MLK Service Day Park Planting Party

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., students from Occidental College and local volunteers will be planting native plants in the Arroyo Seco-South Pasadena Woodland and Wildlife Park (South Pas Nature Park, for short), on February 1, 2014. Volunteers are welcome to come anytime during the day.

February 1, 2014, Saturday
9 am - 3:30 pm

Oxy students and South Pas girl scouts carry plants into the park
during 2010 Planting Party

Volunteers should:

• wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
• bring water
• bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
• wear comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots) and long pants
• bring binoculars for birdwatching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park that we will point out before starting.

The South Pas Nature Park is a four-acre habitat park along the Arroyo Seco. The entrance, marked by a small plaque on an attractive river rock wall, is in the 100 block of Pasadena Avenue in South Pasadena, east of the York Street Bridge. There is plenty of on-street parking on Pasadena Avenue.

The park is graced with mature coast live oaks, southern walnuts and western sycamores. Planted with sage, buckwheat and other native coastal sage scrub plants, the park provides an inviting environment for birds, lizards, squirrels and numerous other critters. Locals too enjoy walking, jogging and horseback riding through the park.

Coast live oak

Since 2006 an informal group of park stewards, Friends of the Nature Park (FONP), have been removing invasive weeds and litter on Saturday and Wednesday mornings.  Cleanups are held approximately once a month. For notification of cleanup dates, contact Barbara Eisenstein (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com), or check the Nature Park blog, (http://www.nativebydesign.blogspot.com).  

Winter and Spring Nature Park Schedule

The winter and spring cleanups in the park are scheduled for the third Saturday and following Wednesday of each month. There are no cleanups currently scheduled for March, though this may change. Our planting party, in collaboration with Occidental College, will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014 (see below).

• November 16 (Sat), 9 - noon
• NO CLEANUPS SCHEDULED IN DECEMBER (Happy Holidays)
• January 18 (Sat), 9 - noon
• January 22 (Wed), 8:30 - 10 AM
• February 15 (Sat), 9 - noon
• Rescheduled for Feb 8 (Sat), 9 - noon
• February 19 (Wed), 8:30 - 10 AM
• NO CLEANUPS SCHEDULED IN MARCH (check calendar for updates)
• April 19 (Sat), 9 - noon
• April 23 (Wed), 8:30 - 10 AM
• May 17 (Sat), 9 - noon
• May 23 (Wed), 8:30 - 10 AM

Please check this blog for updates and changes to the schedule. Contact me to receive email reminders. All recipients are listed in a bcc to protect your privacy. Email me if you want to be removed from the list. 

MLK Service Day at the Nature Park

There will be a planting with Oxy students and others (scouts, students and other volunteers) on Saturday, February 1, 2014. Contact me if you are interested in a group service project.

Coast live oak in center of park

Map of park with areas labelled.

Park Cleanups, etc.

Finally getting organized. Let's see how this works out!

Fall Cleanups
The fall cleanups in the park are scheduled for the third Wed. and Sat. of each month. Note that both Wed. and Sat. sessions start at 8:30 in August and September. In October and November we will start at 9 AM on Saturdays, and 8:30 AM on Wednesdays. There will be no cleanup in December.

August 14, Wed, 8:30 - 10 am
August 17, Sat, 8:30 - 11 am
September 18, Wed, 8:30 - 10 am
September 21, Sat, 8:30 - 11 am
October 16, Wed, 8:30 - 10 am
October 19, Sat, 9 AM - noon
November 13, Wed, 8:30 - 10 am
November 16, Sat, 9 AM - noon
December: No cleanup

MLK Service Day at the Nature Park (new, confirmed date)

There will be a planting with Oxy students and others (scouts, students and other volunteers) on Saturday, February 1, 2014. If you are interested in a group service project, please contact me (barbara.eisenstein@gmail.com) so we can schedule it.

Coast live oak in center of park

Map of park with areas labelled.

Plant Sale

Our chapter (San Gabriel Mts. Chap) of the California Native Plant Society is holding its annual plant sale on Saturday, November 9, 2013. It's gonna be good so don't miss it!

Caution!

And finally, a word of caution. I was in the park last week with some kids and we happened upon a bee or wasp hive in the mounds near the main path. The hive was in a hole in the ground. Unfortunately some children did get stung but thankfully no one had a serious allergic reaction. The nature park is a natural area meaning there are bees, wasps, and ticks, along with poison oak. Enjoy the park but be careful. (The yellow jacket nest has been removed, but do be alert while walking in the park, especially if you leave the paths.)

Nature Park Cleanup, Saturday, July 27, 8:30 - 11 am

Finally getting around to scheduling a Saturday cleanup. Hopefully by starting at 8:30 we will be able to get some work done before it gets too hot.

I am planning to schedule cleanup days for the next few months. I will send emails, post the dates on this blog, and list them as events on the Patch and the new SoPas Review website (South Pasadena Now). There will be approximately one weekend day/month and 2-3 weekday mornings/month. Let me know if there are days you prefer since I have a pretty open schedule right now.

The park is looking good. We will be going after horehound and whacking back mustard, horseweed, and any other weeds that make the mistake of letting us see them.

When I went to the park in June I was pleased to see that the fence on the n.e. (golf course) side is gone. The city is planning to have the extra land cleared of weeds. Paths and naturalistic benches (boulders) may be added, along with a swale to facilitate infiltration. There are some nice trees - oaks, walnuts, toyons, and sycamores - that have grown there naturally and with some weed control the area could become a pleasant woodland.

Hope to see you on the 27th. Remember to bring water and wear a hat!

View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.

NATURE PARK CLEANUP - Mon, June 17, 9 - 10:30 am

There will be a work day this coming Monday, June 17, from 9 -10:30 am. We will be cutting back mustard along the main path, removing horehound on the mounds, and looking for other areas in need of care. After being away for 6 months I'm raring to go. Hope to see some of you there.

For those not available on weekdays, there is a tentative cleanup scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 9 AM - Noon.

View Larger Map

Meet in the park to pull weeds, pick up litter, and enjoy the park. Come for the whole time, for an hour, or just stop by to say hello.

Nature Park entrance on Pasadena Ave., east of the York St. Bridge

Remember to:
- wear sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
- bring water
- bring gardening gloves and tools (weeders, trowels, whatever you use in your own garden)
- comfortable work clothes, including work shoes (sneakers or boots)
- binoculars for bird watching (optional)

Children must be under adult supervision at all times. There is poison oak in the park, which we will point out before we start.

Please pass this info along to anyone else you think might be interested in the park. If you know of anyone who doesn't use the internet, let me know so we can be sure they are kept in the loop.