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Page Page
Value: the wise recognize it and work
together to protect it, add to it and create
with it; the foolish simply extract from it
whatever they can. To value
something is to treasure it.
Consider the mission statement
of the Santa Monica Mountains
Conservancy (SMMC):
“Through direct action,
alliances, partnerships, and joint
powers authorities, the Conservancy's
mission is to strategically buy back,
preserve, protect, restore, and enhance
treasured pieces of Southern California to
form an interlinking system of urban,
rural and river parks, open space, trails,
and wildlife habitats that are easily
accessible to the general public.” We
recognize our land has value
above and beyond what we can
simply extract from it.
If you look at a satellite photo
of the Los Angeles area, you
see an interlinking system of mountains
and valleys. If you look at the land we
have acquired, you see an interlinking
system of habitats. (cont. on page 2)
Our values shape our actions
Inside this issue….
1 Feature Story
3 From the
Editor
3 Greetings from
the MRCA
4 Natural
Resources &
Planning
6 Operations
8 Developed
Resources
9 Landscape
Architecture
9 Construction
10 Facilities &
Maintenance
12 Interpretation
14 Photo Gallery
2007
An interlinking system of mountains and valleys.
Photo courtesy of Dr. William Bowen,
California Geographical Survey
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 22
(cont. from page 1) If you look at our organization structure,
you see an interlinking system of divisions & partnerships.
One of these partnerships is the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority (MRCA). The SMMC partners
with the two local government agencies, the Conejo
Recreation and Park District and the Rancho Simi
Recreation and Park District to form the local joint power
authority known as the MRCA.
The MRCA also has a mission statement: “The MRCA is
dedicated to the preservation and management of
local open space and parkland, watershed lands,
trails, and wildlife habitat. The MRCA
manages and provides ranger services
for public lands and parks that it owns
and that are owned by the SMMC
or other agencies and provides
comprehensive education and
interpretation programs for the
public. The MRCA works in
cooperation with the SMMC and
other local government partners to
acquire parkland, participate
in vital planning processes,
and complete major park
improvement projects.”
The interlinking system model also works for describing
the MRCA’s organizational design. We are divided into
different divisions and units, with each division primarily
focused on what we do best within the boundaries of the
mission statement. But there are also areas of overlap, with
cross-functional teams working on projects in support of the
overall Agency mission. Like all analogies, this model has
its limitations. For example, Finance, Legal and
Interpretation support every division, and Interpretation
also functions as a liaison with the general public. But even
with its weaknesses, the model works reasonably well.
In this issue of Symbiosis, we will explore each of the major
divisions and units in more detail, giving you a summary
overview of the jobs we do and how we support the
mission statement. We will also highlight some of our
projects for 2007 and share a few stories about our people.
Mission statements and visual models are classic tools for
understanding organizational structures. But I’m an
interpreter by trade. We tell stories, an ancient tradition and
increasingly post-modern method of communication. So let
me finish by telling you a story, which may provide more
insight as to how we work together.
In October, a wildfire breaks out that threatens one of our
parks, nature center and neighboring houses. How do we
respond?
The Santa Ana winds are light, so the Incident Commander
(IC) decides we have a chance to stop this fire by creating
a firebreak at Parcel A or B. Paul, our agency liaison
(from natural resources), informs the IC that Parcel A
contains endangered plants but Parcel B does not.
So the order is given to create a firebreak
at Parcel B. The order is communicated
to the Franklin Emergency Operations
Center, or EOC. Jamie
(interpretation) and Elizabeth
(landscape architecture) transmit the
instructions to Pat (fire volunteer) in
the mobile command center, which
was driven earlier to the site by
Sabas (facilities and maintenance).
Dave (operations) gathers a
crew (construction, operations
and facilities) and starts
cutting a fire line. Paul (facilities)
and Jewel (operations) apply
protective fire foam to the nature center, using the water
tender that Tony (natural resources) has drive to the site. The
fire is stopped at the firebreak and our nature center (and
people) are safe.
Later in the day, Zenia (developed resources) delivers lunch to
the tired and hungry fire crew.
The neighboring homes are also safe, in part because the
homeowners brushed their properties. Earlier in the year,
Scott (construction) cleared brush along the perimeter of our
property. Alfredo (facilities) distributed flyers created by
Wendy (interpretation) to the neighbors, flyers that provided
homeowner brush clearance information.
Is this story overly simplistic? Perhaps, but it is a composite
of actual events and trainings I’ve observed and heard
about. I tell this story because it’s an example of the kind of
interlinking system we have been talking about—people
working together to “preserve and protect treasured pieces
of Southern California.”
Facilities &
Maintenance Construction
Developed
Resources Operations
Interpretation
Landscape
Architecture
Natural
Resources &
Planning
Page Page 33
Greetings from the MRCA…Greetings from the MRCA…
From the Editor…..From the Editor…..
Mission Statements—it seems as though no modern
organization can exist without one. One wag even
described them as “the full-employment act for business
school graduates.” But mission statements serve a useful
purpose. My B-school professors taught that a well-crafted
mission statement prioritizes and directs your actions. It tells
you when you are working on the right things and when
you are working on the non-essentials. OK—we have one
and what’s more, we use it.
But I was also taught mission statements should be short.
Pithy. Easy to understand, remember and communicate.
Ours is not short. Yet it seems to work. Why is that?
Maybe the real world is more nuanced and complex than
the academics would lead us to believe. Maybe our mission
statement is the equivalent of a 1000-word description of the
photo on a jigsaw puzzle box. As the old saying goes, one
picture is worth a thousand words.
And while I’m in the mood to ask quirky questions —I was
also taught that divisional structure is supposed to be clearly
demarcated with minimal functional overlap. Ours isn’t.
Yet it seems to work. Why is that?
Maybe the real world is more irregular than we’ve been led
to believe. Maybe our overlapping functional structure is
what gives our small agency the ability to read a situation
and react quickly and cooperatively when opportunities and
challenges arise.
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Symbiosis. In this
issue, our goal is to provide you with a puzzle box photo of
the SMMC and the MRCA—who does what and why we
do it. Just don’t expect us to follow all the business school
rules. The real world seldom fits in a neat and tidy box.
Neither do we.
Wendy Langhans
310-858-7272 x 115
Dear Friends -
As a retired educator and administrator, I’ve always been
interested in how to create lesson plans that “stick” in
student’s minds. So my attention was captured by a review
of a new business book, Made to Stick. The book focuses on
how to communicate ideas that will be remembered, ideas
that will “stick” with their audience. But as I read further, I
realized that the author’s conceptual scheme resembles the
same basic principles of interpretation taught for years to our
volunteers, Rangers and Naturalists.
This is just one example of the many ways the people of the
MRCA are at the forefront of their professions. Our Natural
Resources division brings leading-edge scientific knowledge
into our land management decisions. Our landscape
designers incorporate the best practices for capturing and
infiltrating rainwater. Our Operations personnel are
generalists and cross-trained to provide maximum
flexibility. Our Developed Resources division supports
diverse community needs—everything from weddings to
non-profit fundraisers to programs for special-needs
children. Our Interpretation division helps make our
parklands physically, intellectually and emotionally
accessible to all the people of the Los Angeles region.
Our people function as multi-taskers in order to provide
multiple benefits to our agency and to the community.
Our parklands are designed to provide multiple benefits to
the entire community: public health, economic and
sociological as well as ecological.
Dan Heath, one of the authors of Made to Stick, is an
education consultant. The other, Chip Heath, teaches at the
Stanford Business School, where tuition is about $41K per
year. Right now our Interpretation Division is offering a 10-
week volunteer naturalist training class at Franklin Canyon.
Our training is free to our volunteers. I think we offer a
bargain.
Now go outside and play!
Michael D. “Mike” Berger, Chair
Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 44
Natural Resources and Planning…Natural Resources and Planning…
Overview: These are the people who
translate environmental science into land
acquisition and management decisions.
They work with other government agencies—
federal, state and local, to advise, identify and acquire key
properties of ecological significance. Sometimes these
properties are wide swatches of natural open space like
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, which
was acquired because of its role as a wildlife corridor.
Sometimes they are a mosaic of parcels in the urban core,
such as those along the Los Angeles River, where the whole
functions much more than the sum of its parts. Once
acquired, these properties are protected and, if necessary,
restored.
LA River—a refuge for people and animals Vista Hermosa—nourishing the whole child
Imagine you are growing up in the Westlake community
of Los Angeles, one of the most densely populated urban
areas in the U.S. Your future depends on receiving an
education that supports your intellectual, creative and
physical needs. But unfortunately, Westlake has over 8,500
youths under the age of 18 with no park, recreational
facilities or open space within a one mile radius of most of
their homes. Well, that statistic is changing.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
(MRCA) has partnered with the Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD) to build a soccer field as part of the
10-acre open space natural park Vista Hermosa, currently
under construction. The park is adjacent to Central High
School No. 10, which is being built in the Pico-Union/
Westlake area near downtown Los Angeles. This joint-use
project with LAUSD is not your typical
city park or high school playing field.
This field will be surrounded by native
plants typically found in the Santa
Monica Mountains.
It’s 51 miles long and only 11 miles are unpaved. But those
11 miles are teeming with wildlife—home to egrets, herons
and wild ducks. Over 200 species of birds have been seen
along the Los Angeles River, even in the concrete areas.
We want to help restore it and create a wildlife refuge.
That’s right—a federal
wildlife refuge. By the
end of the year we
hope to have a
proposal submitted to
Congress. And no,
we’re not crazy. We’re
visionary. We see the
LA River as an
important and
valuable part of the watershed and ecosystem. We see the
potential to change people's opinions about what an urban
wildlife refuge can look like.
Consider the opportunities:
In Los Angeles, we estimate 75 percent of children have
no park within walking distance of their homes. Just in
the city of Los Angeles alone, there are 32 miles of space
along the river to help remedy that.
Rather than squander our precious rainwater by
sending it to the ocean, we could use it to replenish our
underground aquifers in the San Fernando valley, and
provide habitat for native plants and animals.
Parks increase adjacent property values, small business
opportunities, tourism and jobs. The San Antonio
Riverwalk, for example, is considered the anchor of that
city’s $1.2 billion tourism industry. Think what
revitalizing the Los Angeles River could do for Los
Angeles.
Snowy Egret.
Contributed by Lilian Darling Holt
Page Page 55
…strategically buy back treasured pieces of Southern California…strategically buy back treasured pieces of Southern California
(cont.) Combining sports and wild places will create a park
that provides both passive, meditative places and the thrill
of a soccer game. The MRCA's unconventional and
successful approach to urban natural parks has focused on
re-creating natural elements of the Santa Monica Mountains
while still providing active recreation.
In the natural areas of the park, children and neighborhood
families will be able to enjoy soaring hawks, dense oak
groves, and wide expanses of wildflower meadows
normally found in the Santa Monica Mountains and re-
created in their front yard. Amenities of the
park will include hiking and walking trails, bird
watching, family picnic areas and an overlook
with great views of the downtown Los Angeles
skyline.
Vista Hermosa is slated to open in late October 2007. So
plan to join us early next year. It should be teeming with
families hiking, couples sitting in the sun contemplating
nature, and boys and girls practicing their soccer moves for
the next match, among the California poppies!
Contributed by Stephanie Landregan, ASLA
In 2000, an agreement was signed between the Army
Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the SMMC which made
the In-Lieu Fee Mitigation program available to outside
parties. Here’s how it works: if a landowner gets penalized
by a regulatory agency for damaging a protected resource
or habitat, reparations must be made so that there is no net
loss of habitat. If the outside party can’t make the reparation
on their own site, they may turn to the MRCA to restore and
mitigate the impacted habitat on our property. The MRCA
charges a fee based on the severity and magnitude of the
damage. The more valuable the resource damaged or
destroyed, the higher the penalty charged.
The Natural Resources & Planning Department manages
the program at several parkland locations in Los Angeles
County. We have a full-time staff assigned to the restoration
of “riparian” (streamside) habitats, a critical component of
wildlife corridors throughout the Santa Monica Mountains,
Simi Hills and Santa Clarita Woodlands watersheds. Most
local wildlife species rely on riparian habitats for survival
and use them to navigate through the mountains.
First a site is chosen, with an annual or perennial stream.
Then pre-existing exotic plants, such as giant reed, tamarisk,
and milk thistle, are removed and properly disposed of
offsite. We also use other methods such as chain saw and/or
cut stump treatments or an appropriate herbicide such as
“Ecoexempt”. When the exotic plants are gone and their
seed banks are exhausted, the site is ready to be planted.
We install native plants such as western sycamore, arroyo
willow, mulefat and mugwort. We encircle the new plants
with gopher cages and sometimes deer cages for protection
against grazing. We water the plants for 3-5 years or until
they become established, using a temporary PVC irrigation
or drip system. Some sites are so remote that they can only
be hose watered by a water truck.
In 3-5 years you have an improved and healthier, higher
quality streamside habitat. This restored habitat now
provides more shade, food, erosion control, shelter and
nesting sites for indigenous wildlife. Restoration also
improves the air, soil and water quality.
The MRCA’s In-Lieu Fee Program provides solid and
tangible mitigation solutions and serves as an example of
local restorative justice for the natural environment. Next
year we will be continuing projects at Crummer and Pico
Canyons and beginning new projects in Granada Hills and
near Soledad Canyon in the Santa Clara River watershed.
Contributed by Tony Charness
A temporary PVC irrigation system is used to help new
plants get established in Caballero Canyon.
In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Restorative Environmental Justice
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 66
Operations…. Operations….
Overview: The MRCA Ranger program
operates on the principle of the Generalist
Ranger. Our rangers are sworn California
Peace Officers, experienced wildland firefighters
and certified interpretive guides. On any given day, a
ranger could explain to a group of children how to tell the
difference between a dog and a coyote track, find a lost child,
remove a downed tree limb, help put out a fire or write a
ticket for speeding.
Driving in and out of
Franklin Canyon is always
an adventure. Coming
round the bend, you just
never know what you are
going to see - a covey of
quail, a coyote or a class of
school children. That’s one
reason why the speed limit
is set at 15 mph; drivers need to be able to stop quickly
within a short distance. Did you know that the stopping
distance for a vehicle going 15 mph is 47 feet? But for a
vehicle going 25 mph, the stopping distance is 130 feet.
More drivers now are using Franklin Canyon as a “short
cut”, avoiding the heavier traffic on Coldwater Canyon
Drive. And many of these drivers are not obeying speed
limits or stop signs. So we are faced with a growing traffic
enforcement problem and limited options for solving it.
We could limit thru traffic by closing one entrance to the
canyon. But that would limit accessibility, something the
MRCA is passionately committed to preserving.
Or we could assign a ranger to full-time traffic enforcement.
But MRCA Park Rangers are generalist rangers. As well as
being California Peace Officers, they perform maintenance,
interpretation and fire and rescue duties. Every hour
allocated to traffic enforcement is one less hour they have to
perform other much-needed services to the community.
So this year the MRCA is doing what more and more local
municipalities are doing: we are installing automated traffic
enforcement systems that use conventional radar with
digital cameras to detect both speeding and stop sign
violations. If a violation is detected, a telephoto lens captures
a close-up image of the vehicle and its registration plates.
All photos are reviewed before a citation is issued (for
example, an ambulance with flashing lights might coast
through a stop sign). A traffic citation notice is mailed to the
registered owner and payment can be made online. The
citation can also be contested through normal channels.
We expect to implement this program later this year and we
will provide plenty of notice before it goes into effect. In an
ideal world, everyone would drive safely. But given our
options, we’d rather be handing out tickets than calling the
paramedics.
The MRCA has received a 3-year grant from the State
Coastal Commission “to help implement interim
stewardship activities to protect and enhance the Ballona
Wetlands.” The MRCA is now providing ranger patrols to
enforce local and state laws, protect the resources of the site
and help ensure the success of restoration enhancement
activities. This authorization will provide funds for part-time
ranger services for up to three years.
An additional grant from the SMMC will support on-going
site cleanups and community outreach programs such as
Junior Rangers and public walks.
MRCA Rangers Jewel Johnson and Laura Just, along with
Interp’s Jamie Cabral and Brad Henderson from California
Fish & Game, visit Ballona Wetlands.
Speed and Safety
Ballona Wetlands
Page Page 77
...preserve and protect...preserve and protect
In eastern Los Angeles County, our Rangers work with the
Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority
to provide programs for local school children. These two-
hour programs focus on nature education, conservation,
stewardship and wilderness skills.
To become a certified “Generalist Ranger”, candidates have
to meet the training requirement of the Park Rangers
Association of California (PRAC). A successful candidate
must meet the minimum 364-hour requirement in the
following areas:
MRCA requirements for our Rangers are even more
rigorous - 420 hours - and we schedule periodic
recertification as required.
MRCA staff are certified as trainers by a variety of state and
national organizations, including the California Fire
Marshall, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, National
Association for Interpretation and California Peace Officers
Training and Standards Commission.
Many of our rangers go above and beyond the MRCA
training standards. For example, while all our rangers have
Search and Rescue Training, one Ranger, Jodi Thomas, has a
passion for working with search and rescue dogs.
You can’t hide from Caba
It is always a pleasure to watch MRCA Ranger Jodi
Thomas working with Caba, her search-and-rescue
dog. Like any well-practiced team, much of their
communication is non-verbal and appears almost
magical to the casual observer.
There are three kinds of SAR dogs: trailing, tracking
and air-scenting. A good air-scent dog can find
humans by following the approximately 40,000 skin
cells humans shed per minute. Caba is being trained
in wilderness air scent; she and Jodi just qualified as a
Type 2 Area Search Dog Team.
Dear Rangers
Laura and
Francine,
...On the hike, I
liked the encoun-
ter with the rattle-
snake, which was
pretty cool...
- a 4th grader
from Whittier
Ranger Jodi Thomas and her search and rescue dog
Caba, at the 2006 LACPCA demonstration.
Photo by Sue Chipperton
Law Enforcement 138 hrs
Resource Management Biology 32 hrs
Geography 24 hrs
Resource
Protection
24 hrs
Interpretation 40 hrs
Fire/Rescue 44 hrs
Maintenance Operations 40 hrs
Emergency Medical 22 hrs
Community Outreach
PRAC Standards and Training
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 88
Developed Resources…provides memorable locations and services Developed Resources…provides memorable locations and services
Overview: Our Developed Resources
Division provide sites with facilities where
people can observe significant events in their
lives, whether it be a wedding, graduation, anniversary or
memorial service. These sites also support our local business
and Southern California film industry and the revenue they
generate provides cost recovery to support those portions of
our mission that are not funded by government dollars.
For all inquiries please visit our website at
LAMountains.com or email [email protected].
You can also contact Marsha Feldman at (310) 589-3230
ext. 144. or [email protected].
Our 55,000 acres of parkland offer an
amazing diversity of landscapes, vistas,
and structures - almost all within the
30-mile zone.
For elegant weddings and receptions, you can choose from
the lush garden courtyards of the Los Angeles River Center
and Gardens in Los Angeles or the spectacular views of the
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly
Ahmanson Ranch) in Calabasas. Temescal Gateway Park in
Pacific Palisades and Franklin Canyon Park
in Beverly Hills offer charming rustic
settings, while San Vicente Mountain Park
and Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway
Park both offer sweeping vistas.
Sage Ranch in Simi Hills has a private group camp that
works well for scouting groups and
families. Temescal Gateway Park
has a variety of cabins and dorms
that will hold at least 150 people.
Towsley Canyon in Santa Clarita
can house 18 people.
Many schools, businesses as well as philanthropic and
religious organizations hold seminars, workshops, retreats
and special events at our facilities. Temescal Gateway Park
in Pacific Palisades can accommodate meetings ranging in
size from 40 to 200 people in historic halls and other
classrooms surrounded by the beautiful coastal mountains.
The MRCA presents monthly Chautauqua programs there
that are open to the public. Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly
Hills has both an indoor auditorium and an outdoor
amphitheatre. Upper Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve
(formerly Ahmanson Ranch) in Calabasas is a perfect spot
for a private retreat in a secluded setting. The Los Angeles
River Center and Gardens in Los Angeles has small meeting
rooms and a larger hall to suit a variety of meeting sizes.
Towsley Canyon can also host small meetings.
Filming
Meetings, Conferences, Retreats
Weddings & Special Events
Camping & Overnight Events
Page Page 99
Landscape Architecture and Construction...create, repair and restore Landscape Architecture and Construction...create, repair and restore
Parking lots—every day most of us drive into at least one.
But did you ever consider the work that goes into designing
one? How will you drain or percolate the rainwater? Where
do you put the entrance/exit to minimize potential accidents?
Or how about a scenic overlook; we have several on
Mulholland Drive. Where do you put the sign that helps
visitors identify what they are seeing? How high do you
construct it so people in wheelchairs can read it?
Or how about a pocket park along the Los Angeles River; we
have several of those too. Which native plants do you use?
How close together do you plant them? Will small children
be playing nearby?
These are places where you can experience the magic created
by the Landscape Architecture Division that helps us create
urban oases such as Vista Hermosa (see page 4 for details), or
Marsh Park on the LA River, or the Hollywood Bowl
Overlook along the 55-mile Mulholland Scenic Parkway.
The MRCA’s Construction unit provides a flexible and cost-
effective way of getting things done. We’re flexible because
we can do it ourselves or hire and supervise a subcontractor.
We’re cost-effective because, as any car owner knows (or
learns the hard way), routine maintenance now can prevent
expensive repairs later.
Here’s just one example of how the different MRCA divisions
work together: in the winter of 2005, heavy rains flooded
parts of Pico and Towsley Canyons, washing out the road in
Towsley and threatening the 100-year-old buildings at the
historic Mentryville site. MRCA personnel from Operations,
Facilities and Construction worked together to save the
historic buildings.
Later, a crew from Natural Resources and Planning
supervised riparian restoration along the stream in Pico
Canyon, in part to mitigate the effects of flooding in the
future. And after receiving funds from FEMA, Construction
supervised installation of a new section of road at Towsley.
Whether installing a kiosk or other park amenity such as a
play structure, repairing a fence or a road, or shoring up a
building during a flood, our people are “on it”.
Construction Landscape Architecture
Heavy
rains
caused
minor
flooding
in Pico
Canyon
in 2005. Good design
begins with a
good
foundation.
Repair of the
entrance road to
Towsley
Canyon.
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 1010
Facilities and Maintenance…. Facilities and Maintenance….
Overview: Facilities and Maintenance are the people who keep things working. They do the essential
work we seldom notice unless it’s not done - emptying trashcans, repairing broken signs, replacing light
bulbs. They also clear trails, brush vegetation and when needed, they fight fires.
Our Southern California wildland/urban interface poses unique challenges to
maintaining healthy habitats while preserving human safety. We can no longer
rely on naturally occurring cycles of floods and fires to replenish the fertility of our
soils. Our oceans no longer serve as barriers to invasive, non-native species.
So today we rely on vegetation management to maintain healthy habitats. We
plant native trees to provide the shade that discourages growth of non-native
weeds and grasses. We thin and remove brush that serves as fire fuels. We
eliminate seedbeds of non-native plants. But vegetation management is costly,
both in terms of labor hours and dollars spent.
As homeowners, you can help by landscaping with native plants and following
Fire Department landscaping recommendations.
Vegetation Management: Keeping our Open Spaces Healthy While
Keeping our Neighborhoods Safe
Our Goals:
Protect nearby homes from wildfires
Rejuvenate plant communities
Eliminate seed sources of invasive plants
Cost-effective use of your tax dollars.
Div. Chief Dan Tholund
Phone: 818 871-9645 x 31
E-mail:
M O U N T A I N S
R E C R E A T I O N A N D
C O N S E R V A T I O N
A U T H O R I T Y
The MRCA is committed to
using a variety of ecologically
based land management
practices to control invasive
plants, re-establish native
habitats and provide fire
clearance for nearby homes.
Page Page 1111
...preserve, protect, restore and enhance ...preserve, protect, restore and enhance
In our Southern California Mediterranean-type ecosystem, vegetation dries out
during our hot and dry summer months, and dead vegetation decomposes
slowly. Firefighters have a term for this accumulation of dead and dry
vegetation — fuel—and it burns fast and hot. Our goal is to prevent this
hazardous fuel from accumulating in areas adjacent to private property.
The MRCA Vegetation Management program uses a combination of chemical
application and hand labor to ensure public safety from wildfires. We are
increasing our use of spraying for two reasons: (1) to prevent growth before it
starts, and (2) to provide an efficient, flexible and cost-effective alternative to
labor-intensive brushing.
We have two types of spraying programs. The "pre-emergent” program
prevents seed germination and is applied early in the season. The "post-
emergent" program is designed to knock down growth in areas that were
previously missed and is applied later in the season.
Diverse terrain and habitats, along with finite resources, require a flexible
response. Because spraying is efficient and cost effective, it gives us more
flexibility to go in with hand brushing crews to areas where that method is
needed.
Vegetation Management Techniques RESOURCES
To learn more about landscaping using
California native plants, go to the
Southern California Water Agencies
website: www.bewaterwise.com/
or the California Native Plant Society,
www.cnps.org/.
To learn more about fire prevention
landscaping guidelines, go to The Fire Safe
Council website:
www.firesafecouncil.org/homeowner/
index.cfm
To learn more about local brush clearance
requirements, go to the LAFD website,
www.lafd.org/brush/
or for LA County, www.lacofd.org/
Forestry/VegetationManagement.asp
The best time to prepare for a fire
is before you see the smoke.
One hot and dry July day in 2005, I arrived at the Victory trailhead to lead a
hike. The nearby hills were scattered with homes. I stopped and spoke to one of
our brushing crew. He was drenched in sweat and covered with grime and bits
of dried leaves. He looked tired.
“Hot work,” I said. “Oh yeah,” he replied, as he took a long swig from his water
jar.
I saw that man again in October, after the Topanga fire had burned within a few
feet of those homes near the trailhead. Again he was drenched in sweat and
covered with grime, but this time he was wearing his yellow fire gear.
“Last time I saw you here you were clearing away that brush. I’m sure glad
now you did that, aren’t you?”
“Oh yeah,” he replied. Then he grinned and added, “And so are the
neighbors.”
Contributed by Wendy Langhans
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 1212
Interpretation…. Interpretation….
Overview: Interpretation “creates an
emotional and intellectual connection between
the visitor and the meaning inherent in the
resource.” In some ways, a skillful interpreter is
like a skillful painter - you see the painting but you don’t
notice the brush strokes. If we do our interpretive job well,
we remain transparent while we focus your attention on our
natural world and help you gather meaning from it. If we
do our job well, we foster awareness and appreciation,
which leads to stewardship and protection. Every division
in the MRCA benefits from our activities.
Public Interpretive programs are led by Rangers,
Interpretive staff and trained volunteers, and cover a variety
of themes. From Nature hikes to campfire programs, these
programs are both educational and enjoyable for all ages.
All are designed to highlight the natural and cultural
resources of our parks. Public hikes are thematic and
organized around interests such as edible plants, wildlife
and astronomy. Many people enjoy our monthly full-moon
hikes. Campfire programs, a time-honored park tradition,
are offered at three of our parks: Temescal Canyon, Franklin
Canyon and Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space
Preserve. They are offered once a month during the school
year and weekly during the summer. We also offer our
Chautauqua programs, a monthly special event at Temescal
Gateway Park that covers diverse cultural themes.
Junior Ranger programs feature multiple sessions covering
outdoor skills as well as the natural and cultural resources of
a park. Participating youth have an opportunity to work
closely with rangers and naturalists who serve as mentors
and educators, passing on to the Junior Rangers the skills,
knowledge and motivation to become stewards of the park.
Programs vary from site to site, and may contain special
classes and field trips, as well as more typical skills such as
plant identification and orienteering. 2007 will see the
coming of two exciting new Junior Ranger partnerships,
starting in March with the Playa Vista Little League at the
Ballona Wetlands and later this year with Anahuak Youth
Soccer Association located near the Los Angeles River.
For more information about upcoming Junior Ranger
programs, contact Keith Jobson at [email protected].
Our school
programs are
curriculum-based
and tied to state
standards. We
offer a day
program at
Franklin Canyon
for students who
visit the park with
their teachers as
part of a classroom
activity. This field study is combined with classroom
learning and post-site activities.
We offer a 3-day 2-night residential camp for students and
their teachers at Temescal Canyon Park. The curriculum
combines the best of traditional outdoor education with the
California State Science Framework and is designed to
immerse students in the natural world through hands-on
learning, experiential science and sensory experiences. The
camp teaches basic environmental concepts that students
can take with them to any environment.
Public Programming
Education Programs
Junior Ranger Programs
Page Page 1313
...provides education, public access and resource stewardship...provides education, public access and resource stewardship
One of the barriers to visiting the parks has been the lack of
public transportation. We are involved in two programs to
increase access.
The Recreational Transit Program (RTP) provides free or
low-cost bus transportation for people who otherwise
would not have access to a Santa Monica Mountains park or
beach. RTP provides the critical link to the public resources
that are our parks, open space and natural areas for
thousands of city dwellers every year. This is a cooperative
program funded by the Conservancy plus City and County
of Los Angeles transportation funds.
The ParkLINK Shuttle is a way to visit 10 sites on weekends
within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation
Area without using a car. From anywhere in LA, riders can
take the MTA and link up with the shuttle in either Malibu
or Calabasas. Riders can then visit any one of the ten parks
along the route, hike the backbone trail one way and be
shuttled back to their car, or tour the entire loop to enjoy the
full spectrum of parks. This is a joint partnership between
the National Park Service and California State Parks. For
more information go to www.parklinkshuttle.com/.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Temescal Canyon served as a major
center of the Chautauqua Movement, drawing visitors by
the thousands. We offer a monthly Chautauqua event in
keeping with the spirit of the original, described by Pres.
Teddy Roosevelt as “the most American thing in America.”
Upcoming events for this spring include:
(March 20) World of Sand. Presented by Dr. Dave
Douglass, Dean of Science at Pasadena City College.
(April 17) An Inconvenient Truth. Presented by
Donald Strauss, Professor at Antioch College.
(May 15) Turtles. Presented by Rosi Dagit, Biologist for the
Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mtns.
(June 19) Life as Mark Twain’s Daughter. Presented by
Steve Botts.
The Angeles Crest Scenic Highway. On a
clear day, you can see for miles from the
desert, past the cities, all the way to the
ocean. This scenic highway stretches 55
miles along Hwys 2 and 39 through the
San Gabriel Mountains, winding past a
number of cultural and historic
landmarks. The MRCA has received a grant to develop and
improve several overlooks and erect a new entrance sign.
Docent programs throughout our parks are critical to
meeting the MRCA’s goal of providing visitor service and
education programs to the public. Volunteers take part in
comprehensive training before leading educational and
interpretive programs for schools and the general public as
well as staffing facilities and helping with special events. In
addition, the MRCA has a very successful wildland fire
volunteer program, a trail maintenance volunteer program
and participates in
a joint Mountain
Bike Unit and
Mounted Horse
Volunteer Unit
with California
State Parks and the
National Park
Service.
Chautauqua
Docent and Volunteer Programs
Public Access & Transportation Angeles Crest Scenic Highway
Symbiosis 2007 Page Symbiosis 2007 Page 1414
On any given day,
our MRCA staff and
volunteers can be
found carrying out
our mission in many
ways and in many
places.
MRCA crews clearing brush along Mulholland,
part of our ongoing fire prevention efforts.
We work
with LAUSD
students as
part of our
Temescal
Field
Science
Program.
CPR and First Aid refresher training.
Our Rangers pay a visit to local schools.
Even after a wildfire has been contained,
there are residual hotspots to put out.
We take schoolchildren out on the trail.