Earth Systems Science, Inc.

Workday for Wildlife Follow-Up Continues

Dec 04, 2004

The Expo Greenway native plant bird and butterfly demonstration gardens created by the Workday for Wildlife event got a big boost when 13 Pasadena City College Geography student volunteers arrived on Friday afternoon, 3 Dec. Habitat Stewards Stratton Braun, Greg and Saifon Lee, Jon Lee, and Dominic Varona were joined by Geography students Eun Seung Cheon, Oscar Fernandez, Alvin Thomas Lau, Leilam Leverette, Fangfang Li, Jennifer Mavian, Silvia Preciado (and her 10-year old son, Frank), Li Qing, Xiem Van, and Anita Yengibaryan.

The Habitat Stewards taught the Geography student volunteers the basics of planting native plants. In a 2 ?½ hour span, the volunteers planted 50 native plants to expand the demonstration bird and butterfly gardens. The plants had been donated for the Workday for Wildlife event held on 6 Nov. However, the crowded conditions of the exhibitor tents and Children?’s Activity tents limited the working area for the demonstration gardens. So the call went out for volunteers to continue the planting effort.

This activity embodied many of the fundamental principles of Earth Systems Science, Inc.:

Y.E.S. (Youth, Environment, Sustainability): The volunteers were youth (including a son of one of the students), doing an environmental project, to demonstrate neighborhood environmental sustainability.

P.A.L. (Practical Applied Lessons): The volunteers were Geography students. Planting native plants in the Fall season involved practical use of the Geographic Systems Model, weather/climate, soils, and floristic knowledge integrated into a practical ecology activity.

Cultural Diversity: The 13 volunteers consisted of 3 males/10 females of diverse ages (ranging from 10 to 30+). The cosmopolitan volunteer group brought a noticeable variety of color to the predominantly African American neighborhood. Most Pasadena City College students do not frequent the Crenshaw District. For many, the Expo Neighborhood is quite different from their normal haunts. Exposure to different places, people and settings is all part of the community service options for the Geography students. Georgette Powell (a local neighborhood business owner who supports the ESSI and Expo Neighborhood community environmental efforts) commented to Greg Lee, ?“You keep working on the students, and we?’ll keep working on this end.?”

Patrick McCullough (co-founder of ESSI and Expo Neighbors leader) addressed the volunteers. He related to long and continuing struggle to beautify the neighborhood by planting trees and other greenery. The abandoned land in front of his home was a dumping ground. Through his community efforts, it was planted with 2,500 trees and evolved into the Expo Greenway about 7 years ago. The Workday for Wildlife event (co-sponsored with the National Wildlife Federation, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, Expo Neighbors Environmental Group, and Earth Systems Science, Inc) introduced the National Wildlife Federation?’s Gardening for Wildlife programs to the neighborhood. It encouraged local area residents to create Backyard Wildlife Habitats to effectively expand the effects of the Expo Greenway in their neighborhood. About 100 residents signed pledges to create and maintain wildlife habitats in their yards. All of this is part of an effort to make the Expo Neighborhood the first NWF certified Community Wildlife Habitat in an urban area.

?“I am amazed at how my simple planting efforts led to the community tree planting, and now this ongoing effort today. I want to thank the students for taking the time and effort to come and help. Don?’t underestimate your actions. One small thing that you do can make a big difference in the world,?” said McCullough as he addressed the students.