We found in our archives a Vintage Video from Nature Friends Los Angeles from the 1930s we were able to digitize it and post it online for all to view.
The video includes:
* Weekend activties at our Sierra Madre Lodge
* Construction of the Cabin in the San Jacinto Mountains
* Outings to the Coachella Valley desert
* Beach party near Corona del Mar in Orange County
* And other nice views of the area back then.
Following the devastating April, 2008 fires, the potential for mudflow from denuded hillsides is great.
Please access these resources for help in averting and dealing with mudflows in and around Nature Friends.
Sierra Madre Fire - April 26-29 2008
Nature Friends’ Closest Call
by: Daniel Foster
A garden hose won’t do much to stop a raging fire. Yet that backyard fixture was all members and neighbors had to douse a goliath that devoured 584 acres from April 26 – 29, 2008. It may have made the difference.
The incessant drone of helicopters was the first sign of danger – summoned after the blaze began at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 in Chantry Flats, one mile northeast of Nature Friends.
A Visit to the Nature Friends House in Grindelwald, Switzerland
By Solveig Leslie and Joe & Lela Hajek
We wanted to see the lovely glacier mountains of the Alps. What better way to do this than to find a Swiss Nature Friends house to stay at? But the question was, how do we locate one and how do we get there?
Nature Friends is a non-profit membership organization whose purposes among others are:
To acquaint its members with the opportunity to appreciate nature and the natural scenery of the country.
To encourage the study of nature and to disseminate the knowledge of the natural sciences.
To support and aid the protection, conservation and preservation of woods, wildlife and the natural features of this country.
To promote friendship and good relations with other organizations and individuals who are sympathetic to the above stated purposes.
To acquire, build and maintain lodges, shelters, houses. and other places of recreation.
To arrange meetings, social and cultural activities, exhibitions and lectures in relation to the purposes of the club.
To promote the selective use of its facilities to generate revenue to support the organization.
We have two facilities in the Los Angeles, Southern California area.
A lodge and Retreat Center in the city of Sierra Madre and a cabin in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Here below is the information about them:
Sierra Madre Lodge and Retreat Center
An ideal location for meetings, retreats, weddings, workshops, seminars, birthday parties or picnics. All in a secluded rustic setting... easily accessible from most areas in the Greater Los Angeles Basin.
Nature Friends is located in the beautiful foothill city of Sierra Madre, only 45 minutes drive from Los Angeles Airport or Hollywood, 30 minutes from Burbank Airport or downtown Los Angeles and just 15 minutes from Pasadena.
The buildings are set in a fork of Little Santa Anita Canyon on the eastern shoulder of Mount Wilson, nestled in a grove of wild oak and alder trees and other nature plantings. The property is a nature and wildlife sanctuary, retreat center, community resource, library and welcoming garden.
Feel free to look at our website and if you would like more information about the requirements for using our facility for your next event or would like to get more information about becoming a member contact us. We will be glad to invite you to come and visit us.
San Jacinto Cabin
Here below are some pictures from our cabin up in the mountains of San Jacinto, near Idylwild.
This cabin was built by our members, by hand between 1929 and 1932. We have a vintage video in our archive collection showing how they did it.. it's amazing what they did back in those days. They were very resourceful.
