“The river is the reason why LA was able to be here in the first place. It’s the origin story of Los Angeles. It’s the mother of Los Angeles in many ways.” –Candice Dickens-Russell, President & CEO of Friends of the LA River

Welcome to the Water Learning Series: Los Angeles. Throughout 2024, we have been hosting conversations with organizations, community projects, tribal organizations, activists, organizers, and leaders from LA and places impacted by LA’s water story.

We are joined in Session Eight by two organizations that are instrumental in community advocacy around water and the protection of water in Los Angeles County. We welcome Candice Dickens-Russell, President and CEO, from Friends of the LA River (FOLAR), and Kayleigh Wade, Senior Manager of Outreach, from Heal the Bay. Candice and Kayleigh offer an uplifting conversation about advocating for clean safe water, empowering Los Angeles residents through outreach and education, and reimagining a greener and wilder LA River for a climate resilient and more equitable future.

Candice and Kayleigh share the exciting and paradigm-shifting work of Friends of the LA River and Heal the Bay. Candice talks about FOLAR’s mission which centers the River as the origin of Los Angeles, works for safe and strategic concrete removal, and the greening of river spaces. FOLAR’s public advocacy and award-winning environmental education program create equitable places for Angelinos to feel a sense of belonging and ownership of the LA River. Though Heal the Bay is most well-known for massive coastal clean-up days, Kayleigh talks about work that is even more far-reaching. They discuss Heal the Bay’s ‘watershed approach,’ which means looking at all the places in LA County that water travels on its way to the sea. Both guests share the imperative for placing environmental justice at the forefront of their missions and share solution-based approaches to a water sufficient LA, citing tangible ways to move away from water importation and developing a vision of water as a relative to be taken care of and cherished.

Hosted by: Kate Bunney
Produced & Edited by: Anne Carol Mitchell
Intro music by: Mamuse 'River Run Free' - featuring Walter Strauss

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