The territory of Los Angeles falls within the ancestral homelands of the Ventureño, Gabrieleño-Tongva, Chumash, Kizh, Serrano, Luiseño, and Tataviam (Fernandeño) peoples.
Territorial recognition: https://native-land.ca/.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Los Angeles has been notorious for its looming smog, caused by particle and ozone pollution as a result from the burning of fossil fuels, wildfires, and climate change. Los Angeles also suffers from high levels of stormwater pollution, with 100 billion gallons of polluted runoff flowing into the area’s storm drains annually. Rainwater drains into run-off channels that mixes with chemicals, oil, fertilizer, bacteria, and trash before spilling out into the ocean, leading to fish die-offs and permanent harm to marine species.
Rising temperatures, low precipitation, and groundwater depletion all contribute to Los Angeles’s critical drought issue. While the city has a long history of drought, dating back over 1,000 years according to Paleoclimate records, the dry conditions have grown significantly since the twentieth century. Drought causes lower water levels, which threatens some of the area’s endangered fish populations with extinction. Migratory birds have also been impacted by Los Angeles drought, which rely on flooded rice fields during their annual fall migrations.
Invasive species first appeared in the Los Angeles basin when Europeans arrived in the 1770s, bringing with them nonnative plant and animal life, such as horse, cattle, wild mustard, poison hemlock, and the house mouse. These species quickly took over indigenous species, forever changing the landscape of what would become Los Angeles. As the region’s lands became converted for agricultural production, it became easier for invasive plants such as mustard to thrive. Additionally, black mustard, when dried up in the summer months, creates fuel for quick-burning wildfires.
TreePeople’s mission is to inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the urban environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable and to share our process as a model for the world.
Learn More about TreePeopleFor a quarter-century, Los Angeles Waterkeeper (LA Waterkeeper) has served as LA’s water watchdog, safeguarding our inland and coastal waters using the law, science and community action. We work to eliminate pollution, achieve ecosystem health for our waterways and secure a resilient, multi-benefit, low-carbon water supply to the region.
Learn More about Los Angeles WaterkeeperThe mission of Los Angeles Audubon Society is to promote the study and protection of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats throughout the diverse landscapes of the Los Angeles area, and to stimulate popular interest in and access to nature for all Los Angeles communities by engaging youth and adults in conservation and education activities, providing opportunities to learn about birds and their habitats, and advocating policy and legislation that protect and promote birds.
Learn More about Los Angeles AudubonEnvironment Now’s mission is to advance the right to a healthy environment – and our shared responsibility to safeguard that right – through measurably effective environmental programs that protect and restore California’s waters and forests.
Learn More about Environment Now