Earth Systems Science, Inc.

Re-Connecting with the National Wildlife Federation

Oct 17, 2003

Patrick McCullough and Gregory Lee co-founded ESSI after talks and walks in the Exposition Greenway in front of McCullough?’s house. They wanted to combine the success of the Exposition Greenway project (lead by McCullough) with Lee?’s pragmatic community-based education methods. The goal was to connect urban families to nature. This would lead to improved environmental awareness and education. It would empower residents to protect their neighborhood environments. Ultimately, it leads to more sustainable neighborhoods. They considered using the National Wildlife Federations (NWF) Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® (BWH) program. It was an ?“easy-to-do?” neighborhood family environmental activity. They put it on their wish list along with using native plants for butterfly gardens.

Both men were very active in the National Parks Conservation Association?’s (NPCA) Cultural Diversity Program. In the Los Angeles Community Partners (LACP, the local affiliate of the NPCA), they helped launch the LACP Junior Ranger Pilot Program. This pilot program trained urban youth about the environment. It also prepared them for entry-level jobs with the National Park Service. Their work ended work on the pilot. But the Expo Rangers was born from this effort. The Expo Rangers got two Public Land Corps grants from the National Park Service (NPS). These projects were the ?“grown up?” versions of the pilot program. These activities effectively sidelined starting the NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® program for about 2 years.

In summer 2003, Nicole Fernandes of the NWF Western Regional office in San Diego called. She was looking for community-based environmental organizations to help NWF in Los Angeles. She found the ESSI website and was excited at the ?“fit?” of the organizations. She was tasked to use non-traditional approaches to advance the Gardening for Wildlife effort. ESSI seemed made to order. After an excited conference phone call, plans were made to meet in September. McCullough and Lee have a reputation of hitting the ground with all four feet running.

In late July, Lee, at the urging of his wife, set wheels in motion to certify their Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® in order to gain first hand knowledge and insight to the program. By mid-August, they applied for certification.

They say ?“the best made plans of mice and men oft times go arye.?” And when ?“opportunity knocks...?” So as luck would have it, Saul Mercado (Program Director of NATHA---Neighbors Acting Together Helping All) contacted Lee to introduce ESSI and its programs to NATHA. Of particular interest was gardening in relation to sustainable neighborhoods. The NWF Gardening for Wildlife programs fit the bill. After a meeting in late July, NATHA invited ESSI to a block party to distribute Gardening for Wildlife information to the Altadena neighborhoods. (See the related story ?“ ?“ in the Newsletter section on this website.) Thus, without any formal ESSI-NWF agreement, the teamwork began. Fernandes responded immediately and positively by sending literature and a Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® Starter Kit to use as a prize. This event also fostered ESSI contacts with the Theodore Payne Foundation and the California Native Plant Society-San Gabriel Mountains Chapter to promote the use of native plants in the Gardening for Wildlife programs.

Lee, who teaches a Pasadena City College, took steps to include the Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® program as extra credit for his Geography classes as well as making it option Service Learning and Community Service. Gardening for Wildlife programs are excellent hands-on, interactive learning, and create opportunities for student to apply their Geography knowledge and skills. The big pluses are for the health of the environment and individual.

At Fernandes?’ suggestion, ESSI enrolled in the NWF Habitat Host training in early September. By late September, ESSI began to prepare to Host a Habitat Steward training workshop in spring 2004.

The scheduled September meeting was postponed until Friday, October 3. And what a meeting it was! It was a non-stop marathon meeting lasting 5 hours. The excitement and enthusiasm seemed to never end. ESSI?’s grassroots community-based approach was just what Fernandes wanted. The synergy between the individuals and the organizations seemed to send sparks through the air. NWF will begin to move toward drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ESSI. That may take some time---but...

That same night, Lee distributed about 40 NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® brochures at the Los Angeles Geographical Society?’s (LAGS) free public lecture. During the LAGS Council meeting, he pressed for including information about the NWF programs in the LAGS newsletter. Several LAGS members, some who are college faculty, expressed keen interest in encouraging their students to get involved.

The next day, the ESSI website was updated with the inclusion of the ?“Urban Wildlife Habitat?” page (see the page by scrolling down the greenside bar of this page to the ?“Our Pages?” section).

The Expo Neighbors Environmental Group web page (founded by McCullough when he started the Exposition Greenway effort) was updated with information about Gardening for Wildlife. McCullough hopes to stimulate interest and garner support for a drive to certify the Expo Neighborhood as an urban Community Wildlife Habitat. The Expo Greenway, now about 6+ years old, provides a great community focus and stimulus for residents to start their own Backyard Wildlife Habitat?®. Since the barren open space gave way to the Greenway, the number of birds in the neighborhood rose. People who once lived next to strangers met each other and became neighbors as they pitched in and helped plant more than 2500 trees to create the Exposition Greenway. McCullough, Lee, and Fernandes want to revitalize that community spirit and energy with the Gardening for Wildlife effort. The Exposition Greenway is community space. The Backyard Wildlife Habitat?® brings nature home to their families and children. So now, two years after first learning about the NWF Backyard Wildlife Habitat?®, ESSI has taken this program off the back burner.

If you would like to be an active participant in making your backyard and your neighborhood a better place to live (not just for you, but for native birds and butterflies), please contact ESSI using the e-mail links on this website. Join us for the Habitat Steward training coming in Feb-Mar 2004.

(c) 2003, ESSI. All rights reserved.
Photo by S. Lee.