One year into LA Zoo restoration project in Griffith Park, planting seeds and career paths

People come to the LA Zoo to see animals from all over the world, but just beyond the exhibits, out of sight, a transformation is happening on the zoo's 6-acre plot of land in Griffith Park.

The zoo is partnering with Outward Bound Adventures, the oldest nonprofit in the nation dedicated to getting people from urban areas out into nature and into a workforce that has often excluded them.  

"The work that we are doing here is going to benefit Angelinos. It's preserving this land, making it really high quality.  It's helping the pollinators -- the bees, the birds, the bugs, and everything else that can come in and use this space, access the resources in a really urbanized area," Dr. Jake Owens, LA Zoo Director of Conservation, said.

The land is not only being restored but also providing a training ground for future conservationists. "As we restore this land, we restore their lives too," Charles Thomas, Outward Bound Adventures executive director, said.

They are removing invasive species, seeding and planting native plants, and helping manage the land, and many are working to make this their career.

"The environmental movement and the conservation sector tend to be rather homogeneous. When you think of someone, an environmentalist, you do not think of the kind of folks you see working behind us. What we do is say, hey, there are some options and here is a career path you never thought of or that you might consider," Thomas said.

Mauricio Gasca is learning about the land while also becoming a steward of it. "I'm a nature guy, I like the wild. I love animals too, so this fits perfectly for me," the 21-year-old said.

"You only know what you see, you only know what you are exposed to, and so by giving people access to sites like this, we create the opportunity to actually envision yourself in a situation you hadn't seen yourself in," Dyvon Melling, Outward Bound Adventures program coordinator, said.