World Elephant Day at The LA Zoo August 8th & 9th

Did you know there is a World Elephant Day?

It is a day dedicated to the conservation of elephants. These majestic creatures are still being hunted and killed for their tusks, to supply the demand for ivory. While ivory bans exist in some parts of the world, many still allow the trade.

President Obama has just announced major restrictions on ivory in the US. He made the announcement while in Kenya, saying that the new legislation would not only further restrict the import of ivory into the US, but severely restrict the sale of ivory between states, limiting it only to antique pieces over 100 years old.

California lawmakers have proposed AB96, a bill that would ban ivory sales in California. The bill was drafted with the help of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s 96 Elephants campaign.

All of this is good news for the elephants. Restrictions on the ivory trade and education about the killing of elephants for their tusks have been largely responsible for the gains in elephant conservation.

To celebrate World Elephant Day, the LA Zoo in our very own Griffith Park will be hosting World Elephant Day Weekend, an event where you can learn about and enjoy it’s resident elephants.

Visitors to the zoo here in Los Feliz will get to see the state of the art Elephants of Asia exhibit, where they can learn about how the elephants are cared for, from feeding to the enrichment activities used to keep the elephants happy and entertained.

For families, the zoo is offering a craft area, where children can create cards symbolizing their commitment to elephant conservation which will be displayed at the Elephants of Asia Elephants Circle. Kids can also bring their toy elephants (or purchase one at the zoo) to be examined by experts and given a certificate of health.

Visitors will learn about current and past elephant conservation efforts, including the restrictions on the sale of ivory and the importance of protecting elephant habitat.

In the Thailand pavilion, you can learn about working and unemployed elephants, who are so essential to the Thai economy but are slowly being replaced by construction equipment. The Elephants of India plaza shows the impact of habitat destruction on that country's elephants. It provides waterfalls for the elephants to bathe in and hidden nooks and crannies for the trainers to place treats. You can also see the respectful relationship between the Dia people of China and elephants in the Elephants of China exhibit. Finally, enjoy the Elephant Lake in the Cambodian Pavilion, where there are many enrichment activities for the elephants.

In addition to the elephants, visitors can view the zoo’s collection of over 1000 animals, covering 250 different species. The botanical gardens boast 7000 plants representing 800 different species.

World Elephant Day Weekend runs on Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9, from 10am to 4pm. Admission to the zoo is $20 for general admission (ages 13 - 61), $17 for seniors (62+) and $15 for children 2 - 12 years old. Children under the age of 2 are free. Members of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association enjoy free admission.

What does the Future Hold for the Griffith Park Tea House?

If you would like to visit Griffith Park’s brand new tea house, you should probably do it soon. The art project, which was installed a month ago, has a very uncertain future.

At 5 am on June 30, a few dozen people gathered in the pre-dawn darkness in response to simple wooden invitations, asking them to meet in Griffith Park for tea and wishes. Upon arrival, the guests found tea cups, LED lights and a map, directing them along the path to Mt. Bell.

The map lead to the freshly installed Griffith Park Tea House, brought into existence by an artist’s collective. No official permission for the project has been granted, so the artist wish to remain anonymous.

Participants enjoyed a tea ceremony to open the Tea House as the sun rose, enjoying the spots incredible views of the Verdugos and the San Gabriel mountains.

The Tea House is only 80 square feet and is made from the singed wood of trees devastated in the 2007 Griffith Park fire. The structure was left after the ceremony, a gift from the artists to the people of LA.

The Tea House was designed with the help of professional craftspeople, ensuring that the structure is sound. It makes use of an old concrete foundation found at the spot, likely the remnants of an old utility shack.

The inspiration came from frequent trips into the park, a visit to Japan and a love of tea. The wood for the structure came from trees killed in the fire as well as redwoods that the park has removed because they are a non-native species that require a lot of water. The design of the Tea House was dependent on the amount and size of the wood that was available. No trees were cut down for the project, instead the group used wood which was already dead and on the ground.

The roof is inspired by Japanese lines, the structure has many windows to ensure a good view of the surrounding park and mountains. The finishing touch, carvings of griffins, partially inspired by the parks red-tailed hawks. A small bell can be rung for ceremony or fun.

At the opening ceremony, guests were given small pieces of wood, to write a wish for the city. The pieces are hung all over the Tea House, with wishes for peace, love, happiness and all the Lego sets. Some bear pictures instead of words, some are memorials, making beautiful and moving decorations for a unique little house.

The Department of Recreation and Parks is still unsure of the fate of the Tea House. It may stay where it is, be moved to another part of the park or become a travelling art piece. A petition to allow it to remain has been launched. [link to petition: https://www.change.org/p/david-e-ryu-tom-labonge-eric-garcetti-la-city-parks-la-mayor-s-office-keep-the-griffith-park-tea-house-standing]

In the mean time, visitors are enjoying the Tea House. One has left a small jar of oolong tea

with a note for others to help themselves. It is clear that this piece of guerrilla art is quickly becoming a favourite of visitors to Griffith Park.

Katy Perry and the archdiocese of Los Angeles get into a dispute with a group of nuns and a restaurateur.

Katy Perry and the archdiocese of Los Angeles get into a dispute with a group of nuns and a restaurateur. It may sound like the opening line of a bad joke, but it’s true.

The dispute is over one of the hottest pieces of real estate in LA, an 8 acre property with hilltop villa in the Los Feliz neighborhood. It overlooks downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel mountains. It also happens to be a former convent.

The archdiocese and two nuns who used to live at the property are fighting over who owns it, which would determine who has the ability to make the sale.

The former convent was once home to 52 sisters of the Immaculate Heart, who were moved to other locations by the diocese in 2011. Time has also taken it’s toll with only five sisters still living, two of whom are claiming ownership of the villa.

The nuns, unsurprisingly, are not impressed that Perry may be the new owner of their former home. Sister Sister Catherine Rose Holzman made her objection clear to the archdiocese in a letter on May 22, "In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church."

Sister Rita Callanan from the Los Feliz Convet reportedly told the LA Times , "Well, I found Katy Perry and I found her videos … if it's alright to say, I wasn't happy with any of it.”

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez is said to have accepted Perry’s offer on the property, stressing that the land belongs to the archdiocese rather than the nuns. Furthermore, the archdiocese has taken issue with the buyer the nuns found, restaurateur Dana Hollister.

The archdiocese is claiming that Hollister took advantage of the sisters, saying that the deal they made may be unenforceable. In a lawsuit filed by the archdiocese, it claims that Hollister made a down payment of $44,000 to the nuns and left a note agreeing to pay the rest of the $15.5 million sale price.

The lawyer for the archdiocese, J. Michael Hennigan, says, "What Dana Hollister did in this transaction was take their principal asset, give them next to no money, with a flaky promise to pay in three years,"

Hollister has plans to turn the villa into a 60 bedroom boutique hotel, including a restaurant and bar. Hollister is confident in the nuns’ ability to negotiate a deal, saying "Those ladies know what they're doing, they are by no means fragile."

The Archbishop has given his assent to a $14.5 million cash deal, reached with Perry which was arranged before the sale to Hollister by the nuns.

Perry, the daughter of a pastor who released a Christian album before achieving her current fame, wants to buy the property as a retreat to take care of her mother and grandmother. She tried to win over the nuns in a meeting, singing “Oh Happy Day” and showing them her “Jesus” tattoo on her wrist. The nuns were not impressed.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant is set to hear the case to stop the sale on June 30, 2015. A second hearing in October will determine who has the legal authority to sell the property.