Public Works Earth Day Events |
This spring, Public Works joined millions of people, literally around the world, in celebrating Earth Day - an internationally recognized celebration promoting a healthy environment. Earth Day is based on the simple philosophy that ordinary people, acting together, can achieve extraordinary things. As part of our commitment to protect the environment and provide a higher quality of life for the citizens of the County of Los Angles, we hosted five unique events throughout the County offering various groups of people the opportunity to make a difference and improve the environment.
Public Works hosted the First Annual Malibu Creek Watershed Earth Day Event on
April 17 in Agoura Hills. The event involved planting six Western Red Bud trees and over 300 native shrubs with Kids For A Cleaner Environment (Kids FACE) students from Willow Elementary School. Sponsors included the John Hurford Family, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and the Cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village, and Malibu. Vance and Pat Moran, owners of Whizin's shopping center adjacent to the site, provided parking for the event. This area is visited by pedestrians and is visible from Agoura Road. It will be enjoyed by many people for years to come in addition to improving the quality of the environment.
In the Los Angeles River Watershed, the Sixth Annual Los Angeles River Master Plan Earth Day event was held on Monday, April 21 at the Los Angeles River headwaters. The event was organized through a collaborative effort between Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's Office, Public Works, Army Corps of Engineers, Canoga Park High School, and L.A. Theatre Works. Participants planted 20 native trees and 300 shrubs as part of a groundbreaking event to announce the future plans for the river headwaters. All planting was completed by lunchtime, and students were treated to refreshments provided by the event's sponsors, which included Corner Bakery Café, Pizza Man, and Jamba Juice. In the following months, Public Works will continue to coordinate the development of this area as an interpretive site with landscaped trails and a sculpture depicting the river's history and water quality themes.
On Saturday, April 26, Public Works in cooperation with Ballona Creek Renaissance and Culver City Unified School District held an Earth Day tree and shrub planting along the Ballona Creek in Culver City. Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Culver City's Mayor, Carol Gross, participated in the event. Students from Culver City Middle School along with about 40 parents and volunteers planted 12 trees and over 150 shrubs along the channel maintenance road near the Sepulveda Boulevard crossing of the creek. Adam Skolnick from Tree People attended to instruct volunteers on proper planting techniques. Planting activities went on for about two hours followed by lunch during which Culver City Unified School District Board Member Jessica Beagle-Roos briefly addressed the students.
In the Dominguez Watershed, Public Works hosted a local cleanup of one of the few remaining natural watercourses in the County - the Wilmington Drain (or Bixby Slough). Over 40 neighbors of the drain and students from nearby Wilmington Middle School spent the morning of Saturday, April 26 removing over 1,500 pounds of trash and debris from along the banks of the drain. The California Department of Fish and Game offered a "cleanly" alternative and led those interested in a tour of the natural area around the drain to identify non-native plants for removal in the near future. Albertsons was kind enough to provide refreshments for the event. To conclude the clean-up event, our Flood Maintenance Division and the City of Los Angeles hauled away the trash and recyclable items, leaving the area clean for the start of summer and the nesting season.
In addition to great partnerships with outside agencies and businesses, each event's success is attributed to the fantastic efforts by staff in Watershed Management, Flood Maintenance, Architectural Engineering, and Public Affairs Divisions. You will notice that only four of the five events are summarized. That is because there is still one more to go. If you did not get a chance to participate in an Earth Day event and wish you had, you are in luck! As an added bonus, the San Gabriel Watershed section will be hosting a grand finale event in June. If you are interested in volunteering your time in improving the environment, please contact Rama Tallamraju in Watershed Management for more details. Remember, you may be only one person, but your coordinated effort with those around you can help to achieve extraordinary things.
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