Ribbon Cutting: The Bay Foundation’s “Wild Beach” Project is Transforming 3 Acres of Popular Santa Monica Beach to More Natural State to Protect Beaches & Address Coastal Risks
May 3, 2017 4:10 PM
WHAT: The Bay Foundation (TBF), in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, will hold a ribbon-cutting for the Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project, which is transforming an approximately three-acre section of existing sandy beach into a healthy, beautiful coastal ecosystem, to address coastal hazard risks while protecting and enhancing coastal resources, such as public beach access and recreation, natural shoreline habitat, and aesthetic values.
Seeded in December, the steady rain over the winter produced thousands of sprouting seedlings, the beginnings of hummocks (small sand dunes) and regular visits from wildlife (including the western snowy plover); all of which are starting to make this part of the highly visited Santa Monica beach a “wild beach,” a natural habitat this part of California hasn’t seen in decades.
The wide beaches of Santa Monica provide valuable environmental and economic resources, receiving 17 million visitors annually. Seventy-two million people visit the beaches throughout LA County in a given year.
WHO: Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer; The Bay Foundation’s Executive Director Tom Ford and Watershed Programs Manager Melodie Grubbs; and City of Santa Monica Chief Sustainability Officer and Assistant Public Works Director Dean Kubani.
WHY: This pilot project is transforming a highly impacted beach by seeding with native coastal strand species, such as flowering sand verbena and beach evening primrose. The project will evaluate increased protection from sea level rise and erosion for coastal infrastructure and residences, while also providing a vital refuge for coastal vegetation species, invertebrates, and birds, which are locally rare.
The project is also meant to offer a unique beach aesthetic for the region, an opportunity to see how people in Los Angeles interact with this type of coastal ecosystem, and bird watching opportunities for visitors. There is a path through the restoration area, and it is open along the water’s edge. Many of the design components are created to minimize disturbance, and encourage visitors’ interaction with the beach, from normal recreation to enjoying and learning about the local native plants.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 9, 2017
TIME: 10:00am – Gather + Coffee; 10:30am – Program + Tour
WHERE: We will gather at the north outside patio of the Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica, CA.
PARKING: https://www.annenbergbeachhouse.com/visit-us/getting-here-and-parking.aspx
Late breaking or live news crews please call Julie Du Brow at 310-922-1301.
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About The Bay Foundation (TBF) (www.santamonicabay.org)
About the City of Santa Monica (https://www.smgov.net/)
Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov