What’s going on? Now that LAAS outdoor education programs are (Coronavirus) cancelled.
By Cindy Hardin, Director of Outdoor Education
Let’s keep our focus towards the bright side—sunset seen from Ballona Creek.
Well, like much of the State of California, our outdoor education programs for school children at Ballona and Kenneth Hahn came to an unexpected and grinding halt in mid-March [2020]. Over the past few years both programs have been particularly robust. For the 2019–2020 school year virtually all tour slots had been filled by January, we had a solid roster of fabulous volunteers, and a particularly wonderful crop of college interns at Kenneth Hahn. And then—da-da-da-dum! We all know what happened. Prior to the schools closing down physical spaces altogether, it was mandated by LAUSD that field trips would be cancelled for the foreseeable future. That future is currently unforeseeable, as we wait, along with the rest of the country, for events to unfold during these uncertain times.
However, up until the shut-down last month, we had lots going on at the wetlands and in the Baldwin Hills. Our annual training courses for both sites concluded in mid-October. We were treated to sessions with some incredible guest instructors. One of the highlights occurred at Ballona when we were visited by Greg Pauly, head of the Herpetology Department at the Natural History Museum. As Greg was dazzling us with his lizard lassoing skills, he rolled back a log very close to the Ballona trailer, and discovered a young Pacific Rattlesnake! This was an exciting find, as it was the first sighting in this particular area of the Reserve, and shows a level of biodiversity that is the hallmark of a high functioning ecosystem. All in attendance were thrilled. We also had great participation in our end of training docent field trip to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. It’s always fun to see what is happening at this beautiful wetland complex to the south, and we saw over 40 species of birds during our outing.
By the end of October, we were hosting students from local schools at both Kenneth Hahn and Ballona. Our First Saturday Open Wetlands event was also seeing attendance of over 45 visitors each month-things were really humming along.
Expert docent Iris Takashima and excited students at Ballona.
During the Winter Break we always try to do some docent enrichment sessions; this year we had two new adventures. The first was a trip to UCLA, where the university’s Chief Officer of Sustainability, Nurit Katz, provided a fabulous tour of the campus that highlighted the many things they are doing to improve the capture of rainwater and create better habitat for birds and other creatures. Lawns have been removed and replaced with native plantings, permeable surfaces have replaced hardscape, and there was even a green roof to observe. The changes make for a much livelier (lots of birds were seen) and visually interesting campus, and it was quite inspiring to see how public spaces can be made to be much more wildlife friendly.
Jamie Lowry has made it her mission to increase and share her knowledge of local Native Americans. She enlightened us during our outing to Topanga Canyon State Park.
Our second trip was in partnership with the docent program at Topanga Canyon. Many of our volunteers do double and even triple duty with other outdoor education programs, and both Dorothy Steinicke and Jamie Lowry are quite active in the Topanga program, in addition to the work they do at Ballona. It was their suggestion that the group visit Topanga, with an emphasis on Native Plants and how they were used by Native Americans. We chose a day in early January that just so happened to be absolutely gorgeous, clear and sunny. Our group of 30 was divided and rotated into two different hikes. Dorothy enlightened us on the native plants present, and Jamie gave a terrific tutorial on how these plants were used by the Native Americans. Patricia, who is in charge of the docent program at Topanga, was also kind enough to open up the Visitor Center just for our group. We had plenty of time to wander this great little space between Hike 1 and Hike 2, and before we sat down to a picnic lunch under the oak trees. We owe the Topanga crew a tour of Ballona!
Dorothy Steinicke taught us about montane varieties of native plants that were new to some of us.
A most perfect spot for a picnic—under the oaks at Topanga.
A historically dry January and February meant that we were able to host tours three days a week. Between Kenneth Hahn and Ballona, our team of staff and volunteers helped over 900 students from underserved schools do some serious nature exploring during this period. All was going splendidly!
The month of March started the same way-perfect weather and lots of tours were scheduled. We did have one free date in the first week of March, and took advantage of another gorgeous day to make a docent trip to Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach. The group strolled through beautiful coastal sage scrub habitat along ocean bluffs, hiked El Moro canyon and did some tidepooling along the shore. It was another great session of learning and comparing and contrasting the habitat of the park with that of our usual work sites. And then . . . field trips were banned and then schools were closed in quick succession. At the moment, a return to implementation of our wonderful programs is open to speculation. Obviously the hope is to do so sooner than later, but patience is the operative word here—we must simply wait and see.
Poppy and pollinator, a perfect match!
However, this unexpected and somewhat unstructured period has left some time for projects that have been long in the back of my mind. So while the usual activities of the program are on hiatus, we at LA Audubon are still thinking about how to create interest and understanding of nature amongst the students of Los Angeles. Over the years we have occasionally received requests for a video about Ballona. To that end, we are now in the midst of making mini movies about the programs at both Ballona and Kenneth Hahn. This will be a useful tool for teachers, and serve to support our curriculum on the tours. The films might also be used as part of our docent training in the Fall.
A flower filled Spring at beautiful Ballona.
Although constraint of movement, fear of contagion and financial worries are all part and parcel of the current situation, there are some unexpected and encouraging developments too. The lack of cars on the roads and drastic reduction in air travel has created a significant improvement in air quality and reduction of noise pollution. Many folks are commenting amongst themselves and on social media that they are more aware of birdsong, and thrilled at the crystal clear views. Neighborhoods all over town are seeing a huge uptick in pedestrian, bicycle and skateboard activity. People have more time to step outside and take a bigger view of their surroundings. It is my hope that the silver lining will be a deeper connection to the natural world amongst the general population. These type of connections help to foster a commitment to better stewardship of the Earth, and more thoughtful consumption of her precious and finite natural resources. It has been predicted by medical experts that some of our new practices, like social distancing, might be a part of our life for quite some time. It is my hope that a heightened awareness of the fragility of our natural world is another after effect that will be permanent. In the meantime, if there is opportunity to spend time outside in a safe manner that respects the parameters that are now in place, please do so. The unexpected “March Miracle” of additional wonderful rainfall has produced one of the juiciest Spring seasons in recent memory. Treat yourself with nature as medicine for the body and soul!
Connecting habitats is a crucial part of creating and maintaining healthy ecosystems. I was lucky enough to attend the groundbreaking of a pedestrian bridge over La Cienega. This will provide the final connection between the Baldwin Hills and the ocean via the fantastic Park to Playa trail.
On a personal note, in writing this article I am reminded of the valuable work that the Los Angeles Audubon Society does to enhance and inspire knowledge about the natural world that exists right here in the second largest city in the country. At times it feels as if we are in Week 127 of this pandemic, when in reality we were using the outdoor classroom to work together and spread the love of nature less than two months ago! But we at LAAS are still here, and when the time is appropriate will be back with, I suspect, even more enthusiasm and renewed sense of purpose. Stay tuned for more LAAS adventures!