Please join Long Beach Surfrider for a community cleanup along the San Gabriel River on Sunday, May 31st, 8 am to 12 pm. Come early or later. Stay for as long as you can.
Your participation will not only divert trash from our oceans but also bring much-needed awareness to the sea turtle habitat now thriving along the river. Together, we can make a significant impact in keeping our waterways clean and healthy for all to enjoy!
Details
Sign up at this link Park at El Dorado Park and then walk to the site (see the map below). A water cooler will be available; bring your own refillable bottles. Fruit and coffee will also be available. There will be gloves, buckets or reusable bags, and grabbers/pickers for participants to use, but you are encouraged to bring your own if you can. Please wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dirty. All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and have parental supervision. This event will not include any underwater/PADI coverage and will remain exclusively on land.
Feel free to reach out to event coordinator Leslie if you have any accommodation needs or questions.
Attend a screening of the film Ocean, free of charge, on Tuesday at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are vital sections of the ocean along California’s coastline where fishing and harvesting are limited or prohibited, creating safe havens for marine life to recover and thrive. After decades of overfishing pushed some species to the brink, these protections have begun to make a real difference—ecosystems are rebounding, and biodiversity is returning.
But the job isn’t finished. We need to expand and strengthen MPAs across the state to ensure long-term ocean health. With the California Fish and Game Commission holding public hearings this month and next, now is a critical moment to advocate for stronger marine protections.
As part of this effort, we’re excited to invite you to a special event during LA Climate Week
Join us for a free screening of Ocean, a powerful documentary by David Attenborough, followed by a panel discussion featuring experts in marine conservation.
This is a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and take action to protect California’s ocean.
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific Date: April 14 Time: 6:30 PM
Meet the Randall Preserve, Southern California’s new and significant piece of coastal open space. It is a remarkable partnership between public agencies and local coastal open-space advocates.
An amazing thing happened a few years ago: a mostly undeveloped coastal bluff area between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, thanks to neighbors and activists working together, was saved from development. Local residents Frank and Joan Randall pledged a private gift of $50 million to jumpstart the acquisition funding. Additional funding was later secured from public sources, completing the $97 million transaction and placing this rare property in the public trust.
Given how tantalizing the development of coastal open space is to those who wish to exploit it, this is a wonderful outcome, and there will be nature trails and affordable coastal access for those who live throughout Southern California, rather than strip malls and houses.
However, the fight to preserve coastal open space never really stops. Our friends at the Randall Preserve and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) are asking the Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) to permit them to purchase a piece of property that juts into the preserve in order to preserve the open space in its entirety. The MRCA wants NMUSD to negotiate with them for open space and to abandon attempts to develop the property due to the many sensitive, threatened, and endangered species and habitats on-site.
They are asking those who care about coastal open space to write to the school district, urging it to sell the land rather than develop it.
Please email NMUSD and support the negotiations to keep the 11.36 acres under discussion as open space. I sent in my letter, and I hope you send in yours, too.
Some talking points you can use are:
I urge you to pursue the sale or a long-term lease of the 11.36-acre parcel adjacent to the Randall Preserve for permanent open-space protection.
This land represents a rare and irreplaceable coastal habitat. Preserving it would complete the integrity of the preserve, protect sensitive species, and ensure public access to natural coastal space for generations to come. Development would fragment this ecosystem and diminish a unique community asset.
I encourage the Board to work with the MRCA and other conservation partners to explore solutions that allow for long-term environmental stewardship.
This is a unique opportunity to protect a rare open space area, for ourselves and for future generations. You can see how intrusive development would be if it were adjacent to the Randall preserve
Marketplace Marsh, an area that sustains many interesting plants and animals, is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Check it out for yourself on Saturday, May 2. Our tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, who will begin with a brief orientation about Los Cerritos Wetlands. They will focus on the interface between the urban edge and the Los Cerritos Wetlands buffer areas. Attendees will participate in a dialogue about how the restoration process can best restore core wetland habitat while balancing human population growth in Southeast Long Beach.
Tour leaders will discuss the history and ownership of various parcels within Los Cerritos Wetlands and lead the walk towards the levee to discuss the reintroduction of tidal flow. After that, using oil roads, we will walk to the old bridge on the levee and discuss the San Gabriel River and the future of bringing water back into the land. Then we will view the City-owned lands, including Marketplace Marsh. After that, we will head back to our meeting place. Bring binoculars, if you have them; we will observe various 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, May 2, 2026, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers will be admitted to the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will conclude by 10:00 AM.
We are kayaking to the Steamshovel Slough area of Los Cerritos Wetlands on March 29th. We have a few spots left. What a fun and interesting way to spend a Sunday morning.
We are delighted to offer a March 29th spring kayaking tour of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, specifically the Steamshovel Slough area. Not only is Steamshovel Slough an amazing area of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, but it is also an example of what much of the wetlands could look like once restored.
The cost to kayak with us is $40 (an amazing deal!) to help cover the rental expenses of kayaks, paddles, life vests, and the tour leaders who guide the trips. Tour leaders are experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions and environmental educator Katy Dressendorfer.
We meet at Mother’s Beach at 8:30 AM near the children’s playground. Street and metered parking is available, but it can fill up on weekends, so plan to arrive early to find a spot.
Because we subsidize much of the cost of these kayak trips, we need strong attendance to help offset some of the expense. Thus, if you have ever thought about kayaking with us, this is the time to do it. We expect it will be a nice sunny day. We have just a few spots left, so reserve your kayaking experience now.
Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must have the endurance to handle about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have experience kayaking, but novice kayakers are welcome. Please wear proper kayaking attire; you will get splashed (no jeans or tennis shoes). If you are a minor (12 – 17 years of age), you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Learn more or reserve your kayaking spot via our Eventbrite link.
Elizabeth Lambe Executive Director Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.S. Check out the photo of a recent kayak trip to Steamshovel Slough. What a lovely area!
P.P.S. If you miss your chance to kayak with us this upcoming Sunday, don’t worry, there will be additional kayak trips in late summer/early fall.
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific
Date: April 14
Time: 6:30 PM
