| Audubon Center at Debs Park is a community hub located in Montecito Heights, less than five miles from downtown Los Angeles. Nestled within the 282-acre Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, the center has inspired a love of nature in over a quarter of a million residents of Los Angeles. With sweeping views of northeast LA to downtown LA and more than 140 species of birds within the park, the center is an oasis of nature for urban communities. In its holistic, people-focused, approach to conservation work, the Audubon Center at Debs Park serves as a community hub for environmental justice and advocacy work in Los Angeles and across the Audubon network. The center’s mission is to inspire people to experience, understand and care for the local natural world. |
| Habitat restoration is one of the center’s core tenets as it not only provides habitat for birds, but also increases green spaces for urban communities that may not otherwise experience California native flora and fauna. Through the efforts of staff and volunteers, one can see how these conservation efforts have restored the landscape of Debs Park, bringing with it fresh scents and experiences. |  |
| In addition to restoring habitat for birds and other wildlife at Debs Park and along the LA River, the center’s primary goal is restoring the connection between people and the land in Los Angeles. As the first center that the National Audubon Society built within an urban environment to specifically engage the Latino community, the Audubon Center at Debs Park has played an important role in building a more diverse and inclusive conservation movement in Los Angeles and beyond. Whether it’s watching a movie outdoors underneath the Los Angeles night sky or beginner birders taking their first hike up the hills with rented binoculars in tow, the center’s belief is that everyone has not only the right to be in nature, but to know that they belong. |
 | One of the other pillars of the center is community engagement, connecting birds, plants, and people together. Numerous events are held on a weekly basis, ranging from community habitat restorations to festivals celebrating winter. The center is honored to collaborate with the many wonderful community-based organizations and individuals in Northeast LA and to share their vision in green access and equity through community events and more. |
| Not only is the center supported by volunteers and community partners, but it is also bolstered through interns and program participants. In fostering the next generation of environmental stewards, the center runs the Audubon Youth Leaders program, where high school students learn habitat restoration, environmental advocacy, and community engagement. The center also hosts numerous interns from other organizations and programs, such as HIRE LA and California’s College for All Corps. In their time at the center, they will learn workplace skills, conservation skills, engagement skills, and more to help them be eco-conscious and confident in the ever-changing world. |
| The Audubon Center at Debs Park offers two types of field trips. The Self-guided field trips are not led by an Audubon Naturalist. Instead, they lend tools to groups to enhance their day in the park. The tools include binoculars, field guides to bird and native plants, and even art supplies. These are free as long as they are reserved in advance. The Audubon-led field trips are paid programs consisting of a guided tour and educational nature activities lasting about two hours. An Audubon Naturalist guides students on a nature walk followed by an engaging STEM nature activity that teaches them how ornithologists work with birds and nature. The programs are best suited for 3rd to 4th grade students but they can be scaled up or down depending on the group. |  |
 | The center offers free community events year-round for students and the whole family. They offer beginner-focused bird walks, habitat restoration volunteer opportunities, festivals, community movie nights in the outdoors, music performances, and workshops and seminars. Visit the Audubon Center at Debs Park website for a list of the most common feathery friends you might expect to see at the park. |