Busiest October Ever!

Not like last year...

Fall is normally a quiet time at the Science Center.  Schools are adjusting to the new classes and students are getting to know their teachers.  Field trips are often the last thing on anyone's mind this time of year.  But not this fall.  This month was a whirlwind.  The Harbor Community Benefit Foundation provided funding for buses for many local schools for free field trips to the Science Center.

Starting with the Open House on October 2nd, the Science Center has been a very busy place.  Then, October 4th we hosted another successful community clean up day.  Thanks to all of our volunteers, trees were trimmed, gardens were weeded, and seeds were harvested.  Also on October 4th was the first LAUSD Indian Education Family Day.  Participants were enthralled and entertained by a native american story teller and listened attentively to a native american speaker on history and folklore.  And that was just the first week of the month!

We kicked off the second week of October with Johnston CDS students taking their High school exit exams on October 7th and 8th.  We wished them all great success and hope their hard work has paid off. Bandini elementary came for the Jr. Farmer's and Desert Dweller's tours on October 10th, followed by a girl scout troop of local middle school girls trying to earn their silver award.

Week three in October began with almost 60 3rd graders from Bandini elementary school on October 13th.  Followed by an amazing group of volunteers from Santa Monica college on October 14th.  We especially want to thank them for purchasing a new guava tree for the fruit orchard.  October 15th and 16th we hosted over 100 3rd graders from Leland elementary school.  October 17th Gulf elementary students came to explore the gardens and interact with the animals. The week ended on October 18th, with an Eagle Scout project completing new garden boxes for us to grow California Native Sage plants.



Week four was just as busy.  October 21st and 23rd we hosted over 100 3rd and 4th grade students from South Shores elementary and October 22nd and 24th we hosted 96 kindergarten and 2nd grade students from Point Fermin.   Students felt cotton growing right on the tree, tasted kale, sorrel, fennel, and chard.  They even found out they like stevia because it really does taste a lot like sugar.  Plus, on October 23 the Tongva Language class was held here and the first ESC South  Science Cadre meeting, a teacher workshop, was attended by 17 elementary school teachers.

The month ended with 1st graders from park Western elementary on October 29th, and Gulf elementary with 2nd graders on October 30th.  Students got the opportunity to feed the chickens and the goats while learning about what animals eat.  They especially enjoyed the taste of fresh picked cucumber.

Finally, we ended the month on October 31st with a special treat for our very special sulcata tortoise.

We can't wait to see what November brings...

Open House 2014

1st Annual Open House was a Huge Success

Overall curb appeal has dramatically improved as well as all of the animal
enclosures and structures through funding by the Harbor Community Benefit
Foundation and the impressive work of Beacon House.

They came...

On October 2nd, we hosted our first annual Open House.  It went amazingly well despite temperatures soaring to nearly 100 degrees.  In attendance were LAUSD teachers and  administrators, LAUSD facilities partners such as DWP, MWD, Republic, LA Sanitation, Environmental Larning Center, and LAUSD nutrition education.   Lakeshore Learning donated learning materials for teachers and Banneker-Doyle CTC sold gift items made by students and shared information about their programs. Friends and neighbors from the community attended and we even had help from local girl scouts.  Representatives from the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation (HCBF) also attended and saw first hand how their foundation's amazing support has contributed to the improvements and upgrades to the site.Also in attendance were representatives from the offices of Board Member Vladovich and board Member Zimmer.

Front ponds reconstructed by
Johnston CDS Horticulture students

 They saw...

Classrooms were open and everyone was encouraged to take a look around the site to see what the Science Center has to offer the students of  Los Angeles Unified.  The animal enclosures are freshly repaired and painted and new garden art and exhibits are open.

With new field trip options available in outdoor education, students have new opportunities to learn about animals, gardening, nature, and ecology.  Teachers and administrators were avle to see exactly what the students would explore when they book a field trip at the Science Center.  Field trip options such as the Jr. Farmers tour, Desert Dwellers Exploration, and the Jr. Recyclers Exploration were explained during tours allowing teachers to better align field trips with classroom standards. 

They were impressed...

Built by Beacon House and generously funded by
the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation

For many visitors who hadn't been here for a while, there were many incredible changes. Many positive statements were made.  "Wow, this place looks great!" "I can't believe how much has happened in just one year!"  Susan Tanberg, an administrator over the science branch wrote, "It looks great. I was so impressed with all that you have done."

So if you haven't stopped by, come see how we've improved!

We Are Open!!!!

The school year has officially begun.  We are now back in regular session and the gates are open every week day between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.  We got an amazing amount of work done over the summer.  

Come see us now!

Summer Closure Begins Next Week

Beginning on Monday, June 9th, we will be closed. Our gates are closed so that the staff can focus on maintenance, projects, and annual repairs that they can't get to during the regular school year.  We appreciate your understanding and only want to make this facility as safe and clean as it can be for our visiting students and the community.

 For groups and organizations to gain access to the center, they can call the office phone and make an appointment.  The office phone number is (310) 832-7573.  Our staff will let you know if we have any availability for summer tours and events.

Green Festival

Science Center Joins Port of LA High School's Green Festival

On Friday, May 30, the Science Center proudly helped support the students of the Port of LA High School at the Green Festival.  While promoting the use of Native Plants in drought tolerant gardens, the Science Center gave away native California coastal shrub plants to anyone who visited the booth. 

It was a great day! We connected with the community, met many amazingly gracious high school students, and shared plants we grew right here at the center.  Rachel Bruhnche and her Environmental Club were superb hosts for the event!

Saturday May 3rd

An amazing turn out last Saturday!  Thank you to everyone who came out and lent a hand at the Science Center.

A tremendous amount of work got done that day.  We had 89 volunteers who showed up willing to weed the garden, sweep walkways, clean animal pens, tend the fruit trees, flip compost, and so much more.









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Our next community day is June 7th. We will be open from 8:00 am to noon. Hope you can come support us!

May 3rd - Last Community Day of the School Year!

Tomorrow is the last community day of the school year.  June 7th, falls after school lets out.  But not to worry, our community Saturday clean up days will continue.

So come lend a hand and help us prepare for the summer.  On Saturday May 3rd, we'll be open from 8:00 am to noon.

New Look

We're Getting a Face Lift!

Painted Lath House

With the help of the men from Beacon House, the appearance as you walk into the center has changed dramatically.  If you haven't been to the center lately, The barn, green house, front fence, and rooster cages have been repaired, painted, and made to look amazing.

Prepping for Paint

Adding the Trim

Beacon House was awarded a grant from the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation to help us improve and beautify the Christensen Science Center. The grant allows Beacon House the opportunity to improve our "curb appeal" by providing the funds to purchase materials and supplies to make repairs at the center for the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the community.

Building new rooster cages

The men from Beacon House have been impressive.  They have participated in the monthly clean up days, built and installed 16 new garden boxes, repaired and prepped structures for painting, and built and updated cages for many of our hens and roosters.

And the work they do is gorgeous!

Completed Rooster Cages

And more changes are on the way.  The albino squirrel is getting a new home and many more improvements are being made to the big chicken pen and the pony shelter.

Come on in and see the changes

Another Successful Community Day!

Many thanks for Saturday's Success 

The volunteers and community rocked last Saturday!  With the help from so many people, we were able to continue cleaning up the front area, weed and tend the roses, weed the vegetable garden, and so much more. The Banneker/Doyle plot is moving forward and the MOM's club continues to be a great partner for the Science Center. Local High Schools were a huge help weeding the vegetable gardens, cleaning the animal  pens, tending the roses, and clearing the Banneker/Doyle plot.  And as always, Beacon House is an amazing work force.



Thanks to the everyone who participated and showed your support in improving the Christensen Science Center!









With each completed project we are getting closer to becoming a sustainable demonstration garden for the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the community.

The Roses are Blooming!

Thanks to the Christensen Family and the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation grant award, roses greet every guest as they enter the Science Center.  Bold color bursts out of every bloom.






From the brightest orange to the most vivid pink, the roses are a wonderful addition to the Science Center front lawn.










Although the finishing touches to the Rose Garden haven't been completed, the roses are catching the attention of every visitor who comes into the center.





The Rose Garden is just one of many improvements underway at the Science Center.

Come see what's new.

Winter ended gorgeously at the Christensen Science Center.  

Today is the first day of spring. Enjoy!

New Plot for New Partnership!

Science Center Welcomes the Banneker/Doyle CTC

Last Saturday was an amazing day at the Science Center.  A 3200 sq. ft. plot was cleared of overgrowth and debris to make way for the new Banneker/Doyle CTC (Career and Transition Center) vegetable plot.

Banneker/Doyle CTC has both a horticulture and culinary arts strand which has partnered with the Christensen Science Center to plant, grow, and harvest produce as part of their educational program.

The event was well attended.  Parents and teachers from Banneker as well as 39 high school students from San Pedro High School participated in the event, giving them the opportunity to earn their Service Learning hours.

No one could have been more surprised and appreciative than the principal of Banneker,   Dr. Christopher Eaton, who couldn't thank everyone enough for their hard work and
dedication.  Dr. Eaton wrote in a email, "it was nothing short of astonishing what the group accomplished."

The plan is for the plot to be ready to harvest this fall.  With this type of enthusiasm, I'd say they were off to a great start!

New Rose Garden and Fruit Trees

On February 1st, the new Rose Garden was planted.  Through the help of the Friends of the Christensen Science Center, we received 15 new roses to be planted in the front lawn.  Volunteers from the community helped to plant them. Now, as guests pull into the parking lot, they will be greeted by roses!

In addition to the new Rose Garden, we also received and planted 9 new fruit trees.  We planted a fig, lime, plum, apricot, grapefruit, peach, pear, avocado, and an almond tree.

The new plants look great!  Thanks to all the volunteers who helped us with the new plantings.

Super Saturday is Coming...

Saturday, February 1st, is our next Community Day.  Join us as we plant our new Rose Garden and add more fruit trees to The Orchard.  This Saturday should be a great day to get all of the new plants in. 

Bring gloves and wear layers. The weather remains cool but dry.

If you'd rather help out with the animals, we always have lots of clean up tasks.  Feel free to help out where you can; we appreciate all the help we get from friends and neighbors.

The gates will be open from 8:00 am until noon.  
Hope to see you here!

Meet Fiona

This is Fiona.  Fiona is one of two goats we have here at the Christensen Science Center.  She is just over four years old and has lived most of her life as part of the Science Center family.  She was donated to the science center at a very young age and has become one of the favorites of the Center.

Fiona is an American Lamancha goat.  Lamancha goats are normally bred as dairy goats because they have such rich butter fat in their milk.  One characteristic of the breed is the small elfin-size ears.


Another common characteristic of these goats is their friendly nature and eagerness to be in the middle of it all. Fiona is no exception.  Right from the beginning, Fiona was inquisitive by nature.  She rushes forward to peer at every guest, investigate every noise, and she even tries to find her way out of her enclosure at every opportunity!

But what endears Fiona to visitors and caretakers alike is her sweet disposition and pet-like nature.


If you haven't been by lately to visit,  stop by soon; Fiona misses you.