Community Nature Connection

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Community Nature Connection Community Nature Connection is committed to providing equitable access to the outdoors for communities throughout Los Angeles County.

Community Nature Connection is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for access and equity in the outdoors. Through quality programming and innovative community partnerships, Community Nature Connection facilitates outdoor experiences. In our years of experience we have served tens of thousands of youth, family and school groups with outdoor recreation experiences, overnight camping, leadership and team building programs and other traditional outdoor adventures. Many participants have seen the ocean, roasted a marshmallow, camped, stargazed, and explored natural areas for the very first time.

Last Saturday, our Emerging Naturalists and OCALI leaders walked through Chinatown and Los Angeles State Historic Park w...
10/09/2026

Last Saturday, our Emerging Naturalists and OCALI leaders walked through Chinatown and Los Angeles State Historic Park with Stop The Gondola to talk more about the proposed gondola project and its negative effects on the environment and local community.

On December 4, the California State Parks Commissioners Vote is taking place. Join the meeting to oppose and stop the gondola project in its tracks!

Thank you Stop The Gondola for engaging with our participants and protecting the Chinatown community 💥

Join a hybrid workforce development program with CNC 🍀✨Apply by October 13th!!🪶This opportunity is for young adults ages...
09/30/2026

Join a hybrid workforce development program with CNC 🍀

✨Apply by October 13th!!🪶

This opportunity is for young adults ages 18-27 who are interested in taking the time to explore careers in the outdoors and conservation and gain skills and job readiness for this field. You can take this opportunity to build on skills and experience you already have however there is no experience needed. All participants are eligible for an $800 stipend upon completion of the program. To find out more information click the link in our bio or scan the QR code on the flyer 🕊️

Join Community Nature Connection for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating a decade of outdoor equity! Tickets are avai...
09/09/2026

Join Community Nature Connection for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating a decade of outdoor equity! Tickets are available now at the link in our bio.

Gather with us along the LA River at Studio-MLA for an afternoon of live music, delicious bites, good company, and a toast to ten years of connecting communities to nature. Your ticket helps fuel CNC’s work to make the outdoors more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for Los Angeles communities.

Come celebrate a decade of this work, connect with the people who make it possible, and help us build an even more equitable future outdoors.

Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 Emerging Naturalists Program at Vista Hermosa Park🌱This program is great if ...
08/08/2026

Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 Emerging Naturalists Program at Vista Hermosa Park🌱

This program is great if you or someone you know is in High School, local to Westlake/Historic Filipinotown, and interested in exploring our local environment and what it means to be a naturalist! Students who complete the program will also be awarded a stipend.

Check out the application for more info and apply today!

Apply for this Fall’s Outdoor and Coastal Access Leadership Institute (OCALI)! This paid experience is perfect for high ...
08/07/2026

Apply for this Fall’s Outdoor and Coastal Access Leadership Institute (OCALI)! This paid experience is perfect for high schoolers in Northeast LA who are looking to become more aware and involved in environmental and outdoor access issues in California.

Apply by August 27 at the link in our bio!

Thank you to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Youth Community Access program and the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) for continually supporting this program.

Join us at Audubon Center at Debs Park with our partners RCD Santa Monica Mountains for this FREE Wildfire Mitigation tr...
07/28/2026

Join us at Audubon Center at Debs Park with our partners RCD Santa Monica Mountains for this FREE Wildfire Mitigation training. Learn about wildfires, home hardening, and defensible space. We’ll review California’s wildfire regimes, ecology, and the importance of home hardening practices from a community-wide perspective. In-person attendees can take home a free native plant!

Register at the link in our bio! 🌻

🏵 SAVE THE DATE! 🏵A decade of community. A decade of connection. A decade of growing together.Join us on November 14, 20...
07/15/2026

🏵 SAVE THE DATE! 🏵

A decade of community. A decade of connection. A decade of growing together.

Join us on November 14, 2026 for Gratitude Blooming, an afternoon celebrating a decade of expanding access to nature, building community, and growing the next generation of stewards. 

📅 Saturday, November 14, 2026
🕒 3:00–5:00 PM
📍 Studio-MLA | Los Angeles
🧡 We hope you’ll join us for this special milestone. More details are blooming soon 🌼

On Saturday June 6th, CNC met up with community members at Vista Hermosa Park to set off an adventure hiking to the Grat...
07/09/2026

On Saturday June 6th, CNC met up with community members at Vista Hermosa Park to set off an adventure hiking to the Grateful Bench at Wilacre Park in Studio City. We took our time hiking to the Grateful Bench which sits about a mile into the Betty B Dearing Trail. 

On the trail, we saw lots of wildlife such as different kinds of insects, hawks, a coyote and a king snake! This urban hike is full of fun and surprises and is accessible for a wide range of ages and mobility needs. Participants took a moment of reflection at the Grateful Bench and did a sit spot meditation and reflection activity with one another. Participants left feeling relaxed, grateful, and connected to nature. Make sure to check out this incredible urban hiking opportunity, for more information visit the Grateful Bench Website! 

Thanks to our partners:

This past spring, 16 high schoolers local to northeast LA completed the Outdoor and Coastal Access Leadership Institute ...
06/26/2026

This past spring, 16 high schoolers local to northeast LA completed the Outdoor and Coastal Access Leadership Institute (OCALI) at Akuutet Learning Nursery 🌱 For three months, OCALI propagated native plants, visited local green spaces, and connected with other outdoor and environmental advocacy groups. The cohort concluded their program by leading a Fire Resilience Community Workshop in collaboration with 💚

Thank you to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Youth Community Access Program for supporting this program.

Last month, CNC collaborated with the Los Angeles State Historic Park Fellowship program to hike Escondido Falls! Partic...
06/23/2026

Last month, CNC collaborated with the Los Angeles State Historic Park Fellowship program to hike Escondido Falls! Participants hiked to the falls, lending helping hands to one another while navigating creek crossings along the way. Once they arrived at the falls they enjoyed a picnic lunch by the water and connected with one another while enjoying the view of the falls from the Grateful Bench. On the way back, the group participated in a scavenger hunt, looking for local native plants of the canyon.

Want to hike this gem of a canyon and visit the Grateful Bench at Escondido Falls? Paid parking is located at the “Parking for Escondido Falls” lot off of PCH in Malibu. Free parking is located along PCH. Begin hiking on the dirt trail that parallels paved Winding Way and follow it 0.75 mile through a residential development. Be respectful of the neighborhood and stay on the trail by the side of the road. Turn left at the large sign for Edward Albert Escondido Canyon Trail and Waterfalls.The dirt trail descends into a shady corridor of oaks and sycamores and the first of several creek crossings. Turn left at the first trail intersection next to a wood post with a bench symbol and continue another 0.8 mile to the lower base of the falls. The bench sits just off the path ahead of the waterfall.

If you get the chance to visit this incredible waterfall make sure to check out the bench and tag us!


Address

Los Angeles, CA
90065

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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