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 Week and 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!