Year's end musings

As 2010 comes to an end, I find myself thinking =

what is the greatest challenge I face as an architect today?

To come up with creative solutions to promote face-to-face interaction as we move deeper into diminishing resources and digital distractions, while solving the issue of social justice as it pertains to equal access to resources for all.

Are edible gardens for low income communities an answer? Yes, I think so.

This year I joined a very committed group of community volunteers in the creation of the "Micheltorena School & Community Garden". The school is a Title 1 LAUSD elementary, serving 80% low income families. The garden creates the space to grow fruits and vegetable and for face-to-face interaction. More and more people come out to volunteer, looking for the chance to participate.

Connection to nature, outdoor vigorous activity and meeting new friends are some of the activities created so far, and as we move forward and are able to grow food, a solution to a social justice issue: equal access to fresh food for all.

I am a big believer in self reliance and our hoods have demonstrated time and again that getting together and making the effort brings results. 2011 opens the chance of making one of us, Tomas O'grady, part of City Council (he is running for Council District 4 in Mach elections). Working together, he tells us, anything is possible = Let's find the opportunities and commit the muscle to make them happen.

To a 2011 full of face-to-face equal access opportunities!

Spreading the mulch

Planting citrus

Help us grow

An Evening celebrating the Apis Mellifera

Chef extraordinaire Andy Windack puts together an evening of wonder and sweets delights with a 10 course dinner paired with honey from around the world and featuring Leonardo's "God Save The Queen" Silver Lake Honey.
To read all about it, visit THE WIND ATTACK BLOG

A new generation of Urban Beekeepers?

Yesterday I had the privilege of talking about Urban Beekeeping to about 150 12-to-13-year-old students at King Middle School in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area.

I was invited by the folk at Farm Feliz, who created a beautiful organic vegetable garden & composting facility right in the middle of the campus, which the kids help plant and maintain. Bees seemed a perfect complement for the garden, so the volunteering opportunity presented itself.

The kids were unruly, somewhat defiant and very funny. Some of them had a genuine interest in the topic of bees, how to care for them, pollination, etc, and all of them went crazy about tasting honey in the comb and pollen. The highlight of the day was the demonstration of how to wear the veil and gloves, for which I had a long list of volunteers. We were also able to observe some bees at work on the broccoli in bloom.

As I was leaving one of the girls stopped me and said "Mr. Leonardo, I knew nothing about bees until today."

Earlier I got an e-mail from the science teacher, Miss Ralph: "Thanks so much for yesterday- I've quizzed my students today, and they really learned a lot!"

Mission accomplished.