Faculty and staff are invited to participate in a tour of Ballona Park, a 2-acre native garden in Playa Vista, on Wednesday, April 12 from noon – 2 p.m. Jordan Freitas, a computer science professor who went on the tour last year, said, “It was magical and it was so cool. It was very community-oriented and it was actually sacred. The sculptures and art are intentional and educational, and it was just magical. I was very touched and impressed, and I enjoyed the space and the tour.”
The park, a native garden and wildlife habitat a mile away from LMU Westchester campus, serves as an outdoor laboratory and a memorial to Indigenous people, and commemorates those who saved the Ballona Wetlands. In 1978, Ruth Lansford gathered other concerned citizens to join her in protecting what remained of the wetlands. They are credited for saving the wetlands.
The tour will be led by Eric Strauss, President’s Professor of Biology and executive director of the Center for Urban Resilience, and Lisa Fimiani, Drollinger environmental fellow at CURes. On the tour, visitors can touch and smell the leaves of plants, discover healing herbs, and listen for the sound of various native birds.
College of Business Administration staff member Noriko Sato Ward also attended the tour and lunch last year. She said that it is a great opportunity to meet people from all across campus. “I loved it and it was a beautiful spring day. I had never seen some of these faces before, and so I meet new people and had a great picnic lunch. Then we enjoyed a nice easy stroll and heard the description of this whole project. It was wonderful.”
This event is sponsored by the Center for Urban Resilience and the Center of Ignatian Spirituality. To register, click here.
