AN ICE AGE GARDEN GROWS AT TODAY'S LA BREA TAR PITS.Byline: MICHELLE MICHELLE Mid-Infrared Echelle Spectrograph J. MILLS >LA.COM (1) (Computer Output Microfilm) Creating microfilm or microfiche from the computer. A COM machine receives print-image output from the computer either online or via tape or disk and creates a film image of each page. Many visitors have marveled at the remains and representations of creatures from 10,000 to 40,000 years ago at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits Fossil field in Hancock Park (formerly Rancho La Brea), Los Angeles, Calif., U.S. It is the site of “pitch springs” oozing crude oil, formerly used by local Indians for waterproofing, and was explored by Gaspar de Portolá's expedition in and in Hancock Park
Hancock Park is a park in Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California which is the location of the La Brea Tar Pits, the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, and LACMA. . But have you ever wondered about the plant life of that era? The Pleistocene Garden will show you that it's not all that different from today's greenery. "It was a little colder then," said Richard Simun, a Page Museum volunteer. "The winters may have been a little longer, it may have been more damp, but not much. And the fact that the plants that were thriving then are living now is a pretty good sign." The site was designed as an educational spot for children, but adults are proving to be just as interested in it. "The garden is also tied in to the work that's done in Pit 91 (the archaeological dig site) with all the micro-fossils and specimens they find there," said Margi Betram, education manager for the museum. "They find seeds and remnants of plants that they are able to identify." The Pleistocene -- or Ice Age -- Garden is divided into ecological sections: deep canyon, riparian riparian adj. referring to the banks of a river or stream. (See: riparian rights) (stream or riverside) and coastal, which also encompass the plains, swamps, foothills and mountains. A chaparral section is being planned as well. It is difficult to imagine how diverse the plants were and how the area might have looked, with only this small slice of history surrounded by urban sprawl. But if you walk from the Tar Pits to the Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to , you would go from roughly 200 feet to 2,000 feet above sea level. Accordingly, the plant variety would include Santa Cruz Island San·ta Cruz Island An island off southern California in the northern Santa Barbara Islands. buckwheat buckwheat, common name for certain members of the Polygonaceae, a family of herbs and shrubs found chiefly in north temperate areas and having a characteristic pungent juice containing oxalic acid. Species native to the United States are most common in the West. , Arrow Weed, Coastal Quail Brush Noun 1. quail brush - spiny shrub with silvery-scurfy foliage of alkaline plains of southwestern United States and Mexico Atriplex lentiformis, quail bush, white thistle and Cleveland sage, as well as Arroyo Willow, Coast Redwood and California Dogwood dogwood or cornel (kôr`nəl), shrub or tree of the genus Cornus, chiefly of north temperate and tropical mountain regions, characteristically having an inconspicuous flower surrounded by large, showy bracts which trees. There were oak trees in the Pleistocene era, but none have been included in the garden because they take up a lot of room and would have crowded out other plants. The garden appears to be on the wild side. "Part of the original plan was to make it look natural. It takes more effort to make it look natural," Simun said. Simun has to restrain himself from over-pruning, he said, but he also has to keep the plants from growing too large; if he didn't do that, the plants wouldn't be representative of their native size. During the Ice Age, mammals such as Harlan's ground sloth sloth (slōth, slôth), arboreal mammal found in Central and South America distantly related to armadillos and anteaters. Sloths live in tropical forests, where they sleep, eat, and travel through the trees suspended upside down, clinging to , the Colombian mammoth and the American lion (Zool.) the puma or cougar. See also: Lion would have wandered through the area. But researchers are not entirely sure which insects inhabited the Earth at the time. "We have some insect parts that we found in Pit 91, but I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. that anyone has done a thorough study of what those insects were and making that leap to the garden," Betram said. Certain insects may no longer exist, while others might have adapted to the changing environment. But gardeners, such as Simun, have their own theories. "The likely thing is that we still have the same insects because we have the same plants," Simun said. Many of the plants in the Pleistocene Garden were purchased from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 86 acres (34.8 ha) is a botanical garden dedicated to native Californian plants. It is located at 1500 North College Avenue in Claremont, California, USA, just south of the San Gabriel foothills. in Claremont, which has a good selection of natives. By using specimens regularly available, the museum is encouraging visitors to create their own Ice Age or native gardens. California natives tend to be drought-tolerant. From August through late fall, the plants may appear dead or dying, but their roots remain and the greenery comes back to life during the first rains, usually around Thanksgiving. For your own garden, you might want to follow Simun's lead. He never uses weed killer or fertilizer, and he weeds by hand in the Ice Age Garden. He admitted that he "cheats" because he waters plants if they need it so they look nice for visitors. Classes on natural history and gardening are planned for the museum. Topics will include creating dyes and exploring the medicinal uses of plants. Michelle J. Mills, (626) 962-8811, Ext.2128, michelle.mills@sgvn.com on exhibit> Pleistocene Garden Where: Hancock Park, Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Admission: Free; parking is $6-$8. Also: Pit 91 observation area is open through Sept. 9; viewing is free. Page Museum Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Admission: $7, $4.50 seniors and students, $2 children 5-12, free for children under 5. Information: (323) 934-7243. www.tarpits.org. Plant it yourself If you're going to start your own Pleistocene or California native garden. the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits recommends these sources to learn more: www.tarpits.org www.rsabg.org www.bewaterwise.com www.cnps.org www.growingnative.com www.treeoflifenursery.com www.theodorepayne.org CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) The Pleistocene Garden at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits features plant species that were around during the time of the Ice Age, including Santa Cruz Island buckwheat, arrow weed and California dogwood trees. (2) CALIFORNIA DOGWOOD Box: Plant it yourself (see text) |
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