Jon Christensen for Smithsonian Magazine—How the Arrival of an Endangered Bird Indicates What’s Possible for the L.A. River

UCLA IoES Professor Jon Christensen discusses the restoration of the Los Angeles River for Smithsonian Magazine, sharing how efforts to ‘rewild’ the Taylor Yard area have led to the return of the least Bell’s vireo—an endangered, olive-gray songbird that is only five inches from tip to tail.

Christensen highlights the historical and ecological importance of the river, once central to Los Angeles’ identity but largely lost to urbanization and flood control measures. He recalls activist Lewis MacAdams’ advocacy for recognizing the river’s natural state, saying “He’d show up at meetings with the Army Corps and the Department of Public Works, and they’d talk about the ‘flood control channel’ and he’d just say ‘river.’” This ongoing restoration symbolizes the potential for revitalizing urban waterways as ecological and communal spaces.