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The Wind Tunnel 

Los Angeles Urban Rangers 

Art Center College of Design

 

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Pasadena, California September 7 - October 16, 2004 Street-Porter Therese Kelly Therese Kelly Tim EmilyScott J. J. Price J. J.

The Los Angeles Urban Rangers is Thoreau Goes to Los Angeles Sustainability vs Sprawl: Industrial Habitat: The Baldwin Hills Hunting and Gathering in the Big City End Landscaping: an interdisciplinary collective of Revisiting Banham’s Four Ecologies Los Angeles Freeway Gardens local writers, artists, planners, How can we write about nature in L.A.? Did you know that the only canine that can Often when we think of hunting and gathering, architects, geographers, scientists, Why have nature writers shunned this Long maligned as the poster child of smog, climb trees lives in the very heart of Los ancient or “traditional” cultures come to mind. Everyday, countless Angelenos whiz along environmental historians, and megalopolis? Why should L.A. in fact be sprawl and unsustainable development, Los Angeles? Ranger Therese Kelly will share the In many of America’s greatest cities, however, the freeway at many miles per hour without educators. In conjunction with the a mecca for nature writing? Why would Angeles has in the past few years surprisingly story of the rare Gray Fox who’s crazy feats the urban poor still forage for wild and noticing the landscaping at their side. Join garden LAb experiment, the Los Angeles Urban Rangers will offer a an interest in cities save nature writing emerged as a leader in “green” urbanism. The also include living amongst 400 bobbing oil domestic food simply to meet their daily caloric Ranger Emily Scott to learn more about who series of interpretive programs to from being so terribly boring? Ranger three “greenest” buildings in the U.S. are derricks in a massively degraded habitat. The needs. These resources are not just limited to manages these edgy green spaces, which address notable aspects of urban Jenny Price explores these questions located in Los Angeles, pioneering efforts in Baldwin Hills – heavily industrial yet discarded trash, but include wild and feral plants cover the more than 8,000 acres of ecology in Los Angeles. Please join and more as she surveys a wide range integrated watershed management ecologically fragile – is set to become the urban animals such as birds, cats and dogs, sinewy freeway “gardens” in Los Angeles us at Art Center’s South campus of urban nature stories that this literary throughout the L.A. River basin, locally-based largest urban park in state history. Rising 500 fish, and rodents. In cities like Los Angeles, and Ventura counties, why various flora are (a.k.a. the Wind Tunnel), at the genre has entirely ignored. Join her as efforts to reclaim abandoned industrial lands feet above the L.A. basin, the Baldwin Hills those without daily food security may also be chosen for their ornamental value and/or Campfire Circle, on Saturdays she describes our connections to nature for parks, gardens and open space, and command impressive views to the Santa forced to trespass onto private property in abilities to endure drought, buffer sound, throughout the exhibit. Sample in L.A. through such topics as mango innovations in transit planning in the L.A. Monica Bay, the San Gabriel Mountains, the order to collect fruits, nuts, and other edible control erosion, resist weeds, and even Campfire programs are described body whips, murdered chihuahuas, the region are just a few of the growing number of whole of developed Los Angeles, and even plants. Join Ranger Pete Alagona as he counterbalance auto emissions. Discover, here. Please be sure to check social geography of L.A.’s air, and the important “green” designs, plans and policies Point Dume. Come learn about this explores L.A.’s networks for finding, collecting, also, the wonderful world of “transportation www.gardenlab.org for the most up-to-date schedule of events. saga of the L.A. River – which is shaping the city. Join Ranger Alan Loomis as fascinating brownfield site in the middle of the sharing, and preparing these urban foods. art,” intended for maximum community arguably the most important L.A. nature he explores the beaches, the foothills, the city, which supports a rich array of native How do these foraging activities change pleasure and minimum driver distraction. Project Organizers: Emily Scott, Jennifer story of all. freeways, and the flatlands of Green L.A. plants, insects, and animals. traditional notions of human ecology, hunting Finally, consider how and why these areas – Price, Sara Daleiden, Therese Kelly and gathering, and ecological resources in the first pitched as ideal picnic stops for leisurely urban environment? And what do these Sunday afternoon excursions – are now practices – and our reactions to them – say almost entirely access controlled, or off-limits about urban America today? to embodied exploration and occupation. Therese Kelly Alan Loomis ChrisKahle

Toxic Tourism in Los Angeles Los Angeles and the Nature of Time Alley CAT Facts about L.A.’s best-known tree: The palm tree is not native to the Los Angeles Ranger Donna Houston explores the How we experience time in Los Angeles is The ranger-led alleyCAT tour will explore Basin. In fact, of the numerous species that grow toxic history of Los Angeles from the structured by everything from cell-phones, several alley sites located between here, the only palm tree native to California is the perspective of environmental justice. which seek to minimize it, to movies featuring ArtCenter’s Wind Tunnel exhibition space and California Fan Palm. Participants will learn about the history natural disasters in town, which seek to downtown Los Angeles. This is both a driving Spanish Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries brought and politics of environmental justice maximize it. Both are examples, however, of and walking tour with multiple stops, so be the first date palms to California in 1769. activism in Los Angeles as well as living only in the present. Ranger Bill Fox will prepared to carpool/caravan and hit the alley become acquainted with some important help us rediscover time across a longer trails. We will encounter illegally dumped On city property alone, Los Angeles boasts 75,000 sites of environmental struggle via a spectrum in Los Angeles – from the La Brea trash, graffiti and tagging, as well as palm trees, Santa Monica 6,000, and Beverly Hills virtual toxic tour of the city. Toxic touring Tar Pits to the Forest Lawn Memorial Parks to sublime views and wildlife. Your ranger will 3,300. is is a way of reclaiming landscapes the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Along the way lead you on an encounter of these urban Most street palms in the Los Angeles region are blighted by industrial pollutants and we’ll detour into the human neurophysiology landscapes to spark discussion on their Mexican fan palms between 75 and 100 years old, wastes as places of community and of time, how to make lava for Hollywood, and current state and provide a forum for likely nearing the end of their natural lives. They are cultural memory. Toxic touring involves why Los Angeles has the largest collection of participants to share their own reactions and drought tolerant, requiring water only to establish developing different strategies for faux classical Italian sculpture in its gardens. visions. Alley’s are a world away right behind initial growth. ‘walking in the city’ in order to recover our homes, a lesser-explored touch-point Kane, www.Polarinertia.com Ted histories suppressed through the often between public and private urban space. violent reorderings of L.A.’s urban and Please check www.gardenlab.org for sign-up Washingtonia Robusta Washingtonia Filifera Washingtonia Celfonius industrial landscape. and schedule for this tour. (Mexican Fan Palm) (California Fan Palm) (California Cell Tower Palm)

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as private; and some public spaces intermittently become private for events such as film shoots and valet parking. Visit a Safe For Proper sun protection such as a hat, sunscreen, and/or sunglasses is encouraged. When traveling, watch for drivers on cell phones. In mountain areas, beware of rattle snakes and mountain lions, and be prepared to evacuate in case of fire or mudslides. On some beaches, be prepared to show adjacent homeowners a copy of the Act which describes California Coastal public boundaries and access. Did you know? Did you CAR FACTS The City of L.A. is made up 6,500 miles of streets, 160 and 40,000 intersections. freeway, 1897 marked the first known Angeles. automobile siting in Los Edward Doheny dug the first oil well The first gas Angeles in 1892. in Los Angeles opened in station in Los 1912. Angelenos in the 10,103,000 Today, L.A. County drive a total of 5,853,340 automobiles, which consume 3,669,186,000 gallons of gas (627 per car) year. Mt. Wilson 5715 ft 1742 m 10

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The Wilmington Oil Field is the third largest oil field in contiguous United States.

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I Elysian Park high, and poses one of the greatest management challenges in the region. Our Public Lands: them Find and Enjoy encourage you to enjoy public lands We Finding while respecting private property. and using public lands successfully, and legally in the L.A. basin can safely, and preparation. require careful effort Poorer neighborhoods tend to be short on parkland, while gated neighborhoods no public spaces or roads; typically offer rivers and other public spaces can be illegal to enter; residents in and other areas will E

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L Ball Ballona Wetlands Pacoima Spreading Grounds “The Great Wall” Mural Wash Tujunga (longest mural in the world) Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant Stone Canyon Reservoir Tillman Water Water Tillman Reclamation Plant 405 210 heats up and draws moisture from the dry, cool sea. From October to February, Ana winds may blow in from hot Santa the desert at gusts of over 100 mph. Flora and Fauna The distribution of animals and plants in this region is extremely complex, and includes species that are exotic (kudzu, starlings), native (chaparral species, mountain lions), wild domestic (ferrets), domestic gone wild (peacocks), domestic gone wild (parrots), cultivated (palms, peaches), and imported by the pound (most species in markets and The potential for conflicts is restaurants). Dockweiler Beach

High Tension Parks High Tension dlife viewing wil Los Angeles Reservoir Getty Center Encino Reservoir Venice Beach Venice Will Will Rogers S.P. MARINA DEL REY DEL MARINA Upper Van Upper Van Nolman Lake Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area 5 Scenic Overlook Primary Road Secondary Road Corridor Viewing Wildlife National Forest Park or Garden Area National Recreation Park boundary extends to the mean high tide line along the coast. 118 101 “Headwaters” Angeles River of the Los Topanga S.P. Topanga Topanga Topanga Beach

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UN Malibu Lagoon SANTA MONICA BAY MONICA SANTA these interacting systems into a with key zones that landscape of identity, Pasadena, Long include the Valley, Beach, Downtown and Silver Lake, East L.A., South and the Westside. Climate Famous L.A.’s Angeles as a Many people think of Los desert with year-round warmth and little rain. But in fact, L.A. enjoys a semi-arid, Mediterranean climate – a rare climate, enjoyed by just five areas worldwide, with hot, dry summers and mild winters foggy layer of A with intermittent rains. “June Gloom” often visits coastal areas in early summer as the inland region

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and light rail in limited areas. The most and light rail in limited areas. common method of travel is by car. The Landscape The L.A. basin is a mosaic of geological zones, as well ecological zones that include chaparral, coastal scrub, riparian areas, wetlands, oak woodlands, and grasslands. These zones have been overlaid by a territorial grid of city and county jurisdictions, as well a transportation grid, a land-use and a grid of shifting socioeconomic zones. These systems all interact in complex to predict. ways that can be difficult inhabitants have also translated L.A.’s I

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S 1 : Therese Kelly with Sara Daleiden : Did you know? Did you AIR FACTS Southeast L.A. occupies only 1% of County by acreage but its inhabitants breathe 18% of the toxic air emissions in the county. The first “smog alert” day on record was in 1942. The worst smog day ever was in 1954; air and had to be diverted. shipping traffic Air Quality Management The Southern California District was formed in 1975.

Leo Carrillo State Beach : GreenInfo Network www.greeninfo.org 3 Miles Point Mugu S.P. SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA RECREATION NATIONAL MOUNTAINS MONICA SANTA : Delta Graphics, Santa Monica, CA Did you know? Did you FACTS WATER Angeles area. There are 465 miles of river in the Los Angeles River falls farther in its 51-mile course (795 ft) The Los than the Mississippi River does in 2350 miles (650 ft). Army Corps of Engineers used two million tons The U.S. concrete to line the L.A. River and its tributaries. The greater L.A. area accounts for one-third of the beach closures in the United States. Pt. Mugu 2 Kilometers 101 1 North Los Angeles Urban Rangers Los Credits Printing Map & Brochure Design Mapping assistance in No part of this work may be reproduced in any manner, whole or in part, without express written permission from the artists. The Los Angeles Basin Los Angeles County is an 834-square- mile multiple-use area. Its beaches, a great mountains, and flatlands offer abundance and diversity of opportunities for dwelling, working, foraging, shopping, socializing, mating, and recreation. Getting Here/ Getting Around The L.A. basin is easily accessible by car and aircraft; bus, train, boat; motorcycle and scooter; foot, bicycle, and roller inline skates; internet, TV phone, and fax; movies within Travel shows in many languages. the basin can be done also by subway 0 0 1.5