Important Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration meeting on January 25th

Important Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration meeting on January 25th


The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) is the government agency that manages the publicly owned portions of Los Cerritos Wetlands. They are in the process of putting together a plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of Los Cerritos Wetlands. It’s an involved process, as I am sure you can imagine, with lots of agencies and stakeholders involved. It’s been a while since the LCWA’s last meeting and next week they will be hosting an in-person meeting to update the public on the status of the planning process and share updates. 


The meeting will be held in person only, at 6:00 p.m. on January 25 at the Mary Wilson Library in Seal Beach. The meeting will include a recap of the initial public meeting, an update on the restoration design, and a discussion of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approach and permitting for the restoration project. The LCWA will also be sharing the results of the public access questionnaire which was disseminated last year. There will be time set aside for attendees to ask questions.


Background
The design process for the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands began in early 2021 for 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. The plan will facilitate the near-term restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal areas to upland transition areas. The restoration planning process considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, regional and socioeconomic needs, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.


Once completed, this multi-benefit project will provide a critical native tidal marsh and transitional habitat for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, remediate contaminated soil, provide access to tribal groups, and provide new public access opportunities in an urban area.


What: Public Meeting for the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project


Where: Mary Wilson Library (707 Electric Ave., Seal Beach, CA 90740)


When: Wednesday, January 25, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 


Click here for further information about the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s restoration planning process.


Hope to see you there!


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
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P.S. Below is another lovely photo of Hellman, with water sparkling in the sun.

King tides are coming. Take a photo. Help protect the coast.

King tides are coming. Take a photo. Help protect the coast.

The California Coastal Commission needs your help to photograph extreme high tides on January 21 & 22, this Saturday and Sunday. 

It’s been a tough few weeks with record rain, high surf, and flooding. While many are still dealing with the resulting damage, the forecast looks like the weather will calm down just in time for the next King Tides on January 21 and 22. While the photos you take this weekend may not look as dramatic as the previous storm waves, they represent the everyday water level of our near future. By taking pictures of the high tide and uploading them you are helping the Coastal Commission plan for the impacts of sea level rise on our communities in the future. And it’s fun and easy!

Can you imagine a storm of the magnitude we just experienced coinciding with base water levels two feet higher, or coinciding with that amount of sea level rise plus a king tide? While acknowledging the hardship and damage that occurred, we can be grateful that the past month’s waves did not coincide with a king tide.

You can find local King Tide times, learn how to upload your photos, browse previous King Tide photos, and find resources for educators on the California King Tides Project website. If you’ve been stuck inside for the last month, this weekend is a great time to get outside! 

The California King Tides Project is only successful with your participation. Thank you for being helpful!
Join Us for a Nature Walk on February 4th

Join Us for a Nature Walk on February 4th

Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, February 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. With all of the recent rain, there should be lots of water throughout the marsh and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other water-loving wildlife.

This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some marsh habitats that few people get to see. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
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WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st St and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly.
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WHEN: Saturday, Feb 4th, 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, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM.
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Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
RSVP via our Eventbrite link or send us an email.


Also on February 4th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.
Happy Holidays to You and Thank You for Supporting the LCWLT

Happy Holidays to You and Thank You for Supporting the LCWLT


Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,


We thank you and ask that you continue to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Why support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust this holiday season?


Our commitment to the defense of our local coastal wetlands. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust works every day to protect and preserve this vulnerable plot of urban nature, a remnant of a once-vast ecosystem. We have and will continue to defend Los Cerritos Wetlands from harmful development and encroachment.


Slowly and surely, our wetlands are being brought back to life. We are deeply involved in the ambitious habitat restoration program to create and rehabilitate invaluable acreage of tidal salt marsh.


We are committed to continuing our nature walks into 2023 and keeping them accessible to all. Over the years, thanks to our free-of-charge monthly nature walks, (which we have been hosting for over ten years!) the public has directly experienced and learned about our fragile local wetlands.


We help future generations develop an appreciation for the natural world. Los Cerritos Wetlands serves as an outdoor classroom for students throughout Long Beach. We are proud that we have helped a generation of kids feel connected to nature through our hands-on ecological education programs. 


We can’t do it without you!
The success of our efforts to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands is owed to members and supporters like you. We’re so grateful for the partnership of our members for allowing us to persevere.


Help us move forward into 2023 by renewing your membership or becoming a member today. Your tax-deductible gift, at whichever level is comfortable for you, makes a huge difference in our ability to run successful advocacy, outreach, and education programs.


We hope you will celebrate the wetlands with us this year, and choose to support the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Please join us in our commitment to explore, restore, and defend our local wetlands today! 


Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season, 


Elizabeth Lambe,
Executive Director 
and all of us at the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust


P.S. If you don’t already, I urge you to follow us on Facebook and on Instagram. And share our posts when you can! Not only do we hope that more and more people will know about and understand the value of wetlands, but our social media growth shows decision-makers that Los Cerritos Wetlands matter to the community. By following us you will be the first to know about breaking news regarding Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Our First Walk of the New Year is on January 7th

Our First Walk of the New Year is on January 7th

Join us to trek for Sea Turtles in the San Gabrial River on Saturday, January 7th. Not only will you observe sea turtles but also interesting wildlife like egrets and perhaps a great blue heron or two.Environmental educators from Tidal Influence will lead attendees on a wonderful 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 both privately and publicly owned wetlands on our way back to our meeting spot.

WHAT: Turtle Trek at Los Cerritos Wetlands.

WHEN: Saturday, January 7th, 2022, 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. 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 kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.RSVP via our Eventbrite link or send us an email.


Also on January 7th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.