Monday, October 5, 2009
Native Plants from the Seed Packet
Go to the following website for information on the seeds from the seedpacket. The ones in there are from the Nature Mix http://www.californianativeplants.com/index.php/plants/wildflower-seed-mixes
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Save the Wetlands!!!
Save the Wetlands!!
October 12th 2pm
Long Beach City Hall
Council Chambers
Remember when the wetlands were bulldozed? The perpetrators are about to get away with it.
Before the Coastal Commission listens to the horrible news about wetlands destruction, the City of Long Beach is having a hearing on the illegal scraping of the wetlands by the 2H Construction Company near Loynes and Studebaker.
If you do not speak out at this meeting you cannot speak out at the important Coastal Commission hearing.
Please keep visiting
EcoLink4usWater.blogspot.com
For a template of a letter to send in.
Visit Lcwlandtrust.org
For more information on this
Come to the hearing, wear blue or green at the meeting to show your allegiance to Los Cerritos Wetlands
October 12th 2pm
Long Beach City Hall
Council Chambers
Remember when the wetlands were bulldozed? The perpetrators are about to get away with it.
Before the Coastal Commission listens to the horrible news about wetlands destruction, the City of Long Beach is having a hearing on the illegal scraping of the wetlands by the 2H Construction Company near Loynes and Studebaker.
If you do not speak out at this meeting you cannot speak out at the important Coastal Commission hearing.
Please keep visiting
EcoLink4usWater.blogspot.com
For a template of a letter to send in.
Visit Lcwlandtrust.org
For more information on this
Come to the hearing, wear blue or green at the meeting to show your allegiance to Los Cerritos Wetlands
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Just a small rant
So there is an entity called the CUWCC, thats the California Urban Water Conservation Council. There is also this entity called MWD, Metropolitan Water District. Under MWD there are 23 member agencies. MWD buys water from a few different sources (state water project, colorado river, etc) and the 23 member agencies (in Southern California) purchase about 80% of their water from MWD. Every two years, all 23 member agencies and MWD must report BMPs, Best Management Practices to the CUWCC. With me so far? :) There are at last count about 14 BMPs that the 23 member agencies have to follow. These are guidelines set up by the CUWCC to make sure that the member agencies have programs and plans in place to conserve water. Rebate programs, education programs, programs to fix leaks, etc. There is new legislation going through Congress because of the Governors call to arms on the 'drought'. It pains me, to have to say that at last count, 22 out of the 23 member agencies are signing on to a piece of legislation with sweetheart loopholes in them which essentially tricks the environmental lobby by making it appear that they are conserving water when in reality they aren't. 1 of the member agencies came up with a simple plan that would work to truly conserve water. Because the remaining 22 didn't like it - they called a SECRET MEETING to word the legislation to make it that the 1 agency wouldn't be in compliance. Because they wanted to actually save water. Because they think that this water situation won't be fixed by a rainy season. Its a new way of life. The sooner we embrace that the sooner life will be easier. Instead these people don't care enough about our future to make an effort now. Reason 493928 that its important now more than ever to get involved!!!!
Friday, February 6, 2009
EcoLink Letter re the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Swap
Below is the letter that EcoLink sent to the Mayor and City Council about the new Land Swap. This whole deal is exciting and we are enthused to see it progress intelligently and inclusively!
February 2, 2009
Re: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Swap 2.0
Dear Mayor Foster and Long Beach City Council members:
We appreciate City staff and elected representatives for the hard and creative work of negotiating complex environmental and real estate issues involved in the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Swap. In these difficult economic times, it is exciting to see pro-activity with such important ramifications for our bio-region. Preserving these vital wetlands furthers the City’s commitment to our environmental health.
While we applaud the conservation, restoration and recreation of our wetlands, it would be irresponsible of us as stakeholders and invested community members to allow this deal to proceed without review and comment. The long-term consequences of this proposal require an open and honest airing of interests and concerns.
Questions which need to be explored include:
1. What is the motivation behind negotiating this deal in sections -- splitting the Los Cerritos Wetlands complex?
2. Why can’t the City retain the mineral rights and fully own the land?
3. If the current landowner does end up with the mineral rights, wouldn’t it be appropriate for them to accept responsibility for the hazmat cleanup after the oil is gone?
4. What is the City’s plan for this property after acquisition? Is it being acquired for eventual transfer to the Los Cerritos Wetland Authority, and are there plans for using the land for easing traffic congestion on 2ndSt?
5. What are the limits of the Coastal Commission’s power to curtail development on this property, due to its high probability of being classified as a wetland?
6. Has there been provision made to reserve a portion of the S. F. Yard as an easement to continue the L.A. River corridor for recreation and for wildlife?
Please consider providing a venue for community dialogue much like the constructive recent Breakwater workshops ably moderated by Councilman Patrick O’Donnell. We would be glad to assist in this effort.
Truly,
C. R. Ward, Chair
ECO-Link
February 2, 2009
Re: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Swap 2.0
Dear Mayor Foster and Long Beach City Council members:
We appreciate City staff and elected representatives for the hard and creative work of negotiating complex environmental and real estate issues involved in the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Swap. In these difficult economic times, it is exciting to see pro-activity with such important ramifications for our bio-region. Preserving these vital wetlands furthers the City’s commitment to our environmental health.
While we applaud the conservation, restoration and recreation of our wetlands, it would be irresponsible of us as stakeholders and invested community members to allow this deal to proceed without review and comment. The long-term consequences of this proposal require an open and honest airing of interests and concerns.
Questions which need to be explored include:
1. What is the motivation behind negotiating this deal in sections -- splitting the Los Cerritos Wetlands complex?
2. Why can’t the City retain the mineral rights and fully own the land?
3. If the current landowner does end up with the mineral rights, wouldn’t it be appropriate for them to accept responsibility for the hazmat cleanup after the oil is gone?
4. What is the City’s plan for this property after acquisition? Is it being acquired for eventual transfer to the Los Cerritos Wetland Authority, and are there plans for using the land for easing traffic congestion on 2ndSt?
5. What are the limits of the Coastal Commission’s power to curtail development on this property, due to its high probability of being classified as a wetland?
6. Has there been provision made to reserve a portion of the S. F. Yard as an easement to continue the L.A. River corridor for recreation and for wildlife?
Please consider providing a venue for community dialogue much like the constructive recent Breakwater workshops ably moderated by Councilman Patrick O’Donnell. We would be glad to assist in this effort.
Truly,
C. R. Ward, Chair
ECO-Link
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Salt Marsh Plant #5: Salt Marsh Dodder- Cuscuta Salina
Okay, I haven't posted in a while but here's another plant...
It’s orange. It sinks it’s ‘teeth’ into another plant. It ‘smells’ other plants. No roots. It looks like it has no leaves. It is quick to search out a victim.
This is a plant, right?
Cuscuta salina is a parasite in the salt-marsh, visible by the tangled mats of orange wrapped amongst the green pickleweed stems. Maybe we need to clarify some things before we talk about Cuscuta proper. First a parasite isn’t necessarily bad; parasites don’t kill their host (well, sometimes I suppose), they need the host to live. A parasitoid kills the host; a parasite needs the host for all of their own nutrition. For this plant, parasitism gives it its unique characteristics. It is orange because it doesn’t get nutrition from the sun but rather from the water and nutrients made from the sun in other plants. To do this, Cuscuta has haustoria (teeth) that puncture the host plant tissue and, like a vampire, suck out a bunch of that goodness (but not too much because then it would kill it).
What is fun about this plant- other than it being orange- is that it grows from one of the gazillion little seeds put out by the fruit, quickly shooting into the air and then searching for the nearest green thing to attach itself to. How it does this is through ‘smelling’ its host. There are airborne chemicals produced by its favorite plant(s) and the Dodder will follow its ‘nose’ to the source. Once attached, the roots are no longer necessary and they shrivel up and go away.
This particular species has an affinity for halophytes (salt-marsh plants). It too can live with salt (not too hard, I would imagine, for a plant that doesn’t have roots) but, more importantly, it likes the smell of salty plants. I see it on top of all the salt marsh plants but mostly on pickleweed. This is one my favorites to show kids because it looks like silly string.
It is in the Convolvulaceae family, related to Morning Glory. It has really pretty, itty-bitty white flowers when it blossoms in the summer.
I am attaching a link that has much better photos and more technical verbiage. And a video that takes forever to download but is kinda cool. http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/dodder.htm
Oh and the photo above is from the Aquarium of the Pacific - an amazing place in Long Beach to learn about Marine everything! And they have Sea Lions which is never bad.
This is a plant, right?
Cuscuta salina is a parasite in the salt-marsh, visible by the tangled mats of orange wrapped amongst the green pickleweed stems. Maybe we need to clarify some things before we talk about Cuscuta proper. First a parasite isn’t necessarily bad; parasites don’t kill their host (well, sometimes I suppose), they need the host to live. A parasitoid kills the host; a parasite needs the host for all of their own nutrition. For this plant, parasitism gives it its unique characteristics. It is orange because it doesn’t get nutrition from the sun but rather from the water and nutrients made from the sun in other plants. To do this, Cuscuta has haustoria (teeth) that puncture the host plant tissue and, like a vampire, suck out a bunch of that goodness (but not too much because then it would kill it).
What is fun about this plant- other than it being orange- is that it grows from one of the gazillion little seeds put out by the fruit, quickly shooting into the air and then searching for the nearest green thing to attach itself to. How it does this is through ‘smelling’ its host. There are airborne chemicals produced by its favorite plant(s) and the Dodder will follow its ‘nose’ to the source. Once attached, the roots are no longer necessary and they shrivel up and go away.
This particular species has an affinity for halophytes (salt-marsh plants). It too can live with salt (not too hard, I would imagine, for a plant that doesn’t have roots) but, more importantly, it likes the smell of salty plants. I see it on top of all the salt marsh plants but mostly on pickleweed. This is one my favorites to show kids because it looks like silly string.
It is in the Convolvulaceae family, related to Morning Glory. It has really pretty, itty-bitty white flowers when it blossoms in the summer.
I am attaching a link that has much better photos and more technical verbiage. And a video that takes forever to download but is kinda cool. http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/dodder.htm
Oh and the photo above is from the Aquarium of the Pacific - an amazing place in Long Beach to learn about Marine everything! And they have Sea Lions which is never bad.
Enjoy
Taylor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
