How Coffee, Community, and Conservation
Led to the Formation of the Friends
|
|
The history of the area now known as Willow Springs Park started captivating Larry Rich, the current Sustainability Manager at the City of Long Beach, in 2000. Based on his research, he began giving tours to Long Beach community members in 2005, and continues to this day.
In 2009, two members of his tour, Grace Lorentzen and John Royce, became early advocates for the park. Grace and John were interested in making a difference for their city and were actively involved in the California Heights Clean Streets group. Some time after learning about the area, Grace attended a neighborhood coffee meetup organized by James Johnson, a candidate running for Long Beach City Council. During the meeting, Grace told James, “My priority would be to maintain the Willow Springs Gulch area as open space and restore native habitat.” James would go on to learn more about the area and win a seat on city council. He worked alongside Larry Rich and other stakeholders to plan events in the park for the community. Larry also integrated California native plants into the space. This culminated on November 1, 2012, when the first four acres were opened to the public. At the same time as James and Larry worked in city government, Grace and her friend Merilee Atkinson established a Facebook group to promote the area through photos and events. They called this online group ‘Friends of Willow Springs Park.’ Nearly 10 years later, in 2021, the City of Long Beach was prepared to dedicate 12 parks to protect them ‘in perpetuity.’ Unfortunately, city staff decided to pull the Willow Springs area out due to a boundary-clarification issue. This proved to be a catalyst, as many community members expressed their disappointment and mobilized. Mauna Eichner, Lee Fukui, and Manny Valenzuela, advocacy volunteers with Long Beach Heritage, sought to learn more. It was quickly apparent that Willow Springs Park was an important site, not only due to its historic and cultural significance. It remains one of the last open spaces in the area, and serves communities greatly affected by industrial development and a lack of park space. As it was unclear whether the full site would ultimately be protected by the City—it sits adjacent to industrial and commercial development—they sought to form a LB Heritage subcommittee to educate the community about the importance of preserving the full 48-acre open space in perpetuity. To activate the community, they sent out a call for a meeting. On October 15, 2022, ten residents showed up to the first meeting including Larry Rich, who became the Friends’ city liaison and advisor. When a discussion about what to name the new group came up, he mentioned Grace’s interest in passing on ownership of the Facebook group, and thus the Friends of Willow Springs Park (FoWSP) was reborn. Over the next few years, FoWSP members met monthly, built community, and were a presence at City Council and City Budget meetings. A monumental achievement occurred in 2024, when the Long Beach City Council voted to dedicate Willow Springs Park as a park in perpetuity. Today, the Friends continue the fun and fulfilling work of promoting and protecting Willow Springs Park, which is made possible by Long Beach Heritage, our umbrella organization. FoWSP members work collaboratively to organize Willow Springs Experiences for the public, take field trips, hear guest speakers, and partner with the Office of Climate Action & Sustainability during their events. The Friends of Willow Springs Park continues to grow and hope you'll join us! |
|