Rare Butterfly Makes Comeback

A tiny butterfly, once thought to be almost extinct, has made a comeback, with a little help from its friends, along the Longcore and Redondo Beach area. Once living only in a few isolated areas this butterfly now mingles on the beach with other sun and

A recent re-vegetation project along the bluffs of a popular beach south of the Los Angeles International Airport demonstrates what can happen when people take a positive step towards transforming the environment. Ann Dalkey, a resident of Longcore and Redondo Beach area, decided, four years ago, that it was time to restore the bluffs along Santa Monica Bay. Dalkey, in order to accomplish, the restoration project, formed the Beach Bluffs Restoration Project. The restoration project received support from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, the Urban Wildlands Group and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ Science, Education and Adventure Lab program. The hands-on work of removing the ice plant and putting in buckwheat, California sunflower, deer weed, lupines, prickly pear cactus, ambrosia and sand verbena was carried out by volunteers and at risk youth. The ice plant had become invasive in the area and was threatening the existing ecosystem. One unsuspected side effect was the voyage of a very small and very rare butterfly to the newly restored site. The buckwheat is believed to have attracted the El Segundo blue butterfly which was reported to be near extinction. This tiny butterfly existed only in a few small and fragile reserves, the El Segundo blue voluntarily traveled to its new home where it now mixes with other beach lovers. This means that a butterfly once rarely seen now mingles freely on the beach with surfers and sun lovers. Funding for the re-vegetation project was provided by the Coastal Conservancy, city of Redondo Beach and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.