Venice Beach to Manhattan Beach - Coastal Crew

During each school visit, we see, breath, and interact with the communities that mold our students. This is the part of the bike tour that empowers us as educators. These community experiences help us to better incorporate local environmental issues and interpret the natural world in a way that is personally relevant to our students.

Today, we set off from Venice Beach at 5:30 AM, and made our way through pea soup fog to Bethune Middle School in Inglewood. At 7:30 AM, we met about ten classes of seventh graders. Students rotated through three workshops on ecological footprints, non-source point pollution, and alternative transportation.

After Bethune, we rode ten miles and past fifteen donut shops on our way to the Environmental Charter High School (ECHS), in Lawndale. The ECSH is always an inspiring experience with energetic students and pioneering staff. The campus was gorgeous, with trees, gardens, and signs of a growing consciousness and sustainable successes. Compost bins built of reused materials, a native plant garden, and an organic vending machine show the school leading the way toward a future of green schools.

When asked about the most memorable experiences of the communities surrounding these schools, cyclist, Kathy Rose, said,

“There was a stark contrast between the access to healthy, affordable foods, in the wealthy affluent communities and the prevalence of donut shops and liquor stores in Compton and Watts. It made me think about food justice, food security, and how everyone deserves access to nutritious food that is healthy for them and the planet. As we rode on Crenshaw street, I thought of the Watts Garden Club, founded by Anna Marie Carter, which helps distribute healthy, organic food to low income communities and raise awareness about food issues. I hope that in time, there will be more of these types of organizations, helping local communities eat sustainably.”

When we arrived at the end of our journey in Manhatten Beach, we were welcomed with generous support by Ally, Gay, and Keith Simmons, from the Jean-Michel Cousteau family camp. They gave us a great dinner feast and we celebrated the evening surrounded by even more friends connected by family camp and Catalina’s Howland’s landing.