Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Tr For Long Beach & Seal Beach

THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUST OF LONG BEACH AND SEAL BEACH SEEKS TO ACQUIRE, RESTORE, PRESERVE AND PROVIDE EDUCATION ABOUT THE FORMER ESTUARY OF THE LOWER SAN GABRIEL RIVER, ITS TIDAL SALT MARSH, RIPARIAN HABITATS, AND BUFFER OF COASTAL SAGE SCRUB HABITATS.

RESTORATION, STEWARDSHIP & GENERAL MISSION: IN 2021, THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUST SUPPORTED NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES TO MOVE FORWARD OUR MISSION OF PRESERVING, PROTECTING AND STEWARDING LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS AS A HEALTHY, RESTORED AND NATURAL OPEN SPACE. WE SUPPORTED HABITAT RESTORATION, INCLUDING ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE WETLANDS WATER QUALITY. WE SUPPORTED THE CONTINUED MAINTENANCE OF A ROBUST NATIVE PLANT DEMONSTRATION GARDEN AND THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF THE BELDINGS SAVANNAH SPARROW AND LEAST BELLS VIREO WHICH ARE THREATENED SPECIES.

ADVOCACY: THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUST IS THE LEADING ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS AND THE SURROUNDING SAN GABRIEL RIVER ESTUARY. IN 2021, THE ORGANIZATION EXECUTED ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS AND PROVIDED OVERSIGHT, COLLABORATION, EXPERTISE AND DEFENSE OF THE WETLANDS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY MONITORING THE CITY OF LONG BEACHS PROPOSAL TO CONTINUE TO RUN AESS ONCE THROUGH COOLING PUMPS TO CIRCULATE WATER IN ALAMITOS BAY. WE ADVOCATED FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROPOSAL FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND ASSURANCE THAT THERE WILL BE NO ADVERSE IMPACTS TO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. WE ATTENDED MEETINGS ABOUT THE PROJECT AND REVIEWED ALL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. WE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN REVIEW OF AND WORKSHOPS ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE RESTORATION PLANNING TO ENSURE THE FINAL PLAN(S) WILL PROVIDE ROBUST HABITAT AND MAXIMUM PROTECTION OF THREATENED SPECIES.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & PUBLIC EDUCATION: THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUSTS OFFERED NUMEROUS PROGRAMS IN OUTDOOR AND ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION. AMONG THESE IS THE UNIQUE COMMUNITY SERVICE OF FREE MONTHLY GUIDED NATURE WALKS AND LOW-COST TOURS THROUGH LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS AND NEARBY RIVER ESTUARY, LED BY TRAINED NATURALISTS AND ECOLOGISTS. THESE EXPERTS PROVIDE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES WITH AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN OUR LOCAL WETLANDS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME EDUCATING TOUR ATTENDEES ABOUT THE HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS. THE LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS LAND TRUST ALSO PROVIDED WETLANDS FIELD TRIPS FOR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS WITH EMPHASIS ON 3RD AND 4TH GRADE STUDENTS AT TITLE 1 SCHOOLS IN LONG BEACH. TOWARDS THE END OF 2021 WE RE-STARTED OUR IN-PERSON NATURE WALKS OF LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS (WITH COVID PROTOCOLS IN PLACE) AS WELL AS OUR PROGRAM OF LEADING EDUCATIONAL KAYAKING TOURS OF LOS CERRITOS WETLANDS, SPECIFICALLY OF THE STEAMSHOVEL SLOUGH AREA. ALL OF OUR IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS WERE CANCELLED IN 2020 DUE TO STAY AT HOME ORDERS DUE TO COVID. HOWEVER WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE (VIRTUAL)EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS FOR MOST OF THE GRADE LEVELS THAT TYPICALLY ATTEND OUR IN-PERSON TOURS. THIS PAST YEAR WE INSTEAD HOSTED VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS THAT INCLUDED LIVE INSTRUCTION FROM A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR AND RESTORATION ECOLOGIST.