The Friends of Ballona Wetlands Volunteer Program is a free, year-round conservation initiative where students help restore one of Los Angeles's most important coastal ecosystems. Volunteers engage in hands-on environmental work including removing invasive plant species, planting native trees and shrubs, and cleaning up Ballona Creek to protect local wildlife and marine habitats. The program welcomes participants as young as 10, making it an accessible and meaningful way for students to contribute to real conservation efforts in their own community. If you care about the environment and want to make a tangible difference, this is an exceptional opportunity to build skills and experience in ecological restoration.
Bringing people together around a shared cause to create real change.
Breaking down a challenge and working through it methodically to a solution.
Guiding a group toward a shared goal and keeping everyone moving together.
Organizing the logistics, schedule, and details behind a successful event.
Fully focusing on and understanding what someone else is communicating.
Speaking up and taking action on behalf of a cause or group of people.
Students learn urban ecology and habitat restoration while removing invasive species and managing wetland ecosystems.
Volunteers coordinate restoration events, handle logistics, and support all stages of program planning and execution.
Docent volunteers educate visitors about native plants, wildlife, and wetland ecology in a natural habitat setting.
Hands-on work removing invasive species and restoring native habitat directly applies to ecological management strategies.
Community Experiences
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