Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden has hired a new Chief Executive Officer named Dr. Mark Wourms. Wourms has a B.S. degree in botany from Ohio University, a Ph.D. in ecology and animal behavior from Boston University, and a certificate in business administration from New York University. He recently left the Kansas City Zoo, where he had been the zoo director since 1992.
Recent changes in the scope of motion picture and television filming at the Arboretum has caused some residents to question the productions' use of the facility.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum, which had its name changed to Los Angeles County Botanic Gardens, is now going back to the name Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.
Los Angeles County is having second thoughts about the newly changed name for the Arboretum. The official name is Los Angeles County Botanic Gardens and Arboretum, but now LA County will seek the feedback of interested residents and organizations to decide on the official name.
Supervisor Mike Antonovich has proposed a name change for the Los Angeles County Arboretum. The new name will be the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Tour guide and peafowl expert Nelson Holmes is shown in photo. Currently, there are no safeguards protecting the Arboretum peafowl from Exotic Newcastle Disease.
The peacock is the official bird of Arcadia. The designation happened last week.The city has had an official flower, the azalea, since 1963. City Council selected the oak as the official tree.
Timothy Phillips is the interim Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, replacing Peter Atkins. A nationwide search continues for a successor.
Writer Charles Cooper recounts the history of the Los Angeles County Arboretum, including previous landowners Hugo Reid and Elias J. ("Lucky") Baldwin.
The water in Baldwin Lake at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, which is actually a sag pond, is evaporating, and the water is not being replenished by the artesian well because of low levels in the water table. The lake is famous from the television show Fantasy Island. The last time Baldwin Lake was dry was 1991.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Arcadia had a reputation as a poultry raising community. There were many poultry ranchers in Arcadia, including a Denmark royal family member named Prince Eric, cousin of the King of Denmark.
Historical information on Baldwin Lake, the four-acre body of water that adjoins the Queen Anne Cottage in the historical section of the Los Angeles County Arboretum, is presented. The history of lake extends from time of the Native Americans (they called their village Aleupkigna), to Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's ranch in 1873, to the movies and television shows in which it has appeared. Baldwin Lake played host to movie stars Johnny Weismuller, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. The lake has appeared in Safari, Roots, and Fantasy Island. See also VF "Arboretum" for hard copy of article.
New Arcadia police station opens to the public on Friday, October 3, 2003 at 4:30 PM. It is a state-of-the-art facility that is now bigger and better equipped than the old station that has since been demolished. It waas built using an $8 million bond measure in addition to $8 million that had alerady been allocated from the city general fund and city redevelopment funds.