Posts tagged LA Creek Freak
LA Stormwater Is Waving Thanks!
Nov 23rd
November is always a nice break from wagging our fingers, telling people not to do things, and start putting our hands together for all the amazing work that our followers, partners and volunteers have done to assist and promote the efforts of LA Stormwater.
First of all, we’d like to say, to all of our fans on Facebook, “you like us, you really like us.” Well, we like you too, and we are very thankful for the support through your comments, likes and shares so that others can stay up to date on local volunteer opportunities, gardening and water-related events, clean water tips, relevant news for eco-minded fans, fun contests and more! You’ve all really helped build a strong and active Clean Water community! Share our page with your friends and help us continue to grow!
We also want to say thanks to our partners for joining the Clean Water Team Effort—to name just a few: TreePeople, Green LA Coalition, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Mar Vista Green Garden Council, Keen for Green, the LA Conservation Corps, Heal the Bay, LA Creek Freak, Friends of the LA River, Friends of the Ballona Wetlands and My Plastic Free Life. All your support and the contributions of your sustainable visions have not More >
LA Creek Freak Launches Interactive LA Watershed Map
Apr 13th
Here at LA Stormwater we are big fans of the local LA Creek Freak blog, which is full of insightful and useful information about all things LA watershed related. You may remember our recent interview with Joe Linton of LA Creek Freak in the last issue of our LA Stormwater eNewsletter, in which he asked readers to become familiar with their watersheds.
Joe Linton isn’t all talk, he and his pals at LA Creek Freak have been working hard to help Angelenos understand their watersheds a little better. Most recently the Creek Freak team launched an interactive map that allows users to click and learn a bit more about local streams, wetlands, lakes and watershed functions in the greater LA area. It’s a fantastically cool resource we’re sure you’ll enjoy!
The map itself, which LA Creek Freak acknowledges, is a work in progress. Nevertheless, we have found it to be useful, fun and educational all at the same time.
First you’ll need to enlarge the map to enjoy all of its functionality. One item that is interesting to notice is that there are many streams in our area that remain nameless. Do you know a creek near you that doesn’t have a name? Zoom in and More >
Find the Stream in your Neighborhood
Feb 1st
by Joe Linton
People often ask me what they can do to get involved in helping out Los Angeles’ rivers and creeks. Many ways to get involved have been covered here at the L.A. Stormwater Blog – some easy, some more involved. These include: using reusable grocery bags, tending to your pet’s poop, participating in clean-up events, harvesting rainwater, planting a creek-friendly landscape in your yard and working to green your street. Some other ways that Jessica Hall and I have written about at our blog L.A. Creek Freak include: riding your bicycle, re-using greywater, and protecting our more natural streams.
One project that we creek freaks strongly recommend is researching and visiting your local creek.
Many people ask Lewis MacAdams, founder of the Friends of the Los Angeles River, how they can get involved. His response is generally along the lines of “go down to the river and walk along it and listen.” I think that this is excellent advice; seeing the Los Angeles River and making a visceral connection with it is an important step in working toward its health.
Not everyone reading this article lives near the L.A. River, though. If you’re in the city of Los Angeles, you may live nearer More >
Wicked Wildfires with Wet Weather…Watershed Woes
Oct 29th
Wicked wildfires and frightful floods are a natural and challenging part of the ecological cycle here in California. Fire is essential in Mediterranean ecosystems with certain species of native plants needing fire to guarantee their existence. All too often, however, these fires take place in the fall when the flames are fanned by fierce Santa Ana winds that hauntingly howl through our canyons. These fires leave behind ashy moonscapes and barren areas of land devoid of vegetation. It is these desolate landscapes onto which winter’s first raindrops fall, and while rain is always welcomed here in Southern California, vast areas without groundcover mixed with heavy rain produces a new threat – mudslides. The fact that a high percentage of Los Angeles neighborhoods are within the Wildland Urban Interface (or WUI) – areas where homes meet forest or wildland – California’s fire and flood cycle presents homeowners with added challenges.
The recent Station Fire vividly demonstrated the devastating impact that fire can have here in the Southland. It claimed two lives, destroyed dozens of homes and scorched a staggering 250 square miles in the foothill communities of La Canada-Flintridge, Altadena, Pasadena and Angeles National Forest. The next challenge we face with an More >
Listen to the Rainwater Harvesting Podcast
Aug 21st
The Homegrown Evolution blog, kicked off its very fist podcast with a story about the LA Rainwater Harvesting program! Erik Knutzen interviews Wing Tam (LA Stormwater) about the program in the second half of the podcast. The show is concluded with a reaction to the Rainwater Harvesting program from Joe Linton (LA Creek Freak blog). Listen at http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/08/homegrown-evolution-podcast-episode-1.html#comments
