Jon Christensen writes: We talk a lot about water here. This summer you can join the conversation on Thursday evenings at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
I'll be moderating a series of conversations with a wonderfully diverse cast of characters discussing gardening and landscaping, the LA River, the fight for clean water, where our water comes from, the art of water, and the future of water with climate change. The museum's nature gardens will be open for strolling and chatting, along with the art exhibition "Just Add Water."
If you're interested in water and all of the stories, controversies, struggles, and problems and opportunities that flow with water in Los Angeles, I hope you can join us. For more information and to reserve a spot, visit the museum's web site.
Here's the lineup:
Thursday, July 10th: Splendor in the Grass. From our backyards to the metropolis as garden, we look at how to create habitat for people and nature, and the lessons we can learn from other Mediterranean lands. Panelists: Carol Bornstein, Director of the Nature Gardens at the Natural History Museum; Emily Green, Journalist and Blogger of "Chance of Rain"; Pamela Berstler, Founder and Managing Member of G3, Green Gardens Group.
Thursday, July 17th: The River Runs Through It. We explore the L.A. River--the vibrant, diverse, concrete and green, watery centerpiece of the new L.A. of the 21st century and its changing relationship to water. Panelists: Lila Higgins, Manager of Citizen Science and Live Animals at the Natural History Museum; Lewis MacAdams, Co-founder of the Friends of the Los Angeles River; Allison Carruth, Associate Professor in the Department of English at UCLA and author of "Global Appetites: American Power and the Literature of Food."
Thursday, July 24th: Chinatown, Revisited.Take another look at where our water comes from, how imported water transformed L.A., and the current impact of the statewide drought on our lives. Panelists: Lauren Bon, Metabolic Studio; Jim McDaniel, Senior Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Patt Morrison, LA Times; Rob Reynolds, Artist.
Thursday, July 31st: Water Wars. We learn about the people and struggles that have made our water systems cleaner, healthier, safer for all, from Mono Lake to South and East L.A. Panelists: Mark Gold, Associate Director, Coastal Center Director, and Adjunct Professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Elsa Lopez, Manager Public Affairs, Water Replenishment District of Southern California; Mary Pardo, Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge; Ed Reyes, Former Los Angeles City Councilman.
Thursday, August 7th: Some Like It Hot. How to survive and thrive in a hotter L.A., and adapt to climate change and increasingly stressed water supplies, all while creating a more livable, vibrant city. Panelists: Frances Anderton, KCRW, DnA Design & Architecture; Alex Hall, Professor at the UCLA Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Christopher Hawthorne, Architecture Critic, Los Angeles Times; Dr. John Harris, Chief Curator at the Page Museum and Head of Vertebrate Studies at the Natural History Museum.