Long Beach Green Belt path facts for kids

The Long Beach Greenbelt is a special outdoor area in Long Beach, California. It's not like a regular park with playgrounds. Instead, it's a natural space filled with plants native to California. It also has a pathway for people to walk or bike. This area used to be an old railroad track. Community members worked hard to turn it into a green space instead of a storage facility.

The Greenbelt's Story

For over 50 years, this land was part of the Pacific Electric Red Car line. This was a train route that connected Orange County to downtown Los Angeles. You can still see a mural on a garage wall that shows the old Red Car train! The train route closed in 1961. After that, the land stayed mostly empty until around 1999. It was once described as a "weed strewn and derelict vacant area."

Saving the Greenbelt

Developers wanted to build houses and storage units on this land. But local people and environmental groups strongly disagreed. They pointed out that Long Beach didn't have much open space for its residents.

In March 1998, these groups came together as the Long Beach Greenbelt Committee. They worked hard to keep the entire 11-acre (4.5-hectare) abandoned railroad land as open space. This saved a pathway almost 1 mile (1.6 km) long. This path connects a busy part of the city directly to the park around the Colorado Lagoon.

Community Action and Planting

The Committee got grants, donations, and many volunteers. They cleared a 2.75-acre (1.1-hectare) part of the land. They removed plants that didn't belong there. Then, they spread mulch by hand over the whole area. During two "Plant-ins," over 150 volunteers helped plant more than 2,000 native plants. Experts from the Department of Fish and Game also helped with the design and planting.

Plants and Animals of the Greenbelt

Today, almost ten years later, the Greenbelt is a thriving home for city wildlife. About 40 different native plant species grow here.

Native Plants

You can find many types of native plants, including:

• Coast live oaks
• Walnut trees
• Holly berries
• Atroplexes
• Sage
• Buckwheat
• Deer weed
• Golden Bushes

Urban Wildlife

The Greenbelt is also home to various animals, such as:

• Raccoons
• Possums
• Rabbits
• Skunks
• Rodents
• Grasshoppers
• Butterflies
• Moths
• Lizards
• Many kinds of birds, from large birds of prey to tiny hummingbirds

The Role of Mulch

Tree mulch is spread on the ground. This helps recycle plant matter and keeps weeds from growing. It also helps the soil hold moisture and makes the area look nice.

Visiting the Greenbelt

You can usually find street parking on nearby streets like Bennett, Roswell, Belmont, and Termino Avenues. However, most local people prefer to visit by bicycle or on foot. They often bring their pet dogs along! The paths are made of hard-packed soil. They are good for bike riding when dry, but they might be too bumpy for very light or road bikes.

Maintenance and Future Plans

In the early 2000s, the Greenbelt land was officially changed to "parkland." This was a big win for the neighborhood! However, after the Greenbelt Committee stopped its work, the City didn't continue to maintain the park. The area started to decay with overgrown plants and trash.

Restoring the Greenbelt

The City eventually hired the Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards (LCWS). This group already took care of other sensitive environmental sites in the City. By August 2004, the LCWS began working on the Greenbelt. They removed trash and trimmed plants. They used the trimmed plant material as mulch. Many plants were trimmed or removed to make the area feel more open and safe. Now, there are dispensers for dog waste bags and trashcans. With the LCWS taking care of the Greenbelt, it is much more welcoming. There is also much less litter and illegal dumping.

Recent Changes and Improvements

From 2009 to 2011, a big project called the "Termino Avenue Storm Drain" happened at the Greenbelt. This project went right through the native plants. All the plants were removed, but the oak trees were saved in containers. As of May 2012, only the oak trees had been replanted. The rest of the park was mostly open dirt and weeds.

In 2016, Long Beach Councilwoman Suzie Price shared a new plan for the Greenbelt. As of 2016, over $800,000 has been set aside to improve the area.