EARTH DAY FUN IN THE SUN - Restore the Wetland at Rio de Los Angeles State Park!

Join us for a very exciting and special event to celebrate EARTH DAY 2009! 30BARACK is collaborating with North East Trees (www.northeasttrees.org) on the California State Parks Foundation’s Wetland Restoration Project at Rio de Los Angeles State Park just north of downtown LA.

The event takes place on Saturday, April 25, 2009, from 8am to 1pm, and will be extremely FUN and SOCIAL! We will be learning about native plants and wetland ecology, removing non-native invasive plants and putting in native species. Have a blast and make a difference right here in your own city!

Please CLICK ABOVE to sign up! Kids are welcome, but must be 16 years of age or older to participate in the event, and will need parents to sign a waiver. Wear closed-toed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Bring gloves if you have them, a hat and sunscreen.

ABOUT RIO DE LOS ANGELES STATE PARK and the LA RIVER REVITALIZATION PLAN
This park and this project represent a truly important and hopeful step forward in the improvement of our city and our quality of life. Metropolitan Los Angeles is one of the nation’s most park-deficient urban regions. The area surrounding Rio de Los Angeles State Park provides less than 1.3 acres of public open space per 1,000 people, well below the City of LA objective to provide 4 acres per 1,000 people, and significantly below the 6.25 to 10.5 acres per 1,000 people recommended by the National Recreation and Park Association. The residents of Cypress Park fought industrial zoning regulations and big property developers for years before finally prevailing in 2001 when the state spent $45 million of bond measure money to purchase the land for this park. Situated along the LA River, the park is viewed by many as key to the future Los Angeles River Greenway, an “emerald necklace” of riverfront parks envisioned along a rejuvenated waterway, extending from the western San Fernando Valley to Long Beach Harbor along the 51 mile LA River corridor.

In April 2007, the City of Los Angeles put forth its 20-year LA River Revitalization Master Plan, which reclaims the river as a major focus of life in Los Angeles. In 1769, the beauty and bounty of the Los Angeles River inspired the city’s founding on its banks (very near the location of this park). In the 1930’s the river’s erratic nature inspired the US Army Corps of Engineers to fix its course within a concrete channel. In 1995 the LA River was named the second most endangered river in America. The plan will revive the river’s natural ecology, removing concrete channels when possible and planting native flora to restore the riparian habitat for wildlife and birds traversing the Pacific Flyway. Parks will be developed along the riverbanks, providing safe access and outdoor recreation. Local neighborhoods will be connected to the river and parks by the creation of “Green Streets.” Improvements to the storm drain systems and restoration of the river will help clean up storm runoff and increase water quality throughout the watershed.

Formerly a railroad depot, Rio de Los Angeles State Park is still very much a work in progress. The state now owns two parcels of land, a 40 acre rectangle along San Fernando Road a short distance from the river, and an 18 acre arc along the riverbed. The state plans to purchase the critical remaining 44 acres along the river which will connect the two existing parcels. Altogether comprising over 100 acres and two miles of river frontage, this land is one of the largest undeveloped contiguous areas along the Los Angeles River.

The 40 acre rectangle is currently the only developed portion of the park, and includes a 20 acre section leased to the City of LA which has built soccer fields -- including one with a synthetic surface -- baseball diamonds, tennis and basketball courts, a community center and an expansive children's playground. Opened on Earth Day 2007, it is the “greenest” park in the City, with permeable parking lot surfaces to allow absorption of rainwater into the ground and a stormwater runoff plan to feed into the wetland area in the other 20 acres which were retained by the state. This is the wetland area where we will be working, removing non-native invasive plants and putting in native species necessary to the wetland ecology.

For the most complete information on the Rio de Los Angeles State Park project: http://www.theriverproject.org/tayloryard/index.html

For the Los Angeles River Revitalization brochure: http://www.lariver.org/5.2_brochure_link.htm