*At-home nature observations made by students in the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program uploaded to the program’s iNaturalist project.*

By Stacey Vigallon and Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program Interns

June 9, 2021

On May 18th, 2021 the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program wrapped up its 13th school year. The challenges of the pandemic required us to conduct the program entirely through online Zoom sessions. We focused on spectacularly local nature, with students observing and documenting what they could find in their apartment complexes, backyards, and neighborhoods. We also looked at the big picture, examining community-based problem-solving, multidisciplinary collaboration, and psychological barriers to sustainable choices. Students submitted highlights from their phenology journals and at-home plant germination experiments to the Los Angeles Public Library’s Covid-19 Public Archive, ensuring that nature is represented in the historical record of our city’s pandemic experience. The annual Cactus Commencement Ceremony -the culminating event where students formally present their work to an audience – was also conducted on Zoom to an audience of peers, program alumni, program supporters, and students from Cal Poly Pomona’s Questad Lab.

Greenhouse interns were incredibly committed to seeing their projects to completion. As they do each year in the program, interns collectively invested hundreds of hours in the research process: crafting a proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and designing a research poster. Each year, we publish their research project abstracts in an effort to share the knowledge gained with a broader audience and to acknowledge the interns’ hard work and commitment. This year’s projects asked interesting questions about sustainability practices, variation in urban tree canopy cover, indigenous land stewardship practices, the future of Ballona Creek, and how people connect to nature.

Brandon Kim

Examining the Human-Nature Relationship Through a Literary Magazine

Human modification of the environment has led to a significant human-nature disconnect. Between 2018-2020, I investigated this complex relationship by administering a series of writing prompts to students in the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program asking about their nature experiences. Between 2019-2020, I constructed a theme code and conducted a thematic analysis of the student-written samples collected in that span. Significant trends that emerged from these samples included the calming and introspective effect of nature; a perception of nature as being both an “escape” from urban life and an adventurous, exciting space; and frequent mention of location, plants and animals. These results may help manage urban-induced stress and indicate which aspects of nature are most valued, aiding conservation efforts. Between 2020-2021, I designed a literary magazine compiling selected samples. This structure allowed these samples to be better appreciated as “literature,” facilitating author-reader dialogue and understanding of the author’s relationship with nature. It also presented the human-nature relationship as a “conversation,” a construct that emphasizes nature as a living being to be grateful for. These findings highlight literature as a promising tool in environmental science communication, especially considering its emphasis on gratitude; individuals who are grateful for nature will likely value conservation.

Abril Sernas-Hernandez

Gastronomical and Medicinal Plants at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

Plants are multifunctional in the sense that they can be turned into food, medicine, dyes, etc. Wanting to focus on two specific uses (medicinal and gastronomical), I utilized various sources to collect information on 11 native and 5 non-native plants found at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (BHSO). Before researching their uses, I hypothesized there to be more medical than gastronomical uses in the plants individually, while also hypothesizing that 75% of the plants could be used for both purposes. To test out my hypothesis, I organized the findings into Google Spreadsheets with different categories that organized the plant’s taxonomic, gastronomic, and medicinal information along with sources. The results of my findings supported my hypothesis. Plants such as Elderberry, Chrysanthemum, Toyon, Sagebrush, and more could be used medicinally. The results also supported my hypothesis concerning the applicability of simultaneous use, as very few plants, such as Eucalyptus, were only applicable for their medicinal properties. Using the contents on the spreadsheet, BHSO community members can gain more insight into the plant’s multifunctionality and possibly incorporate some of the 16 plants into their medicine/foods as well.

Joseph McCullough

Urban Tree Canopy Cover: Variation within an Urban Area

The wealth of a community can be represented by its amount of and accessibility to green spaces, especially in areas requiring additional resources to maintain vegetation in drought-prone environments. In Los Angeles, the disparity in the amount of accessible green spaces has more complex issues than the ones seen at surface level. Using online mapping tools, I organized and examined several socioeconomic indicators of wealth, health, pollution,, and education, alongside green space coverage of trees, shrubs, grass and other pavements. The focal areas were determined by the residential zip codes of students in the Greenhouse Program. The analysis suggested the following trends: as the average tree canopy cover increased in a zip code, the emergency visits for asthma and its related issues per 10,000 people, the rate of adults without a high school diploma, and the unemployment rate decreased. Although I was working with a relatively small sample size of 15 zip codes, indicators of wealth in a community had a positive relationship with tree canopy cover. For future research, I hope others can continue examining this data set, perhaps looking at factors like ethnic/racial makeup, age, and population density of each zip code.

Yusuf Maung

Reptile Awareness in the Baldwin Hills

My project is a reptile awareness campaign that is meant to reduce the fear and panic people have when they encounter reptiles at Baldwin Hills parklands. Many people fear reptiles and overreact when they come into contact with them, which can lead to potentially endangering the reptiles. First, I surveyed Greenhouse Program students and staff about their attitudes and their family members’ attitudes towards reptiles. The data revealed that the family members were typically more scared of reptiles and that they had less knowledge about reptiles, compared to Greenhouse students and staff themselves. This supports my theory that people's fear of reptiles is often caused by the lack of knowledge they have of them. The data set from my survey was then used to inform a social media campaign where I focused on 3 specific reptiles that can be found at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in an attempt to spread knowledge about reptiles. My project's findings can be used by future Greenhouse interns who are interested in studying the relationship between humans and reptiles/nature.

Isabella Kelly

Everyone on the Trails

Picking native plants such as sage and veering off the trails are some very prominent problems at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park (BHSO) in Culver City, California, that prevent people from restoring the park properly. Not many people think about how their daily activities damage the Earth, which is why it is extremely important to spread awareness about what we can do to help. I felt that the best way to do this was to launch a social media campaign on either Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. To find out which social media platform was the best for my campaign, I looked through all of the different posts on these social medias that were related to #culvercitystairs, and #baldwinhillsoverlook. I used a spreadsheet to keep count of the hashtags and any posts relating to them. I eventually decided upon using Facebook to launch my social media campaign because there were the most posts on there pertaining to people not staying on the trail. For the final stage of my project I used my results to work with others to create a collective social media strategy that gave us a timeline for how we wanted to launch our campaigns.

Akari Johnston

Cyanotype and Illustrated Herbarium of Baldwin Hills

*A botanical illustration from Intern Akari’s Herbarium of the Baldwin Hills*

Using last year's project, a sun print herbarium containing common native and non-native plants at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park, as a jumping off point, this year I used digital art to create detailed illustrations of the plants in the herbarium. The illustrations were created in a similar format to botanical illustrations that are meant for plant identification and are used by botanists in scientific studies. In conjunction with Abril Sernas-Hernandez’s project, we will create an informative piece of media that combines my digital botanical artwork with the information that she compiled about each plant. The goal is to help the public to learn how to identify plants and the uses of plants seen at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, which spreads awareness of the various local species as well as the differences between native and non-native plant species. As this is my last year, I cannot continue my project, but I hope future interns will be able to use it as a resource.

Isabella Garcia & Kiana Roman

Sustainable Habits Knowledge

The Baldwin Hills area plays a valuable role for the local environment and the local community. The increased urbanization around the Baldwin Hills area has led to a lack of diversity and isolation of many plants and animals, as well as an increase in human interaction with the remaining animals and plants. Many people visit Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (BHSO) for outdoor recreation. There has also been an increase in trash at BHSO. Trash could be reduced if park visitors practice sustainability habits while at the park. Our research project aims to understand and educate the local community about sustainability habits to practice in green spaces. To find out what type of sustainability information to share, we needed to survey park visitors to find out their current knowledge and beliefs. We surveyed Greenhouse Program students. The data illustrated that many students had limited knowledge of sustainability practices, but that they did apply them when they visited green spaces. Many participants believed that it was the individual's responsibility to manage litter at the park. This data set will inform the development of content to encourage park visitors to practice suitability practices. Content will be distributed via Greenhouse Program affiliated social media.

Azul Calderon

Spanglish Ecology of the Baldwin Hills

My project is producing an educational podcast, The Spanglish Ecology of Baldwin Hills. I will address Baldwin Hills’ ecology in order to educate the public about how diverse the land is, while teaching them new Spanish words relating to ecology. I first had to learn about ecology and find out which intern projects best fit my narrative. By interviewing 4 of my fellow interns, I was able to find out what makes Baldwin Hills unique, gain other students' perspectives on ecology, and find out what made them so interested in the area. In order to record the interviews I used a Sony model #ICD/UX560 microphone, and I am using the Audacity software to edit the podcasts. All 4 interviews had a common theme: when we educate the public about the environment, people better understand the situation and may be more willing to take action. I engaged two Restoration Leaders as collaborators, commissioning them to compose an original score. I am creating four 2-3 minute episodes centered on the following words: fenología(phenology), botánica (botany), curiosidad (curiosity), restauración del habitat (habitat restoration).

Sienna Koizumi

Activist Art with Yarn Made Out of Plastic Bags

My intern project is an octopus cape crocheted using ‘plarn,’ or yarn made out of plastic bags. It is the culmination of two years dedicated to this material. Plastic is a threat to nature, both because of its contributions to global warming and as a pollutant. Concern over plastic waste is largely relieved by the belief that it gets recycled, but that is a myth manufactured by plastic manufacturers - most plastic does not get recycled for economical and practical reasons. Therefore, plastic bags were chosen as the material for my project. Reusing them will actually prevent plastic from entering landfills, and spread awareness in an artistic way. Octopuses were the inspiration for the cape because they can symbolize stranglers, which plastics are. Once finished, the cape can be used in the Greenhouse Program to introduce the topic of plastic pollution, and the tentacles can be animated to use for a performance. While working on the project, I learned about and was inspired by others who used art in their activism, like ‘craftivists’ who used crafting in order to advocate for change. Using crochet was significant for me because it is very hands-on, and proves that art can be used in combination with science to help tackle complex problems like plastic waste.

Denny Lorenzano

The Ecology of My Apartment

My project revolves around my apartment complex and the nature within it. I created my own Nature Journal, in which I kept a log of hand-picked plants in my apartment and sketched them. I made a map that showed an overhead view of my apartment to figure out which stations I would visit. I chose a total of three stations. Before starting the sketches, I identified which plants I was sketching. With the help of iNaturalist, a free mobile app, I could take a picture of my plant and it would find the best match for which plant species it was. For each station, I would take a sheet of printer paper and create a realistic sketch of the plant. I added notes on the side of my sketch, which consisted of what I noticed in my surroundings that day and anything that I thought I would want to remember for the next day, like observed changes, questions I had, or any insects I saw. After I was done, I would move on to the next station, repeating my actions. Being able to do this project was fun, and definitely helped my well-being. I feel that everyone should have some outdoor time, especially during the pandemic, when we’re all stuck at home. I feel that I’ve gained better observational skills, learned what kind of wildlife lives in my own apartment, and take better care of vegetation in our own home. I created a Nature Journal Guide for those who would like to try out this activity.

Nia Yick

Greenhouse Cookbook

Food is something that connects all humans. Through studying the history of food and the relationship different cultures have with food, we can “map who we are, where we come from, and what happened to us along the way” (Choi 2014). I studied Greenhouse Program staff and students to better understand how food plays a role in their social and cultural relationships. I collected data about food habits through a Google Forms survey, while more in-depth questions about relationships and culture were asked during small group interviews. My qualitative data set indicates food does play in a role in building connections between people. Meals give people an opportunity to gather and talk about their life; people bond over liking/disliking certain foods; and conversations about the history of a food engage different generations. Food ties participants directly to childhood memories, as many interviewees responded that certain foods reminded them of what their grandparents made them. The results from my project can help future program planning, perhaps incorporating more food activities with a variety of foods to allow students to bond. Future research could focus on how food is available depending on where someone might live or their cultural background.

Nosheen Maung

Mutual Aid

As my project takes place amidst the impacts of Covid-19 during the 2020-2021 school year, I wanted this project to serve as direct support for my community. Discovering the concept and practice of mutual aid, a self-sufficient system where everyone benefits and helps out, the sustainability and community-oriented center of mutual aid fit my intentions seamlessly. It stands to be more permanent compared to aid in the form of events, ie. a food drive. In researching the topic, the question of the possibility of implementing this in my immediate community began to drive my project. To work towards an answer, I narrowed down my range to Greenhouse Program students and designed a survey to identify what form of aid would be most of interest to the Greenhouse Program students. The survey data allowed me to establish a framework for a self-sufficient mutual aid model for the Greenhouse Program, providing aid in the form of what the majority was most interested in: college help/help with school subjects, socializing, and plant knowledge. This project can be further developed with the focus being the design of the mutual aid system, its implementation, and study of its effectiveness.

Jonathan Kim

Examining Students’ Beliefs on Environmental Impacts of Restoration of the Ballona Creek

Urbanization of the local Ballona Creek and watershed has resulted in the damage to much of the existing habitat. Despite this, the remaining underlying watershed processes leave restoration as a viable option. I have endeavored in a multi-year research project exploring this idea of restoration of the Ballona Creek and hypothesized that restoration would positively affect the environment. As an initial step, I conducted a survey that would help me understand Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program students’ knowledge on the historical and current state of Ballona Creek, as well as their beliefs on what the environmental impacts of restoration of the creek would be. I analyzed both the quantitative and qualitative data, which was evaluated through determining common word or phrase trends for the written responses. The results will aid me in the future as I plan to create a model next year comparing students’ knowledge on the effects of restoring Ballona Creek versus the actual environmental impacts of restoration. This comparison will not only help me examine my larger hypothesis, but also allow me to determine whether Greenhouse students are generally informed on this important issue of restoration of the Ballona Creek.

Cindy Chavez Gonzalez

Cultural Burning

Not many people have heard of cultural burning before, but it’s a necessity for our land. Cultural burning is beneficial for plants, people, and animals. Cultural burning is not just setting plants on fire randomly, it happens on a small area of chosen land and it is kept under control. The plants then can be used to make material and even medicine. When cultural burning is limited, the chances of intense wildfires that spread across the mountains increases tremendously and may even end up burning down homes. It would be good to spread awareness about how cultural burning can really help us and lessen our chances of having wildfires similar to the ones we had in 2020. Especially with global warming getting worse, we should be considering what other options we have. I wanted to share the information with Greenhouse students and assess their level of knowledge about wildfires. I gave a pre-survey, presented a video, and then gave a post-survey. I compared the answers to see if anyone’s opinions or knowledge changed after watching the video. More students came out with the knowledge that not all wildfires are bad, which is exactly what the project was supposed to do.

John Recendez

Next Steps for a Greenhouse Business Plan

My long-term project is a business plan that involves selling native plants to the community with the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program. The purpose behind this project is to benefit the community around the area, as well as the environment, specifically the native fauna through the creation of “rest stops” for animals who rely on native plants. The community would also benefit from having native plants in their homes. The project’s purpose to inform rather than advertise was a result of studies done during my second year connecting my project to climate change and urbanization. The majority of my time this year was spent doing research and developing interview protocols for industry professionals to implement next year. The main issues I faced involved trying to integrate certain ideas into my project that I learned about, and trying to deal with technicalities regarding taxes and profits. These issues helped me learn more about how to plan out the future of my project. The next steps in my project are to finalize everything and begin the setup after ironing out a few issues involving feedback from professionals.