Take a Look at Critical Campout
Enjoy this set of photos from the L.A. Urban Rangers’ final Engagement Party event, Critical Campout, performed Thursday September 1 at MOCA Grand Avenue. Photos by Christina Edwards.
Thursday night – Stories of Visionaries and Ordinances around the Campfire!
Skid Row Hall-of-Fame'r Manuel Compito (aka OG Man) of OG's N Service Association
By now most of us are familiar with downtown’s much-welcomed rejuvenation over the last few years, as it becomes an increasingly attractive area to live, work and visit. Many of us know the cast of characters in the compelling narrative of downtown’s renaissance — the forward thinking developer Tom Gilmore and his Old Bank District; Bert Green, catalyzer of the Arts District and the Downtown Art Walk; the re-emergence of a downtown Ralph’s after a 50-year absence; the re-energized 7th Avenue + Broadway, whose buildings are “chock-full of eye-candy” according to urban planner and downtown advocate James Rojas (witness Bottega Louie); the revival of our stunning historic theaters (check out LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats)…These are just a few of the creative players and projects that have helped foster the resurgence.
Parallel to these developments is an equally compelling timeline of innovation, emerging from the communities in and around Skid Row, that have made significant contributions in ensuring that downtown remains a truly diverse and pluralistic convergence of classes, races, and living situations. Tomorrow’s Critical Campout will highlight this parallel world and shed light on an equally compelling cast of characters that have made a difference. Details »
Gallery Row/Skid Row habitats to be explored in Downtown Ecotone Trail
Skid Row point guard Ranger Kevin
This Thursday, artivist, interlocutor, actor, former criminal attorney, member of The Other Bar (9 years in good standing!), person-in-recovery and self described Skid Row point guard Ranger Kevin will help guide hikers along the Downtown Ecotone Trail, intersecting what usually are perceived as disparate neighborhoods to reveal the treasures of both. Skid row, according to Ranger Kevin, is far more complex and rich than it is usually portrayed in the media. Details »
THIS WEEK>>CRITICAL CAMPOUT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
7pm–overnight
MOCA Grand Avenue
The L.A. Urban Rangers invite you to join them at the Trailhead located at MOCA Grand Avenue Lodge for Critical Campout, a campfire program that explores the full spectrum of habitation options in downtown Los Angeles. Some of the campfire activities include a live demonstration of how to make an alternative temporary shelter, an Ask-a-Ranger station for all of your questions about downtown habitation options—from streets to loft condos— and a discussion about the vast climate of city ordinances shaping the habitat ecology. Also on the campfire program is a screening of footage from the past two Engagement Party events from the L.A. Urban Rangers. Join the campfire at the Trailhead from 7–10 pm.
Take to the Trails at Critical Campout!!
Downtown Ecotone Trail
Backcountry hike in conjunction with Critical Campout, September 1, 2011
Trailhead at MOCA Grand Avenue
Duration: 60 minutes Trail
Difficulty: Strenuous
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:10PM, 7:15PM, 7:20PM, 7:25PM (all hikes are now full)
Descend Bunker Hill on a Ranger-led hike to explore the distinct shifting environment of art and gentrification at the Gallery Row/Skid Row ecotone. Hikers will observe the different forms of habitation in Downtown L.A.
Besides the hikes and the campout, the trailhead and MOCA lodge will be full of a variety of interesting campfire programs and activities from 7-10pm. Explore Downtown L.A. and a range of habitation options on-site by engaging with a tent-making demonstration, asking rangers questions, watching a video of our past expeditions, and participating in campfire discussions.
The Los Angeles Urban Rangers are excited to be collaborating with the Los Angeles Poverty Department to offer this special evening of hikes and campfire programs.
Out of respect for the social terrain and strenuous nature of this trail we are guiding a limited number of hikers. Please reserve your spot by emailing reservations@moca.org starting Thursday, August 25 at 9am. Indicate your preferred start time and we will do our best to accommodate you. ALL HIKES ARE NOW FULL. THANKS FOR SIGNING UP!
Come to the Campfire!
Los Angeles Urban Rangers Critical Campout Photo Credit: Harvey Opgenorth © Los Angels Urban Rangers, 2011
Ramble On.
Enjoy this video document of the L.A. Urban Rangers’ last event, The L.A. River Ramble. Video by Alex MacInnis.
River Ramblers – your impressions please!
Did you Ramble on the River? What struck you? What were your sightings? Any ideas on…How we can get through the thick Undergrowth of Infrastructure, Regulation and Forgetting? Share your photos and thoughts of the L.A. River with the L.A.Urban Rangers. Choose from either of these methods: Details »
“Urban Rangers Quest For The Natural L.A.”
John Ydstie from NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday took part in last week’s L.A. River Ramble.
Tonight: Ask a Ranger with L.A. River’s Unofficial “Minister of Access”
Joe leading an "L.A. River Sunset Talk", along the L.A. River adjacent to North Atwater Park, June 2010
Tonight’s L.A. River Ramble is not just about hiking over and along the River; it’s also filled with L.A.River-positive activities, one of them being “Ask a Ranger”, at the Backcountry Riverside Ranger Station. “Ask a Ranger” gives us the opportunity to ask all questions we may have about the L.A. River. Fielding our questions will be artist, author and environmental/bicycle transportation activist Joe Linton. Joe is a longtime advocate for the revitalization and restoration of the Los Angeles River, serving in various capacities as volunteer, board and staff for the Friends of the Los Angeles River, among other River advocacy endeavors. In addition, he was one of the founders of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and currently works on L.A.’s CicLAvia car-free events. You can see his extremely impressive bio here. Just know that Linton was recognized in LA Weekly’s 2006 people issue as The River Guide, or in his words, the unofficial “Minister of Access.”
I asked Joe what the biggest obstacle was to restoring the L.A. River. His answer: Single-Minded Thinking! Tonight, we can ask Joe to explain what he means…
Up Close and Personal with the L.A. River
I’ve always been intrigued by the series of bridges over the river that connect downtown to East L.A. Well designed, great bones, nice material, full of details, and yet, like the River itself, they get lost in a stew of infrastructure–power lines, pylons, train lines, utility poles, the works. I’ve driven over the First Street Bridge a bunch of times and have always meant to get out of the car to take a closer look. Well, tomorrow night I’ll finally do it when I hike the East-West Connector Trail, on offer during the L.A. River Ramble. The East-West Connector will be led by Ranger John and Ranger Cathy, who will infuse the hike with information about the River, its channelization and revitalization, and give, in Ranger John’s words, the “quickest history of the L.A. River ”. All this accompanied by stunning panoramic views. Details »
Get ready for Heightened River Fluency!
This Thursday evening, August 4th, L.A. Urban Rangers hold the first L.A. River Ramble. It’s a great opportunity to get acquainted with the L.A. River and the surrounding city infrastructure that makes the River so difficult for many of us to get our heads around. The Ramble runs from 7 – 10 PM. We meet at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA i.e., Lodge Headquarters, where we pick up our map and orientation material and can partake in an L.A. Water Water Tasting. From there we hike to the Backcountry Riverside Ranger Station near the river, where we can obtain our backcountry permits for the hikes. The Riverside Ranger Station will also include a Public Input Area where post hike, a KCET film crew will conduct interviews about our ideas for how to connect the river to the city Downtown, an Ask-A-Ranger Station to answer all of our questions, and a Library Corner full of information about the River and its neighboring communities.
River Ramble is FREE – no reservations are needed.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Hikes to different points on the River offered at regular intervals — approximately every 15 minutes.
River Ramble runs from 7 – 10 PM.
Starting point at Geffen Contemporary
As seen in Maguire Gardens…
This past week saw the reinstatement of Monday opening hours in all Los Angeles Public Library branches, thanks to voters’ approval in March of Measure L. To mark the occasion, a press conference was held in adjacent Maguire Gardens, one of the meadows — the one PUBLIC meadow — Ranger Jenny led us through as part of The Corporate Peaks and Meadows trail of the Bunker Hill Expedition. Details »
The Orange Trail of the Bunker Hill Expedition – Corporate Peaks and Meadows
Heading south along the California Plaza Meadow. Photo Credit: Linda Pollack © Los Angels Urban Rangers, 2011
Led by Ranger Jenny, the Orange Trail traversed a number of corporate meadows, of which five were explored in-depth. Ranger Jenny led us through various drills at each meadow, sharpening our skills in deciphering nuances of different micro-climates of private/public ecologies and their habitats. As explained by Ranger Jenny, this concentration of corporate peaks is rooted in the 1980s, spearheaded by the Community Redevelopment Agency in partnership with various corporate peak developers, and often with the stipulation of inclusion of a corporate meadow with varying degrees of public use. Different arrangements yielded the intricate microclimates of public-ness and public possibilities, as we would learn. Here are my field notes from the trail. Details »
A Los Angeles Urban Ranger kind of evening…
Ranger Megan and Ranger Alex welcome hikers and answer questions. Photo Credit: Linda Pollack © Los Angels Urban Rangers, 2011
Last Thursday was the first of three downtown excursions for the LA urban Rangers and it was quite a smash. On offer were six fun hikes from which to choose, ranging in trail difficulty from mild — Civic Assembly Sing-Along (pink trail), moderate — DWP/110 Freeway Power (blue trail), Corporate Peaks and Meadows (orange trail), and The Great Bonaventure Adventure (purple trail), and strenuous — Goats and Grand Performances(yellow trail), and Pershing Square Heritage Landscape (green trail). Details »
LA Urban Rangers’ Bunker Hill Expedition
Hikers begin ascent of the Bonaventure Hotel, using this landmark as an orientation device for a bird’s eye view of the city. Photographer: Harvey Opgenorth, 2011.
I’m so excited for tomorrow’s kick-off of the Los Angeles Urban Rangers Engagement Party trail hikes. Tomorrow’s program, BUNKER HILL EXPEDITION, offers six chock-a-block trail experiences: “DWP/110 Freeway Power”, “Civic Assembly and Sing-Along”, “Goats and Grand Performances”, “Pershing Square Heritage Landscape”, “Corporate Peaks and Meadows”, and “The Great Bonaventure Adventure”. With a limited amount of time, the challenge will be to choose from which to partake. Decisions decisions! Details »
Bunker Hill Expedition:
General Information and List of Hikes
- Event is free and open to the public.
- All hikes depart from MOCA Grand Avenue.
- Hikes begin at 7:15 pm and repeat, so you may participate in more than one hike.
- When you arrive at MOCA, please sign up for the hike you are interested in at the Welcome Table. Hikes have limited capacity, so arrive early to secure a spot.
- Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes.
Bunker Hill Expedition Hike Descriptions
DWP/110 Freeway Power
Delve into different forms of power on the hill, from cultural, religious and infrastructural epicenters to an excavation for a new museum.
Ranger: Lisa Anne Auerbach
Duration: 45 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm
Civic Assembly and Sing-Along
Uncover the historical strata of constitutional law, women’s suffrage, and civic ideology hidden below the surface of Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Civic Park.
Ranger: Ari Kletzky
Duration: 45 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Mild (Accessible)
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm
Goats and Grand Performances
Learn about urban foraging, grazing goats, and the cultural resources of California Plaza, Angels Flight, and Grand Central Market.
Ranger: Alan Loomis
Duration: 45 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Strenuous
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm
Pershing Square Heritage Landscape
Descend Grand Avenue’s steep southern slope to the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel and investigate the cycle of tectonic shifts at Pershing Square.
Ranger: John Arroyo
Duration: 45 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Strenuous
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm
Corporate Peaks and Meadows
Survey ownership of corporate peaks and meadows by examining the complex ecology of Downtown L.A.’s financial center to the Lodge of Memory and Stories (aka the Central Library).
Ranger: Jenny Price
Duration: 50 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:45pm
The Great Bonaventure Adventure
Explore the wondrous heights of the legendary Bonaventure Hotel, traverse suspended pedestrian walkways, and absorb scenic views of Downtown L.A.
Ranger: Ron Milam
Duration: 45 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Moderate
Start/End Location: MOCA Upper Plaza
Start Times: 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm
