The Los Cerritos Wetlands has had its fair share of volunteers, but on April 26th a new record was set.  Old and young, 163 volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent four hours removing debris and brush.  This group removed approximately 100 cubic yards of debris and filled up two large dumpster containers! The before and after photos really show the significance of removing that much!

Each volunteer came with smiling faces and an amazing attitude to get some work done! Everyone was very curious to understand the importance of pulling up weeds and removing palm fronds.  The truth is that these tasks truly are helping the wetlands, by removing invasive species such as ice plant or mustard, we not only give space for native plant species but give the opportunity for native fauna to arrive as well.

This was a very large event to set up for and took a team of awesome individuals to prepare the site.  Typical events run from a couple of volunteers to up to 50, and usually get a significant task completed. This event blew typical events out of the water! Having that many individuals out helping made the work easier and they completed SOOO much more!

A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.

Please Check out more photos from this event on our flickr site! 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tidalinfluence/sets/72157644282147416/

By: Julie McNamara

Hidden behind chain link fences and scattered with oil rigs, the last remaining TRUE saltwater wetlands of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Complex continues to be a refuge for many wildlife species. Passed by daily by many residents and tourists, the wetlands are located adjacent to Los Cerritos Channel and Studebaker road.

The daily influx and outflow of the ocean water brings nutrients that are keeping the slough thriving! The tidal influence is the blood of this saltwater marsh, which extends 650 meters.

Steam Shovel Slough is home to many species of shore birds, migratory birds, plants, and marine organisms. It is also home to the California Least Tern and Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, both are endangered species.

Tidal Influence, LLC has just concluded the deployment and survey of Steam Shovel Slough for vegetation, soil, and invertebrate samples. This information will help scientists learn how to preserve saltmarsh wetlands and it serves as a foundation for future research!

Join Tidal Influence, LLC in the fight for the saltwater wetlands! Join us at our restoration events by emailing iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com or education@coloradolagoo.org for information on how you can make an impact!

By Jade Dean

This past Saturday, we hosted a group of 15 students and teachers from the Phoenix Country Day School in Phoenix, Arizona at Los Cerritos Wetlands. Yes, you read that right! They drove out from Arizona to learn about wetland conservation and land use in California. We were one of their stops during their three day excursion and they did a fantastic job propagating 250 Shore Grass (Distichilis littoralis) plants, removing invasive plants from a previously planted area, and spotting Pacific Green Sea Turtles in the San Gabriel River. Check out more photos on our Facebook page!

Would you like us to host your class/club/business/community group at the wetlands? Email us at iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com for more details.

By Jade Dean

After perusing the Long Beach Public Library's Photo Archive, I discovered photos of both Los Cerritos Wetlands and the Colorado Lagoon I had never seen before. Let us know which one is your favorite in the comments!

By Jade Dean
What on earth is a diurnal raptor? It is a raptor (the bird, not the dinosaur) that is active during the day. Chances are, you have seen these birds around your neighborhood soaring above the treeline or perching on a telephone pole. Diurnal raptors include 34 species, such as the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Northern Goshawk. Some of the species found at the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon include:

• Turkey Vulture
• Cooper's Hawk
• White-Tailed Kite
• Northern Harrier
• American Kestrel
• Osprey
• Red-Tailed Hawk

By Jade Dean
We have officially started our monitoring project with SMBRF this past week! While the SMBRF team was conducting a CRAM survey at Hellman, Tidal Influence was responsible for collecting detailed vegetation data using three methods: percent cover, line intercept, and laser quadrat. See the image below to better understand our methodology and check back here for more updates as the surveys continue!

By Megan Roy
It is incredible the change the marsh has undergone in just one year thanks to the restoration effort. Note: Don't see a notable difference? In fact, the observed area is a success considering the salty and silty conditions this site bared -the growth is tremendous. The pictures did not capture all transformations. In these pictures we can observe natural change as the native coastal sage scrub plants mature and become a more suitable habitat for endangered birds and other creatures, 

By Megan Roy
In the past two weeks, we have had the great pleasure of leading several tours both at Los Cerritos and at Colorado Lagoon.. Click "Read More" To see all of the tour descriptions.

By Jade Dean
In case you have not noticed, the public events we co-host with our non-profit partners only last two hours. Why is that? Simply put, it is because we can get an astonishing amount of work done with a group of volunteers during that time. Don't believe us? Click "Read More" to see how much we can accomplish with some sweat, determination, and members of the community!

By Megan Roy
Los Cerritos Wetlands was historically 2,400 acres; today approximately 500 fragmented acres remain. At least 80% of wetlands in California have been degraded or developed on. The work we do to restore this precious ecosystem sets a precedent for other degraded and urbanized wetlands. Community involvement is vital to the success of the restoration effort. Join us this Saturday, August 3rd to help make a difference in your community. Click for more details.