Restoring Los Angeles’ Natural Wetlands with Friends of Ballona Wetlands

Jennings Humphries, Fall 2022 

Hello! My name is Jennings, I am working towards my Environmental Studies and Theatre degrees, and this semester I have the pleasure of interning with Friends of Ballona Wetlands. Friends of Ballona is an environmental nonprofit organization focused on the restoration and education of the Ballona Wetlands, located in Playa Del Rey. I intern under the restoration department, so I spend my time doing hands-on work in the field.

My job day to day varies widely depending on the weather, number of other volunteers, and urgency of certain projects. My experience with Friends of Ballona has really benefited from the versatility of the different projects I have focused on so far, because it keeps the work refreshing and gives me a broader range of applicable skills. Earlier into the semester, I spent time removing invasive species, germinating and transplanting native species, clearing paths for school tours, watering, and even restructuring the on-site greenhouse after it was blown over during tropical storm Kay. Recently, we have been focusing on plant monitoring, which involves surveying different tracts across the wetlands, recording the native and invasive species present, and eventually analyzing tracts’ trends of flora over previously recorded years.

Restoration is a slow process, but while validation is not instantaneous, it really is so much sweeter catching things change bit by bit, and I am so grateful. I’m also looking forward to seeing the buckwheat and lupin, which I have grown in the greenhouse, stand on their own in their natural environment.