Wetlands get treated as the ugly duckling of L.A.’s natural spaces. It’s time to change that
Happy World Wetlands Day from the driest big city in the world. OK, that’s not true. We may think of our city as arid, but Los Angeles harbors its very own rich wetlands (plus, Yuma beats us on aridity any year). The Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, between Playa del Rey to the south and Marina del Rey and Venice Beach to the north, represents the past, present and future of our city. These ancestral waterways once harbored a fertile ecosystem with which the Tongva coexisted, but the area was recklessly defaced by Marina del Rey construction and continues to struggle with fires and trash from local encampments.
Related articles:
- Mendocino Voice: Mendocino County aims to codify wetland protections, but it could take years
- Herald and News: Miller Island easement, restoration a boon for Klamath Basin Wetland Habitat
- Defenders of Wildlife - Blog: California’s Central Valley celebrated for World Wetlands Day