Friends of the Los Angeles River

We build capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River.

The Los Angeles River is the birthplace of our region and was once the thriving, unifying water source for the people and wildlife of Los Angeles. But that connection and our collective history was severed when the River was encased in concrete and fenced in 1938. In an act of civil disobedience, poet activist Lewis MacAdams took the first steps to repair that severed connection in 1986 when he cut a hole in the chain link fence that obstructed Angelenos from their rightful River. He declared the River open to the people and swore to serve as its voice. And so, Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) and the River Movement were born. FoLAR has endeavored for over 30 years to restore community connection and natural ecology as the single largest unifying force on the River - educating, empowering, and mobilizing over 70,000 Angelenos to repair habitat and fight for the policies that will reclaim our collective right to a healthy, thriving, and equitably accessible Los Angeles River. With climate change upon us, we envision an increasingly natural river that prioritizes nature-based solutions and the well-being of the communities alongside it. Our theory of change is that by connecting to the River, an educated public will be encouraged to take on the responsibility for the River and LA's broader environmental health; fighting for, stewarding, and reaping the benefits of a healthy, climate resilient Los Angeles River.