Our next nature walk will be on March 7. It should be lush and green at the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Hope you can join us.

Our next nature walk will be on March 7. It should be lush and green at the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Hope you can join us.

Learn about restoration ecology at Zedler Marsh, a restoration site located within Los Cerritos Wetlands. Explore the different types of plant communities (coastal salt marsh, mulefat scrub, coastal sage scrub) being cultivated for the current and future restoration of the wetlands.


Our walk will begin with a brief orientation about Los Cerritos Wetlands. Tour leaders will discuss the challenges of restoring the Zedler Marsh wetlands area, the techniques they use, and the important role of California native plants. There will be opportunities for birding and other wildlife sightings.


What: Salt Marsh Stroll at Los Cerritos Wetlands.


When: Saturday, March 7, 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.


Where: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs. Due to restoration work, you will be given a pass to park across the street from the wetlands entrance. There will be signs to assist you. Do NOT use a map program like Google Maps to guide you; you will end up in the wrong location.


Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and adults must accompany kids under 16. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Email Elizabeth with any questions or concerns.


P.S. Thanks to recent rains, Zedler Marsh will look fabulous in early March. It’s the highlight of the nature walk! Check out the image below!

Kayak with us on March 29. Spring is a great time to visit Steamshovel Slough in the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Kayak with us on March 29. Spring is a great time to visit Steamshovel Slough in the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

You are invited to kayak Steamshovel Slough on Sunday, March 29, at 8:30 AM

This kayak tour is an incredible way to view one of the most pristine areas of the wetlands, Steamshovel Slough, with an environmental guide who will provide educational commentary. LA River Expeditions, which also hosts kayak tours of the Los Angeles River, will co-lead the tour.

The kayak tour will meet at the playground at Mother’s Beach at 8:30 AM and will wrap up by 10:30 AM. This timeframe is intended to ensure the tide is high enough to kayak in and out of the Steamshovel Slough.

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust underwrites a significant portion of tour expenses, and we are asking for a $40 donation per kayaker to help offset gear rentals and the cost of our highly qualified tour guides.

Click here for more information or to sign up for our kayak trip to Steamshovel Slough on Sunday, March 29th.

P.S. For a peek into what it is like to kayak in Los Cerritos Wetlands, check out the video below…and then sign up to join us!

Revised harmful solar project will be heard on Feb 23

Revised harmful solar project will be heard on Feb 23

It’s a smaller project, but those solar panels (the blue squares above)
are proposed to be located concerningly close to fragile habitat.
Friendly Reminder: We still need you to write a letter!
Email template here!


What we know about the proposed revised solar panel project. The majority of the solar panels would remain adjacent to some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands’ most biologically sensitive areas, likely affecting the fragile and threatened species that rely on the wetlands to survive. The project would now produce 1.2 megawatts, consist of two separate solar arrays with about 2,000 solar panels, and an undetermined number of solar tables….all to power oil and gas operations. Here is our most recent letter to the City of Seal Beach outlining our concerns. You can use points in our letter to write your own letter to the City.


We remain concerned about the impacts on nearby wildlife. In fact, we are so concerned that we asked respected biological experts at All Hands Biological Consulting to review the project. You can find their review here.


Very concerningly, there is insufficient review of the potential for solar panel glare to confuse birds and other wildlife, despite the promised anti-glare coating. And if the project kills birds, how many is acceptable, and what number might trigger additional mitigation? The applicant can self-report, and beyond that, neither the applicant nor the Planning Commission is required to take any specific action to reduce bird deaths. Before (or if) this project moves forward, we need answers to those questions, and more.


Keep voicing your concerns to the Seal Beach City Council regarding the potential impacts on the wetlands and neighboring communities. Ask for a full analysis of the project. Send a note to Shaun Temple, Planning Manager for the City of Seal Beach. Tell him that an Environmental Impact Report is the appropriate level of review for a project that could have significant impacts on the wetland wildlife that reside in this rare habitat. Ask him to share your views with the City Council.


Attend the Seal Beach City Council meeting on Feb 23 at 7:00 PM.
Tell them that if these solar panels are installed, they will likely remain for many years. In an era of rising seas and extreme weather, it is just wrong to add more stressors on the fragile and threatened species that rely on the remaining few acres of Los Cerritos Wetlands. At a minimum, there should be a full environmental review to better understand the impacts, how they will affect local wildlife, and the available alternatives.


With appreciation,


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust


P.S. The accompanying materials for the proposed solar panel agenda item were just posted on the City of Seal Beach website. You can find them here.



Recap of Seal Beach City Council meeting concerning the wetlands-adjacent solar farm: Vote was postponed.

Recap of Seal Beach City Council meeting concerning the wetlands-adjacent solar farm: Vote was postponed.

Solar Panels are proposed dangerously close to fragile wetlands. They would be located in the circled red area above. We are requesting a full environmental review of the project (and still are!).
Thanks to all who submitted letters, spoke at the December 8th Seal Beach City Council meeting about the proposed solar panel project, or watched the meeting online.


We had a strong turnout; almost all seats were filled! Everyone who attended the meeting opposed the solar panel project for several reasons, including the proposed project location. The panels would be adjacent to some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands’ most biologically sensitive areas, likely affecting the fragile and threatened species that rely on the wetlands to survive.


The project would include three separate solar arrays totaling 56 solar tables and 3,100 solar panels. The energy produced would be used to power oil drilling and other private operations.


There were lots of interesting and compelling speakers. I spoke about our concern that the project directly conflicts with our vision of a restored and protected Los Cerritos Wetlands.


Joining me in testifying was Douglas Carstens, Managing Partner at Carstens, Black & Minteer. He is an expert in California environmental law and spoke about the City’s obligation to prepare a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Not only would all potential impacts of the project be thoroughly analyzed, but an EIR also requires analysis of project alternatives.


Other speakers spoke about concerns for the fragile species that would be impacted by this project as well as the negative effects of potential glint and glare from the panels. There was compelling testimony from residents of the nearby neighborhood who are concerned about how the project might affect the visual enjoyment of the wetlands and were frustrated by the lack of notice to them and their neighbors. And the irony of building solar power to support oil drilling and gas operations was not lost on those in attendance.


The Council members were clearly struggling to balance the issues and concerns raised by the public and ultimately voted to postpone a vote until the upcoming February 9th Council meeting. They raised the possibility of a smaller project, located further from the Heron Pointe neighborhood.


I urge you to watch the City Council meeting on their YouTube channel. The portion of the meeting devoted to the Solar Panel Project begins about midway.


As I learn more details about the project and/or the upcoming City Council meeting, I will share them with you.


With appreciation,


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust