Amigos de Los Rios

In 2005, we outlined a vision for a regional emerald necklace of multi benefit parks for park deficient areas of east Los angeles county. Since then, we have been working nonstop to realize this vision. We have formed an alliance of public agencies, 48 in number, known as the emerald necklace coalition. We convene and collaborate with organizations from the public, private, and community sectors, and act as a catalyst, we continually work to bring about the development of high quality natural infrastructure to barren and neglected public spaces including parks, trails, school campuses and flood control channels. Our projects impact many communities in east Los angeles county providing education on the rich natural and cultural history of the area. At any given time we have multiple landscape conservation, urban greening and environmental leadership implementation projects in process. Currently, we have a major "emerald necklace" multi objective greenway in development along the rio hondo and lower Los angeles river and at whittier narrow recreation area. Highlights of 2023 include work with monrovia unified school district and pasadena unified school district planning and implementing natural infrastructure improvements on various elementary, middle and high school campuses including completion of a stormwater/ watershed discovery garden on jackson elementary school campus. Projects recently completed and/or currently underway include: 1) tree and native shrub planting & care at school campuses along the san gabriel river, rio hondo and throughout cities of the emerald necklace region-east county Los angeles, 2) emerald necklace multi-benefit parks & greenway project rio hondo river, 3) Los angeles county regional park and open space district prop a projects, 4) habitat restoration at peck water conservation park, 5) green infrastructure retrofit projects funded by the California coastal conservancy for hollydale regional park (south gate) , mountain view family center (el monte)and monrovia high school(monrovia), 6) san gabriel mountains national monument community collaborative planning initiative, 7) emerald necklace weekly stewardship volunteer events- working with over 140 schools, community organizations and local corporations to complete and care for the emerald necklace projects while educating local youth on native plant care and environmental issues with our sponsors rei, southern California edison and others, 8) multi benefit natural infrastructure/storm water capture projects at multiple school sites including in pusd-jackson elementary school and musd-plymouth & santa fe, 9) multi cultural interpretive and wayfinding signage for emerald necklace projects,and a comprehensive multilingual signal system for the angeles national forest 10)water resources management education, community engagement and mentoring.