Success Stories

This critical project continues the two-decade Beach Bluffs Restoration Project that targets dune and bluff habitat from Palos Verdes Peninsula to Ballona Creek.

In 2020, SBPC joined an ongoing restoration effort led by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to maintain habitat from Miramar Park to the Avenue I beach ramp. During this time, SBPC established a dedicated community volunteer team to contribute additional work hours towards site maintenance (i.e., weeding, irrigation, and supplemental planting), and accelerated expansion of restored El Segundo blue butterfly habitat.

In parallel projects, SBPC is adding El Segundo blue and monarch butterfly habitat on the Greenbelt in Hermosa Beach, and in Memorial Park in El Segundo. 

The bluffs restoration project to date has been a great success.  El Segundo blue butterflies have already returned to the recently restored project areas on the South end of their range, and have been documented as far North as Avenue G.  The goal is habitat connectivity throughout this species' historic range.

Over the next two years, SBPC will work with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to remove invasive ice plant and other exotic and invasive plant species from the bluffs between Avenue E to Avenue C and SBPC will replace them with native dune and bluff habitat that will eventually cover 6.9 acres from Miramar Park to Avenue C.  SBPC will continue to maintain this entire area beyond the life of the grant, removing invasive plants and infilling areas with supplemental plantings, as needed.

In addition to this restoration work, South Bay Parkland Conservancy is working to expand educational offerings to the community, including nature walks with a biologist to spot the El Segundo Blue butterfly, creating information sheets and bookmarks for the youngest environmental stewards, and developing an “About the El Segundo Blue butterfly” (above) video to share with those who don’t live in the region. Together we’re making a difference and bringing the El Segundo Blue butterfly from the brink of extinction.

Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Success Story

The Alta Vicente Reserve is a 50 acre public open space reserve within the larger, 1,400 acre, Palos Verdes Nature Preserve in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Since 2009, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy’s restoration of the coastal sage scrub habitat has been focused on our four Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) covered wildlife species found in the Nature Preserve including the coastal cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicappilus), California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) (FT), Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) (FE), El Segundo Blue Butterfly (Euphilotes battoides allyni) (FE). During our 2019 monitoring surveys, the Federally Endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly was observed flying in the restored habitat as well as ovipositing and in a larval state on their host plant, Eriogonum parvifolium (Seacliff Buckwheat). After decades of grazing, agriculture, and neglect, PVPLC is in the process of restoring this beautiful site. After the years of effort with thousands of volunteers this endangered butterfly has emerged in the newly established habitat, which informs our management and restoration techniques moving forward. 

Friends of Ballona Wetlands Success Story

Since 1994, Friends of Ballona Wetlands has conducted restoration through the power of volunteers. With students, families, corporate groups, and retirees, more than 100,000 volunteers over the years have impacted the Ballona Wetlands through restoration. The greatest achievement to date was the decades-long work to restore the coastal sand dunes, from acres of non-native, invasive ice plant to native species like dune lupine and dune buckwheat. The culmination of this work was the return of the federally endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly to Ballona Wetlands. This work continues each month and you can be a part of this growing legacy. Though the population at Ballona fluctuates from year to year, the site supports an average of 373 butterflies since surveys began in 2013.

Redondo Beach Bluffs Success Story

On a summer day in 2001, representatives of governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and residents formed an ad-hoc committee with the purpose of bringing new ideas to the Redondo Beach Bluffs’ landscaping and hardscape. On this day, the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project was born.

Within three years, the group was able to plant three acres of beach bluff with local native plants that could harbor the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly. The primary focus was to provide habitat for local native animals and to improve erosion control, but the butterfly was not far from everyone’s mind. One year later, educational signage was installed to inform people about the habitat, plants, and local geology.

2007 brought a big surprise! El Segundo blue butterflies were found at the site, even though the expert said the butterfly would not find the new habitat without help. Hundreds of little blue butterflies were seen that summer, and every summer after. Even more good news was that the butterflies host plants survived the 2012-2015 drought that proceeded to produce seedlings when winter rains returned. This demonstration of resiliency shows us that the El Segundo blue butterfly will stick around, as long as it has its proper plant habitat.

There are few places in the world where anyone can park their car then walk across a sidewalk to see an endangered species. The El Segundo blue butterfly is that species. You can find El Segundo blue butterfly in Redondo Beach during its summer flight season. Also, you can find the butterfly at Torrance Beach, Dockweiler Beach, Ballona Wetlands, El Segundo, and at Pt Vicente at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and along the trail along the bluff. It truly is a case of “if you build it, they will come!”