News Gallery
The San Gabriel River Park in Avocado Heights, Los Angeles County, had its grand opening on June 8. Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple and the Buddha's Light International Association Los Angeles Chapter (BLIA LA) were among over 40 organizations invited to promote ecological conservation at the event. Nearly 700 people gathered to celebrate the transformation of the former duck farm into an urban greenway, a project over 20 years in the making.
Mark Stanley, Director of the Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA), hosted the ceremony. Los Angeles County District One Supervisor Hilda L. Solis spoke on the theme "Rewilding Urban Spaces," highlighting the park's significance. The 30-acre park, located along the San Gabriel River, has completed its first phase. Once fully developed, it will connect 10 cities in the San Gabriel Valley through a 17-mile loop. The park features riverside viewing platforms and botanical gardens, designed to link the community with nature and the river, offering more green spaces and ideal habitats for migratory birds and wildlife.
The park's transformation began in 2001 when the WCA purchased the land from a duck farm and started converting the nutrient-rich duck manure soil into an environment suitable for native plants.
Norma E. García-González, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, spoke about the park's history and the efforts to turn it into an urban greenway. She thanked everyone involved in the project.
During the ceremony, Hilda L. Solis and various unit directors planted trees. Andrew Guiding Young Cloud Morales and Chief Anthony Red Blood Morales, missionaries from the Gabrielino San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, offered blessings. A herd of goats, which will help maintain the park's ecological balance, also made an appearance. The ceremony concluded with the release of butterflies, symbolizing the park's return to nature.
The event featured Latin music and folk dancers. Valley Vista Services (VVS), the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, and the Natural Areas Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation promoted composting, tree planting, and wildlife conservation. Visitors had the chance to see various reptiles up close, with some even daring to wear a python as a scarf, delighting the children.
Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple shared the English book series "Buddhism in Every Step" with the public. The Fo Guang Hsi Lai Scouts BSA Pack 8888 and BLIA LA promoted the "Vege Plan A" project, encouraging a vegetarian diet to reduce carbon emissions and protect the earth. They distributed vegetable and fruit seeds and potting soil. Lay Dharma lecturer Min Li explained Venerable Master Hsing Yun's "Humble Table, Wise Fare," while Sacha de Nijs led outdoor yoga sessions to connect people with nature.
(Photos by Raul Romero Jr. and Jonathan Thang)
