Students from Smash Alternative School House and John Muir Elementary school plant a 15 foot Camphor tree at Los Amigos Park during Earth Day and Arbor Day on Thursday, April 22, 2010. The Camphor tree is native to Taiwan, southern Japan, southeast China and Indochina.

US Green Building Council (USGBC) Executive Director, Lance A. Williams, Ph.D, (left) awards Councilmembers Richard Bloom and Gleam Davis with a plaque honoring Annenberg Community Beach House's LEED Gold Rating on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. This is the sixth public facility constructed by the City... of Santa Monica to receive LEED certification, and the first public beach house to be certified.

The Gold Rating for the Annenberg Community Beach House Gold surpassed the project’s initial goal of Silver. The sustainable features of the project include clean up of a contaminated site, integration of environmentally-smart building systems, use of sustainable materials in construction, implementation of systems that prevent stormwater and urban runoff pollution from reaching the beach, promotion of sustainable modes of transportation, and commitment to ongoing environmentally-sound operations and maintenance practices. Santa Monica has long been a leader in the area of green building. The Beach House joins Santa Monica’s Main Public Library, Civic Center Parking Structure, Public Safety Facility, Colorado Court Affordable Housing Project, and Virginia Avenue Park – all LEED-certified Silver or above.

The USGBC is a pioneering coalition recognized nationally for setting the bar in sustainable construction. Through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, the USGBC has encouraged the proliferation of environmentally responsible, healthy places to live and work. The LEED Gold rating is the second highest achievement rating in a point-based system, indicating that the facility has been independently certified to meet sustainable criteria as developed by the USGBC. Projects accrue points on every aspect, from design through construction to planned operation and maintenance. By satisfying these requirements, agencies commit to creating a healthier environment for facility occupants, the neighborhood, the larger community and the general environment.

A project over a decade in the making, the Annenberg Community Beach House opened in April 2009. The Beach House has been a hit with the community and critics alike, having been featured in publications including Vanity Fair, Sunset, the New York Times, and the LA Times’ California and Architecture sections. The facility has received awards from the LA Conservancy, the American Public Works Association, the California Park & Recreation Society, the Design-Build Institute of America (Western Pacific region), the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and the Westside Urban Forum. The Beach House combines elements of the historic Marion Davies Estate with new construction to create a truly unique community destination. The project was made possible by the Annenberg Foundation, at the recommendation of Wallis Annenberg, and in partnership with the City of Santa Monica and California State Parks. Additional funding for the $31.5-million project was provided by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The project team included the architectural firm Frederick Fisher Partners, landscape architectural firm Mia Lehrer and Associates, contractor Charles Pankow Builders, historic preservation consultants Historic Resources Group, structural engineering firm KPFF Engineering, and mechanical engineering firm IBE Consulting Engineering. The LEED consultant was Davis Langdon. Project construction/management was provided by the City of Santa Monica’s Civil Engineering & Architecture Division of Public Works Department. Overall project and operations development was led by the City of Santa Monica’s Department of Community & Cultural Services.

For more information on the Beach House, please visit us online at http://www.annenbergbeachhouse.com.

Heal the bay Volunteer Amy Limon, 18, and Nicole Torosian, 8, spray water onto the Watershed Diorama at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (SMPA) during its Earth Day theme weekend on  Sunday, 18, 2010.  The diorama, which was custom made for Heal the Bay by Andrew C. Aguilar, is designed for pollution education and to illustrate storm water runoff.

Marine Animal Rescue Specialists Peter Wallerstein rescues an  emaciated, hypothermic and disorientedelephant seal pup at Santa Monica beach on Monday, March 22, 2010. The pup will be rehabilitated for three months before being released back to its natural habitat.

(1) Activist Jerry Rubin hugs a tree a Palisades Park during  Alliance for Survival Peace and Environmental Group's 'Tree-Hugging Day' on the Spring Equinox, Saturday, March 20, 2010. (2) Baywatch actress  Alexandra Paul hugs a tree at Palisades Park.  (3) Environmentalists give a group tree hug to the 'Children's Tree Of Life' at Palisades Park. (4) Environmentalists walk through Palisades Park during Alliance for Survival Peace and Environmental Group's "Tree Hugging March." (5) Joe Faris  sings 'Trees'  ( by Joyce Kilmer) under the historic  Moreton Bay Fig Tree in the courtyard of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel during Alliance for Survival Peace and Environmental Group's 'Tree-Hugging Day' on the Spring Equinox, Saturday, March 20, 2010.