2025 was a banner year for conservation and community at the 91°µÍø Center at Debs Park. Together with our community, partners, volunteers, and passionate staff, we continued to build a more climate-resilient Los Angeles, one rooted in understanding native habitat, accessible education, and meaningful opportunities for people to connect with nature.
Our vision has always been simple: protect and restore local habitats while empowering the communities who live alongside them. At the heart of our work is a small but mighty team: 91°µÍø staff, youth leaders, interns, and community volunteers. We are driven by a holistic, people-centered approach because we believe that conservation in Los Angeles is not just about the land, but about the people who live here, learn here, and care for it. Our center bridges environmental justice, community science, and habitat restoration, making nature accessible and welcoming to all.
In 2025, we launched a new version of our workforce-development program, Future Leaders Igniting Greater Habitat Transformation or FLIGHT. We also opened the gates of Los Nogales Nursery to the public, increasing access to California native plants for both neighborhood green spaces and backyard ecosystems.
Seeing our interns grow this year has been remarkable. We’ve watched their understanding of ecology deepen and their confidence as emerging conservationists take shape. Even more inspiring has been seeing them put their new skills into practice. Several interns have already led bird walks and bird sits on their own campuses, supported by materials from 91°µÍø’s lending library. Knowing they have access to these tools has empowered them to share their knowledge, inspire their peers, and help protect the places birds need.
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project: Through the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, we observed a 5% increase in monarchs surviving to adulthood. Thanks to our dedicated 91°µÍø Youth Leaders (high school-aged), who monitored the site weekly and collected data consistently, we had a clear snapshot of the monarchs in the area.
Movie Nights at Debs Park: Our most memorable event was in partnership with LA Compost and Senator Durazo, in July, where we were able to come together at the Center and talk about dirt! We had compost available to the public and resource tables for helping people understand soil remediation after the January 2025 fires. The information focused on different methods of soil remediation and how to create more fire-resilient landscapes.
As we celebrate this year’s accomplishments, we extend our deepest gratitude to our volunteers, community partners, youth leaders, donors, and neighbors who made every success possible. Your energy, curiosity, and commitment are the heart of our work. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to expand Los Nogales Nursery with more public sales and community-grown stock, enhance community restoration events throughout Debs Park and neighboring green spaces, and strengthen our data collection and monitoring to better understand and measure our habitat impact.
We invite you to be part of this next chapter: join a restoration day, visit the nursery, volunteer, or bring a friend to explore Debs Park. Together, we can continue building a stronger, greener, more bird-friendly Los Angeles.
A Partnership Between 91°µÍø Center at Debs Park and Theodore Payne Foundation
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