabeth at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
BLUE Trailer from BLUE The Film
On Wednesday, June 6th, our partner in marine conservation, Algalita Foundation, is participating in the nationwide screening of the film BLUE.
The local screening will be at the Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX Long Beach Towne Center. BLUE looks like a truly inspirational film and the website has some great (and easy to accomplish) tips anyone can do to protect our ocean.
Even if you can’t attend the screening I urge you to check out the website, watch the trailer and learn about the simple things you can do to protect our ocean and the planet. If we all do a little bit, together we can make a difference.
Proposition 68 will be on the ballot June 5th and it’s passage is critical to the restoration and acquisition of local wetlands. With so few wetlands left in Southern California it is important we protect those that remain, and Prop 68 will help achieve that important goal.
Prop 68 invests in safeguarding our water supplies and preparing for future challenges and natural disasters. Prop 68 is a $4 billion investment in the coming years to protect California’s unique natural resources and ensure every Californian has access to clean drinking water and safe parks.
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has joined a broad, bipartisan coalition of conservation groups, park advocates, water experts, and business organizations committed to supporting Yes On 68 California and protecting our state’s water and parks for years to come. Notable supporters include Governor Jerry Brown, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land and our fellow local wetlands advocacy group, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust.
The City of Long Beach is developing its first-ever Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), and they need your input. Climate change impacts all of us and will forever shape our local wetlands. However, did you know that wetlands are also important mitigators of the effects of sea level rise? Robust and healthy wetlands help communities be resilient to impacts that could arise from climate change. Let’s all do our part to make Long Beach as resilient to climate change as possible. Attend the meeting or visit http://www.lbds.info/climateactionlb to learn more.
Video of our local sea turtles provided by the Aquarium of the Pacific. See the turtles for yourself on Saturday, June 2nd.
On Saturday, June 2nd, you are invited to join us for a free 2-hour guided wetlands nature walk, led by naturalists from the environmental consulting group Tidal Influence. We will look for wildlife sightings, learn about our rich ecosystems, reflect on history, and see current restoration activities.
Our walk begins with a brief orientation to our 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 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 in process. 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.
Meet and park in the driveway at the intersection of 1st street and PCH in Seal Beach. Our walk starts at 8:00 a.m., and the parking lot gate closes at 8:15 a.m. No latecomers can be admitted. Events are family friendly, but strollers are not permitted, and all participants need to be able to walk a couple of miles (slowly) without having to turn back. Close-toed shoes are required, and please bring sunscreen and water. Rain cancels. For more information or to rsvp send an email to elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org.
P.S. After our nature walk, you are invited to join in and help the community-based restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands, which takes place from 10:30 am -12:30 pm the first Saturday of every month. Participants are eligible to win prizes such as a T-shirt or tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Meet at the same place we meet for our nature walks. For further information about the restoration activities email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
Thursday, June 21st at 6:30PM Meeting to discuss the Status of the Breakwater Feasibility Study at MADE by Millworks, 240 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California 90802:
At the meeting you will learn the latest news about the breakwater and hear from City Staff as well as the Army Corps of Engineers who are heading up the study. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust supports the responsible re-configuring of the breakwater in order to improve local wetlands habitat.
9th Annual Paddle Out for Clean Waves on June 2nd at 11:00AM at Granada Beach:
Bring something that floats, and paddle out about 40 yards from shore to commemorate our lost waves and celebrate that some day they will return. Come with your friends and family and show your support for bringing waves back to Long Beach. This event is co-hosted by Long Beach Surfrider and Assembly member Patrick O’Donnell.
Marketplace Marsh is an amazing watery feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Check it out for yourself. It’s springtime so there should be water within Marketplace Marsh, as well as lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. Our tour is led by our partners, biologists and environmental educators from Tidal Influence who will lead 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 on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.
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.We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife. 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, May 5th, 2018, at 8:00AM. 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.
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, email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org.