[audubon-news] Urban Audubon Center Opens in East LA
- From: "BIANCHI, John" <JBIANCHI@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <Audubon-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 15:47:29 -0500
Contact: Linda Vanderveer
Mobile 646/303-2888
212/979-3197
Nicole Possert
Mobile 323/449-6998
323/255-5792
URBAN AUDUBON CENTER OPENS IN EAST L.A.
Only the Second Urban Audubon Center in America; Sustainably Designed Building
Functions Completely 'Off the Grid'
Los Angeles, CA Thursday, November 6, 2003 - Children and families throughout
East and Northeast Los Angeles were among the many who celebrated today as the
much-anticipated Audubon Center at Debs Park opened its doors in the Highland
Park/Montecito Heights community.
The Audubon Center at Debs Park will provide opportunities for residents of
some of L.A.'s most densely populated neighborhoods to learn about the natural
world through hands-on outdoor experiences in the park's 282 acres of urban
wilderness. The Audubon Center is a model of sustainable design, operating
entirely on solar power. It is the first building in Los Angeles to fully
function off both the electric and sewer grids.
The grand opening of the Audubon Center was marked by an All Species Parade,
which wound up the driveway to the Audubon Center. Nearly 100 students from
local schools carried papier mâché masks and giant puppets of the birds and
bugs of Debs Park. Mayor Jim Hahn, City Councilman Ed Reyes, National Audubon
Society President John Flicker, and representatives from the dozens of area
businesses joined the students and the organizations that helped bring the
Audubon Center at Debs Park to life.
"For nearly a century Audubon's mission has been to connect people with
nature," said Audubon President John Flicker. "In places like Los Angeles, it
can be challenging to make that connection. The Audubon Center at Debs Park
will help urban residents bridge that gap. It is a place that will inspire a
lifelong passion for conservation."
The facility at Debs Park is only the second Audubon Center in the U.S. to be
located in the heart of a city, and is a cornerstone of Audubon's national
initiative to bring conservation to a broader, more diverse audience. "For too
long the environmental movement has spoken to a narrow segment of the American
public," said Robert Stephens, Trustee of the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation. "Opening new eyes to nature in communities like East L.A. is both
timely and inspiring. That's why the Packard Foundation is so proud to be
involved. "
Programs at the Audubon Center have been geared toward the largely Latino
population that lives in the neighborhoods surrounding Debs Park, particularly
the 50,000 schoolchildren and their families who live within a two-mile radius
of the park. Programs at the Center are offered in English and Spanish, and
focus on the plants and animals found right in the park to illustrate basic
concepts, creating a direct and positive relationship with the local natural
world. Scientific discovery is encouraged through active outdoor exploration -
hiking, birding, and monitoring the park's plants, mammals, butterflies and
reptiles.
"We welcome the opportunity to partner with Audubon to inspire environmental
stewardship within urban communities," said Irv Miller, group vice president,
corporate communications, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. "Toyota is committed
to promoting a better understanding of ecological issues by supporting vital
educational programs at the Audubon Center at Debs Park."
Total cost of the Center project, including the first five years of operation
as a storefront in Highland Park, is $10 million. Several generous donations
helped make the Audubon Center at Debs Park a reality, including The David and
Lucile Packard Foundation's $1.75 million in seed money. The State of
California provided $1.5 million to support construction of the facility, and
an endowment for the Center's after school programs was made possible by a $1
million gift from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc.
"One of my top priorities is to improve the quality of life in our
neighborhoods. The Center gives residents direct access to nature," said Los
Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn. "I'm so pleased that the City of Los Angeles helped to
preserve another green space in the city for people to enjoy."
"The combination of active inquiry, outdoor experience and stewardship taught
at the Audubon Center is helping to move the east side community forward as a
model of urban environmentalism," said Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes.
"Other communities throughout Los Angeles, California, and the nation can gain
valuable lessons from the example we're setting today."
The 5,023 sq. foot Center building was created using the latest green
architecture techniques, and reflects Audubon's commitment to bringing
conservation home. "The last 50 years of the environmental movement have
focused on reactive measures like cleaning up pollution, and trying to regulate
sprawl," said Elsa Lopez, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park. "We
need to move beyond reaction. By making positive, fundamental changes at the
most basic levels, we can make conservation a part of our everyday lives. The
Audubon Center at Debs Park embodies this forward-thinking spirit, and will
help instill long-term environmental values in the Los Angeles community."
In recognition of its unique green design, Audubon is seeking a Platinum Rating
- the highest possible - from the U.S. Green Building Council. If awarded the
rating, the Center will be the first facility in the country to receive this
distinction under the new guidelines of the Council's LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemTM.
New programs to be offered at the Audubon Center include evening wildlife
walks, family nature festivals, and an array of hands-on habitat restoration
projects. The Children's Garden, a ¾-acre child-friendly naturescape featuring
five habitat-themed activity areas, will be completed in early December. The
Garden will provide pint-sized visitors with experiential learning
opportunities like catching bugs, dissecting flowers, and looking at bird
feathers.
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat
that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and
chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas
sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages
and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.
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