LA’s 96 Neighborhood Councils are, as Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance steering committee member Sherri Akers, puts it, the “secret weapons to a sustainable LA.”

Why? NC’s fiercely… :

  • care about their communities;
  • care about Los Angeles; and
  • care about a resilient and sustainable future for LA.

They also recognize that we are more effective when we collaborate to create a better future.

The new Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance, or NCSA, amplifies the power of Neighborhood Councils, both by offering a platform for collaboration on pressing sustainability challenges, and by providing Neighborhood Councils with resources for effective action.

The NCSA is thrilled that the “Save the Drop” campaign will make our secret weapons — Neighborhood Councils — even more powerful. The campaign will support and build on exemplary work already being done by Neighborhood Councils to foster sustainable action by Angelenos. As examples…:

  • Since 2009, the Mar Vista Community Council has opened over 300 gardens for a free annual Green Garden Showcase. (The next Showcase is coming up on April 25.) Residents have been inspired to transform a community of water-guzzling lawns to one where some neighborhoods boast as much as 25% drought-tolerant landscaping.
  • Neighborhood Councils from Mar Vista to Silver Lake, and points in between, offer rainwater harvesting tips and distribute rainbarrels to residents.
  • Neighborhood Councils in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, and beyond, promote water conservation and other sustainable practices at annual community Earth Day events that attract thousands of Angelenos.

Collectively, these neighborhood-scale water actions add up. NCSA steering committee member Lisa Cahill has shared that if each of our neighborhood councils were to distribute just 200 rain barrels, more than one million gallons of water would be saved for every inch of rain.

“Save the Drop” will support a growing demand by Neighborhood Councils for resources that foster resilient communities. What sort of demand? A recent NCSA forum on sustainable water practices, held in collaboration with TreePeople and attended by stakeholders from 45 neighborhoods across LA, sparked 85 requests for help with community water projects and workshops.

The NCSA also looks forward to collaborating with the City to build on existing Neighborhood Council water engagement strategies. Together, we can engage with Neighborhood Councils to …:

  • create “Save the Drop” outreach materials that are tailored to each NC’s unique needs,
  • support powerful “neighbor to neighbor” drought response outreach,
  • recognize sustainable water best practices, and
  • roll out innovative, neighborhood-scale water conservation campaigns.

We all care about Los Angeles, and we care about our future. And we know that we don’t have a future without water. Fortunately, Neighborhood Councils are already doing great things to help conserve water. And with the city’s new “Save the Drop” campaign, Neighborhood Councils can do even more to benefit their communities and support a better future for LA.