March 2023 Message from Executive Director Belén Bernal
I’m watching the water stream down the road outside after a few days of heavy downpours from another winter storm. While it is bringing much-needed rain to our drought-ridden region, it is also giving us another opportunity to inform our community about our efforts to protect water sources for our communities.
Part of our mission is to protect our region’s mountains and rivers, conserving habitat and water resources, and capturing and cleaning our local water. We were proud to be a leading organization that worked with community members to pass Measure W—the Safe, Clean Water Program. The measure provides local, dedicated funding to increase water supply, improve water quality, and provide community enhancements throughout LA County. We continue to work closely with partner organizations on the Our Water LA (OWLA) coalition, by providing input on project prioritization for Safe Clean Water Program (Measure W) funds, and pushing to advance efforts to fund projects that take the needs of our communities, especially those with a park deficit, into consideration.
Through our Leadership Development program, we are training community leaders on Measure W and educating the public on water resiliency. In partnership with the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, we are continuing to educate community members on the history of water in LA County, where our water comes from, and how families and communities can become more water-resilient. Much of our work includes community engagement, with events and workshops. In the last year, we have led community members for first-time visits to Lewis Falls, the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, Switzer Falls, East Fork, Eaton Canyon and Glendale Narrows, and other locations for our Mountains and Parks Watershed Tours. See below for more on our water-focussed activities, from an educational (and fun!) bike ride along the LA river to more Water Warriors workshops. We hope to see you this year!
p.s. It was great to speak with LA2050’s audience about our mission and commitment to connecting more community members to nature. See the short video here.
