This book came courtesy of the fine folks at the Altadena Library, who reached out to me because of my Little Free Library in the hopes that we can partner together on future promotional efforts.
Frankly, I was pretty elated that the Big Free Library reached out, because it's just such an exciting time for the library in our community. Altadena passed Measure Z in November, a $24 million bond that will be used to upgrade the facilities for the two libraries in our area. (We're in unincorporated L.A. County, so we're not a city, not a town, not a village....basically I like to think of us as a rebel stronghold. A rebel stronghold with two really good libraries.)
"Wild LA" is written by the staff and scientists at the National History Museum in Los Angeles County, and it is a terrific guidebook, both accessible and inspiring. It has 25 field trips to wilderness areas around L.A. - we live smack in the middle of three off them: Hahamongna Watershed Park, Eaton Cayon Natural Area, and Arlington Gardens in Pasadena. I've been to all of these places a million times, but I was inspired to revisit them again specifically just to take this book along to try to spot the flora and fauna from the book.
This, I think, is also a critical part of the climate change crisis that maybe gets lost in the doom and gloom and urgency. Sometimes you just have to go outside and remind yourself that you're fighting for.