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Hummingbird in search of a brief romance | El colibrí en busca de un breve romance
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Hummingbird in search of a brief romance | El colibrí en busca de un breve romance

I encourage you to walk around your neighborhood to search for hummingbirds that are found in your area | Los animo a caminar por su vecindario para buscar colibríes que se encuentren en su área.

Climate Survivance: A first of its kind Climate Stewards course for Indigenous Youth

In partnership UC ANR and Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America , the Center is offering a Climate Stewards certification to high schoolers. Anahuacalmecac is the first high school to offer this course as an approved UC A-G college prep class.

Audubon’s Public Programs Manager has helped co-construct the curriculum in partnership with Anahuacalmecac instructors, focusing on climate science lessons. The program is specifically geared towards indigenous youth and honors indigenous practices of climate stewardship in the midst of our global climate crisis. 

Science lessons are hands-on and relate back to problems in the local community. After completing thecourse, students will be able to communicate and engage in local solutions to advance community and ecosystem resilience. So far, students have engaged in restoration work, mapped local areas to compare ground cover, and created their own ecosystems in jar.

Introducing the 2022 - 2023 Audubon Youth Leaders!

We are thrilled to welcome our second cohort of Audubon Youth Leaders to the Center! 14 youth from local high schools have joined us for the program which runs from November 2022 through March 2023. Youth will complete 80 program hours total and will receive a $600 educational stipend upon completion of the program. This year, they will also receive a California Naturalist certification!  

The Audubon Youth Leaders (AYL) program offers environmental leadership experience for high school aged youth. Participants will split their time between working towards their California Naturalist certifications, participating in workshops, practicing community program delivery and engaging in hands-on habitat restoration. We aim to work alongside the Youth Leaders to develop the next generation of environmental stewards and community advocates. 

The current cohort has already begun the practice of nature journaling, explored Debs Park, and are developing their knowledge of local native plants and wildlife.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Youth Leaders! 

Meet the CSUDH College Corps Members!

From Left to Right: Russell Tan, Nathalie Vasquez, and Marcela Marroquin Cruz

The California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Toro Dreamers Success Center is collaborating with #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program and LA based organizations to provide a service-learning experience for students in the 2022-2023 calendar year. The College Corps members at the Audubon Center at Debs Park will focus on engaging the community in climate resilience through conversation and advocacy, with a focus on the importance of native plants. While onsite, they will staff our Welcome Center and engage  visitors through hands-on activities. Next time you're here on a weekend, stop by the Welcome Center to say hello! Learn more about the College Corps members below:

Russell Tan

Favorite Bird: Shoebill Stork

Favorite Past-Time: Attending live sporting events and concerts

Most Excited About: Working in the outdoors and helping restore/enhance native species + helping educate others in working towards the same thing. 

Born and raised in Northern California, Russell is excited to be a part of the Audubon Center and its mission of environmental enhancement/restoration and community education and involvement. As a child, Russell collected local wildlife out of his fascination with the natural world. Luckily, his mother was not as enthusiastic about having the critters in the house and insisted he release anything he caught back to where he got it. This included frogs, snakes, lizards and insects of all kinds. Russell is currently working on his BS in Biology with an option in ecology and environmental biology at CSU Dominguez Hills. When he is not hiking, golfing or surfing, Russell enjoys going to concerts and live sports events. 

Nathalie Vasquez

Favorite Bird: Nuttall's Woodpecker

Favorite Past-Time: Running around in nature, traveling to all parts of the world, outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, enjoying city views, and spending time with family and friends.

Most Excited About: Learning about nature and bringing this knowledge back to her community. 

Nathalie is from Puebla Mexico and is currently a third year at California State University Dominguez Hills. She is majoring in Labor Studies, and hopes to work towards going to law school. She hopes to travel the world as well as she is a foodie and enjoys trying new things. She also enjoy city views and loves to be surrounded by nature. She is excited to get more knowledge on birds and then orient people on what she learned. She hopes to get her family, friends, and community involved and to introduce them to this environmental movement.

Marcela Marroquin Cruz

Favorite Bird: Spix’s Macaw

Favorite Past-Time: Hiking and watching basketball

Most Excited About: Getting involved with restoration work and gaining hands-on experience, as well as bringing that knowledge and experience back to her community 

Marcela is excited to be involved with the Center because it brings her memories of when she was a kid and she would explore the outdoors. They have a standing tradition of going out into nature, with no signal, no electricity, and camping out once a year. This makes her feel connected with nature. Being outdoors makes her feel like she really connects with nature and plants.

Fall Migration is Upon Us! Migración Otoñal Está Aquí!

Orange-crowned Warbler, Scientific name: Vermivora celata Reinita corona naranja, Nombre cientifico: Vermivora celata Photo: Diana Martinez

In May 2020, during the global pandemic, I began to discover a new world. A unique world, the urban wildlife interface. While LA is known for buildings, I began to look more closely at the top of skylights, in the cracks of the sidewalks, and at the top of traffic lights. I started to take walks throughout the various times of the day to see the rich biodiversity in the wildlife interphase. I began to see many birds like the Cedar Waxwing, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Flickers, and other wildlife like coyotes, gophers, and many more. I was amazed to discover this unique world in a moving city like the city of Angeles. One of my favorite things to do is urban walks around my neighborhood in Koreatown. I continue to see the types of birds present during various seasons and migration seasons. This fall season, I encourage you to walk around your neighborhood, discover the many birds that live at the top of the buildings, and hang out at traffic lights. You will be surprised to see what type of species you can find!

Did you know that every fall season, there is fall bird migration?

What does this mean for urban areas like Los Angeles?

Although there are many buildings, the city of Los Angeles is actually a great location to go outside and look for birds. 

When is a good time to look for birds?

Technically anytime during the day. However, birds are most active in the early morning. It is a good idea to go to various times of the day to see the different types of birds!

Where is a good location to look for birds?

A good location where one can find birds are on the top of buildings, street lights, nearby bushes, and surrounding trees. One can go anywhere from the main downtown area to the coastal side. 

October is an exhilarating month since many birds start to arrive and pass through the city of Los Angeles due to fall migration. So this October, we invite you to take the time to go outside with family and friends and find birds around the city. You will be surprised by the many types of birds you will find! 

  

En mayo de 2020, durante la pandemia mundial, comencé a descubrir un nuevo mundo. Un mundo único, en la zona urbana, la vida silvestre que habita en la zona urbana. La ciudad de los Angeles es conocida por sus edificios, pero yo comencé a mirar más cerca las grietas de las calles, en los edificios  y la parte superior de los semáforos. Empecé a caminar todas los días durante en horas distintas del día y descubrí la rica biodiversidad en la zona urbana y la vida silvestre. Empecé a ver muchas aves como el cedro encerado, el aguililla cola rojo, parpadeo del norte y otros animales salvajes como coyotes, tuzas y muchos más. Me sorprendió descubrir este mundo único en una ciudad de la ciudad de Ángeles que se mueve muy rápido. Una de mis actividades favoritas son paseos urbanos por mi vecindario/comunidad en Koreatown. Sigo estando fascinado por el tipo de aves en el transcurso del día y en las estaciones de migración. Esta temporada de otoño, les recomiendo que salgan a  caminar por su vecindario/comunidad para descubrir las muchas aves que viven en la parte superior de los edificios y  en los semáforos. ¡Te sorprenderás al ver qué tipo de especies puedes encontrar!

¿Sabías que cada otoño, hay una migración otoñal de aves?

¿Qué significa esto para áreas urbanas como Los Ángeles?

Aunque hay muchos edificios, la ciudad de Los Ángeles también es un excelente lugar para salir y buscar aves.

¿Cuándo es un buen momento para buscar pájaros?

Técnicamente a cualquier hora del día. Sin embargo, las aves están más activas en las primeras horas de la mañana. Es una buena idea buscar a las aves a varias horas del día para ver diferentes tipos de aves.

¿Cuál es un lugar excelente para buscar aves?

Un buen lugar donde uno puede encontrar a las aves es en la parte superior de los edificios, señales de alto, arbustos cercanos y árboles. Uno puede ir a cualquier lugar desde el área principal del centro hasta el lado costa. 

Octubre es un mes emocionante ya que muchas aves comienzan a llegar y pasar por la ciudad de Los Ángeles debido a la migración otoñal. Así que este octubre, los invitamos a que se tomen el tiempo para salir con su familia y amigos a encontrar aves alrededor de la ciudad. Te sorprenderá qué tipo de pájaros encontrarás.

 
 
Pachanga de las Americas 2022
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Pachanga de las Americas 2022

A beautiful day celebrating the migration of people and birds across the Americas!

Summer Internship Reflection - Samuel Cervantes

I have enjoyed my summer Internship here at the Audubon Center at Debs Park; being a part of this center over the summer and contributing to its goals was a very valuable experience and allowed me to grow. Helping on the public outreach and engagement side gave me a new perspective on how to teach and educate people on the environment, and how to have the confidence and know how to approach different topics to different groups of people. Throughout this internship, I was able to work on flyers, educational activities, and a brochure for the center. Graphic design was a skill that I had been working on and developing before entering this internship, and I was able to expand and grow these skills.

One of my favorite parts of this internship was working at the Welcome Center. It was a fulfilling experience, and speaking and educating new visitors on a daily basis gave me a new appreciation for the center and its purpose of providing a green space for families of all different backgrounds. Not only that but being a part of the conservation side of things firsthand gave me an understanding of the process of restoration and developing good restoration habits that I can carry with me in future projects and endeavors.

I hope to carry everything I have learned here and all the experience I have gained back to college and see how I can use that experience to open up new doors and new experiences. I am very grateful to have been able to intern here for the summer and learned a lot overall.  

Debs Park Birds: Red-shouldered Hawk


Red-shouldered hawks are one of the stunning raptor species that call Debs Park home. As a medium-sized hawk, Red-shouldered hawks are noticeably smaller than their Red-tailed counterparts. They have a small rounded head, slim body, broad wings, and a medium-length tail that fans out when they fly. They are beautifully colored birds with a rust colored chest, dark brown and white checkered wings, and black and white striped tail feathers. Red-shouldered hawks can typically be found soaring through the sky or perched in trees, where they hunt small mammals and reptiles. As you can see in the photo above, this particular Red-shouldered hawk is about to chow down on a lizard! 

Keep your ears and eyes open for the Red-shouldered hawk next time you're in Debs Park! One of the best ways to spot a Red-shouldred hawk is by listening for their distinctive call. Check it out HERE!

Bird Feeder Donations Welcome!


Do you or someone you know have any extra bird feeders lying around? If so, we will gladly take them off your hands & give them a new home here at the Center! We can guarantee they’ll get a LOT of use.

We recently had a number of our feeders stolen & are hoping to put some back up as soon as we can. Any donations are sincerely appreciated! We especially have a need for hummingbird feeders and suet feeders, but all feeders are more than welcome.

Donations can be dropped off at the Center Wed through Mon, 8am - 4pm. Please contact debspark@audubon.org with any questions!

Meet Chelsea! Community Conservation Fellow

Please join us in welcoming Chelsea Abrahamian to the Debs Park team! 

Chelsea, native to the San Fernando Valley and currently living in Simi Valley, is extremely excited to be a part of the Audubon Debs Park team. Being in an urban environment, she didn't grow up visiting natural spaces often, but still developed a fascination with the natural world. During her time as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University where she majored in Environmental Science and minored in International Development, she fostered her love for science by participating in research in microbial ecology. She also gained an interest in issues of environmental justice. Being both Salvadorian and Armenian and speaking both languages, diversity and representation are an important part of her worldview. Chelsea believes that environmental problems are closely intertwined with social justice issues and is most excited to be a part of Audubon Debs Park for their holistic, people-focused approach to conservation issues.

Chelsea is an avid outdoorswoman and in her free time loves hiking, diving, bird watching, painting, and native plant gardening. She is a volunteer diver at the California Science Center and helps survey kelp forests with Reef Check. Her research interests include ecology, climate change, and environmental justice. She also loves nature photography, and most loves shooting birds on her DSLR and underwater scenes on film. Her favorite bird is the Belted Kingfisher.

In her role as Community Conservation Fellow, Chelsea will be focusing on community-based habitat restoration efforts in Debs Park over the course of the next year. Come on out to an upcoming Habitat Restoration volunteer event to meet Chelsea & learn more! 

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