March Events Celebrate Spring

We are very fortunate to have mild winters here in LA. Even with the lack of snow, ice and bone-chilling temperatures, it’s hard not to notice when spring is about to arrive. Who can miss those first brilliant California Poppys and Lupine that seem to appear overnight along our roadways? Who doesn’t stop and admire Highland Park’s velvety emerald green hills? Who doesn’t notice the cherry blossom trees all throughout Southern California bursting with light pink and bold fuchsia blooms? Spring is almost here, and this month’s events celebrate the change of season that’s a mere three weeks away. Welcome spring!

> Let’s celebrate an anniversary! Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium kicks off March with a three-day celebration on March 1, 2 and 3 of their 10-year anniversary. Come and enjoy a cake and ice cream party during public hours on Friday, March 1 as well as special presentations, face painting, exhibits and craft activities with a birthday theme the rest of the weekend.

> Let’s celebrate nature enthusiasts! Cabrillo Marine Aquarium premiers the film Between the Tides on Friday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. Filmmaker Peter Coonradt follows the nostalgic journey of marine biologist Bud Laurent as he rekindles his original love for coastal California marine life.

> Let’s celebrate the LA River! The Council for Watershed Health hosts a Watershed Symposium on Friday, March 8 entitled The Restoration and Development Challenges of the LA River. The Honorable Fran Pavley of the California State Senate is confirmed to speak as well as other notable environmental experts.

> The celebration of the LA River continues! The Room for the River: Los Angeles Conference takes place on March 27-28. Hosted by the City of Los Angeles and its partners and organized in cooperation with the Consulate Generate of the Netherlands in San Francisco, this two-day conference will build on existing initiatives to revitalize the Los Angeles River and examine ways to achieve multiple benefits simultaneously, such as how to optimize its potential to mitigate flood risk, increase water storage capacity, develop green infrastructure, and encourage sustainable urban development.

> Let’s celebrate that volunteer spirit! Adopt-A-Storm-Drain Foundation will host a beach clean-up in San Pedro on Saturday, March 9. Heal the Bay will host its monthly Nothin’ But Sand beach clean-up at the Venice Pier on Saturday, March 16. Bring your own gloves and bucket or reusable bag and get ready to clean-up one of LA’s most popular tourist attractions!

> Let’s celebrate going green! On Saturday, March 9 the Los Angeles County Office of Education presents the annual Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair entitled Going Green Together! at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. Music, community art stations, storytelling and workshops are just a sampling of the family-oriented activities that will be featured.

> Let’s celebrate water! World Water Day is Friday, March 22! The United Nations has been celebrating World Water Day since 1993 and declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation. Their objective is to raise awareness for the potential for increased cooperation around water but also to address the challenges facing water management and allocation in light of the growing demands for water to satisfy multiple needs.

> Let’s celebrate Mother Earth! Get a jump on Earth Day this year by participating in Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s Earth Day Poster and Photo Contest. The contest is open to all ages and awards are given out based on age groups. The deadline for entries is March 22, 2013.

> Let’s celebrate native plants! The Theodore Payne Foundation celebrates its annual Poppy Day Plant Sale and Spring Festival on Saturday, March 23. This spring celebration and plant sale features native plants for every corner of your garden — plus expert advice, vendors and more!

For a full listing of environmental events taking place this month, please visit our calendar. If you have an event you’d like to include in our listing, please contact us in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!

 Photos courtesy of SusieFoodie, Isolino and PYHOOYA.