Lagoon Restoration has begun!!

Greetings!

It is after a long blog hiatus that I return with a very special posting. Just this last week the ground was broken on our beloved Lagoon to begin Phase 1 of the restoration. People from the city came by to give it a proper grounbreaking ceremony complete with golden shovels, mayors and FOCL board members alike. It was a morning to celebrate!

Here are a few photos of the event...

A few of the catalysts for this project

FOCL Board Members

FOCL President Dave PirazziMayor Bob FosterLaura Richardson

The Breaking of the ground...its going to a few more shovels but its a good start

So stay tuned for the return of the Colorado Lagoon Blog as the restoration gets underway. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities with this restoration, for more info check out the our website www.ColoradoLagoon.Org.

Smiles

~Timothy

Lagoon report for Wed June 24th

Greetings to everyone who's reading this!

I realize it has been several weeks since I have posted on the site and I feel bad about it. Life and work have caught up with me in very busy way. I am going to do my best to post once a week. Try and give more of an overview of whats going on at the Lagoon instead of a Day to day. Work has got my schedule as such that it doesn't allow me the time that it used to. So bare with me, Thank you!These are all random shots from around the Lagoon area. With June Gloom in full effect it doesn't do much for the lighting when photographing. But I've caught a few mornings of sunshine here and there. Thankfully the afternoons have been Perfect weather, I'm sure you've all enjoyed the evenings.

So my buddy Geoff and I stopped by the Lagoon to play some frisbee and low and behold, Taylor was there. So we're tossing the frisbee around and of course, without fail it goes into the Lagoon. Since Taylor was the one who threw it into the Lagoon, he had to go after it. So check out the pictures below and see how the story unfolded...

Out comes the Frog suit....

And a long pole with a net on the end

Marching off into battle

The march continues....

The realization that this is going to take more than a frog suit to get the frisbee out from the middle of the Lagoon

What can we say, he tried.

We had to get the Canoe out and paddle against strong winds to reach our frisbee but eventually we saved it!! Phew, it was a close call.

Anyway, there are a lot of things happening at the Lagoon these days.

First off- the WAMSEC or Wetland and Marine Science Education Center is open for Fun! The hours are Thurs-Sunday 230-7pm. Come down, learn fun stuff about the Lagoon or try your best to beat Taylor at a game of Ladder Ball. We also have two new Innovators working down there as well. Eric and Shannon will be down there as well at various times to help out and have some fun!

Secondly- We are in the midst of planning our big summer event, Acoustic Tidal Artwalk on July 18th. Its a night of music and Art in the sand. There will be live music, live art, Activities for the kids, food vendors and much more. It starts at 5pm and goes til 10pm.

Well there is a quick update on whats happening at the Lagoon. I'll do my best to check back in early next week!

Take care of each other

~Timothy

Lagoon Report for Wed June 3rd

Hello There!

As spring time wears on we have the lovely May gray followed by June Gloom. But more importantly some really great things are happening at the Lagoon. First off the afternoons afford us some beautiful wind swept clouds. As the overcast skies finally clear we get a small glimpse into what summer is going to be like and its just around the corner!


We also have our Spring time visitors, The Terns. These are Not pictures of Terns unfortunately but I thought they were good photos anyway. I Love the reflections.

Another amazing spring time event is all of the native flowers come alive! With the help of volunteers there has been some great growth along pathway at the Lagoon. A new fence has been installed to help protect this flourishing plants. Take a stroll and take notice of these great flowers blooming everywhere. Its a treat that should not be missed.

Look at the details of these leaves with the jagged edges. Perhaps a safety mechanism?

Looking through a great new fence you can see the WAMSEC.

One of the greatest things that has been happening in the last month is all the EDUCATION that has gone on at the Lagoon. Almost 500 kids from Fremont Elementary school came down to learn about a local habitat. Students from Wilson, CSULB and Homeschool groups are all taking advantage of the great education program we have set up in our local community.

Summer Science Shack hours are Thurs-Sun 2pm-7pm open to the public.

Head down to the Lagoon, say hello to Taylor and learn something awesome. Or play ladder ball, build a sand castle, watch the Terns dive for fish, daydream, go for a walk, tell stories or simply enjoy being outside!

Many Smiles,

~Timothy

Lagoon Report for Friday May 22nd

Happy Friday!

It has been a busy week down at the Lagoon with over 450 kids from Fremont Elementary visiting. Taylor has been teaching them about this amazing natural habitat and all the plants and animals that call it home.

The California Poppies have been in bloom as well as the dune flowers that are starting to come back. Next time you are at the Lagoon take a look at the roped off area right next to the WAMSEC and you will see something awesome happening. Dune plants and flowers are actually growing and flourishing. It is a very cool example of what this area would be like if we weren't walking on it. I think a good compromise can be reached; the plants get to grow and we get to enjoy!A beautiful tree...

There is an fun event at Marine Stadium on Saturday at 1pm. Head on down there for music, good people and FOOD! And be sure to look for your local Lagoon person.

Got Lagoon?

Many Smiles!
~Timothy

Lagoon Report for Tuesday May 19th

The sun was out in full force this morning lighting up the Lagoon and everything around. This new fence helps to protect this great native plants that were put in on Earth Day. Couldn't help but notice this lonely flower reaching for the sky!

And then I ran into Taylor who is down at the Lagoon this week teaching kids from Fremont Elementary about the Lagoon and its inhabitants. Taylor is so great with the kids and if you've ever hung around him you know that he's just a kid in a really tall persons body!! Thanks for teaching future generations, Taylor!

Enjoy the beautiful weather :)

~Timothy

Lagoon Report for Monday May 18th

Greetings Everyone!!!

Hello and Good morning. I realize it has been a few weeks since I have posted on the blog, it needs some attention. My work load at work has changed and I haven't had the opportunities in the morning to post. So they will be more intermittent but I'll try when I can!

This morning the Lagoon was very quiet. It was as if even the wildlife knew it was a Monday morning after a fun and beautiful weekend here in Long Beach. We are in the midst of 'May Gray' and with the overcast skies it does not do much for photograph lighting.

Can anyone identify what this pictures is.....?

I hope everyone has a great week and take care of one another!

~Timothy

Lagoon Report for Friday May 1st

Greetings!!!

Hey Everyone! Its been a looooong week here at work and I haven't had the chance to check the blog. I've missed posting and sharing with all of you and I hope to get back to it this next week. In fact, I just read Ambers piece of Earth Day weekend and she did a Great job telling the story, Thank you Amber!

Here are a few photos from this morning. I got to the Lagoon right at slap-tide. That is the time inbetween tides changing. When I got there you can see from the pictures the water was calm and the reflections perfect. By the time I left I could see the flow coming in and ripples starting to form, it was a great experience to start the day.

Tomorrow (Saturday) There is a Long Beach Earth Day event on the corner of 7th and Park. It starts at 11am and should be a fun time for everyone. Of course FOCL will have a table out there and we'll be hanging, enjoying the day and getting the word out about our programs. Come down and join in the fun!!

Have a great weekend and I'll be back next week!

~Timothy