Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published July 25, 2023 6:00 AM
Aleyssa Coleman, 18, a senior at Palmdale High School, sits in the driver's seat on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Almost every year since 2015, Palmdale High School students have built a solar car and competed in a national race against other high schools. We followed the team’s journey this year and spoke with alums of the program, which many describe as an invigorating and life-altering experience.
The backstory: Over the years, Palmdale High School students have dealt with faulty writes, blown fuses, even a car catching fire back in 2018. Plus, they’ve persevered through persistent funding challenges faced by California public schools.
What’s new this year? Organizers canceled the Solar Car Challenge competition early, which started in Fort Worth, Texas, for the first time in three decades after more than a dozen staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
A lasting impact: Several Palmdale High School graduates are now engineers. “That was just probably one of the best experiences that I've ever had in my life,” said Oscar Guzman, a 2015 graduate and former solar car team member. “It really defined what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Only one team made it to the final city in this year’s national multi-state high school solar car race.
Listen
4:03
LISTEN: Palmdale High School’s Solar Car Team Keeps Rolling
Palmdale High School students pushed their car onto campus Friday, marking the end of a race cut short. Last-minute technical problems scuttled the team’s plans to drive the car across the unofficial finish line.
“We got first place, right?” one student joked.
It was an unexpected ending to an unusual race. A COVID-19 outbreak among the competition’s coordinators ended the 2023 Solar Car Challenge three days into a weeklong contest from Fort Worth, Texas to Palmdale. It was the first time in three decades the competition had been cut short.
“I was so tired many times,” said senior driver EJ Dela Cruz, recalling the challenges the high school team faced. “But just working on that car, wanting to succeed, just really turned me into something different.”
The Palmdale High School Solar Falcon race team gathers in a circle and cheers after unloading the Helios Falcon solar car on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
Since their first race in 2015, the Antelope Valley team has finished the Solar Car Challenge every year except 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.
It’s no small feat: Over the years, they’ve dealt with faulty wires, blown fuses and even a car catching fire mid-race back in 2018. Plus, persistent funding challenges faced by California public schools.
Assistant Principal Chris Andrews says the challenges have led to valuable lessons for the students.
“Ultimately it's about perseverance,” he said.
Alumni of the program agree. Several Palmdale High School graduates, who are now engineers themselves, can still describe the technical details of building the car as if they happened yesterday rather than nearly a decade ago.
“That was just probably one of the best experiences that I've ever had in my life,” said Oscar Guzman, a 2015 Palmdale grad and former solar car team member. “It really defined what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
The Solar Falcons origin story
Palmdale’s solar car team is embedded in the school’s Engineering Academy as a class to ensure students receive academic credit and teachers get paid for their work. The school-within-a-school evolved from vocational education classes like automotive mechanics and construction. The program is one of Antelope Valley Union High School District’s 10 academies, which also include concentrations in health care, multimedia, film and video.
“Our jobs as public educators are in order to be able to prepare students for all of those options and choices not within the high school,” said Betsy McKinstry, district director of Career Tech Ed.
Students in the Engineering Academy work in a room that used to be an automotive shop. Sweeping garage doors lead to a classroom where students learn how to use computer-aided design software, laser cutters and 3-D printers.
“In engineering, a lot of it is actually building things that you're going to test,” said Ruben Rodriguez, a founding Engineering Academy teacher. “All that is manual. All that is hands on.”
One of the 3D printers that Palmdale High School engineering students use for their various projects.
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
LAist
)
Safety goggles and headphones that the students use in the engineering lab.
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
LAist
)
Wyatt Garcia also graduated from Palmdale High School in 2015 and said Rodriguez tailored the classes to teenage interests. For example, the students built skateboards from scratch.
“You weren't going to fail,” Garcia said. “It was all just like little building blocks where you learn how to do this.”
During the 2013-2014 school year, a school field trip to a science symposium where students spotted a “badass” university solar car inspired the students to build a sun-powered vehicle of their own. Garcia wasn’t there, but would hear the story re-counted when he later joined the Solar Falcons, the Palmdale High School team.
The Solar Car Challenge competition, started in 1993, provided a template and a goal — students worked together to build a car, then drive their invention in a race against students from across the country.
Rodriguez served as one of the team’s first advisors back in the summer of 2014.
"If it's good for kids, let's try to figure it out — that's always been my philosophy," said Betsy McKinstry, Antelope Valley Union High School District Director of CTE/College and Career Readiness since 2008.
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
LAist
)
Ruben Rodriguez, the founder of the Palmdale High School engineering academy and solar car team said failure is a part of learning. "Engineers don't succeed the first time," Rodriguez said. "You fail, and you fail, and you fail, and you fail — often a lot — so that you will eventually end up with a good product."
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
LAist
)
Lockheed Martin initially sponsored the project and engineers from the aerospace company that helped develop military aircraft mentored the team.
How Does A Solar Car Work?
Solar panels absorb light from the sun, then a photovoltaic converter changes the energy to electricity that is stored in batteries and powers the car’s motor. Palmdale’s vehicle, known as the Helios Falcon, has a separate battery that powers the speedometer, horn, emergency lights and other dashboard functions.
Students work in four groups to build all components of the vehicle: electrical, automotive, solar and fabrication. Along the way, students typically solve for dozens of potential disasters. For example, the car’s battery is housed in a metal box that, if not properly ventilated, can overheat and explode.
It opened my eyes and it really helped me understand like, ‘Hey, like, this is how math is used in the real world to solve real problems.’
— Oscar Guzman, 2015 Palmdale grad and solar car team member
Guzman, then the team’s vice president, remembers the Lockheed engineers working with students in 2014 and 2015 to ensure the car’s battery could cool off by calculating how much air needed to flow through the battery compartment.
“That light bulb went off and I was like, ’Wow, that's incredible,’” Guzman said.
It was one of the first times Guzman saw engineering in action, but it wouldn’t be the last.
“It opened my eyes,” Guzman said. “It really helped me understand like, ‘Hey, like, this is how math is used in the real world to solve real problems.’”
The team built the first car in less than a year and named it for the Greek sun god. The Helios Falcon traveled 349.5 miles around the Texas Motor Speedway and placed seventh out of 15 teams in 2015.
Wyatt said years later, when he experiences self-doubt, he remembers the solar car team’s debut.
“We fought for it, like, we, we grinded through it,” Garcia said. “People around us supported us through it. And I think that really gave us the motivation, like, to continue on.”
Garcia returned to mentor subsequent solar car teams. It was a way to give back, and also earn supplemental income while he attended community college and cared for his daughter, who was born his junior year in high school.
“It gave me a lot of purpose,” Garcia said.
Joseph Jones, 16, stands near the car's solar panels on July 21, 2023. Jones carried out electrical work on the Helios Falcon.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
Behind the scenes, teachers and district administrators over the years built an infrastructure to financially support the program.
The Antelope Valley Press reported the first car, plus travel to Texas for the competition, cost around $95,000.
The district combines money from state and federal career and technical education funding to maintain class sizes and purchase materials for the Engineering Academy.
“If you can demonstrate that this is good for kids, you can find the funding,” said Andrews, the assistant principal.
The Solar Team also relies on individual donations and corporate sponsorships, including from local science, technology, engineering and mathematics companies.
“To have a homegrown talent pipeline of underrepresented communities that are in our schools, especially in Title One schools, is really important to economic development,” said McKinstry, the district director.
The 2022-2023 school year was teacher Matthew Henzie's first as the Solar Falcon team advisor. He said the students' biggest lessons weren't technical ones. "Some of these kids may never weld again, but they will learn skills that will go through every area of life," Henzie said. "Identifying where the problem is, not only figuring out a solution, but figuring out the best solution and being able to work together as a team."
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
The demographics of Palmdale High School’s Engineering Academy largely reflect those of the school overall, with about 85% of the 220 students identifying as Latinx. There are proportionally fewer Black students — they make up 7% of the engineering academy and 14% of the school overall. Over 80% of the engineering academy is male, while the school overall has a roughly 50-50 gender mix.
Nearly 70% of engineering academy students come from low-income families or those in which neither parent has received a high school diploma.
The 2023 race
How we reported this story
LAist interviewed Palmdale High School educators, students and alumni. The story also has quotes from rising senior Hannah Valdez’s audio diary of the race that included interviews with several teammates. Valdez is the student responsible for the team’s communications.
The Solar Challenge alternates annually between a closed track race and a multi-state sprint where each team has an allotted time each day to travel as many miles as possible. The 2023 route stretched from Fort Worth, Texas to Palmdale.
Once students arrive in Texas, every team has to pass through a rigorous car evaluation dubbed “scrutineering” before they’re cleared to compete.
This year, judges questioned whether the structure of the Palmdale team’s battery box would hold up in a collision.
While the team is used to heat — Palmdale regularly tops 100 degrees in the summer — Texas humidity added challenges.
“You're already stressed and you're hot and you're mad and the car's not working,” recalled team member Hannah Valdez, who serves as the team’s spokesperson. “You're told you have to get this fixed and this and on top of this and that and that It just all really comes into one big issue— that puts a strain on the team.”
The fabrication team rushed to manufacture a solution.
From left, Diego Munoz Diaz, junior; Mathew Adeleke, sophomore; Anthony Sananes, junior; Jennie Perez Armenta, senior; Alejandro Rodriguez, senior; EJ Dela Cruz, senior; Hannah Valdez, junior; Tania Campos, senior; Aleyssa Coleman, senior; Top right: Joseph Jones, sophomore; Cannon Garriga, sophomore, stand next to their solar car, the Helios Falcon, in the parking lot of Palmdale High School on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
The last-minute modifications worked and the Helios Falcon passed scrutineering.
On the first day of the race, July 16, the team woke to muggy heat and cloudy skies. Sprinkles soon turned to heavy rain, thunder and lightning. The car was slow to start and only got up to about 20 miles per hour instead of its usual average of 25 to 35 miles per hour.
On day two, the team spent between three and four hours repairing a blown fuse.
A team from Watertown High School in Wisconsin and the Bend School District in Oregon helped with the repairs — a valuable reminder of the race’s purpose.
“It's not about competition between teams, but it's about teamwork,” said Dela Cruz, one of the Palmdale team’s drivers. “And wanting every team to succeed and just finish the race altogether.”
This type of aid is common. Back in 2022, the Palmdale team provided another high school with a spare motor.
“There's always hiccups and I think that's what makes it even more exciting yet challenging and frustrating,” said Kassandra Vazquez Jimenez, a 2019 Palmdale graduate. "You can be there and you'll learn the inside and the outside of the car.”
Diego Munoz Diaz, a junior student, and solar car fabrication engineer, unloads equipment from the school van on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
By 10 a.m. on day three, the team found their groove, Valdez said at the time. The Helios Falcon had its best day yet, and traveled 40 miles on the stretch of race between Carlsbad, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.
But that night, the advisors called the team to the hotel lobby and announced the 2023 challenge was over. More than a dozen staff members of the Solar Car Challenge had COVID-19 and the remainder of the race was canceled to avoid spreading the disease among students.
Team Captain Anthony Sonanes Cruz gave the team space to process.
“I know they needed to let things out and they were just upset,” Sonanes Cruz said. “I wasn't going to say anything to them.”
The Palmdale team returned to their rooms to test. No one from the high school team had COVID then or has tested positive since.
Soon, the team caravan, which included a pickup truck, trailer, and van began the drive back to Palmdale.
“My best memory was spending the nights with the teammates,” driver Dela Cruz said.
The students played Cards Against Humanity in the evenings and were gifted free breakfast from an Arizona café that saw a video of the team on social media.
The Solar Falcons seniors got one last chance to drive the car on an empty stretch of desert road Friday afternoon.
Where are they now?
The Palmdale solar car team has yet to win first place, but alumni describe the experience leading up to the competition as nothing short of life-altering.
Rodriguez, who retired in 2022, said the goal was never for every student to become an engineer.
“What I want is for them to be able to apply whatever it is that they have learned,” Rodriguez said.
Vazquez remembered being one of few women in the engineering academy when she joined as freshman in 2015 and said it was teachers like Rodriguez that encouraged her to continue.
“They would just take me under their wing and help me navigate it,” Vazquez said. Her senior year, Rodriguez introduced her to a team alum that helped inform her decision to study engineering at UC Irvine.
Vazquez now works as a mechanical engineer at Southern California Edison in Palmdale.
Kimberly Amador graduated in 2019 and now studies computer science at University of the Pacific. She says the teamwork is what she remembers most about her time as a Solar Falcon. "Everyone puts in a piece," Amador said. "We're all working together to keep going and keep adding on to that piece."
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
LAist
)
Wyatt Garcia planned to join the military or become a firefighter after graduating. After joining the solar car team, he switched to studying engineering at Antelope Valley College. Garcia went on to graduate from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in electrical engineering.
“This whole trajectory, where I'm at right now, is all because of solar car,” Garcia said.
Garcia now works at Honeybee Robotics in Pasadena.
“My stuff I’m working on [that] I physically touched … it’s going to space,” Garcia said with a little bit of wonder before clarifying that whether the craft makes it to the moon will depend on several factors outside of his control.
Garcia’s classmate Oscar Guzman went on to study computer science at Cal State Northridge and is on track to complete a master’s degree in 2024.
Last year he accepted a job at Lockheed Martin — the completion of a dream initiated when he first met engineers from the company while working on the solar car. Guzman doesn’t plan to leave the Antelope Valley any time soon.
“There's plenty of opportunity,” Guzman said. “As long as there's people here who, you know, can lead the way.”
A crowd of parents, school administrators and students gather for the arrival of the Palmdale High School solar race team on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
Tania Campos, a Palmdale High School senior and fabrication engineer, embraces her family as she arrives from Texas on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
A warm homecoming
Honks from an ambulance, the school’s cheerleaders, revving engines from a local motorcycle club and dozens of friends, family and educators greeted the students at the school just after 6 p.m. Friday.
The team unloaded the Helios Falcon in less than 2 minutes, a routine they perfected while in Texas.
The eleven students huddled in front of the car and at the count of three shouted “Falcons!” in unison.
The team held back tears and laughter while the school’s principal, a board member and the adult support crew commended their work.
“This year I saw 10 misfits become one cohesive team,” said Pedro del Valle, a staff member at the high school and a longtime solar car supporter. “I saw them come out of their shells. I saw their confidence build. And all I can say is, as parents, you should be very proud of every single one of them.”
Sonanes Cruz, the team captain, said he was overwhelmed.
“I thank everyone for the support,” he said. “What else can I say? Thank you.”
Anthony Sonanes Cruz, 17, tearfully embraces his father after a day of unloading and travel from Texas on July 21, 2023.
(
Julie Leopo
/
LAist
)
The team has a few weeks to rest before preparations for next year’s solar car race and school start in August. Sonanes Cruz will return as the team's captain and CEO.
One team dream is to race in the advanced division of the competition where cars are capable of reaching up to 70 miles per hour. The team also has an electric vehicle that sat out this year’s race that they hope to use in competition again one day.
One of the first things to address is the mechanical issue that hampered the Helios Falcon’s homecoming. Sonanes Cruz guesses it’s a loose wire that should be easy enough to fix.
“I haven't seen one challenge that we have not found a solution for yet,” Sonanes Cruz said.
AirTalk host Larry Mantle, left, speaks with a panel of experts to guide us all through the 14 state propositions on the Nov. 3 ballot.
(
James Van Evers for LAist
/
LAist.com
)
Californians will decide on more than a dozen ballot initiatives this November, covering a wide range of proposals focused on housing, taxes, recall elections, voter identification and more. LAist is here to help with our Voter Game Plan and a series of "ballot cram sessions" where we ask the experts for insight and answer your questions. The one thing we don't do? We don't tell you how to vote. That part is up to you.
Read on ... for details about how LAist is helping you get ready for Nov. 3.
Californians will decide on more than a dozen ballot initiatives this November, covering a wide range of proposals focused on housing, taxes, recall elections, voter identification and more.
It’s a lot of information to wade through on your own.
That’s why LAist unveils its Voter Game Plan each election season, with guides to help you cast a ballot that aligns with your values and beliefs. (The one thing we don’t do? Tell you how to vote. That is up to you.) For the Nov. 3 general election, LAist is also hosting a series of ballot cram sessions focused on helping you make informed decisions.
The series kicked off on Wednesday with AirTalk Host Larry Mantle and a panel of experts focused on the long list of statewide propositions in a one-hour cram session.
Michael Alvarez, professor of political and computational social science at CalTech; Sara Sadhwani, associate professor of politics at Pomona College, and Lee E. Ohanian, a professor of economics at UCLA and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, provided an overview of each ballot measure. The trio described the pros, cons and stakes of every decision Californians face this November, including the confusing and conflicting trio of tax measures you’ll see on your ballot as Props. 40, 41 and 42.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to how much revenue this might generate. There’s a lot of uncertainty, in particular, if it’s going to generate revenue in sufficient time to help the Californians who are really in need of having healthcare,” said Alvarez on Prop. 40, which would create a one-time tax on billionaires to fund healthcare.
Lee and Sadhwani both noted that there's a question of whether the tax would drive billionaires out of the state. “If you think that super high wealthy people should be paying more in taxes, there’s better ways to do this,” said Lee.
As for Prop. 41, which would require audits of new tax programs, and Prop. 42, which would ban new taxes on personal property, the panel agreed the measures are confusing.
Both propositions would nullify Prop. 40 if they receive more votes in support than the billionaire tax measure. That’s the big thing to remember, said Sadhwani: “They’re really the poison pills of Prop. 40, the billionaire’s tax. So a yes on 41 or a yes on 42 is a no essentially for Prop. 40.”
“I’ll be honest, Prop. 41 as well as Prop. 42 kind of makes my eyes glaze over,” said Sadhwani. Alvarez added that the measures make his head spin. Experts — they’re just like us!
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published October 8, 2026 5:18 PM
Officials are urging Southern California residents in flood-prone areas, including in burn scar zones like Altadena (seen in this December 2025 photo), to get sandbags and learn how to use them ahead of El Niño rains.
(
Gina Ferazzi
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Peak El Niño season will hit in the next few months, and emergency management officials are urging residents to prepare their homes for possible flooding, mudslides and debris flows.
Know your flood risk: Officials say it’s crucial for residents to understand the flood risks to their property, their neighborhood and the important routes they travel. Know if your property has flooded before and be aware if you’re below a hillside that’s susceptible to landslides or in an area that’s vulnerable to coastal flooding.
Prepare your home: Consider buying flood insurance now if you’re in a high risk zone. Clear out gutters and storm drains. Make sure important documents are in waterproof storage. And think about stockpiling sandbags. But when it comes to sandbags, make sure you know how to properly use them.
Read on … for sandbag tips and our full guide on how to prepare your home for El Niño.
Elevated sea levels are already rolling into Southern California waters, leading to coastal erosion and other damage. An El Niño-driven Kelvin wave is further exacerbating conditions along the coast. And Tropical Storm Rachel could bring rain across the region this weekend.
But all of this is probably just the beginning of a very wet Southern California rainy season.
Authorities have been sounding the alarm.
“ Residents need to hear this information, and they need to hear it repeatedly, enough times so that they too can act,” L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said during a recent presentation about El Niño preparations.
Heavy rain, flooding and debris flows can pose serious threats to homes and infrastructure. Officials and climate scientists say the best way to protect yourself and your property is to make preparations now, well before peak El Niño conditions arrive.
Here’s what you can do to prepare your home.
Preparing your property
One of the first steps to getting your home ready for El Niño is to understand how vulnerable it is to flooding when heavy rain or surging surf hits your neighborhood.
“It really is incumbent upon people to pause, evaluate where they live, where they travel and to really think about what would happen if those areas were flooded out,” said Kerjon Lee, spokesperson for the L.A. County Department of Public Works. “ Knowing your community, your neighborhood, where mud and debris flow might occur — is really critical.”
You can review your risks using California’s MyHazard tool, which allows you to input your address and cycle through potential risks.
Floodwaters and the landscape
Knowing if your property or neighborhood has flooded in the past can be helpful, and you can learn a lot from simply looking at the landscape in and around your home.
If your house is at the bottom of a hillside, for example, it’s probably more susceptible to debris flows, especially if the slope burned in a wildfire in the last several years. Burn scars are especially vulnerable to landslides and flooding because they lack the established vegetation that helps hold soil in place and absorbs water during heavy rain.
Other landmarks to look out for near your property are creeks, canals, drainage channels, debris basins and even low-lying roadways.
It’s also a good idea to understand how rainwater flows onto your property, where it collects and how it leaves. The goal should be for water to flow through your property safely and efficiently, without causing damage to neighbors.
That means clearing debris and overgrowth from gutters and drains now, before extreme weather hits.
Officials are also urging residents to report clogged or blocked storm drains to their local public works department.
If your property is at high risk of flooding, consider stockpiling sandbags. Many fire departments and public works departments offer sandbags to their local communities.
You can check sandbag distribution locations and availability here:
Be prepared to fill the sandbags yourself, as most places only offer empty ones. Never fill sandbags with beach sand or empty used ones onto the beach.
Once you have sandbags, make sure you know how to use them properly.
Here are a few tips:
Only fill sandbags half-full, not all the way full.
Do not place sandbags directly against the outer wall of a building as wet bags can create added pressure on the foundation.
Sandbags should be placed parallel to the direction of water flow.
The open ends of sandbags should be folded underneath and face upstream so they aren’t forced open as water flows around them.
Sandbags should be used to redirect floodwater rather than create a dam or block its path.
Sandbags can be used to protect doorways, but to do so, they should have a waterproof layer like heavy plastic or waterproof canvas placed behind them.
This diagram shows the proper way to place sandbags so that they are parallel to the flow of water or debris and redirect it away from structures.
(
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
)
Local agencies offer thorough instructions on how to use sandbags online. L.A. County Public Works offers a breakdown in its Homeowners Guide.
Sandbags and other materials for protecting your home, including plywood, lumber or plastic sheeting, should be stored in a dry location away from potential flooding.
More resources
Here are some other helpful resources for preparing your home for possible flooding.
If valuables could be damaged or destroyed by floodwaters, consider moving them away from the ground or, if possible, to upper floors. Keep important documents in waterproof containers or sealed bags, and make sure to create digital copies.
Another recommendation is to check trees on your property for dead branches, cracks or other issues that might make them unstable, especially those that hang over structures. If you’re unsure or concerned about your trees, you can hire an arborist to inspect them. To trim or remove them, you will likely have to hire a professional. Cities and counties generally do not handle tree maintenance on private property.
Standard homeowners insurance policies typically do not cover flood damage, and new flood insurance plans can take at least 30 days to kick in. If you want to consider signing up for a plan, the National Flood Insurance Program is a good place to start.
If floodwaters do enter your home, public health officials recommend drying wet areas as quickly as possible, as saturation can lead to mold. If mold does take hold, clean the area using a disinfectant. Also, wear gloves and a mask to protect your skin and lungs and throw away moldy items that can’t be cleaned.
Keep up with LAist.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published October 8, 2026 4:00 PM
Sara Marti, Dan Godoy, Jordan Corral and Los Angeles Regional Fire Safety Council volunteers Bernice and Karen with seven bags of castor bean seed clusters they removed from Temescal Canyon Gateway Park.
(
Courtesy Sara G. Marti
)
Topline:
A small group of volunteers is working to remove invasive plants in Temescal Canyon Gateway Park in the Pacific Palisades.
Why it matters: Invasive plants such as castor bean and black mustard can outcompete natives after a fire and lead to dry vegetation that makes future fires worse.
Read on ... for more on the small but mighty volunteer effort in the Palisades, and how you can help.
Jordan Corral had to do something.
It was late 2024, during a historically dry start to the winter. But the winter before that had been historically wet. This kind of “weather whiplash” is growing more common with a warming climate, research is finding. And it meant the hillsides of the Santa Monica Mountains were overgrown with invasive and highly flammable plants, such as black mustard, castor bean and fennel.
So Corral got to work. Alongside mentor Bill Neill, the president of the Santa Monica Mountains chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Corral pulled together a group of volunteers to pull out invasive plants.
Then came the Palisades Fire. Corral and his wife, Sara Marti, lost their apartment and had to start over. They’ve finally relocated to an apartment that survived the fire. Meanwhile, through their work for the nonprofit Resilient Palisades, Corral has launched a subgroup focused on invasive plant removal.
“The team is working on wildfire recovery while trying to mitigate the next wildfire simultaneously,” Marti said by phone on a day when Corral was out working with volunteers in Temescal Canyon Gateway Park.
Now, Marti said, their effort to heal the land has become a part of their own recovery journey.
How to help
You can learn more about the invasive plant removal effort here and sign up to volunteer here. The group is looking for volunteers Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends from 10 a.m. to noon.
You can also find the latest updates on the group’s Instagram @removal_of_invasive_plants.
“Being a part of the recovery has played an enormous part of personal healing,” she said. “It's meditative while you know that you're also making a huge difference, protecting the nearby neighborhoods.”
A half dozen or so volunteers, including Corral and Marti, have been regularly going to the park to remove invasive species, which choke out native plants and grow into dense, dry vegetation that can make fires more intense. They’ve also worked with local high schools and youth groups.
Now, they’re racing to get as many invasive species removed as possible, while at the same time planting as many native seeds as they can, ahead of a potentially very wet winter driven by El Niño. If the rain is as intense as forecasters are predicting, it could help invasive species flourish further.
Sara G. Marti, left, and Jordan Corral lost their apartment in the Palisades Fire and are leaders in the nonprofit group Resilient Palisades.
(
Courtesy Sara G. Marti
)
The effort has been boosted by a recent $24,000 grant from UCLA’s Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course. The money will help hire expert field assistants and buy safety gear, among other things. Corral and Marti hope the effort can become sustained.
“It's not a one-and-done thing,” Marti said. “Invasive plants are going to continue coming back. … So we're really just trying to stay ahead of it as much as we can.”
In some ways, Marti said, the effort reflects their own journey to recover after losing their apartment in the fire.
“ We're probably never going to win, but we can't give up,” she said. “We have to keep trying.”
Cyclists ride across the Sixth Street Bridge in Los Angeles in 2022.
(
Trevor Stamp
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The city of Los Angeles will establish a fund to clean the 6th Street Bridge, where trash and other waste often pile up on pedestrian walkways.
Why now: In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the City Council approved the establishment of the fund, which will allow the city to accept and retain donations from private entities “to preserve this iconic landmark,” Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said.
The context: The dedicated fund follows the city’s hiring of Pasadena-based engineering firm Tetra Tech to restore the lighting of the bridge, which has been plagued by copper wire theft since its opening in 2022. The outages have frustrated residents and commuters who use the bridge to walk, run, bike and drive between downtown L.A. and the Eastside.
The backstory: Funds will go toward trash and bulky item pickup, graffiti abatement and other beautification services for the bridge.
The city of Los Angeles will establish a fund to clean the 6th Street Bridge, where trash and other waste often pile up on pedestrian walkways.
In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the City Council approved the establishment of the fund, which will allow the city to accept and retain donations from private entities “to preserve this iconic landmark,” Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said. “Our commitment to this bridge has to ensure its longevity.”
Funds will go toward trash and bulky item pickup, graffiti abatement and other beautification services for the bridge.
The dedicated fund follows the city’s hiring of Pasadena-based engineering firm Tetra Tech to restore the lighting of the bridge, which has been plagued by copper wire theft since its opening in 2022.
The outages have frustrated residents and commuters who use the bridge to walk, run, bike and drive between downtown L.A. and the Eastside.
This move also comes as residents in Boyle Heights and the Arts District grapple with how the 12-acre park beneath the bridge will be maintained once it opens in 2027.
Community members have raised concerns about the possibility of homeless encampments forming at the park, as well as graffiti and whether copper wire theft from the bridge could affect the park’s safety.
Meanwhile, groups like the Arts District Little Tokyo Neighborhood Council, Arts District Los Angeles and the Boyle Heights 5K Run/Walk are filling gaps with an upcoming bridge cleanup in collaboration with Jurado’s office.
