Champions of the Earth: Environmental heroes in the South Bay
Little green giants. Photo by BumpSetSurf.com
Morgan Sliff reports:
They may be small in size, but they are big in action. Isabella and SaraJane Bacallao, Sofia Pizer, and Sofia Prenter know the ropes when it comes to standing up for a greener community. The four best friends, aged 10 to 13, have become effective environmental activists in Hermosa Beach city politics — as well as leading conservation efforts in their own homes.
Craig Cadwallader, Manhattan Beach resident and chair of the South Bay chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Photo
Caroline Anderson reports:
Manhattan Beach has long prided itself on being an environmentally friendly city with initiatives like its bans on plastic bags and polystyrene. One man has been there for all of it: Craig Cadwallader, a resident and the chair of the South Bay chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.“A handful of people — maybe six over the years — have been the environmental conscience of Manhattan Beach,” said activist Joe Galliani, founding organizer for South Bay Los Angeles 350 Climate Action Group on whose advisory board Cadwallader sits. “Craig is one of those people for sure.”
Ryan McDonald reports:
Jose Bacallao with fellow Heal the Bay aquarist Akino Higa. Photo by BumpSetSurf.com
Jose Bacallao’s work with Heal the Bay has informed and deepened a connection to the Santa Monica Bay forged out of spending his adolescence in the area and using its beaches for surfing. But over the past few years, as he has become more involved in local politics, including the opposition to oil drilling in Hermosa Beach, he has become a walking rebuke to the idea that environmentalism means forcing people to do things they don’t like.“There are so many people living in L.A., even in the Beach Cities, that don’t really get invested in this incredible resource we have. Not everybody swims or surfs or dives,” Bacallao said. “But there’s so much beauty here. And a lot of us at Heal the Bay believe that the best way to get people to protect the bay is to make them fall in love with it.”
David Mendez reports:
“If we can get more people out of cars and onto bikes and walking, this would certainly be a better climate,” said Jim Hannon, president of the Beach Cities Cycling Club. Photo
Jim Hannon is the president of the Beach Cities Cycling Club, a board member of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition and a member of the Blue Zones Project Livability Committee. He’s also a USA Cycling coach, and you’re just as likely to see him in lycra and a bike helmet as you would see him spreading the good, two-wheeled word in city council chambers throughout the South Bay. Since his retirement from 45 years in the aerospace industry, Hannon has spent much of his time promoting cycling. He’s done so through philanthropic efforts, as with the Best Buddies Kick-Off ride; and through political efforts, as with the SBBC’s South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. “Part of what I do is to run a committee with interested parties, searching out ways to make the community more walk- and bike-friendly,” Hannon said. “If we can get more people out of cars and onto bikes and walking, this would certainly be a better climate.”
And our Earth Day Community Calendar:
Jen Enoch from South Bay Wildlife Rehab with one of her organization’s rescues. The Center will participate in the 24th Annual Manhattan Beach Earth Day Celebration and Concert at Polliwog Park on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Photo
Friday, April 22
Earth Day Art
Make your own beachcomber magnets during this drop-in Earth Day Art Activity at the Hermosa Public Library, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Materials provided. Ages 5 – up. (310) 379-8475. Find more events in the month-long BeachCities Read program: la-copublib.com/beachcitiesread.
Saturday, April 23
Free Climate Action Forum
Steve Napolitano, Fourth District Supervisorial candidate Steve Napolitano and Senior Deputy to Supervisor Don Knabe, will host a forum on the state of the environment in Los Angeles County. Learn how simple actions can improve the environment. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 26825 Rolling Hills Road, Rolling Hills Estates. For more information call (310) 377-2825 or email office@stlukespres.com.
Clean it up
Join the Surfrider Foundation and the City of Manhattan Beach for an Earth Day Beach Cleanup. Meet south of the Manhattan Beach Pier. 10 a.m. ‘til noon. For more information contact Melissa McCollum at mmccollum@library.lacounty.gov or call (310) 545-8595.
Friday April 29
TedX Redondo Beach
TedX Redondo Beach presents a discussion on the environmental impacts facing our oceans, air, transportation and food. Plan It Earth organizers invite the community to discuss the best ideas for building a sustainable planet. Redondo Beach Main Library, 303 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., from 6 to 9 p.m. More information at tedxredondobeach.com.
Saturday, April 30
Earth Day Celebration and Concert
Manhattan Beach and Volunteers and Organizations Improving the Community’s Environment (V.O.I.C.E.) present the city’s 24th annual Earth Day celebration at Polliwog Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be environmental hero awards, music, food, games, eco-friendly products and information on how the city is making itself a greener place to live. For more information, visit citymb.info/earthday for more info.
Document shredding and e-waste collection
Waste Management and the City of Manhattan Beach are providing free e-waste recycling and document shredding from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of Manhattan Beach Middle School at 1501 N. Redondo Ave. The first three boxes of documents are free; each additional box costs $5.