Not more than half a century ago, the Baldwin hills was an abandoned warzone where man grappled against nature’s tight grasp of the land with his tools of metal and synthetics. Partially completed developmental projects and oil wells sucked dry lay in abandon, passing on a land ravaged by our footsteps.

Tender hands have nursed these deep wounds back into a thriving ecosystem, bringing back the unique habitat of coastal scrubland that is fast disappearing across the Americas. Dancing through the desert scrub are sandy strips outlining the switchbacks and zigzagging paths to the pinnacle of the mound at 500ft above ground. Outstretched hands close enough to brush against the low-lying clouds, the LA Basin, extending from Santa Monica to downtown LA, is a patchwork of oblongs in cream, pastel yellow and bright red. The rich sable of San Gabriel resembles two cloaked deities seated with their arms outstretched to gather the lowland greens into their embrace. Integrated into the gentle slopes of the Baldwin Hills, the visitor centre is an impressive 10,000 sq. ft. affair with three main buildings.

Find guided interpretive programs exploring the exhibition space within, a mini theater and even an outdoor pavilion and amphitheatre that is commonly aglow with performances of song and dance aimed at spreading the love for the natural landscape amongst visitors. The visitor centre even features a full wall of transparent panes serving as the only barrier between you and the patchwork quilt laid out below. Pay careful notice to the slate gray blocks supporting these structures for they are all recycled concrete as an extension of the material used to construct the 282 steps leading to the hill’s peak. Scattered throughout the park are dozens of stunning backdrops to truly make you pop in the foreground of your digital memento. Propped on the shoulders on the earthen giant of Baldwin, it almost appears believable that nature will be able to guard her fading heritage from the scars we’ve once inflicted.