(c) TOM POLITEO/CAM ERA COMMITTEE Habitat near Palos Verdes/San Pedro border

Habitat restoration

Urban and port sprawl and pollution has destroyed most of the native habitat in Southern California. More than 90%, perhaps as much as 95% of our wetlands are destroyed. About 80% of our underwater kelp forests have been destroyed. Along the coast, from Santa Monica to Dana Point, most of our coastal scrub habitat has been destroyed.

This means, that for every acre of wetland we have, there used to be 10 to 20 times as much. For every underwater seaweed plant, there used to be five times as many.

There are a number of habitat restoration (or revegetation) efforts now underway which strive to reverse the continuing trend to lose native habitat.

These projects provide an educational experience for children and teens and an opportunity for community service for teens and adults. Besides helping to restore native habitat, they have the additional benefit of beautifying the areas which are revegetated. Native plants are typically more drought tolerant and look better throughout the year compared to invasive weeds they replace.

(c) TOM POLITEO/CAM ERA COMMITTEE This endangered California gnatcatcher perched in Shoreline Park, at the Palos Verdes/San Pedro boarder.

A number of organizations, including Audubon YES, scouts, California Coastkeeper, and the Sierra Club are involved in rehabitation projects.

Rehabitation projects in the port area include:

• White Point. Visit the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy or their White Point Preserve web pages.
  
  
• Naval Fuel Depo.
  
  
• Kelp Restoration Laboratory is a California Coast Keeper project to restore our kelp forests. To learn about restoring kelp, watch the five minute video "Help the Kelp"
  
  
• 22nd Street & Crescent Avenue bikepath and marsh (proposed).
  
  
• Los Angeles River tube planting project (Links to come.)
  
  
• Portuguese Bend habitat preservation. The PVPLC offers a "Forrestal" web page.
  
  

Contact:

(c) TOM POLITEO/CAM ERA COMMITTEE This cactus wren also made use of Shoreline Park.