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2021 Annual Report

Mission Statement

Arlington Garden is a climate-appropriate, habitat garden offering learning, inspiration, and enjoyment for all.

Vision Statement A transformed urban landscape where healthy gardens connect people and combat climate change.

Cover photo by Scott Oshima

“A Year of Renewal” Time has gone by incredibly quickly these past eleven months or so. It has felt like a rubber band, stretching out and dragging on during the grueling months of isolation, online school, and then snapping back this spring and adjusting to living with a global pandemic. I continue to be grateful that I have Arlington Garden to return to, a place where I can be renewed, a renewal that comes from rest, self-care, peace of mind, and joy. Due to your investment in Arlington Garden, we have been able to renew our irrigation system, install a new entry gate, and make improvements to the Washington Navel orange grove with Fruitstitute and Outward Bound Adventures (OBA). We redesigned and rebuilt the meadow, installed an impressive new monument sign, and improved the accessibility of the pathways with OBA. Along with capital improvements, we greatly expanded the accessibility and reach of our volunteer program and launched a new public programs series “Roots and Regeneration.” This year’s Annual Report outlines our successes during the past year in • • • • • •

capital improvement community engagement public programs and publications environmental impact volunteering governance

One of the things that I have begun to understand going through our anti-racism training this year with the Aspire group is that sharing knowledge is sharing power. We aim to amplify voices of color in our Roots & Regeneration program, and we share our platform with others who have been marginalized in the environmental movement. I didn’t grow up with a garden – and because I did not – I understand how important a garden can be in building community.

In helping to pen our Inclusion Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) statement last year, I realized that Arlington Garden has helped promote environmental justice. What was once a brown field designated as a construction site for a freeway became a beautiful garden because of the McKenney’s vision, Councilmember Steve Madison, former City Manager Cynthia Kurtz, and the City of Pasadena. And we continue to support equitable access and enjoyment of nature: because of a grant from the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, we were able to create a field guide for all 5th grade PUSD students. And we continue to develop a long term plan to help support the PUSD outdoor learning resolution we helped pass with the district in June. I am so grateful for those who have mentored our staff over the past few years, including Jericho Road, the Pasadena Community Foundation, Green Foundation, and the various capacity building programs we’ve gone through like Executive Service Corps’ “Developing Development,” and Annenberg Alchemy. Organizations and support from individuals and foundations like these share their resources in order to strengthen our growth. When we are operationally supported, we are able to share our knowledge and power. Thank you for your vital support of Arlington Garden and really truly helping make this past year, our Sweet 16, a year of renewal.

With affection and gratitude,

Michelle Matthews Executive Director of McKenney Family Arlington Garden in Pasadena 3

2021 GROWTH B 25,000 VISITORS ESTIMATED (200% INCREASE FROM 2019)

123

NEW VOLUNTEERS (500% INCREASE FROM 2020)

EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER EVENTS (NEW SERIES THIS YEAR)

2,444

TOTAL HOURS WORKED BY VOLUNTEERS (200% INCREASE FROM 2020) 4

Y THE NUMBERS 320 72 1,000 lbs BIRD SPECIES OBSERVED EBIRD.ORG (160% INCREASE FROM 2020)

PHOTO PERMITS (65% INCREASE FROM 2020)

ORANGES HARVESTED (100% INCREASE FROM 2020)

5 metric tons OF FOOD SCRAPS

COMPOSTED (400% INCREASE FROM 2020) 5

Capital Growth and Renewal

An outpouring of community support in 2020 empowered the Garden to improve garden features, diversify landscaping, and increase our accessibility, thereby strengthening our impact as a premier demonstration garden.

Improvements 1

Improved trail and entrance accessibility

Installed new urbanite benches

Revitalized meadow area

Created new hügelkultur mounds WC

7 8

Extended and improved garden shed staging area Rebuilt irrigation systems

Constructed edible crop planting beds

Installed wayfinding and entrance signage

6 4

7 8

8 1

2 3

WILDFLOWERING L.A. SITE #5

OBA building entrance ramp to increase accessibility along Arlington Drive.

Improvement Highlight Trail Accessibility Enhancement In the Arlington Garden IDEA Statement, the Garden holds that “all communities should have access to free green space, as well as the healing and restorative powers of nature”. Over this past year, we performed an audit to identify areas of the garden not easily accessible to people with mobility constraints. We identified several such areas, including the entrance on Arlington Drive. Our Community Education Facilitator, Levi Brewster,

worked with a talented Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) crew (see page 25) to increase accessibility throughout the garden. The gated entrance, for example, required the addition of a new ramp and a firmer surface. Elsewhere in the garden, the steeper trails required changing grade or surface texture. Although there is additional work to be done, the changes have made many parts of the garden more accessible to people with disabilities. 7

“Arlington is a remarkable garden, and a wonderful example of community coming together to provide resilient open space in urban areas.” —Saxon Holt, photographer and coauthor of Gardening in Summer Dry Climates 8

Orange Grove Revitalization Following a lack-luster harvest in 2020, the Garden focused on the future of our Washington Navel orange grove. One major problem facing the grove are more frequent and severe droughts as a result of climate change. In the past, our orange trees have been able to access rainwater stored in the grove’s soil. But increasing temperatures and less frequent rains have depleted these resources in recent years, a trend that experts predict will continue. To help mitigate this problem, we worked with OBA and Andy Deer to redesign the irrigation system in the grove, and we collaborated with local fruit tree educator Fruitstitute to perform essential maintenance on the trees themselves because healthier trees are better able to withstand the effects of the changing climate. Thank you to Barney Evans, Joanna Glovinsky, Rebecca Latta, and Capri Kasai from Fruitstitute and Jonathan Flournoy for their expert assistance and advice.

Capri Kasai demonstrating pruning technique during Citrus 101 workshop in the orange grove.

Connectivity/ Way-Finding

With the generous contribution of Cheryl Bode and monies from the Anonymous capital grant, we installed a rail along the steps of the olive allee entrance. The rail was crafted by local artisan James Naish who also designed and fabricated our new front entrance gate with panels decorated with native species that grow in the garden: California Poppies, Matilija Poppies, and Hummingbird Sage! On the more heavily-trafficked South Pasadena Ave, we added a new way-finding marker designed and installed by local B and H Signs and made possible by a donation from Bob Bozzani.

Volunteers and staff posing with the new wayfinding sign. Left to right and top to bottom: Christine, Mary, Leigh Talmo, Mimi Tran, Maggie Smart-McCabe, Pam Hammer, Michelle Matthews, Robert Gorcik, Lisa Wintner, Antonio Pierola, Suzanne Goldstein.

Environmental Impact

Marking the start of a multi-year effort, we completed a carbon sequestration survey to quantify the garden’s environmental impact. Our volunteers also undertook new projects to increase the quality of native habitat in the garden. 11

Carbon Sequestration 248 trees in the garden Coast Live Oaks make up 9% of the total trees in the garden but sequester 17% of the total carbon Demonstration gardens like Arlington Garden can play an important role in achieving the IPCC’s 2040 net-zero carbon emission goals, since regenerative habitat gardening provides a model for dramatically increasing carbon sequestration. This year, we began a major, multi-year volunteer project with the assistance of arborist Jonathan Flourney – a carbon sequestration tree survey – to help us better understand and communicate the positive impacts the garden has on the environment.

Arlington Garden Tree Survey Annual carbon sequestered (gross tons): 2.38 C / 8.71 CO2 Total carbon sequestered (gross tons): 39.3 C / 144.1 CO2 Compared to a highly-maintained lawn, the garden’s trees alone sequester (net) roughly 113% to 445% of the total net carbon. This means that the garden’s trees sequester roughly 179% more carbon (nearly three times as much) than a midrange lawn. The garden uses regenerative gardening techniques, avoiding the use of gas powered 12

equipment, fertilizers (except minimally in the orange grove), or pesticides of any sort. This allows us to produce far less carbon than is produced in maintaining the typical high-maintenance lawn. In fact, the difference in carbon impact between Arlington Garden and a highly maintained lawn is even greater than these figures suggest, since our tree survey measured only the impact of the trees in the garden, and it did not factor in the garden’s grasses, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials that also sequester carbon! A more complete survey incorporating these additional plantings as well as the knock-on benefits of regenerative gardening is planned for the future.

“... the garden’s trees alone sequester roughly 179% more carbon (nearly three times as much) than a midrange lawn.”

Drought Resilience The garden uses approximately 47 percent of the water of an average neighboring residential property per acre. Volunteers leading the carbon sequestration tree survey.

Urban Heat Island Effect As climate change increases background temperatures across Southern California, the heat extremes in cities are increasingly dangerous to residents. Urban forests like Arlington Garden play a role in reducing local temperatures and protecting the health of urban residents. We hope to more precisely measure our impact on temperatures in and surrounding the garden in a future report. In the meantime, peer reviewed studies on the heat island effect can give us approximate estimates of our impact. For example, in a 2016 UK study, urban trees and shrubs were shown to reduce average maximum summer soil temperatures below their canopies by between 3.9F and 10.2 F compared to herbaceous vegetation.

Habitat Stewardship 72 bird species observed (ebird) 340 plant, fungus, and animal species observed (iNaturalist)

Arlington Garden supports native plants and animals under pressure from habitat loss. The garden hosts keystone plants such as the Coast Live Oak that provide food and shelter for many species. And we employ regenerative techniques which eschew herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers, because

these harm biodiversity and upset the delicate balance of soil ecosystems. This past year we created additional habitat in the garden by building new hugelkultur mounds incorporating native plantings, and we began the long process of revitalizing our native meadow.

Above: The Theodore Payne Native California Plant Walk provides habitat to native birds and insects. Photo by Scott Oshima. Opposite page: Photo by Fiona Chang.

“Although the

global struggle is largely not within local control … community members can have an impact on the local effects of climate change through gardening. Such gardens — like Arlington Garden — are climate change gardens.” ~ “Climate Change Gardening” by Andrew Jewell, Letters from the Garden

Programs & Publications Our educational offerings soared with the launch of our first-ever in-person public speaker series highlighting marginalized voices and the publication of exciting new ecology and horticulture guides.

Roots and Regeneration 6 workshops 103 attendees The Garden’s inaugural public program Roots and Regeneration launched in the summer of 2021. The series is led by Programs and Development Manager, Paloma Avila, and focuses on topics ranging from urban wildlife, native bees, soil regeneration, environmental justice, and indigenous relationships to native ecosystems. The workshops highlight a diverse group of voices with knowledge in fields related to our mission – particularly those voices who have been historically marginalized – with the goal of learning from a broad and representative part of our community. 16

Programming Partnerships Citrus 101 (Fruitstitute) Capri Kasai from Fruitstitute led 10 workshops in the orange grove emphasizing low-impact and regenerative gardening techniques. Arlington Garden volunteers were invited to attend free of charge, learning how to prune the grove and assess tree health. Thank you to board member Vishaal Khanna for nurturing this partnership!

Plastic Against Plastic (BanSUP Students) High school volunteers with BanSUP Students offered 8 free art classes to 22 elementary age students and their parents. Students re-used single-use plastic waste to create artworks and learn more about their harmful environmental effects.

Pasadena Humane Society We teamed up with PHS to release rehabilitated opossums, bandtailed pigeons, and squirrels into the garden at educational events open to the public.

Altadena Library

LA Nature for All

Over 70 families came to enjoy free activities from Arlington Garden and the Altadena Library District, the latter of whom brought their Curiosity Connection into the garden. Activities included sunprints, a native plant bingo, and zine making

Visitors can now enjoy a digital audio tour and nature journal thanks to Evellyn Rosas and Krystle Yu of Nature Relations. Evellyn and Krystle completed this project with help from the garden as part of LA Nature for All Leadership Academy 17

WATE R IS LI F E !

T HE A R R OYO S E C O WAT E R S H E D

Every living thing on Earth depends on water. The movement of water through the planet is called the water cycle. Pasadena is part of the Arroyo Seco Watershed, an area where all the water flows together into one channel. Here you can see how water evaporates from the surface of oceans and lakes, condenses into clouds, and falls as precipitation. Much of it flows back to the ocean through rivers and storm drains, but some soaks into the soil and becomes groundwater in a process called infiltration. This water can be pumped up and used for irrigation and drinking water.

Publications Newsletter: Our monthly newsletter edited by Andrew Jewell reached an audience of approximately 3,000 people with the goals to engage and educate.

Arlington Garden Field Guide:

Our newest publication inspires students to care for the Earth by revealing the invisible ecosystems found in the garden. The guide was funded by a grant from the Tournament of Roses Foundation and written and illustrated by Margaret Gallagher. The guide editor was Andrew Jewell. Thank you to Levi Brewster, Evellyn Rosas, and Danny Batalla for consulting, editorial, and translation support.

Orange Grove Zine: This zine tells the story of the garden and Washington Navel Oranges in Southern California plus it includes a helpful guide to caring for citrus using regenerative techniques! 18

Letters from the Garden: Our ongoing web series curated (and occasionally written) by Andrew Jewell included articles on climate change gardening, the future of the lawn, the iniquitous history of the LA freeway system, and birds in the garden. Interviewees this year included noted landscape architect and author Robert Perry, LA Nature Relation’s Evelynn Rojas, former Arlington Board President George Brumder, and photographer Gabriel Roberto. A special thank you to Bob Gorcik for his regular birding feature!

Chaos and Diversity, Designing with Emotion Robert Perry AG: What is the relation between your design work and what, for lack of a better word, people call the “natural world”? RP: I have found that abundance and diversity are always the end products in nature. Designers should observe the natural world in order to reimagine the urban one. The two systems are not separated, and we can use the natural system as a model for our urban system. This has limits, of course, since the urban system has buildings, roads, pollution, dogs, and all sorts of other variables. We cannot just put, for example, chaparral plants in the deep shade of a building. But, as in nature, we need to strive for diversity and abundance. We need to do this in order to provide habitat for wildlife, to sequester carbon, and to make the hot urban environment comfortable. As the population continues to grow in Southern California, gardeners and landscapes are going to lose the battle over water: it will go to the human beings. The by-words of the future will be “rainwater harvesting” and

“microclimate watershed design.” These days I advocate designing gardens that thrive only off of rainfall as in natural ecosystems. A good garden design will divert the rainwater, impound it, and distribute it to plant species adapted to this seasonality. We can do all this through surface topography. We don’t need to use rain barrels and cisterns, which are very energy intensive, and we don’t need to use more than minimal irrigation. And yes, this means that some plants will not be part of the future program here in Southern California. AG: What is your own garden like? RP: The plants that we have accumulated in our garden … gosh … almost every one of them is a memorial plant to a family member, a friend, a teacher, or an experience. They’re all really different: a lot of caudiciforms, succulents, and native species. Our garden is a cacophony of memories and experiences and feelings that make me smile and feel really alive when I’m in it. I wish that I had these emotions and insights when I was 30, because

it would have enabled me to do planting design in a more soulful and chaotic way. Arlington Garden is a great example of this kind of diverse and contradictory space. Mayita Dinos [the designer of Arlington Garden] did a really fabulous design job. Had I designed the garden, I would have done it very differently. I would have made it all very orderly, organized, structured, and hierarchical, with a few surprises. I wouldn’t have designed what Mayita did, but whenever I come to the garden I think “Damn, she did a fabulous job!” The garden is diverse in having different areas to gather, plants from different geographies, and different ways to capture water. It’s like coming into a wonderland.

Robert (Bob) Perry, FASLA is Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. He has been a landscape architect since 1972 and has written three award-winning books on Californian and Western landscape plants. His most recent book is Landscape Plants for California Gardens, which received an ASLA Southern California Chapter Honor Award in 2011. He is currently working on a website reference tool for gardeners and designers.

Volunteering Volunteering expanded with the launch of a new weekend volunteering program and through a partnership with Outward Bound Adventures, a Pasadena-based non-profit. These new initiatives helped us achieve a remarkable 500% increase in new volunteers from 2020.

Volunteer Highlight: Jennifer Ho and Edward Gonzalez “Arlington Garden has brought us boundless joy and inspiration since we started volunteering in February 2021. Initially, we had gotten involved to get hands-on experience with regenerative gardening. The volunteer experience has led to much more than this, including developing relationships with plants and community members. Every conversation and act of service in the garden—from reconstructing the meadow to surveying trees and planting the Three Sisters—has been meaningful in helping us connect more deeply with our local natural environment. Bolstered by our experiences and interactions at the Garden, we are excited to embark on a journey to transform our own front lawn into native habitat and a mini food forest!” —Jennifer Ho and Edward Gonzalez

Jen and Ed reside in La Crescenta-Montrose on Tongva land. Jen recently completed her UC California Naturalist certification after a decade-plus career in corporate marketing and intends to continue in soil and climate action advocacy. Ed is an electrical engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he has worked on the Mars Perseverance rover and Europa Clipper Mission. In their spare time, they enjoy gardening, reading, hiking, and trying new recipes.

Weekend Projects 559 hours | 96 new volunteers | 103 volunteers total In order to increase access to working families and facilitate deeper learning, we piloted a project-based volunteer program “Weekend Projects” meeting biweekly on Sunday mornings. Weekend Projects undertakes education-focused projects involving permanent aspects of the garden. These projects give volunteers the opportunity to learn

regenerative landscaping projects from start-to-finish by assisting in their development and completion. Each event has both experiential and traditional education components including presentations from experts. Along with technical horticultural knowledge, volunteers also build community connections and learn about our native ecosystems!

Weekend Projects volunteers including Tahereh Sheerazie building new potager beds in the shape of a Sacred datura bloom.

Native Meadow Renewal The garden’s native meadow area was designed to be a place to picnic, but it had become overgrown and the layout – dominated by a large urbanite planter in the middle of the meadow – needed improvement to make it more welcoming to visitors. Designer Mayita Dinos redesigned the meadow working with Levi Brewster. The original urbanite planter was repurposed to create a wide circle of benches, which now welcome visitors to sit and relax. The original planter was replaced with lower-profile potager beds in the shape of a Sacred Datura flower dedicated to regenerative food crops. Volunteers were heavily involved in this project by assisting Michael Martinez in constructing the benches, building potager beds, and planting the beds with a traditional “Three Sisters” crop. Along the way, volunteers gained hands-on knowledge of urbanite construction, regenerative gardening, and native meadow ecology.

Volunteer Tuesdays 27 new volunteers 44 total 929 hours Director of Horticulture Leigh Talmo led volunteers every Tuesday morning in fine gardening tasks including pruning, mulching, planting, and identifying wildflowers and other beneficial plants. Tuesday volunteering is essential to our garden stewardship and volunteers learn regenerative gardening by doing it themselves.

2021 Weekend Projects: • • • • • • • •

Build and plant Hügelkultur mounds Renew meadow area Construct and plant edible crop beds Assist in construction of new urbanite benches Seed exchange Install new garden pathways Harvest Prickly pear fruit Contribute to garden tree survey 23

Photo by Brian Biery

A special thank you to WRA crew members Pervis Polk, David Miller, Juanita Leagons, Clara Armstrong, Javier Rodriguez, Steve Valencia, Brian Webb, and Ernesto Jean Marie. 24

Outward Bound Adventures 644 hours total donated by OBA 8 OBA crew members

Corporate Volunteers Thank you to our 14 volunteers from Patagonia and Kaiser Permanente who collectively donated 42 hours.

To complete many of the capital improvements in the garden, we partnered with the Wilderness Restoration Academy (WRA) program at Outward Bound Adventures (OBA). The WRA is an apprenticeship program that provides training and work experience to members of groups who have been historically excluded from outdoor education and conservation employment.

“... the crew thoroughly enjoyed their time working with Levi. He was very patient and understanding with them which made them enjoy the garden and see how everything they are doing could translate into something they do at home on a smaller scale or take on similar projects elsewhere. [The] majority of the crew members were born and raised in Pasadena and had never spent time in the garden, this project allowed for them to connect and love another piece of Pasadena.” —Carol Martinez, Program Manager, Outward Bound Adventures

Community Engagement 2021 was a successful year for building community at Arlington Garden: we formed new partnerships with local nonprofits and schools and provided a physical space for outdoor education and the local alternative economy.

Holiday Bazaar Our holiday craft bazaar in November included 14 local vendors and craft-makers. The event was free to everyone with most vendors giving back a portion of their sales. Local lei maker, LA Pua Mama, led a free crown-making workshop for children with materials foraged from the garden.

Maggie Smart McCabe with volunteers turning the bins at our compost co-op.

LA Compost 5 metric tons of food scraps composted with LA Compost 75 families used compost co-op

Participant at LA Pua Mama crown making workshop.

Our partner LA Compost provides resources for individuals to compost their food scraps at home and infrastructure for larger-scale community composting. Arlington Garden has hosted a LA Compost co-op hub since 2019. This past year, 75 households used our compost hub free of charge with access to free educational resources. Compost unclaimed by co-op members was used in the garden.

High School Art Competition Arlington Garden held a Pasadena-area high school art competition sponsored by Blick Art Supplies and Patagonia Pasadena. Participants created work in response to the theme: How has the garden inspired you? Congratulations to our winner Ashley from Arcadia High School! 8 students from Arcadia High School became volunteers after learning about the garden through the contest.

PUSD Outdoor Learning Resolution

Field Trips Girl Scouts Art Center Walden School UEPI, Occidental College

Our new Orange Grove Guide was distributed during the UEPI field trip.

Beyond Freeways 28 participants 38 total including partners

Arlington Garden joined with other organizations to draft and support PUSD Board Resolution 2621 which resolved to “maximize opportunities for students to learn and play outdoors by fostering the design and construction of studentaccessible green space on school campuses. These spaces would feature native plants and their use would be integrated into the standards-based curriculum.” The resolution passed in July, 2021.

Arlington Garden co-hosted the first of a series of community conversations about the future of the 710 freeway corridor with Active SGV. The conversation included a presentation from Brian Biery on how the modern freeway system contributed to racially and economically segregated communities and a presentation from Pasadena Audubon Society on urban greening. Beyond Freeways is a continuing series giving a platform to nonprofits and community members to envision the future beyond a freeway. 27

Governance & Staff BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board President Kim Jacobsen

Secretary Sara Gillissie

Treasurer Joni Topper

Directors George Brumder John DeWitt Sybil Grant Vishaal Khanna Shannon Porter Palin Samuelson Iesha Siler Jason Storbeck Melissa Wienberger Dan Wier

STAFF Executive Director Michelle Ann Matthews

Director of Horticulture Leigh Talmo

Programs & Development Manager Paloma Avila

Communications & Volunteer Manager Andrew Jewell

Community & Visitor Engagement Coordinator Maggie Smart-McCabe

Educational Projects Coordinator Levi Brewster

GOVERNANCE NEWS Arlington Garden welcomed Kim Jacobsen as our new Board President. We added three new board members, expanding our board to 13 directors. Welcome Melissa, Sybil, and Vishaal!

LA River Kayak Tour Over the summer, Arlington Garden staff and volunteers floated down the channelized LA River on a kayak tour through the Sepulveda Basin; one of the only sections of the river that retains its natural riverbed. The tour was led by LA River Expeditions and got participants close to egrets, shopping carts, and many riparian plants. It was our first staff appreciation event and many of our first experiences kayaking on the LA River.

Anti-Racism Training Diane Burbie and Dana Goland of the Aspire Group led two anti-racism workshops for board members, staff, volunteers, and partner organizations.

BOARD MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

Iesha Siler

Board Retreat Brian Biery facilitated our successful 2021 Board Retreat for the third year in a row. Like last year, we met virtually due to the pandemic.

Executive Training Executive Service Corps “Developing Development” was a year long program on development with participation from four members of the board and our Executive Director. The program culminated in the creation of a fund development plan and case for support. Thank you to ESC coaches Beverly Froelich and Eilleen Walker. USC Nonprofit Resilient Leaders and Capacity Building program was a 12-week summer program with presentations on management for smaller nonprofit organizations. Michelle graduated from the USC School of Fine Arts with her MFA and was happy to reunite with her almamater! Annenberg Alchemy Fundamentals was a spring leadership program with participation from our Executive Director and Board President Kim Jacobsen, with virtual sessions in board governance, fundraising, implicit bias, finance and organizational storytelling. 30

Q. What is your background, and how do you think it informs your work as a board member? I have a background in public policy and public health. I see Arlington Garden as the perfect convergence of these two disciplines, as the garden was created by policy makers and community members working together to transform a dead space into a thriving ecosystem. Q. How do you envision Arlington Garden’s role as a community space in the future? During the pandemic, Arlington Garden provided mental and physical relief to many community members looking to find solace in the outdoors. I envision Arlington Garden building upon this service and continuing to grow into its leadership role as a public green space which provides education and resources demonstrating how urban communities can incorporate biodiversity to adapt to climate change. Iesha Siler previously served as the Senior Policy Associate for the LA Food Policy Council, acting as the staff liaison to the Food Waste Prevention & Rescue, Good Food co-lead strategic policy campaigns for a diverse network of over 400 organizations and stakeholders. Prior to joining the LA Food Policy Council, Iesha worked as a Legislative Deputy for City of Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry, where she worked on policies focused on food access, public safety, and parks and recreation.

Community Support & Financials We were humbled by the outpouring of community support in 2021 that included record attendance at our Autumn fundraiser and record giving through unrestricted individual donations.

Photo by Christine Hessler

Financials Individual Gifts 40%

Fundraising Events 12%

Income

$323,420

Marmalade & Merchandise Sales 9%

Foundations and Grants 14% City of Pasadena 15%

Earned Income

(tours, photo permits, venue rental)

10%

Garden Maintenance 20%

Expenses

$239,067

Events 6% Payroll 50%

Marmalade 2% Insurance & Overhead 22%

Autumn in the Garden Over 200 attendees $38,000 Gross We returned to gathering inperson following the restrictions of 2020, which allowed us to celebrate the garden and honor our long-time supporters Don and Nancy McIntyre with the McKenney Family Arlington Garden in Pasadena Award! Elected officials from Los Angeles County and Pasadena gave remarks and presented Proclamations to the awardees. Local artist James Naish designed and donated the beautiful award. Following the reception, attendees enjoyed a concert from internationally-renowned artist Mia Doi Todd, the jazz ensemble Katalyst, and SK Kakraba presented by Floating. A special thank you to our wine sponsor Wenzlau Vineyard who nearly stole the show with their delicious wines. Thank you also to Porta Via and Sqirl for providing light bites. Our first-ever silent auction was also a success raising $3,500. Thank you to Gold Bug, Kenton Nelson, Patagonia, and photographer Erin Shimazu for donating items to the auction.

Photo by Erin Shimazu

SPONSORS Wenzlau Vineyard (Wine Sponsor) Silver Sponsorships: Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Kathy and Mike Dooling

Bronze Sponsorships: Marilyn and George Brumder Rita Whitney and Bill Cockrum Lisa Ashworth, The Agency Pasadena Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison Don and Nancy McIntyre State Senator Anthony Portantino

Copper Sponsorships: Peggy and Carl West Edwina and David Dedlow Jim McDermott and Cynthia Kurtz Anne-Elizabeth and James Sobieski

Don McIntyre is a former City Manager of Pasadena. In addition to his city responsibilities and serving as a naval reserve officer, Don volunteered on the boards of the Pasadena YMCA and United Way. He retired as Pasadena City Manager in 1990 but continued working in the public sector in Los Angeles and Orange counties. He joined the Arlington Garden board in 2013 and has served as president and treasurer. All Autumn in the Garden photos by Erin Shimazu. Above: Arlington Garden Executive Director Michelle Matthews, Nancy McIntyre, City Councilmember John J. Kennedy, Don McIntyre, Pasadena City Mayor Victor Gordo, Kim Jacobsen, George Brumder

Nancy McIntyre was a mother of five and active community volunteer prior to her 20-year career in corporate communications. Nancy volunteered at Cleveland Elementary, McKinley Jr. High and Blair High School during the early days of school integration. In 1981, Nancy launched her career in communications, serving Security Pacific Bank, Bank of America, and Times Mirror where she retired in 2001. Nancy joined the Arlington Garden board in 2015 and served until 2021. Bottom right: Artist Kenton Nelson and Morton Court Publishing donated a print of the painting Shears.

Top row, left to right: Council member Steve Madison with guests; Bonnie and John Dewitt. Middle row, left to right: Cindy Wenzlau and Rita Whitney with guest; Sara and Michael Gillissie; James Naish, Cheryl Bode, Michelle Matthews. Bottom row, left to right: Board member Dan Wier, event sponsors Mike and Kathy Dooling, Michelle Matthews; Bill and Claire Bogaard, Don and Nancy McIntyre; Silent auction donation item from Gold Bug in Pasadena.

Sweet 16 Crowdfunding Campaign Our second-ever crowdfunding campaign in honor of our Sweet 16 aimed to raise $16,000. We surpassed this goal by raising over $19,000 from 111 generous donors!

Grants

Tournament of Roses Grant Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust Grant

Marmalade The revitalization of the orange grove earlier in the year bore fruit in a significantly increased harvest. This year we harvested 1,000 lbs of oranges compared to only 500 lbs of oranges in 2020, all of which will be brewed into marmalade by legacy business E. Waldo Ward and Son and local eatery Sqirl. We sold an estimated 200 cases of marmalade in 2021 with the help of our retail partners.

Retail partners

Armstrong Artemisia Nursery Bellefontaine Nursery The Gamble House Grist & Toll Heirloom Bakery Holy Family Bookstore Hoopla

Huarache Farms Jones Coffee Hut Jones Coffee Raymond Pasadena Museum of History Sqirl Theodore Payne Foundation Vroman’s 37

Donations & Dedications Foundations The Green Foundation • Pasadena Community Foundation • Tournament of Roses • Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

$10,000+

$1,001-$2,499

$500-$1,000

Ellen Brown

Lisa Ashworth

The Green Foundation

Edward Boyer Jr.

Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

Robert Bozzanni

Wenzlau Vineyard The Diggers Garden Club Gary Crews David and Edwina Dedlow Catherine Dees Sandra Burton Greenstein Margie and Paul Grossman Julie Gutierrez Christine and Curtis Hessler Lisa Horning Sally & John Howell Candis and Lawrence Ipswitch Missy and Paul Jennings Susan and Douglas Kranwinkle Cynthia Kurtz Brendan McKenney Charles Morse Jeffert Palmer Janice and Bob Raney Anne-Elizabeth and Jamie Sobieski Jennifer Trotoux Carl and Peggy West Lora Woo

$5,000-$9,999

George and Marilyn Brumder Stephanie and Leo Dencik Jennifer and Matt DeVoll

Pasadena Community Foundation

Bonnie and John DeWitt

Tournament of Roses Foundation

Judith Gain

Cheryl Bode and Robin Colman

Ginger Gelber

Don and Nancy McIntyre

Sybil Grace Grant

$2,500-$4,999

Katherine and Robert Gillespie Kim and Curt Jacobsen Meribeth McIntyre-Greynald

Anonymous

Margot and Mitch Milias

Donald and Taylor Hall

State Senator Anthony Portantino

Mary Angel

Shannon Porter Max and Stacey Pray Palin Ngaotheppitak Samuelson Peg Stewart Elayne and Thomas Techentin Joni Topper Melissa Weinberger

$1-499 Anonymous (31)

James Brewer

Victoria Eaton

Russell Jacobs

Bridget Brewster

Joyce and Edward Engs

Andrew Jewell

Liz Brizzi

Elizabeth Escobedo

Lila Jihanian

Judy and David Brown

Tara Estlin

Crystal Jones

Rita and Adrian Acevedo

Lois Brunet

Glenna Avila

Samantha Burpee

Marley Feuerwerker-Otto

Anne and Peter Kennedy

Amy Cannon

Heng Lam Foong

Lena Kennedy

Pat and Mike Kletter Cannon

Robert and Kim Frank

Lisa Kenyon

Jesse Avila Karen and Doug Axel

Mireya Jones Erika Felsoory

Sharlyn Capley

Chester and Marianne Freeze

Pam Kietzman

Nancy and John Carlton

Kathie and Alan Freeman

Gina Kim

Ronald Babcock

Catherine Cheney

Anita and Haley Fromholz

Darleen and Richard Kleinert

Olivia Bagdade

Missy and James Cherry

Helen Fung

Gwen and Guilford Babcock

Rebecca Bales

Matthew Chng

The Baltimore Family Fund

Nguan Siew Chng

Carolyn & John Garrett

Jennifer and Gregory Barnes

Caroline Chouinard

Beth Gertmenian

Judith Klump Allen and Harvey Knell Goh Kurosawa

Carollyn Bartosh

Jean Chubb

Sara Gillissie

Amy and David Lamb

Steve and Judy Bass

Tim Clark

Nicole Gonzales

Joan Lamensdorf

Lisa Gallaway and Geoffrey Baum

Marlan Clarke

Susan Goodyear

Margaret Leong

Julie Clayton

John Grant

Peter Lesourd

Adriann Cocker

Elaine Gregory

Myron Levin

Elaine and Ed Haley

Joanne and Ethan Lispsig

Dan and Laura Beal Heather Beatty William Bedford

Jeff Levy

Susan & David Codiga Robert Cody

Susie Burke and Charles Beichman

Catherine Contreras Stephens

Mic Hansen

Claudia Llanos

Cynthia Bennet

Bette and John Cooper

Maureen Harrington

Samuel Losh

Erin Berkowitz

Mildred Correa

Stacey Haro

Peggy Lu

Claudia Bernard

Dr. Cheryl Craft

The Hearst Family

Michiko and John Lynch

Natasha and Michael Bernstein

Coral Crawford

Sarah Hilbert

Theresa Cunningham

Gerben and Jill Hoeksma

Lori Magallanes

Barbara and Scott Bice

Dorit Cypis

Jennifer Ho

Michelle Matthews

Claire Hoffman

Dorothy and John Matthiessen

Lasley Biven Heather Blair Katrina Bleckley

Patricia Yamate and William Daly

Claire and Bill Bogaard

Claudia Diaz

Jeannine Bogaard

Kathleen and Michael Dooling

Kim and Rob Bonner

Janet Doud

Mike and Shen Boucher

Ken Duncan

Elizabeth Brennan

Melanie DuBose Dmitry Duev Cynthia Dupon

Emily Hopkins

Elena Matyas

Cece Horne

Alison McAlpine

Mark Infusino

Nancy McDonald

Leslie Ito

Elizabeth and Ian McGregor

David McCarthy

Lawrence McHargue Mark McNeill Neha Mehta Alexandra Menendez

Renate and Wally Rados

James Tamborello

Judith Wilson

Vaida Mikuckis

Susuan and George Reardon

Helen Tavetian

Alison Winter

Carrie Miller

Frances Regalado

Nick Taylor

Winter Family Fund

Louisa Miller

Michael Reiter

Sam TG

Dora Woo

Stephen Mermis

Robert Miller

Mila Renken

Leslie Thorson

Audrey and Robert Woods

Hass & Dixie Mohaghegh

Lucie Renoux

Diane Wong

Bruce Moison

Wesley Reutimann

Bob Knuth & Mary Thompson

Rob Mor

Pilar Reynaldo

Linda Moore

Suraiya Rhaman

Gretl and G. Arnold Mulder

Lisa Richter Daniel Robinson

Silvio Nardoni

Marilyn Robinson

James Naish

Clinton Rodgers

Robin Newquist

Christine Rose

John Wilson and Ha Nguyen

Betty Rosen

Diane Nicholson Robert and Gail Nishinaka

Sara Schnadt

Leslie Nord

Elena and James Schoch

Cynthia Null

Peter Schroeder Annette Serrurier

Rachel Orfila

Anthony Shatsky

Judith Oroshnik

Erin Shimazu

Vicki and Gary Olson

Colleen Shirley Stanley Sieger

Thomas & Cheryl Palfrey

Iesha Siler

Gioia and George Pastre

William Sinclair

Spring Peabody

Robert Slusarenko

Diana Peterson-More

Luchus Smith

Juana Trafecanty Lang Tran Bruce Trentham Susan Tuemmler Amy Turk Richard Tyndall Betsey Tyler Krisztina Varga Yola Vermehr Char and Paul Vert Eleanore Vega Linda Wah Carol Waley Christina and David Wallerstein Tomoko Watanabe David Weeshoff

Bob Perry

Toni Smith

Joanne and Timothy Wendler

David Perry

William Smith

Cynthia Wenzlau

Toshia Peters

Rita and William Speck

Kathleen Werner

Alexandra Poer

Benjamin Stafford

Charles White

Juli Stengel

Karen Whitney

Elizabeth Pomeroy

Pat Stoll

Dan and Susan Wier

Lisa Pon

Scotti Strockis

Marilynne Wilander

Leslie Prussia

Dorothy Suchkova

Leilani Wilmore

Barbara and John Poer

Sean Surbeck Edmund Sutro

Leslie Thorson John and Victoria Tongish

Harry Morton Yohalem Rachel Young Rashina Young Leslie Zasa Laura Zinger

IN MEMORY OF Mother, grandmother and great grandmother Maria de Jesus Hidalgo Avila Colene Brown David Czamanske Athel and Edna Davis Daniel and Annie Jeng Kicker and Betty McKenney Betty McKenney Janet Pickering

IN HONOR OF The Constant Gardeners

Michelle Matthews

Alex & Ani’s Engagement

Ken McGuire

Paloma Avila

McIntyre Family

Arlo Avila-Brewster

McIntyre Family

Avilewster Family

Scott McIntyre Family

Henry/Barros, Verma and Connolly families

Kevin McKie

Dawn Bishop

Louisa Nevins Miller

Mayita Dinos

Noel Mor

Donnell B. Doyle Jr.

Noel Mor

Donnell B. Doyle Jr.

Michael Nord

Phil and Sharon Eaton

Janet Pickering

Audrey Gonzales

Barbara Poer “Happy Mother’s Day”

Sybil Grant

Dr. AFM Atiar Rahman

Alice D. Hammel

Reese and Remy

Harriett and Dale Kietzman

Alejandrina Reynaldo

Malachai Komanoff

Larry Rosen

David L. Lain on his birthday!

Nelly Royo

Rebecca Latta

Richard and Pauline Schneider

Bandy and Eva Lymenstull

Leigh Talmo

Albert Magallanes

Maria Teresa for mother’s day

Marc

Lang Tran

VOLUNTEERS Christopher Adams-Cohen

Mike and Shen Boucher

Rebecca Espinoza

Yara Herrarte

Brigette Aguilar

Levi Brewster

Norman Garbaccio

Sara Hilbert

GianCarlo Aguilar

Hunter Cerda

Eloise Gelber

Lillian Hill

Matharan Arumugham

Rachael Chan

Sue Gesler

Jennifer Ho

Robert Ashikyan

Fiona Chang

Suzanne Goldstein

Sylvia and Patrick Holmes Emily Hopkins and John Lapointe

Glenna Avila

Jessica Chen

Angelica Gonzales

Paloma Avila

Camille Cimino

Edward Gonzales

Arlo and Lila Avila-Brewster

Leah Cordova

Jessica Gonzales

Lila Avila-Brewster

Heather Curtin

Robert Gorcik

Aurora Badiu

Caroline Davis

Sybil Grant

Ernesto Baez

Miguel de la Iglesia

Naomi Guevara

Jenine Baines

Gia DiGiacobbe

William Hallstrom

Daniel Berg

Ash Down

Lauren Hamlett

Katie Besanko

Alicia Echevarria

Pam Hammer

John Black

Joy Ephraim

Sara Han

Mike Blunt

Rodrigo Escomilla

Marcy Harbut

Gwen Hourihan Eddie Hsiung Remi Hsiung Shirley Huang Iñigo Ibrae Barbara Ishida Harper Johnston Andrea Jones Pam Jorden Leah Jung Hioki Eric Keas Grace and Bob Knuth Antoinette Kunda Christine Lai Nicole Lawson Jennifer Lee Sandy Lee Philip Leslie Sam Lewis Carmen Liang Bryan Lim Aidsha Lima Victoria Lima Tiffany Lin Yushiu Lin Michelle Lockert Briana Lomas Keely Luna Amy Ma Rachel Macabangun

Lori Magallanes

Sophia Sanchez

Ariadne Makridakis

Haley Santibanez

Mishka Makuch

Michael Schermerhorn

Lily Martin

Tahereh Sheerazie

Bryan Matsumoto

Iesha Siler

Alison McAlpine

Ayla Stabile

Pat McCullough

Evan Stout

Maggie McDonnell

Victoria Stratman

Amy Miles

Daniel Sunshine

Zachary Min

Elise Tascione

Mina

Steve Thomas-Patel

Rosa Money

Aaron Thompson

Saul Nolasco

Bob Thompson

Olina Ortega

Emma Thompson

Scott Oshima

Mary Thompson

Outward Bound Adventures

Joni and Joseph Topper

Martha R. Owen Patagonia Pasadena John Paszkiewicz John Paszkiewicz Evelyn Perez Jess Perez Nicole Perez Emma Phillips Antonio Pierola Hannah Pinon Kaya Plansker Diane Pullano Bill Racine Suraiya Rahman Frances Regalado Pilar Reynaldo Evellyn Rosas Maya Ruiz Juliet Ryan-Davis Lola Salgado

Mimi Tranh Sylvia Trein Jennifer Ung Miranda Van Iderstine Eleanore Vega Linda Wang Emily Warren Diana Wehmeier Lisa Wintner Jessica Wojdak William Wong Justin Woods Jonathan Woodside Heather Wu Warren Wu Grace Yang Eric Yen Krystle Yu Wei Zhang Christine Zheng Shu Fang Zheng

Beloved eatery Sqirl created a line of marmalade using our oranges, donating net proceeds back to the garden.

ArlingtonGardenPasadena.org