Natura Urbana: The Brachen of Berlin
Virtual Film Screening & Urban Ecology Panel Discussion
Friday April 17th - Sunday April 19th 

NATURA URBANA | THE BRACHEN OF BERLIN tells the post-war history of Berlin through its plants. The film takes us from the Trümmerlandschaften and their unique ecologies to the abandoned roofs of the Friedrichshagen Waterworks on the edge of the city. Encountering an extraordinary variety of spontaneous vegetation from all over the world that has sprouted along railway lines, street corners, and in the distinctive Brachen of Berlin.

In a time of physical distancing, come together to think about the similarities cities around the world share. Enjoy a personal screening of the film, followed by a recorded panel discussion exploring themes around urban ecology, landscape architecture, history, city planning, language, and more. Experts will consider how ideas from the film relate to issues in Los Angeles. Panelists will include:

• Sandra Jasper Film Co-author and Junior Professor of Geography + Gender in Human-Environment-Systems at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Kat Superfisky Urban Ecologist at City of Los Angeles + Founder of Grown in LA (Panel Discussion Moderator)
• Evan Meyer, Executive Director at Theodore Payne Foundation + Street Plants author
• Lila Higgins, Senior Manager of Community Science at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County + Co-founder of City Nature Challenge + Author of Wild LA

This event is free, but you must RSVP to receive links to the content. These will be emailed out by Friday April 17th, so that you may enjoy at any time during the weekend in your own time zone.

California Native Plant Gardening with
Theodore Payne Foundation

Spring is here! California native plants are blanketing the landscape in a vibrant, colorful array of flowers. Are you looking for ways to stay connected to nature despite COVID-19? Our friends at the Theodore Payne Foundation have you covered! Gardening is a great activity to relieve stress and engage the whole family. Including California native plants helps support the local ecosystem by providing much needed habitat for animals and reducing water use. It’s the perfect time of year to add California native plants to your garden! Use the new Plant Takeout System to order plants and seeds for safe pickup at the Theodore Payne Foundation nursery today.

Explore the Nature in Your Neighborhood
Become a Community Scientist!
 

Though much has changed recently in our daily lives, nature continues to grow and move throughout the city of Los Angeles. Take the 2020 City Nature Challenge (April 24-27) and see your city with new eyes. Become a community scientist and help collect data about the extraordinary biodiversity here! You can participate individually or with your family, and it is a great way to connect to the nature in your neighborhood during this time of physical distancing. Bird watch from your balcony. Notice what’s growing by your sidewalk. Observe nature in LA. Check out these video tutorials to get started with iNaturalist. The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Natural History Museum of LA County and California Academy of Sciences. Participation in the City Nature Challenge and the iNaturalist app are completely free. RSVP for this event to receive a helpful reminder email about the challenge. We urge all participants to carefully follow public health guidelines provided by our local governments, as they are changing in real-time. Individual safety and public health are our utmost priority. Please refer to the COVID-19 FAQ page for more information.