IMPACT AND ADVOCACY
Founded in 1978, the Friends Saved the Wetlands, Then Had an Instrumental Role in Getting Them Designated as a State Ecological Reserve
Prior to extensive housing and commercial development in the 20th Century, the Ballona Wetlands encompassed more than 2,000 acres. In 1978, Ruth Lansford gathered other concerned citizens to join her in protecting what remained of the wetlands. That year, Lansford created and secured nonprofit status for Friends of Ballona Wetlands, and thereafter, the nascent organization pursued protracted litigation against a series of developers. In 2003, the State of California, the developer of Playa Vista, and the Friends reached an agreement to preserve approximately 600 acres of the Wetlands.
The Friends’ history of advocacy through activism, working with other NGOs, and creating community restoration and educational programs established the organization as a leading voice in preserving the Ballona Wetlands.
Friends Fought to Restore 51 Acres of Freshwater Wetlands
Once a dry, weedy field, the Ballona Freshwater Marsh now supports more wildlife than the entire Wetland has in many years.
The Friends are proud of this achievement. The landowner could have simply built a run-off basin, but through our tough negotiations, we achieved a freshwater marsh that met 3 conditions:
It must create habitat superior to what existed before.
That habitat must be maintained in perpetuity.
Should it not be compatible with the salt marsh restoration, it must be redesigned and rebuilt until it is.
The marsh was created without the use of any public money and is maintained through a conservancy directed by Playa Vista residents.
Our Timeline
1979 Tours begin along Ballona Creek, inaugurating the Friends Education Program
1984 Lawsuit filed against California Coastal Commission
1990 Settled lawsuit with successful outcome of saving 340 acres of Ballona Wetlands, funding for Ballona Wetlands Foundation, commitment to create Freshwater Marsh, and land set aside for Ballona Interpretive Center within development
1992 Initiated tide gates project with multiple agencies including Army Corps of Engineers, County of Los Angeles, and Heal the Bay for self-regulating tide gate installation
1994 Created Ballona dunes restoration program as a volunteer effort
2003 Dedication of Freshwater Marsh and creation of Freshwater Marsh docent program
2003 Fostered state purchase of Ballona through Trust for Public Land (600 Ballona acres now owned by the State of California)
2004 Ballona tide gate installation completed creating a healthier salt marsh
2005 Successfully advocated for an Ecological Reserve designation for Ballona Wetlands with California Department of Fish and Game
2007 In partnership with Loyola Marymount University, launched Pollution Prevention Project to reduce pollution in the Ballona Watershed
2007 / 2008 Received funding from City of Los Angeles for Pollution Prevention; Southern California Edison and Sony for dunes restoration and education; William C. Bannerman Foundation and JiJi Foundation for organizational capacity
2009 Received new funding from Southern California Edison and Sony for dunes restoration and education, and a $25,000 capacity building grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation
2010 The federally-endangered Least Bell’s Vireo nested for the first time since the Ballona Wetlands system was restored
2011 The Federally Endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly, a formerly extirpated endemic species, was discovered in the restored Ballona dune system
2012 Edison International awards $35,000 grant to benefit Friends’ Education & Restoration programs
2013 A delegation from the Forestry Department of Shandong Province, China tour the Ballona Freshwater Marsh
2014 Published Patterns of Vehicle-based Vertebrate Mortality in the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve technical memorandum in collaboration with The Bay Foundation
2015 Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition is formed to collaboratively advocate and support wetland restoration projects
2016 Scott Culbertson named the Executive Director of Friends of Ballona Wetlands
2017 First Migration Celebration at Ballona Discovery Park attracts more than 650 attendees
2018 Received grant from California Wildlife Foundation to fund Ballona Gateway Restoration Project
2018 In partnership with Heal the Bay, LA Waterkeeper, Surfrider Foundation, and The Trust for Public Land, launched fact-based campaign to educate and keep residents of Playa Del Rey and Playa Vista informed about the restoration of Ballona
2019 New website launched
2019 More than 750 people attended our 3rd Annual Migration Celebration, learning about nature in our backyards
2019 Awarded 28 bus scholarships (our most ever to date) to schools with limited access to field trips and outdoor education
2019 Re-affirmed our commitment to climate resilience by releasing a statement in support of renewable energy
2019 More than 400 plants propagated from seed onsite planted in the Ballona Gateway; 26 tons of invasive plants removed
2020 Transitioned to Ballona@Home virtual education and continued contact with students, teachers, and parents for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020 Began offering virtual lessons in Spanish to ESL learners
2020 Friends of Ballona Wetlands supports certified Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project as described in the Final Environmental Impact Report released by CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife