How did the Brazilian Pepper tree make it’s way to the Ballona Wetlands? The Brazillian Pepper tree is an introduced plant species that was planted at a nearby apartment complex. The pepper seeds blew onto the wetlands and propagated. volunteer now »
Initiatives & Events
Events
Friends of Ballona Wetlands has ongoing monthly tours and restoration days. See calendar. Download Calendar pdf »
Initiatives
As advocates and stewards for the Ballona Wetlands, the Friends’ initiatives relate to current pressing issues. In 2008 we gathered signatures to support keeping the Purdue gate of the Ballona Creek bike path open and presented the petitions to the Bicycle Coalition and Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office.
Events
Friends of Ballona Wetlands has ongoing monthly tours and restoration days. See calendar. Download Calendar pdf »
Initiatives
As advocates and stewards for the Ballona Wetlands, the Friends’ initiatives relate to current pressing issues. In 2008 we gathered signatures to support keeping the Purdue gate of the Ballona Creek bike path open and presented the petitions to the Bicycle Coalition and Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office.
Our letter writing campaign in 2004 was designed to support California Fish and Game’s recommendation to approve Ecological Reserve (ER) status for Ballona. We followed up by sending staff and board members to the CFG Commission hearing where the matter was decided. Fortunately, that initiative was successful. Other key initiatives have been supporting the creation of the Freshwater Marsh and installation of the new tidegates, both campaigns of many years.
Our board approved Restoration Goals and Objectives support the California Coastal Conservancy’s planning process to create and approve a Ballona Wetlands restoration plan. This goals and objectives paper provides the Friends’ board input for that plan and is summarized in the Friends’ summer 2008 newsletter and Goals and Objectives Paper (Download pdf »)
The Friends hold an annual community meeting with presentations on current initiatives. For 2009, community meeting will take place on May 6, 2009, location to be determined. Other great opportunities to learn about initiatives is during Earth Day April 18, 2009 and Coastal Clean-up September 19, 2009, where staff introduces hazards of plastic and other debris in Ballona Creek, wetlands and ocean and actions to clean and reduce debris at the wetlands. We are planning for a one-day Ballona clean up of Ballona Channels in February. For information, call Kelly Rose, director of education and restoration at 310/739-8613.
We currently have a pending permit application with the California Coastal Commission to continue our dunes restoration work.