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James [00:00:05] I guess you can start off telling us your name where you’re from.
Alon [00:00:07] Oh really? It’s got to be like that.
James [00:00:11] Yeah.
Alon [00:00:11] Why? Well how about we start by you telling me why you’re doing the research.
James [00:00:18] Well we’re seniors in the environmental science program.
Alon [00:00:22] OK.
James [00:00:22] And. Basically and. I’m not sure if you know the plans about the L.A. River.
Alon [00:00:30] Yeah they’re trying to do something there.
Camila [00:00:33] Essentially.
James [00:00:33] Yeah. Right. So. Our research is mostly focused on the city of Southgate.
Alon [00:00:42] OK. Why? Did they give a grant to the UCLA or something or?
James [00:00:47] So basically they’re having specific projects there that are already in the works.
Alon [00:00:53] I see.
James [00:00:53] And we kind of wanted to do community outreach.
Alon [00:01:00] Right.
James [00:01:00] And see what the community feels about the project. Yeah.
Alon [00:01:05] And what are they proposing down there?
James [00:01:09] Yeah. So they’re proposing. Like an urban orchard. Some new parks.
Alon [00:01:15] Urban orchard okay.
James [00:01:18] And then one of the biggest things that they haven’t really released yet is like a project is capping the river.
Alon [00:01:27] Capping?
Camila [00:01:28] Yeah.
James [00:01:28] Yes. So like covering it and building on top of it. So that’s likely.
Alon [00:01:36] Isn’t it like our flood kind of thing?
Camila [00:01:39] Yeah.
Alon [00:01:39] Don’t they have to maintain it?
Camila [00:01:41] Mhm.
James [00:01:41] And so that’s also like another one. Well what we’re looking up is how. How do people view. Like how do people respond to the question that. In terms of like future weather events.
Camila [00:02:00] Yeah.
James [00:02:00] Future weather events and future climate instability.
Alon [00:02:03] Right.
James [00:02:04] Whether they feel that the L.A. River is safe and meets up to capacity where they don’t have a concern about flooding.
Alon [00:02:14] Okay. Gotcha.
James [00:02:18] Yeah.
Alon [00:02:19] Cool. So. So my name is Alon. And what else would you like to know?
James [00:02:27] I guess. Are you from Southgate?
Alon [00:02:31] No.
James [00:02:31] No. OK.
Alon [00:02:32] I live here in Westwood.
James [00:02:33] OK.
James [00:02:35] And um what is your like. How have you used the river before? What what is your experience?
Alon [00:02:41] For using the bike path to cycle.
Camila [00:02:47] Do you know like from what area to what area
Alon [00:02:49] Yeah. All the way up from the top all the way down to the bottom.
Camila [00:02:54] So as long as far as the bike path goes.
Alon [00:02:56] Yeah because I was training for a bike ride from San Francisco to L.A..
Camila [00:03:01] Oh wow.
Alon [00:03:02] So we were going we were using the bike path to train.
Camila [00:03:07] Yes. So you have heard of some of the revitalization efforts. Do you have any thoughts on what you’ve heard so far even from what we’ve just told you?
Alon [00:03:22] Well I’m all for the people. So whatever plan will make sense for most people. I’m all for it. Obviously maintaining. You know if it’s required to save lives then. Right. I mean if it’s our main flood gates or flood zone thing. So I don’t have enough information on how we use the river and some of the plans. But I heard Gary he wants to do something. This and that. But I don’t have any clear idea of what the specifics are.
Camila [00:03:58] You’ve used the river and so have there been any any things that you would like to see improvement upon.
Alon [00:04:06] Yeah maybe the homeless situation along the riverbank. That’s very sad. And. Also the like eerie when you arrive and all of a sudden somebody is getting out of a tent right under an overpass or something like that. So definitely what I saw. That was glaring was this idea of the homeless situation. I don’t know if it’s specific in Southgate. Or.
Camila [00:04:35] Yeah it seems to kind of be a lot all over.
Alon [00:04:38] Yeah.
Camila [00:04:40] From what we know from it as well.
Alon [00:04:44] Is this your first time going to South Gate?
Camila [00:04:49] No.
Alon [00:04:49] So you’ve been on it’s already?
James [00:04:51] It’s like our fourth time yet.
Alon [00:04:51] OK.
Camila [00:04:52] And I’m from Downey so.
Alon [00:04:54] I see so you know that area.
Camila [00:04:55] Yeah yeah.
Alon [00:04:58] So what are your thoughts on what should happen. Obviously you’re learning it. You’re a little bit more in depth.
Camila [00:05:03] Yeah.
Alon [00:05:04] What do you think.
Camila [00:05:05] Definitely not for capping.
Alon [00:05:08] Yeah capping sounds a little.
Camila [00:05:08] It hurts me a little bit.
Alon [00:05:12] Okay, why? Share with me why please.
Camila [00:05:17] It’s just. We have this rsource.
Alon [00:05:23] Right.
Camila [00:05:25] And as humans we have this consistent desire to control everything. And just like manipulate things and make things worse. That’s what it feels like what is going on with the river. Especially by capping and not thinking about flood risk and things like that. At this point it’s too late to take out concrete. I really feel like we have too many people living by the edge of the river.
Alon [00:06:00] Okay.
Camila [00:06:01] Too many. Too much housing. And businesses. And at this point we can’t move those people back. Really. unless we have this huge ordeal thing or something. And so we can’t take out the concrete. So let’s not make things worse by like capping it. I think that.
James [00:06:26] For me I think I would want to see like an actual like natural river. And it may not be possible now to do that. Feels like in the future. Yeah. So. Like. Capping the river I would definitely like put a nail in the coffin.
Alon [00:06:46] So that’s probably the worst option.
Camila [00:06:48] Right.
Camila [00:06:49] The thing for me is I think that means maintaining the areas that do have the natural.
Alon [00:06:57] Around it.
Camila [00:06:57] Yeah and I understand the need or the desire for parks and orchards. I think that’s great because not only are you building more green spaces in a community that some people perceive that they need it but you are also using the river as like. It introduces people to the river that otherwise wouldn’t know it’s there or wouldn’t think about it.
Alon [00:07:23] Like an attraction.
Camila [00:07:25] Yeah several of our interviews were like “why would we go there? There’s nothing to do.” Like there’s so. Building parks or building an orchard like that can definitely change that.
Alon [00:07:42] Well good luck. This is important.
Camila [00:07:44] Thank you.
Alon [00:07:45] When are you guys graduating?
Camila [00:07:46] June.