Thank you to everyone for coming out Dec 8th for our community planting day to continue the work to restore the beautiful Rainbow Canyon.

HISTORY

In 1991, local residents, led in part by the late Clare Marter Kenyon, rallied to save this magical canyon from being auctioned off due to fire clearance fines. Their efforts resulted in the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchasing the property. Today, the canyon is home to an ephemeral stream and a rich grove of mature black walnut trees, willows, elderberries, and other native plants. While essential fire brush clearance has occurred, the site is in need of additional care to reach its full potential as a community and ecological resource.

Over the next few years our work will consist of:

🌱 Planting TEST PLOTs in the canyon, including a black walnut understory woodland plot, riparian plot, fire buffer plot, and switchback plot.

🛠 Building trails to make the canyon more accessible for walking and as a Metro shortcut.

🔍 Conducting water and soil tests to explore opportunities for Measure W funding to improve stormwater quality.

🤝 Learning, sharing ideas, and planning for the future of this incredible space.

BACKGROUND

2023-2024 winter’s storms revived the stream, revealing its natural course. However, aside from basic fire brush clearance, little restoration work has been done since the canyon was saved from development in 1991 by local residents, including the late Clare Kenyon. The land is owned by the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy and managed by the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority.

Led by a course at the USC School of Architecture, the Test Plot addressed the diverse challenges and opportunities of the canyon through a mission and ethos developed collaboratively by the students and their partners. The class worked with the Community Nature Connection and a broad coalition of organizations and residents. The course concluded with reflections on the process, and shared with LA County’s “Pando Days” program, contributing to its sustainability-focused colloquium of schools.