The most important stories for you to know today
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani gestures as he warms up during batting practice prior to an opening day baseball game at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20, 2024.
Get your Dodger blue ready for opening day, Alex Edelman is back at the Taper, and Street Food Wednesdays continue downtown!- Following their first-of-its-kind Seoul series in Korea last week, the Dodgers return to L.A. to kick off the 2024 season at home.- Don’t worry, we’re assured the trivia night follows the hike, plus it includes a wine tasting back at Wondery’s offices.It’s finally summer! Well, only if you count the Dodgers' opening day as the start of summer, and who wouldn’t? Baseball aside, there’s tons to do this week, including the return of Alex Edelman’s thought-provoking one-man showat the Taper, indie rock legends Sleater-Kinney hit the Wiltern, and we’re heading to Pershing Square for some great street eats.in Korea last week, the Dodgers come home to kick off the 2024 season against the Cardinals. Of course, all eyes will be on their new star player, Japan’s Shohei Ohtani.Comedian Alex Edelman combines a natural, light-on-his-feet approach to stand-up comedy with a serious presence made for the theater in his one-man show,, back after a sold-out December run for a few more nights at the Mark Taper Forum. The tight 90 minutes about his encounter with a White Nationalist group are funny, heartwarming, terrifying, and relevant. But don’t fret if you missed out on tickets, the show was filmed for HBO and will also be at your streaming fingertips in April.as for the rock band she co-founded in 1994 with Corin Tucker. The band is still going strong and plays the Wiltern to support their 11th studio album,Sam First is such a little gem of the L.A. jazz scene, and there’s no better time to swing by. Ethan Margolis aka Emaginario and his quintet will perform a blend of jazz, blues, and flamenco. Emaginario's guitar playing reflects his Americana roots and the 20+ years he has collaborated with the Romani population of Andalusia.Jean-Michel Basquiat is synonymous with New York of the 1980s, but he actually made a large body of work right here in Los Angeles. Basquiat made Venice his home for a short time and some of those works are on display this spring at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills.The first in a series of talks from the L.A. Library Forum around AI and society. Hosted by computational social scientist Avriel Epps, this panel will focus on the effect of AI on young people. Epps will be joined by experts including developmental psychologist Brendesha Tynes and Sneha Revanur, the 19-year-old founder and president of Encode Justice.Cozy wine bar Covell hosts a stellar regular comedy night hosted by Rachel Pegram. Previous performers have included Guy Branum, Aparna Nancherla, and more.Did someone say the magic words"trivia" and"hiking"? As long as you’re not out of breath and trying to answer questions mid-uphill climb, this sounds like a near-perfect combination. Don’t worry, we’re assured the trivia night follows the hike, plus it includes a wine tasting back at Wondery’s offices.about life in Inglewood, California, featuring a guest appearance from actor and producer Duane Finle. They’ve cozied up the rooftop with wood-burning patio heaters. Your ticket includes a warm beverage, too.Every week from March 27, 2024 through May 15, 2024 Street food vendors and artisanal goods take center stage in Pershing Square every Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.The last Thursday of every month, the country’s oldest Italian-American society hosts dinner in their ballroom and invites guests to boogie on the dance floor, too.Put your Easter order in early at the San Pedro fish market. Their seafood family favorites tray is only available through March 31, and it features shrimp, swordfish, baby octopus, and more.A case that could limit access to the abortion pill will be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. If restrictions are put in place it could affect millions of Californians.Anti-abortion rights groups sued the Food and Drug Administration over rules that expanded access to mifepristone. It’s part of a two-drug regimen used in most medication abortions. The FDA stands by its research that finds adverse events from mifepristone are extremely rare.Mifipristone is approved for use up to around 10 weeks of pregnancy, though the Supreme Court could roll that back to seven weeks, require an in-person visit with a doctor, and restrict who can prescribe it.Arguments take place March 26. The Supreme Court’s decision will likely be announced in June.Jackie Fortiér helps Southern Californians understand the pandemic by identifying what's working and what's not in our health response.It could become harder for Californians to get access to one of the drugs used in medication abortions, depending on how the Supreme Court rules this summer. The high court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case brought by the conservative group Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, challenging policies that expand access to the drug mifepristone. The medication is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, in a majority of abortions nationwide. The case is the court’s first significant return to the abortion issue since the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. If the court restricts access, health care for millions could be affected, including in California and other states that protect abortion rights.What is the case? The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a group of anti-abortion emergency room doctors, filed the legal challenge. They claim the federal Food and Drug Administration overlooked the health risks of the drug at the time it was approved in 2000 and again when the agency later approved wider access to the drug in 2016 and 2021 through telemedicine, mail delivery and prescribing by pharmacists. The court will only consider the actions that broadened access to the drug.. NPR reported that the study was cited three times by a federal judge who ruled against the FDA last spring. The FDA has said it stands by its research that found complications from taking mifepristone are extremely rare. The Biden administration, major pharmaceutical companies and medical societies point to extensive data documenting the drug’s safety. The government’s lawyers say ruling against the FDA will set a precedent, allowing people to bring challenges to other medications they may disagree with, including contraceptives and vaccinations. Amanda Barrow, a senior staff attorney at UCLA’s Center on reproductive health, law and policy who is not directly involved in the case, shares some of those concerns. “If the Supreme Court affirms the 5th circuit's decision, it would reinstate onerous restrictions on mifepristone not just in states with restrictions or bans, but also in states like California where abortion is legal and even constitutionally protected,” she said.Medication abortion accounts for more than half of abortions across the country. Mifipristone can also speed up miscarriages once they’ve already begun, reducing the need for surgeries. The recent FDA policies at the center of the case have allowed the pills to be prescribed online, mailed to patients and dispensed at pharmacies. Mifipristone is approved for use up to around 10 weeks of pregnancy, though the Supreme Court could roll that back to seven weeks, in addition to requiring an in-person visit with a doctor in order to obtain the pills. If the court drops telehealth as an option, people could only obtain the drug in-person at the office or clinic of the health care provider who prescribed it, rather than through the mail or at another pharmacy. Requiring people to physically see a doctor takes time and money, and would hit under resourced Californians the hardest, Barrow said. “In California, allowing medication abortion via telehealth has been really important in reaching rural and underserved communities,” she said. “All of these modifications have been helpful to not only serving Californians but also responding to the post Roe influx of patients traveling from states with bans and restrictions.”What questions do you have about the pandemic and health care? Jackie Fortiér helps Southern Californians understand the pandemic by identifying what's working and what's not in our health response.Third grade students participate in the Great Shakeout annual earthquake drill at Pacific Elementary School in Manhattan Beach on Thursday, October 21, 2021.that need to be inspected, possibly retrofitted or that are already in the process of being modified. A reader found out that one of those buildings is at her kid's future school, so she wanted to know if it'll be safe in an earthquake.In 1999, the state legislature passed AB 300, which required certain older school buildings to be assessed for seismic safety and potential retrofit.Without a proper structural assessment and modeling, we’re not able to easily tell you whether a building will be safe in an earthquake. LAUSD would be the ones with this information.Ask your kid’s school what their earthquake plans are, including what sorts of supplies they have, where pickups will be and what’ll happen to your child if you can’t get there right away. You can also check out the classroom and make sure that there are no heavy items sitting up high, waiting to fly off and injure someone.Go over what you want them to do if there is an earthquake and you’re not with them. Practice drop, cover, hold on at home.That’s what listener Connie Lichtenstein wanted to know after she found out that the school they were considering sending one of their children to had a building that may need to be retrofitted. “I am worried about my child attending our local elementary school, Franklin Ave ES , in the fall because it is on the AB 300 list. Are AB 300 schools earthquake-safe RIGHT NOW?” After looking into it I can say it’s a complicated question with an unsatisfying answer, but it’s worth exploring because it can give Connie and maybe even you, an insight into earthquake safety at schools, about whichIn 1999, the California legislature passed AB 300, which directed the Department of General Services to put together a list of public school structures that didn't meet a major 1976 code overhaul called the Uniform Building Code.Those that are likely to do well in an earthquake 139 buildings have had their seismic evaluations completed and are in some stage of the retrofit processonline, but that only identifies 645 out of a potential 667 buildings. It's unclear why. Representatives say it's up to date.After more than a week of waiting for answers to a list of questions, the school district followed up with a statement from a spokesperson. "A school building on the Los Angeles Unified AB300 Criteria Building List means that the type of structure has been identified for seismic evaluation. Once evaluated, an appropriate action plan is developed, if necessary. If during the evaluation process, a building is determined to possibly pose a safety concern, the necessary actions will be immediately taken to ensure student and staff safety." Looking for clarity, I asked: Are students and faculty safe inside of buildings on the AB 300 list in the event of an earthquake, even if a building has not yet been assessed or had its retrofit completed? Are they expected to meet life safety performance? The question that's at the crux of this entire piece?If you do find out that one of the unimproved buildings is on your kid's campus, should you be worried? "The fact that the building is on this list doesn't automatically make it a highly vulnerable building," said Henry Burton, an associate professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UCLA. "Because of the number of variables that are involved it's very hard to say if there's a building that's in imminent danger." A whole lot of work goes into figuring out if a building is going to perform OK in an earthquake. Experts need to review building plans, do on the ground assessments, take into consideration everything from materials to the way that they're joined together. They also need to do ground motion modeling that considers different types of potential quakes. If they do find out that a building needs to be retrofitted, the structures often need to be opened up for expensive improvements that can take years to complete. Students at Bryant Elementary School take cover under their desks during an earthquake drill as part of the Great ShakeOut event on October 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California.Multiple structural engineers I spoke with also said that even if a building was built 100 years ago, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't do well in a quake. "Usually when I'm talking with parents, I will often throw my poor daughter under the bus by reaching the conclusion that there aren't too many school buildings out there that I would not allow my daughter to go to class in," said Kenneth O'Dell, a structural engineer in Long Beach. "I have confidence in the building inventory within the local market for schools. And that confidence comes largely from the knowledge that the Division of State Architect has been involved in certifying school buildings since shortly after the 1933 earthquake." The structural integrity of schools has been a priority in California since 1933, after the Long Beach Earthquake destroyed 70 schools. Luckily, students weren't in school at the time and mass death was avoided. A month later the legislature passed the Field Act, which set more strict building requirements for schools than were previously in place. It's often pointed out that since then, no school buildings in California have collapsed in an earthquake. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if you're OK with the risk, as is always the case when we talk about anything disaster related. That was the entire conclusion of our podcast“If they continue to be on this list and they're not retrofitted in any way, then yeah I think I would either continue homeschooling my kids or I would find a school for them that isn't on that list that we don't have to worry about," said Lichtenstein, when I told her what I learned."The only thing I would suggest is to try to get more information from the relevant school district about what they're doing about the buildings, and if they have a sense of the timeline for evaluating and retrofitting these buildings," Burton said. Feel free to ask either your kid's school or an LAUSD board member about a particular building, whether it's been assessed and what its shortcomings may be. If you get stonewalled or find anything out, shoot me a note. Outside of structural safety, there are some important questions about earthquakes that the school should be able to answer:What sorts of supplies do they have available and when were they updated? What sorts of precautions are they taking in terms of strapping down heavy items in the classroom and how often are classrooms inspected?If you can't get to your kids after the earthquake, what happens? Is there anything you can prepare for your child in anticipation of a disaster to make them more comfortable while they're waiting?and sticking it in your kid's backpack, so they always have critical information on them that they can refer to amidst the chaos.What do you want to know about fires, earthquakes, climate change or any science-related topics? Jacob Margolis helps Southern Californians understand the science shaping our imperfect paradise and gets us prepared for what’s next.Joshua trees like this one are the subject of WildEarth Guardians' latest lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.An environmental advocacy group is suing the federal government over its decision not to list the Joshua Tree as an endangered or threatened species.WildEarth Guardians, who filed suit for the second time, point to climate models that show the tree will be functionally extinct in 90 to 99% of its current range by the end of the century.It's the second time the group has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over Joshua tree protections. In 2021, a federal judgein favor of WildEarth Guardians, saying that the USFWS’s climate change conclusions were “arbitrary and capricious.” USFWS said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.The group said while designating the Joshua Tree as threatened or endangered won’t change climate change realities, it would enable more protections, like designating more money toward wildfire protections.The environmental advocacy group WildEarth Guardians is suing the federal government for the second time over its decision not to list the Joshua tree as an endangered or threatened species.“We believe that that decision was wrong based on the science and the climate models that show that by the end of the century, across 99% of the range for Joshua trees will be functionally extinct,” said Lindsay Larris,Larris said while designating the Joshua tree as threatened or endangered won’t change climate change realities, it would enable more protections, like designating more money toward wildfire protections. She said there are certain areas of habitat the tree could survive in the future — climate refugia, or areas that have natural buffers against the current climate crisis. “We want to make sure those areas are actually protected, and the federal government puts resources into doing what it needs to to ensure that those small pockets remain protected so some Joshua trees will thrive into the future,” she said., which was enacted last year, western Joshua trees cannot be imported, exported, or sold in the state without authorization from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.Heather Williams, a senior environmental scientist with CalRecycle, at a community compost training at Amy's Farm in Ontario in June 2021. "There's nothing I love more than seeing a steaming pile of compost," Williams said., aims to help individuals shake out of climate paralysis, take meaningful climate actions, and get rewarded for it. The app, which launched publicly about six months ago and is currently in beta, gamifies climate action and education, and was curated specifically for L.A.Of course a single app won’t save the world — there are no silver bullets when it comes to addressing human-caused climate change, but for the smartphone society we now live in, apps can be an effective tool to help people engage with meaningful climate action at an individual level. It can even be something of a gateway to starting to participate in broader, more systemic action.It was developed in partnership with local nonprofits and climate experts to identify meaningful individual actions, such as conserving water and electricity and composting food waste out of the landfill.: The app is still evolving in response to user and local partner feedback. The developers hope to add actions around how to lower your transportation or commuting emissions and eating a plant-based diet. By the end of the year, they hope to expand statewide.The climate crisis is so huge and overwhelming, it can be paralyzing to many of us. We all want to know that one thing that will really make the difference. But guess what? There’s an app for that. There's of course no silver bullet to addressing the climate crisis, but a new app,The app, which launched publicly about six months ago and is currently in beta, gamifies climate action and education, and was curated specifically for L.A. The goal for dashboard.earth is serving up bite-sized, really accessible, step-by-step actions that almost anybody could take regardless if they're a renter, a homeowner, etc. — Kelly Shannon McNeill, associate director at the water conservation non-profit advocacy group Los Angeles Waterkeeper “I think at the end of the day, everybody wants to try and figure out what they can do on an individual level to make an impact either locally in their community or on the global scale,” said Kelly Shannon McNeill, associate director at the water conservation non-profit advocacy group Los Angeles Waterkeeper, which partnered with the developers to help design the app. “The goal for dashboard.earth is serving up bite-sized, really accessible, step-by-step actions that almost anybody could take regardless if they're a renter, a homeowner, etc.” At this point, the app has three main actions — composting, electronics recycling and saving on energy. There are also plenty of actions like water conservation, tree planting and energy saving that point to rebates from, for example, the L.A. Department of Water and Power. The more actions you take, the more “sprouts” you gather — people with the most sprouts are more likely to win a weekly prize, such as a gift card to a local vegan restaurant or other rewards in partnership with local businesses. It also shows how people near you are taking similar actions to foster community. “Climate is a really big problem, and to solve a big problem, we each need to start where we are with what we have. And for each of us, that means our own lives, our own homes, within our own families,” said Lauren Turk, director of strategic partnerships at Dashboard Earth. “We've done the work of identifying the key actions that really matter in L.A. so that people can get started where they are with what they have.”The financial incentives are also mostly tied to local utilities, such as LADWP and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. There’s also a calculator for incentives linked to the federal Inflation Reduction Act. And not everything is just on the app — once you sign up for the app’s newsletter, you can join in-person climate action events too. Turk said dashboard.earth is not complete and they are continuing to change the product based on user feedback. For example, they’re working to potentially develop pathways around “greening” your commute and eating a more plant-based diet. They aim to expand the app statewide by the end of the year, with curated pathways for communities across California.Of course a single app won’t save the world — there are no silver bullets when it comes to addressing human-caused climate change — but for the smartphone-centric society we now live in, apps can be an effective tool to help people engage with meaningful climate action at an individual level. It can even be something of a gateway to starting to participate in broader, more systemic action. And the reality is, to make a dent on climate, both individual and systemic action is needed — and individuals do have power to tip the scales towards broader social change — justof a community’s population is needed to tip the scales to change social norms, according to 2018 research from the University of Pennsylvania.of climate apps out there, but this one is unique in its hyperlocal focus — and financial incentives — and close work with local organizations, said Turk. The app’s actions were developed over several years in partnership with local nonprofits that work on climate resilience, such asOver several years, pilots were run to identify what got people to engage. LA Waterkeeper led the water conservation pilot case studies with Promesa Boyle Heights and Resilient Palisades. That pilot revealed both the opportunities and limits to the app — most of the engagement came from the affluent Pacific Palisades, where they focused on water-saving rebates for actions such as transitioning lawns to drought-tolerant landscapes. In Boyle Heights, the messaging was more about indoor water conservation and bill savings, but engagement remained low.“The adoption in every community has not been equal and that's something that we're proactively working with dashboard.earth on to figure out how we can make this more accessible for everyone,” said McNeill. One big issue on the water conservation side, she said, is that most financial incentives available are rebates, rather than direct install programs, so lower income folks can be left out since it may not be financially feasible to wait to receive a rebate after purchasing, for example, a low-flow toilet or faucet. And there’s the digital divide, so an app can’t replace grassroots in-person organizing. Another issue is that renters don’t always have the power to take those bigger actions, such as transforming grassy lawns. McNeill said in that case, the app can be a helpful education tool. Her family rents a house, and she said she’s used the app to educate her landlord. “I have not been successful at encouraging them to take advantage of the amazing rebates that we have for lawn transformation, but my small act of rebellion is I have just turned off the sprinklers, so we're at least not wasting water, especially during the winter,” she said with a chuckle. While all the actions may not work for everyone, the main ones — separating food waste, recycling electronics, and taking action on energy efficiency — are things most anyone can do.Not all climate apps are created equal. Many climate apps promise to plant trees to offset your carbon footprint, or charge you money when you slip up on an action. Before downloading an app, be sure to do your research on how those incentives are really employed and who is funding the developer. You can reach out to the developer and check out their website, where they should be transparent about funding. Check out thisSeparating food waste from the trash is one of the primary actions on the app, and most users are doing it for the first time, said Turk. Keeping food waste out of landfills is essential to lowering the super planet-heating gas methane — decomposing food waste in landfills is largely why they’re California’s third largest source of methane. and Emme Eddy are the co-owners of women's sports bar Watch Me, which they say is coming to Long Beach later this year.It would be the only bar for women's sports in Long Beach and in Greater L.A., not to mention one of a small but quickly growing number of women's sports bars nationwide.Bars for women's sports have been starting up across the country, starting with The Sports Bra in Portland in 2022.Audiences for women's sports have grown in recent years, with millions tuning in to watch the U.S. soccer team win the FIFA Women's World Cup back-to-back in 2015 and 2019, among other high-profile sporting events.Diener and Eddy say they're in negotiations with a landlord and hope to finalize a lease in time to open for the Summer Olympics.Opening a sports bar for women used to be much harder than it is today — and Jax Diener can tell you that from experience. "About 30-plus years ago, I wanted to open a sports bar," Diener said."The friends that I still have in my circle know that I've been talking about this for all of these years." And while Diener would have loved for this bar to show women's sports, that wasn't even a possibility at the time. "Back then, you couldn't catch women's sports on TV anywhere — I mean, that just wasn't a thing," she said."So it wasn't about that. It was just about having a space where we could all be together and watch any sort of sporting event and feel comfortable."set to open in Long Beach later this year, according to Diener and her co-owner and wife Emme Eddy. It would be the only bar for women's sports in Long Beach and in Greater Los Angeles, not to mention one of a small but quickly growing number of women's sports bars.If you didn't get it right away,"Watch Me" is a reference to how women athletes often have to prove themselves by showing doubters what they can do — not to mention the act of watching sports, of course. Watch Me is part of a growing movement of sports bars that exclusively show women's sports. The Sports Bra in Portland and Rough & Tumble in Seattle served their first drinks in 2022. Icarus Wings and Things opened last year in Salem, Oregon, and A Bar of Their Own opened in Minneapolis earlier this month — and even more bars are Interest in women's sports in the United States isn't new — stars like Lisa Leslie and Mia Hamm drew in big crowds decades ago, to say nothing of Venus and Serena Williams — but the audience has grown in the last 10 years. About 27 million people in the U.S. tuned in to see the U.S. take home the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, and nearly 20 million watched the team defend their title in 2019,, which is expected to continue as college superstar Caitlin Clark prepares to go professional, breaking longstanding NCAA scoring records andAnd it's much easier now to watch women playing all sorts of games: The Women's Sports Network, which started in 2022, streams women's sports 24/7.Diener said seeing The Sports Bra open in Portland — and do well — was the final push the couple needed to pursue opening a sports bar. Originally, Diener and Eddy had planned to open a franchised Sports Bra location in Long Beach, even consulting with that bar's owner Jenny Nguyen. But when it came down to it, the two decided starting their own brand was the way to go. "We spoke to a gentleman who is a franchisor and a franchisee, so it was really great to get that perspective of both sides," Diener said."He basically said, 'Why are you doing that? Go out and do it on your own.'" With that said, Diener and Eddy have found some key allies in the L.A. women's sports community: They've struck up partnerships with Angel City F.C. and the L.A. Sparks, and they hope to continue the partnership by becoming the designated place to be for those teams' watch parties and even draft events.First things first: It wouldn't be a proper sports bar without food. Watch Me has already hired a chef, Charlie Ray, who's been working on building out food offerings for the bar's future visitors. "Some of it is similar to a typical bar menu, but elevated," Eddy said."Fresh, sustainable, locally grown products and also vegan and vegetarian options in the spirit of inclusivity, and gluten free — there's no barriers for someone who wants to come in and eat." Watch Me's owners want the bar's inclusivity to go way beyond the menu: They anticipate a big portion of their crowd will be LGBTQ, filling a gap for public spaces for queer women in Long Beach and Orange County. "The access to those places has really, really gone away, so there's a real need for that, I think, in the community here now," Eddy said. But even though it's a bar, Diener and Eddy say that they want Watch Me to be a gathering space for people of all ages, from girls' teams coming in after games to collegiate athletes to casual sports fans. And yes, you can still watch big men's games like the Super Bowl at Watch Me, though this is very much an exception to the rule. "We're very big NFL fans over here," Diener said."But we are flipping it — probably 95% of the time you would catch us with women's sports in our space."Eddy and Diener are working toward finalizing an opening date: They said they're in advanced negotiations with the owner of one location, and they've started the process of hiring staff and applying for a liquor license. "We're setting things in place so that when we sign the lease docs, it's a finite amount of time ," Eddy said."We desperately want to be open by the Olympics," Eddy said."And we want to be actually open as much before that as we can to have a soft opening and iron out the things that we need to get settled.""Our business model is based on the other women's sports bars ahead of us that had very successful crowdfunding campaigns, whether or not they announced their location," Diener said."We are not experiencing that same thing." But Eddy and Diener said they hope they'll catch more eyes when their location is announced, and they're still moving forward with the bar opening regardless — just watch them. "It seems like a slam dunk that there's going to be a crowd for this, a group of people that it's going to fill needs for," Eddy said.LAist has put together a guide to the best places to view wildflowers this spring, and what you need to do when you get there. Yes, there is an etiquette to wildflower hunting, mainly: Do not pick flowers, do not walk on flowers, do not lie down in a field of flowers for selfies. Just don’t.starting to hit its stride here in Southern California. Whether it’s a field blanketed with California poppies, or yellow carpeting a hillside, or a desert lily snaking its way alongside a sandy hiking trail, we’re here for it. Are you?Consider your schedule. Some of the best wildflower viewing in Southern California most likely involves a drive, so you need to start planning now to get out there. But we have some options for viewingBlink, and wildflower season will be over in L.A., all those breathtaking flowers husking up, a life cycle in motion.starting to hit its stride here in Southern California. Whether it’s a field blanketed with California poppies, or yellow blooms carpeting a hillside, or a desert lily snaking its way alongside a sandy hiking trail, we’re here for it.Blink, and wildflower season will be over in L.A., all those breathtaking flowers husking up, a life cycle in motion. So LAist has put together this guide to the best places to view wildflowers this spring, and what you need to do when you get there. This wildflower season is potentially shaping to be up to be distinctive for plenty of beautiful blooms, combined with a relative lack of wildflower diversity, said ecologist Sarah Kimball, an associate professor in residence and director at the Center for Environmental Biology at University of California, Irvine. That's because we're coming off two wet winters in a row, which is unusual, she said, and those conditions can favor heartier flowers and plants elbowing out some of the more delicate species. As for whether it’s going to be a super bloom year, get ready to hear lots of debate and discussion on that front."'Super bloom' is not a scientific term," said Kimball said with a laugh."But there will be a lot of flowers, so I guess you can say that's super."First up, consider your schedule. Some of the best wildflower viewing in Southern California most likely involves a drive, so you need to start planning now to get out there. We have some options for hunting wildflowerswhen the poppies hit full bloom. There will be crowds and traffic on the weekend, so go on a weekday if possible. But you are guaranteed a look at the California state flower. There isto help you time your tripfor the best blooms. The park is located about 90 minutes from DTLA. Open daily from sunrise to sunset. There is a $10 parking fee, no dogs allowed. A ‘super bloom’ of wild poppies blanket the hills of Walker Canyon on March 22, 2019 near Lake Elsinore, California.and many others all offer online updates so you can best plan your trip, or just enjoy from your digital devices. On DesertUSA, there’s also a fever graph showing you the “wildflower status” and visitor reports, all designed to help you time your trip for the best wildflower viewing. Here are links to theupdated each Friday about the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in Southern and Central California: 768-1802, Ext 7. Let’s all agree to preserve the natural beauty around us and just stick to the trails, even if you don’t see a sign telling you so. And, please, no lying in the fields for selfies.This is not just a scare tactic to keep you on the trails. “Rattlers are common in wildflower fields throughout the valley, and people running into fields for a picture among the poppies encounter rattlesnakes every year,” according to the Antelope Valley reserve website, which adds: “Numerous burrows around the trails may shelter mice, gophers, kangaroo rats, beetles, scorpions, or others.” People walk on a trail in an area with new vegetation and wildflowers on March 14, 2019 in Malibu, California.through designated gates and roads. Each year there are reports of people going offroad in bid to get the best vantage point on the wildflowers, to avoid paying for parking, to jump the line of traffic, and so on. Don’t be that person. Sure, the lines might feel like Disneyland when it gets busy, but just look out the window and enjoy it all. Enter the parks and protected areas only through the entrance gate and designated areas.Nearly every park we mentioned here urges you to share your photos and flower finds to help out the next wildflower hunter. The Anza Borrego Foundation also urges you toto their site as well, including the date, location, and photo credit info. The iNaturalist.org app is a must have for many who like to share their finds.Traveling to see wildflowers can be a bit of a haul. Planning ahead can make it more of an adventure, and something to remember. Plus, you want to avoid any pitfalls. Here's how:SoCal weather can be unpredictable. Temps can soar unexpectedly. Winds can pick up. So check the local weather for your destination, and plan accordingly. For example: Expect highs between 80-86 and lows in the 50s in Anza-Borrego atWildflower hunting takes us out into the wilderness. Possibly, far from fuel. So fill up before you go and top off the tank along the way. While you’re at the gas station, make a pit stop for everyone in the car. You have no idea where your next rest stop will be — or whether it will be a nasty portable toilet.The Antelope Valley Reserve website warns that driving on the main route, Lancaster Road, can get hairy: “Please be patient and watch for the unexpected!” But the same goes for every other park, too. Watch for drivers slamming on the brakes to take a photo, car doors swinging open, people dashing across the road to see the wildflowers, and so on.Many parks have picnic areas, so check before you go. Lunching while gazing out at the wildflowers would be a meal to remember. But remember, to clean up after yourself and"leave no trace." Want to level up? If you see some litter, pick it up. The land will thank you.Many parks have trails so you can get away from it all , so wear comfortable shoes so you can explore a bit. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has eight miles of rolling trails, and a paved section for wheelchair access.Bring water, and drink it. Make sure others in your party are doing the same. “The reserve is a cleverly-disguised desert and you don't feel how rapidly you lose water into the dry air. As the weather gets warmer, dehydration can suck the energy out of you quickly,” according to the parks websites.Many parks are free. But parking might not be. Parking at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is $10 a vehicle, andthat exact change is appreciated. Other parks may offer kiosks for credit card payments, but they can break down. Many parks will not allow dogs. And many parks do not offer much shade. So even if you manage to sneak your pet past a park ranger, you shouldn’t leave it in a hot car. Leave dogs at home.TwitterThe Amazon co-founder put out an open call last year for nonprofits to apply for an award of $1 million. So when Elva Sandoval, executive director of Families Forward Learning Center, got the email it was $2 million, she was shocked.Sandoval said her organization, which provides free childcare and other direct services to families, is looking to use that money to expand their offerings, including more mental health services."This is really going to be transformational for our families,” Sandoval said. The Amazon co-founder put out an open call last year for nonprofits to apply for an award of $1 million. Like many thousands of other nonprofits, Families Forward Learning Center, an early childhood center in Pasadena, decided to put their hat in the ring. A couple of weeks ago, Elva Sandoval, the group’s executive director, started to check her emails every morning with bated breath. Then, one morning, she got the news. “At this point, I don’t even recall the exact date, but that morning when I looked at the email and I read it, I just started to cry,” Sandoval said. Families Forward instead got $2 million after the award amount was expanded, as did hundreds of other organizations. “We thought we were hoping for a million dollars, and then to find out that it would actually be two million — it was just, this is really going to be transformational for our families,” Sandoval said. Sandoval said her organization, which provides free childcare and other direct services to families, is looking to use that money to expand their offerings, including more mental health services.Diana Nyad defied expectations when she swam from Cuba to Florida at the age of 64, as depicted in the film 'Nyad.' She and coach Bonnie Stoll apply their lessons in endurance to taking on ocean pollution.in Santa Monica on Sunday, March 22. The 10K is raising awareness about the impact of plastic pollution in the ocean.That’s Diana Nyad’s attitude, whether she’s swimming more than 100 miles in dangerous open water or raising awareness about the damage caused by single-use plastics.“Bonnie and I swam across a lot of the blue planet,” Nyad said. “When we were out there, we were in the midst of thinking about what we can do, and how can we can make the most our lives. And when we finished, we thought, ‘we want to take people on that same kind of journey.’” You can take a journey of your own with Nyad and Stoll this weekend — though this one will be on land and by foot. Their latest event is theNyad and Stoll say they're concerned how plastic is contributing to climate change and polluting our waterways. While they have spent a lot of time out in the ocean, Stoll told LAist that one doesn’t have to go far to see the impact of plastic. “All you have to do is walk on the beach and all you see are bottle caps from single use plastic. It's awful and devastating,” she said.Nyad and Stoll see parallels between completing a 100 mile ocean swim and the fight to reduce plastic pollution and climate change, or really, any task that appears too big. It took multiple attempts for Nyad to complete the whole trip from Cuba to Florida, including a couple in the 1970s.“So someone says you're 64 years old, you can't swim that, you didn't even make that when you were 28? Well, that's their opinion,” Nyad said. “Bonnie and I, we believed we were going to get to the other side when the whole world said it'll never be done. And look what happened, we made it to the other side.”
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