͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌
Audubon Center at Debs Park
Center Updates Summer 2025
American Kestrel atop a branch
What's Up at Debs!
At the Audubon Center at Debs Park, we feel truly fortunate to be rooted in a space where people can come together, where connections are made not just with nature, but with one another and with the many community-driven organizations that help our Center thrive. In a world that can sometimes feel uncertain, these connections are what keep us grounded and moving forward.

We are mid-summer and we're reflecting on what it means to grow stronger together. This season, we've been building bridges and planting seeds (literally and figuratively)! With the support of Pasadena Audubon, we’ve joined the nationwide Motus tower network, helping to track the journeys of migratory birds right from our Center’s courtyard. And with the grand opening for plant sales at Los Nogales Nursery, we’re now part of a vibrant community of California Native Plant nurseries right here in Northeast LA. These efforts are all about something bigger than us: creating a resilient, connected landscape for birds, plants, and people alike.

But none of this happens in a vacuum. It’s your support! Your visits, your time, your belief in our mission that makes our work possible. So, if you find yourself at the Center soon, we hope you’ll pause for a moment. Listen for the birds, notice the blooms, and feel the connections that are quietly taking root all around us.

We’re glad you are part of our flock! About Us...
American Kestrel. Photo: Mick Thompson
An overhead view of the Audubon Center at Debs Park. Photo: Mike Fernandez.
Big Changes are Powering Up at the Audubon Center at Debs Park!
We’re making some exciting structural upgrades at the Audubon Center at Debs Park—and if you visit or hike often, you may notice some construction. That’s because, after years of operating completely “off the grid,” the Center is officially connecting to the Los Angeles city power grid!

This transition is part of our commitment to a more resilient and climate-smart future. Through the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) Interconnection Program for Net Energy Metering (NEM), we’re joining a system that supports clean energy goals, local green jobs, and grid reliability. 
An overhead view of the Audubon Center at Debs Park. Photo: Mike Fernandez.
Volunteers at Los Nogales Nursery.
Los Nogales Nursery at the Audubon Center at Debs Park
Originally established in 2008 in partnership with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the Los Nogales nursery began as a training site where Corps Members learned how to sow and grow California native plants for on-site restoration. Corps members also helped to maintain build and maintain trails! Although the Corps program eventually paused, Audubon staff continued to cultivate plants, helping to re-wild Debs Park with bird-friendly, locally adapted species.

Fast forward to 2025 and for the first time ever, the Los Nogales nursery is now open to the public for plant sales from Fridays to Sundays, 9AM to 3PM!


How did all of this happen? Well in 2014, a renovation led by Justin Yee and supported by the National Park Service breathed new life into Los Nogales Nursery. The goal? To transform the nursery into a true community resource, one that would raise awareness about conservation issues while producing habitat and food sources for birds and wildlife while inviting community members to learn as they completed the work together. 

Today, with over 6,000 square feet of growing space, Los Nogales is home to more than 30 species of California native plants grown from local seeds. Volunteers have helped nurture over 5,000 plants yearly, many of which have found homes in public green spaces and private gardens across Northeast LA!
Volunteers at Los Nogales Nursery. Photo: Laura Breidenthal
Chris (Pasadena Audubon) with Denys (Audubon Center at Debs Park) and the Motus Tower.
Something’s Buzzing at Debs Park—and It’s Not Just the Hummingbirds!
We’ve officially joined the Motus movement! Thanks to the generous technical support of the Pasadena Audubon Chapter, the Audubon Center at Debs Park now has its very own Motus Wildlife Tracking System tower, and we’re so excited to start contributing to cutting-edge bird research. (Big shoutout to Chris for helping Denys figure out the equipment; teamwork makes the Motus work!)

But what exactly is a Motus tower and why is everyone in the bird science world so excited about them? Motus towers are game changers when it comes to data collection. Unlike traditional bird banding, which requires recapture or sightings, Motus uses tiny, lightweight transmitters (called nanotags) to track birds, bats, and even insects automatically. These towers detect and log the movement of tagged animals 24/7. From tracking elusive Wood Thrushes to uncovering the secret nightlife of Snowy Plovers, Motus is helping scientists unlock the mysteries of migration.

The Audubon Center at Debs Park gets many migratory friends, for us to know about them we need to be out looking for them with our best friends: binoculars and field guides. The new tower will give us some insight into what we might not be seeing. It’s exciting to know we will get a glimpse into the life of birds and the Los Angeles region is lucky to have these towers. Together, this network will help us understand migration!
Chris (Pasadena Audubon) with Denys (Audubon Center at Debs Park) and the Motus Tower.
A group of people with gardening tools are gathered around a restoration site.
Upcoming Events
As fall approaches, we are busy as ever at the Center! Come check out some of our offerings, from habitat restorations to free music:

  • 8/14 – Marking Monarchs
  • 8/14 – Living Earth LA (featuring the Openness Trio)
  • 8/16 – Living Earth LA (featuring David Moses & Nicolas Maldonado)
  • 8/17 – Community Bird Sit (led by Carrie Brown-Kornarens
  • 8/21 – Test Plot: Habitat Restoration
  • 8/21 – Marking Monarchs
  • 8/22 – Storytime Under the Peppercorn Tree
  • 8/23 – Old Time String Jam Band
  • 8/24 – Community Habitat Restoration
  • 9/1 – Test Plot: Habitat Restoration
  • 9/7 – Community Bird Walk for California Biodiversity Week
Keep an eye on our social media and check out our events page for more information!
Community Habitat Restoration
None of this would be possible without your support. Please consider checking out our Amazon Wishlist to donate supplies or donating directly using the button below.
Support Our Work!
CONNECT WITH US
FacebookInstagramLinkedIn
Audubon Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90031 USA
(323) 221-2255 | www.audubon.org/debs-park

© 2026 National Audubon Society, Inc.

Unsubscribe