On April 12, Dr. Michele Romolini and Dr. Eric Strauss (CURes), along with their collaborators from TreePeople, SavATree, and the University of Vermont, presented the results from their high-resolution LA County tree canopy assessment. The data shows the spatial distribution of trees in LA and can be used to identify urban greening priority areas, address climate change impacts, and lessen environmental inequities. 

On April 8, Diane Shader Smith presented "Salt in My Soul," written by her daughter, Mallory Smith, who passed away from cystic fibrosis at the age of 25. Diane shared Mallory's story, not only of her disease, but how she advocated for institutional healthcare reform. The inspiring talk raised bioethical issues surrounding long-term care, pain management, doctor-patient relationships, and the emotional wellbeing of those affected by chronic disease. You can learn more about "Salt in My Soul" and purchase the book here - all proceeds go towards cystic fibrosis research. Read the CURes blog about the Salt in My Soul event here.

It’s never too early to take tots through the garden!  On Thursday, April 24, children from LMU’s Daycare toured the LMU Garden for a fun morning outing to literally learn about the birds and the bees and smell the sages.

Dr. Kristen Covino, LMU Biology, and her student David Ramirez, participated in the monthly Bird Survey of the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, led by the Friends of Ballona Wetlands.  Tree Swallows were seen filling nest boxes with bedding for their babies!  It’s always a lively time at the Marsh – especially in the Spring!

The CURes team had a great time at the third annual Migration Celebration on April 6, organized by the Friends of Ballona Wetlands! 

CURes had a station with several tables supporting a “Hummingbird” theme.  Materials included: coloring sheets, activity pages, and stickers for the younger visitors, hummingbird informational pamphlets and other handouts for adults. Children participated in a scavenger hunt and came to the CURes Hummingbird Table #2 on the hunt to find out facts about hummingbirds. Did you know that a hummingbird’s egg is as small as a jellybean? How about that a hummingbird has such a fast metabolism that they must eat the equivalent in nectar and insects as 300 hamburgers?!

Other education materials on display at the CURes hummingbird station were various undergraduate research posters highlighting hummingbird research conducted by CURes Lab students, including hummingbird nest distribution, resource depletion rates, female hummingbird attendance at the nest, and hummingbird torpor in nesting female hummingbirds. Other education materials included a packet containing high school hummingbird supplemental curricula from Urban EcoLab Module 13, Lesson 1: Hummingbird Ecology. Funded by the Gottlieb Native Garden (GNG), these education materials can be used in conjunction with our CURes LIVE Bird Cams.


Additionally, Lisa Fimiani (CURes Gottlieb Environmental Leadership Fellow) led a bird walk of the Ballona Freshwater Marsh and co-led a Grow Native booth with native plants for sale, as well as information on local species and how to best care for them.

On April 5, Dr. Eric Strauss and Lisa Fimiani (CURes) partnered with the LMU Center for Ignatian Spirituality to lead a tour of Ballona Discovery Park. Father Randy Roche organized the event, which takes place annually.

CURes has been tasked to assist with an important conservation project … conditioning American crows Corvus brachyrhyncos NOT to eat Least tern Sternula antillarum eggs at a protected nesting site in Venice Beach, CA. As part of an ongoing mitigation and conservation effort, CURes Senior Scientist, Dr. Pete Auger and staff and students have been working diligently since the latter part of 2018 and thru the Spring of 2019 to first determine how many crows are in the area of the Least tern protected enclosure, and how many are resident vs. transient crows. As of April 30th, preliminary indications are that the terns have arrived back from migration but have not yet begun to establish nests. Courtship is the first step and then nesting may take place. This is the critical period for success. If crows can be kept out of the enclosure and the terns can be attracted in, nesting just may take place.