los angeles unified

as part of the L.A.'s Annual River Day of Service, I took E with me to a garden project at Canoga Park High School - which is located right at the headwaters of the Los Angeles River. the confluence of Bell and Calabasas Creeks. when she was little - and we would ride the bike to her preschool - we would cross the river each day. i would tell her that is was the l.a. river. and she would tell me it wasn't a river. and so on. the Los Angeles River was paved in the 1930's - and now it is better known for its role in Grease than for the wildlife that call it home.

we are fortunate to have an area of the river near us reclaimed as a wildlife reserve and a plan to reclaim an area of river within walking distance of our home underway. i cant' wait. i know that we will visit it often.

our river is the tie that binds. it unifies us. it reminds us that we are all coastal communities. it helps us choose the right plants to landscape our yards. it tells us stories of our history. it locates us within this great city. it is a wonderful symbol of this sprawling diverse place we call home.

it was exciting talking to E about it today. connecting her to where it begins. working alongside her. helping our river together. i love being part of this great place. today's connection of river and public school was a thrill.



i wanted to share some of joe linton's amazing artwork for this year's clean-up. to no avail. so here is an old LAUSD truck used by the Canoga Park HS Ag program instead.