Rose Bowl area trail provides outdoor gallery space for ‘Animals of the Arroyo Seco’ exhibit
Hikers and nature lovers can trace the footsteps of native animals and learn more about local wildlife passages on Saturday during “Animals of the Arroyo Seco,” an outdoor art exhibit that runs along the Arroyo Seco trail leading up to Cottonwood Canyon.
On Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m. and again on April 6 and 7 at noon, participants will learn about species native to the area and be treated to chance encounters with several hand-carved wooden animal sculptures created by Glendale artist Margaret Adachi.
“I’ve always liked the idea of art that you happen upon,” Adachi said of the placement of figures in trees or alongside the path. “It’s like a version of an Easter egg hunt or a treasure hunt.”
Docents from Pasadena-based nonprofit Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy will also be on hand to share the group’s efforts to preserve a 20-mile stretch of undeveloped parcels from Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena east to Tujunga for use as a wildlife corridor.
Located off Pasadena’s Linda Vista Avenue, Cottonwood Canyon provides access for animal travelers coming from Hahamongna and the Arroyo Seco to lands that connect to the San Gabriel Mountains, explains Tim Martinez, a program and land administrator for the conservancy.
“The exhibit leads you up to the trail toward the canyon,” Martinez said. “You can walk all the way up to Cottonwood Canyon and get an idea of how wildlife is traveling and the routes they’re taking.”
Adachi came up with the idea of an outdoor exhibition while applying for an annual grants program operated by the city of Pasadena. A requirement of the program was that applicants team up with area nonprofit organizations.
The Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy seemed like a perfect fit, as they endeavor to educate Los Angeles denizens about the many wild species that occupy and traverse the same landscape.
“When I drive on the 2 Freeway, it kind of stirs my imagination to think what kinds of wild things are out there,” said Adachi, who is also a teaching artist for the Pasadena art nonprofit Side Street Projects. “I’ve become interested in the wildlife of Southern California — this is my little version of it, my homage.”
The free exhibit takes place Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m., and again April 6 and 7, from noon to 3 p.m., but will be canceled in the event of rain. It begins at the intersection of West Drive and Washington Boulevard, which intersects the Brookside Golf Club grounds.
For more information, visit arroyosfoothills.org.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
