Long Beach Sustainability Winter Newsletter, January 2022
LB Sustainability Quarterly Newsletter
Dear Friend,

Each quarter we create a newsletter with updates on sustainable programs, projects, and events from our office and others in the City of Long Beach.
Long Beach continued making progress towards a more environmentally friendly and resilient city in 2021. Here are some highlights from the Office of Sustainability for 2021:

  • Planted 230 street trees in parkways
  • Planted 36 fruit trees in front yards of residents in disadvantaged communities
  • In partnership with the Long Beach Conservation Corps, delivered 293 tons of free mulch through 515 deliveries
  • Completed 1 Urban Heat Island Reduction Toolkit
  • Hosted the first Earth Day Summit
  • Trained 18 youth workers at Willow Springs Park
  • Hosted 6 office interns
  • Hosted 5 workshops
  • Diverted 360,883 gallons of water with the water retention basin at Willow Springs Park
  • Removed 0.5 acre of invasive plants and replaced them with natives at Willow Springs Park
  • Held 9 Sustainable City Commission meetings
  • Certified 12 green businesses
Long Beach Community Compost is a self-organizing group of individuals whose primary mission is to turn residents’ food waste and yard debris into steamy, glorious compost. In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, their composting hub is located on the west side of the Native Restoration Area in Willow Springs Park. Long Beach Community Compost has organized since 2019 and has had its headquarters at Willow Springs since October 2020.  

Residents drop off their food scraps at Willow Springs Park, where the scraps are then weighed and distributed across the 10 active compost piles at the hub. The piles are maintained weekly by a group of volunteers who assist in breaking up the scraps, turning the piles, and maintaining the moisture levels. On average, the team receives approximately 1000 pounds of food scraps a week.
Certified Green Businesses
As part of the California Green Business Network (CAGBN), Long Beach certifies and recognizes green businesses for their efforts to protect the environment. Below are the businesses that were certified in Q4 2021.
Find more green businesses and get your business certified at www.longbeach.gov/greenbusiness.
Sustainability Workshops
Our workshops have gone online! Check out all the Sustainability Workshops on our website.
Join us for virtual Native Plant Workshops on Facebook and Instagram @LBSustainability.

Previous Native Plant workshop topics:
  • Exploring Natives and Pollinators
  • Getting to Know Encilia Californica
  • Fall Planting Basics
  • What Makes a Naturalist
  • Native Plant Seed Saving Basics
  • Native Plant Diversity in Urban Settings
  • Native Plant Container Gardening
  • Native Plant Propagation
Join us for virtual Edible Garden workshops on Facebook and Instagram @LBSustainability.

Previous Edible Garden Workshops:
  • DIY Worm Composting Bin
  • Upcycled Potato Planter Box
  • Regrowing and Planting Potatoes
  • Summer Planting Basics
  • ReGROWceries
  • Upcycled Planters
Commissioner Spotlight
Get to know the sustainable city commissioners.
Rey Gonzales
Commissioner Rey Gonzales continues serving the City of Long Beach as a Sustainable City Commissioner. Commissioner Gonzales has a BS in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona and a MPA from Cal State University, Northridge. He has worked for SCE the last 12 years as a Senior Environmental Project Manager and offers the city over 20 years of highly responsible experience in city planning, project management, community outreach, and environmental law. He looks forward to continuing to advise the City Council on environmental issues such as buildings and neighborhoods, urban nature, transportation, water, energy, waste reduction and eco products and services.
Join us for the next Sustainable City Commission meeting: 
Thursday January 27th at 4pm via teleconference
Agenda Items: CAAP and waste reduction
Farewell to Staff Member
Britny Coker-Moen
Since 2019, Britny has supported the Long Beach Green Business Program and Office of Sustainability communications initiatives. She is now saying farewell as she will be joining the Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau as a recycling specialist. She is excited to continue to work toward Long Beach’s sustainability goals with a new focus on waste reduction. Her time with the Office of Sustainability has been an invaluable experience, and she is excited for all the future holds for her.