Place Names in Our Chapter
One estimate of the population within our chapter boundaries puts it in excess of 2.3 million people. I think that’s a reasonable guess since the footprint is mostly urban, though we also encompass San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands, which are relatively undeveloped. Another former island, Palos Verdes Peninsula, also contains a lot of open space / preserve. We seem to be a Chapter of extremes of population and open space.
Looking at a map, I imagine waterways as native plant highways, so it makes sense to track along them. A long stretch of the LA River runs through the chapter, from Boyle Heights near the northeast corner of the Chapter to the Port of Long Beach. There’s hopeful restoration areas and parkland containing native plants adjacent to the La River (Golden Shore Marine Biological Reserve, Wrigley Greenbelt, Dominguez Gap Wetlands, DeForest Park, Ralph C. Dills Park, etc), but it doesn’t take much imagination to see more. The Rio Hondo river, flowing from the Whittier Narrows (just outside the South Coast Chapter) joins the LA River in the middle of the South Coast Chapter, near present day Lynwood.
Below is a list of the major place names within Chapter boundaries in no particular order. We hope you’ll recognize your home, but remember that place names are not the same as city names since they can be regions or neighborhoods – even very large neighborhoods such as San Pedro (which is within the City of Los Angeles) or small ones such as Bodger Park (a neighborhood in the City of Hawthorne). There may be errors or omissions since this was an “eyeball” effort. Some cities or areas have the chapter border running through them, so they aren’t fully encompassed, but we make note of them anyway. Is your area mentioned? If not, drop us a note.
Place Names in the South Coast CNPS Chapter
San Clemente Island
Rolling Hills Estates
Rancho Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes Estates
South Los Angeles
East Los Angeles
Santa Fe Springs