We love our parks. Most of us have a set routine when we go there. Maybe it’s time to spice it up. We will focus on a three specific novel and exciting happenings, each in a different park, and then give you the opportunity to weigh in on the City’s current park assessment. Do something different. Then make a difference!
GATHER A SALAD
Jason Wise is an outdoor educator, naturalist and Sierra Club member with almost 40,000 followers on Instagram. On May 18th, Jason will lead us on a hike in Elysian Park, looking out for invasive, yet edible, plants. We won’t just be learning to identify the invasives. Around lunchtime, we will make a foraged community salad and eat the baddies! Sign up here. It’s the best $25 you will spend learning about edibles this year.
GO FLY A KITE
You can do exactly that at the State Historic Park on May 17th. That’s when Clockshop’s Kite Festival, sponsored in part by the Sierra Club, takes place. Clockshop describes the Festival as an “all-ages, family-friendly cultural festival bring[ing] together diverse communities in Los Angeles through the art of kites and a day of joyful connection in this important public green space.” Attendees can “participate in free arts workshops, enjoy live music, and meet local community organizations to learn about their work in the nearby neighborhoods.” The Festival brings attention to the skyline, an important part of the beauty of the park. The skyline is threatened by a gondola, proposed by billionaire Frank McCourt, that will fly over the park as low as 28 feet. Around 5000 people attended the last Festival. If you attend this year, drop by the Sierra Club booth to learn about the Stop the Gondola coalition and sign up to help if you want.
TAKE A NEW HIKE
Now there’s an easy way to inject novelty into your hikes. The Friends of Griffith Park—with a bit of help from our volunteers-- have launched trail resource, the GP-eX. GP-eX organizes the Park’s vast trail network into 15 segments offering hikers the chance to explore the Park with ease. CP-eX provides users with “insider” information on wildlife, plants, geology and cultural history, for each hiking segment. Trails are rated for difficulty too, allowing a new workout that fits your needs. Users can filter the trails by interest, e.g., panoramas, gardens, Hollywood sign views, solitude and more. A printable map, turn-by-turn directions and links to AllTrails routes are available here.
BE THE CHANGE
It’s fun to do something different from your regular routine in your neighborhood park, but you also have the ability to potentially change a park or create a new one. The City of LA is conducting a parks needs assessment, seeking our input. You can attend a community meeting either in person or remotely through June. Alternatively, go on line to complete a short or long survey. Click here to make your voice heard.