By Joe Pomento
Photos by Linda Okamura

It's as unlikely a place for a nature area as you are likely to see. Just to the west, sits the sprawling Del Amo Mall, one of the largest shopping centers around with its acres of black asphalt parking lots. Along the other three sides, large blocks of apartments and red-tiled houses nudge up against its borders. In the center of this small oasis, a half dozen oil pumps bob in precision time like a line of gigantic prehistoric birds pecking seeds off the ground.

This is Torrance's Madrona Marsh—home to several hundred species of birds and a living laboratory sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The next closely watched project will be a demonstration garden of native coastal plants that could be used to replant portions of the marsh. This garden is one of 10 projects that will receive $210,387 through Metropolitan's Innovative Conservation Program.

Venora Lee and the other members of the Friends of Madrona Marsh have fought for nearly 30 years to protect the site—one of the last vernal pools in Los Angeles County. Lee is president of the group that numbers some 400 residents who are passionate about preserving the marsh and its four distinct habitats—upland dunes, vernal marsh, vernal pools and the alkaline margin.

Strange partners

Chances are you won't find oil drilling and natural spaces mentioned in the same sentence. Yet, the tiny oil field probably spared the delicate ecosystem from being leveled by a developer's grader long ago. Drilling began in 1927 and Lee said that except for that one use the surrounding land was preserved in its natural state.

"In the early 1980s, the marsh came under serious pressure by developers," Lee explained, during a recent trek through the reserve. "Although the land was too expensive for the city of Torrance to purchase, city officials were able to work out a solution that gave the developer a density bonus and in exchange the developer granted the 54 acres to the city in perpetuity for use only as public land."

Shirley Turner joined the move to save the marsh nearly three decades ago.

"It's a wonderful place to come out to see the different animals and native plants," Turner said as she placed another bucket of discarded glass bottles in her car for recycling. "The plants that we are using are ones that grew here 200 or 300 years ago.

"Madrona Marsh is special because there are some 225 species of birds that frequent this area," the 77-year-old Turner added. "It's a place where people can go out and she what's happening in nature."

Turner, who averages four or five days a week at the marsh, oversees its nursery. Come by most Tuesdays and Wednesdays and you are likely to see Turner waging war against the non-native plants such as wild radish, garland chrysanthemum and wild oats that are fighting for a foothold in the marsh much like a block away shoppers are vying for parking places.

"About half of the land has been replanted with native plants and about half of what we plant gets eaten by gophers," Turner said.

Seed money

Turner plans to use seeds from the native plants grown in the MWD sponsored demonstration garden to replant sections of the marsh. Metropolitan Director Bill Wright, who represents the city of Torrance, assisted in gaining district approval for the project.

Metropolitan recently awarded the group $20,110 to plant a drought-tolerant garden, but it isn't just any collection of water-stingy plants. Lee said many of the plants being propagated are indigenous to the coastal wetlands. For instance, the yellow poppies growing in the garden and peppered in clumps throughout the marsh aren't faded versions of the brighter orange California poppies. Same family, but these are coastal California poppies.

"The head of the local native plant society designed our garden and it corresponds to the different regions in the marsh," Lee said. "There are plants that will attract the El Segundo blue and the Palo Verdes blue butterflies (both federally protected species). We will provide training for anyone who wants to learn about using native plants.

"Metropolitan is reaching out to get people involved in using water wisely and about the issues involving our water in Southern California," Lee said. "We want people to know that water is the critical element in life. We hope our effort helps people to understand this fact."

Madrona Marsh is located 3201 Plaza Del Amo in Torrance (click here to see map). It's open 24 hours a day and the nature center across the street that has exhibits, the demonstration garden and classrooms is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. For more information on activities at the marsh, call the center at (310) 782-3989.

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