Presented by Executive
Director Joe Edmiston
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
In the 1920’s and 30’s, Temescal Canyon in the Pacific Palisades was home to the largest independent Chautauqua in the nation, which featured music, art, science and religious programs under the canopy of oaks and beside the stream. On April 18, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) will present “From Babylon to Ballona: The History of Parks and Open Space.” Joe Edmiston, executive director of the SMMC, will present an intriguing look into the history of parks and open space.
Join us in a journey through time through the history of parks and open space, from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the private grounds of kings; from New York’s Central Park through the contemporary fight to preserve natural areas and bring back nature to blighted urban communities.
The SMMC and MRCA aim to recapture and foster the original spirit of the Chautauqua movement, described by Theodore Roosevelt as “the most American thing in America.”
The lecture will be held in the Temescal Dining Hall at Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, at 7:30pm. The program and parking are free. For more information, call 310.454.1395 x106.
