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Reviewed by: Janica Henzie, teacher at Muir Middle School, Burbank
Location: Tujunga Wash, Sunland CA
GPS coordinates: 34.269054,-118.341789
Description:
History/Description:
Big T is a parcel of land located in the City of Los Angeles' Sunland area. Big T covers an area of approximately 210 acres of sensitive habitat whose area covers approximately from Foothill by the Angeles National Golf course to Wheatland Ave. and from Wentworth across the wash to Foothill at Wheatland. The site was purchased by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) in 1998 for the purpose of compensating for habitat loss for other County of Los Angeles Public Works projects.
Big T protects one of the most rapidly diminishing habitat types found in Southern California - willow riparian woodland. Several equestrian and hiking trails wind throughout the native alluvial scrub, aquatic, and willow riparian habitat that surround the Big Tujunga Wash. These plant communities provide suitable habitat for many wildlife species. The Big Tujunga Wash site also provides or has the potential to provide suitable habitat for a number of endangered, threatened, and sensitive plant and wildlife species including Davidson's bushmallow, Plummer's mariposa lily, slender-horned spineflower, San Diego horned lizard, black-crowned night heron, great blue heron, Cooper's hawk, loggerhead shrike, southwestern willow flycatcher, least Bell's vireo, and Santa Ana Sucker.
The LACDPW implementation of the Master Mitigation Plan for the Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Area (Big T) has been underway since April 2000.
Reprinted from the Big T Wash Line newsletter.
More information can be found at www.dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/projects/BTWMA
Access/Ownership and Management:
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW)
Be Aware:
This is a natural environment with hazards such as poison oak, rattlesnakes and other wildlife.
This is a public area.
There is no first aid station or ranger station in the area.
There are no facilities in this area.
This area would only be appropriate for small groups.
Audience:
An environmental/biology science teacher would benefit by a visit to the ponds because it provides local examples of biodiversity, riparian woodlands, native vs exotic species, reclamation and conservation.
Science Concepts Addressed:
Biomes and Ecosystems: One travels through chaparral and willow riparian woodlands when traveling around the Big T Ponds.
Biodiversity: One can see the diversity of plant and animal species that live in the area.
Habitat Restoration and Reclamation: One can see the mitigation process and the work involved in restoring habitats in this area.
Exotic vs Native Species: Importance of removing exotic species to maintain the sensitive native species in the area is a focus of the mitigation work being done.
Study Guide:
Complete the Pre-Trip Study Guide to learn about the area before the field trip.
During the field trip:
Take photos of plants and animals. These photos will be used to make a class scrapbook. We will sort the photos and try to classify as many species as we can. We will also categorize species as native or exotic.
Take special notice of signs of the reclamation and outreach work that is done in the area.
Take notes on the different types of habitats we will walk through on our trip. How does vegetation change?
Complete the Post-Trip Study Guide to apply concepts learned in class with the field trip experience.
Photographs and Videos:
Videos:
Photographs:
Example of class slideshow as photos start to be sorted from the field trip:
For additional information:
ECORP Consulting, Inc. - Environmental Consultants
This is the group doing the environmental work in Big T
Department of Public Works - Big Tujunga Wash Mitigation Area
This is the site for LA County Department of Public Works for the Big T Mitigation Area
This site has contact for more information and permits
This site has the newsletters used on this page
What is mitigation?
CA Native Plants
Be a good Californian; be loyal to your own state and keep your landscape Californian by planting trees, shrubs and flowers of California.
– Theodore Payne
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