It’s harvesting season on the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks and time to collect seeds from native spring wildflowers found on the land like arroyo lupines and cobweb thistle. Join Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteers to collect wildflower seeds at the Native Seed Farm in Irvine any Wednesday or Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The variety of plant species in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks is incredibly diverse, and so are the ways in which these native plants disperse their seed. Arroyo lupine’s seed pods buckle and twist as they dry out in the sun, eventually popping open and sending seeds flying. Cobweb thistle have pappus that have tufts of hair on their seeds that resemble parachutes and help their seed glide along with the wind. Other flowers such as dandelions use this method as well, but cobweb thistle pappus is much larger in size so it can catch enough of a breeze to carry the plant’s bulky seeds.

Many of the native plants found out in the Landmarks are also grown at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy Native Seed Farm in Irvine. Volunteers help harvest thousands of seeds from the nearly 15,000 native seedlings that were successfully planted at the farm this winter. Seeds from these plants and wildflowers at the farm are used to regrow native species in habitat restoration sites throughout the Landmarks. Seeds are collected and laid out to dry, and any additional materials collected such as leaves, stems and petals are repurposed as a natural mulch to fertilize soil on the Landmarks. Since nothing goes to waste, everything volunteers collect during harvesting season on the Native Seed Farm has a huge impact on future successful habitat restoration.

Join the Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteers at the Native Seed Farm at harvesting activities on Wednesday and Saturday mornings by clicking here. All tools and training are provided. Volunteering at the Farm is an ideal way to connect with the outdoors as summer temperatures heat up. No hiking is required and activities are family friendly and free with required pre-registration, which closes at 4 p.m.the day prior to each event. Children 8 years old and up are welcome to volunteer on the farm, and must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. For more details on programs at the Native Seed Farm, click here or visit LetsGoOutside.org/activities.

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Irvine Ranch Conservancy

Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a non-profit, non-advocacy organization created in 2005 to help preserve and support the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, enhancing the public’s connection to the land while helping partners and landowners with all aspects of stewardship. The Conservancy offers a variety of free, guided outdoor programs for all nature enthusiasts including hiking, mountain biking, horse-back riding and much more. For more information, visit www.letsgooutside.org.

On the fourth Saturdays of June and July, Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site will be hosting two free summer concerts in the beautiful backyard of the historic property. Guests are welcome to arrive at 4:30 p.m. for pre-concert picnicking in the stunning historic gardens and music will begin at 5:30, continuing until 7p.m.
The first concert, taking place on Saturday, June 26th, will feature the musical talents of local jazz band, Al Threats and Amusement Park. Al has been playing bass for over 30 years, beginning his musical career with a Funk and Sole band he formed in the 1970’s. Since that time, he has travelled extensively to various Jazz festivals in Europe, Los Angeles and many more locations and thus has pursued the art of Jazz music in its many forms.

Ray Goren & the Generation Blues Experience will play the second concert on Saturday, July 24th. The band is comprised of several blues veterans and Ray’s diverse musical tastes have greatly influenced by his original music; a mixture of pop, rock and R&B. He is a captivating live performer and has played all around the United States, sharing the stage with those of BB King, Leon Russell, Robby Krieger, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Alice Cooper and Eric Gales to name a few.

Concerts begins at 5:30 PM and ends at 7 PM. The gate to the backyard opens at 4:30 for pre-concert picnicking. Guests are welcome to bring a blanket or lawn chair. Pets are not allowed.

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About Rancho Los Cerritos:
Rancho Los Cerritos is located at 4600 Virginia Road in Long Beach. Built in 1844, the adobe home and grounds echo with the rich history of Spanish, Mexican, and American
California and with the families who helped transform Southern California from its ranching beginnings to the modern and urban society it is today. The two-story Monterey-style adobe is primarily furnished to reflect occupants and lifestyles from the 1860s-1880s. The site, a National, State and Long Beach Historic Landmark, also includes historic gardens and a research library and archives. The Rancho is operated by the Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation in private-public partnership with the City of Long Beach. For more information please call (562) 206-2040, or visit the website at www.rancholoscerritos.org and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rancholosc.

Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site is offering an exciting afternoon of free, good old-fashioned fun for children at Creation Station. Join us for an afternoon of colorful, “rainbow surprises” on Saturday June 4th! Activities will include painting butterflies, creating engravings, and crafting vibrant mosaics, using every color of the rainbow.

This drop-in, historically-themed craft workshop will be from 1-4pm and is perfect for children ages 5-11. Creation Station workshops are held rain or shine. In addition to participating in these hands-on activities, visitors can choose to take a free house tour between 1 and 5pm, or a garden tour at 2:30pm.

Mark your calendars! Creation Station will begin again in October.

About the Rancho:

Built in 1844, the adobe home and grounds of Rancho Los Cerritos echo with the rich history of Spanish, Mexican, and American California and with the families who helped transform Southern California from its ranching beginnings to a modern, urban society. The two-story Monterey-style adobe is primarily furnished to reflect occupants and lifestyles from the 1860s-1880s. The site, a National, State and Long Beach Historic Landmark, also includes historic gardens and a research library and archives. It is operated by the Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation in a public/private partnership with the City of Long Beach. For more information please call (562) 206-2040, or visit the website at www.rancholoscerritos.org and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rancholosc.

Credit: Rancho Los Cerritos.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey, a traveling photo exhibit curated by the GRAMMY Museum^® at L.A. LIVE, will open in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 26. The exhibition features more than 40 iconic images of Bruce Springsteen.

On display for one month only through Sunday, June 19, the exhibit serves to document a great American music legend, and will feature photos taken by noted Springsteen photographers Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Pamela Springsteen and Frank Stefanko.

“This exhibit defines the career of Bruce Springsteen in an entirely new light, as captured by these five incredible photographers,” said GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli. “Each of these photographers was able to artfully document Bruce’s world, at different stages in his career. We are honored to partner with each of them in order to help tell the story of one of the most important figures in American music.”

While the majority of the exhibit focuses on Springsteen offstage, four additional live performance photographs, shot by Barry Schneier, will be showcased. These photos were shot during the now-famous Springsteen concert at Harvard Square Theater where famed Rolling Stone music journalist Jon Landau claimed, “I have seen the future of rock and roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”

Additionally, the exhibit will feature video interviews with each of the photographers, produced by the GRAMMY Museum.

Bruce Springsteen: A Photographic Journey will be on display on the GRAMMY Museum’s second floor throughJune 19, 2016. The exhibit was previously on display at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Bruce Springsteen’s recording career spans more than 40 years, beginning with 1973’s Columbia Records release Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ. He has released 18 studio albums, garnered 20 GRAMMY Awards, won an Oscar, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was a 2009 recipient of Kennedy Center Honors and was named 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year by The Recording Academy^®.

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The GRAMMY Museum

Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY® Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only the GRAMMY Museum can deliver. For more information, please call 213-765-6800 or visit www.grammymuseum.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram, and like “The GRAMMY Museum” on Facebook.

Otis Spunkmeyer is running a “Lifetime Supply of Free Cookies” contest– no purchase is necessary, to enter folks just have to like or follow Otis Spunkmeyer on any of its social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

You may remember Otis Spunkmeyer for its chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes sold at your school cafeteria or local baseball concession stand, but as of this week, their tasty treats are now available for the first time in grocery stores and Wal-Marts nationwide.

This promotion runs until May 29 and one person at random from each social channel will to receive the prize (so 3 total awarded). The official rules can be found here.

Check them out on  Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Credit: Otis Spunkmeyer. Contest is not affiliated with SoCal City Kids.

The ultimate pre-party before the first 365 by Whole Foods Market store opens in Silver Lake on May 25! Enjoy snacks from food trucks – Coolhaus, Kogi, Yeastie Boys, Border Grill and Allegro Coffee – an acoustic set with Rocky Duwani, DJ Monalisa, face painting and henna hand painting, games like cornhole and skeeball, a kid’s area and fun giveaways.

LA-based non-profit rescue Wags and Walks will have adoptable dogs, a puppy photo booth and will host a supply drive to help meet their goal of adopting out 1,000 dogs in 2016. Wags and Walks is in need of treats, dog beds, crates, leashes, collars and toys. Don’t forget to pick up a free doggie bandana!

Come by for food, drinks, fun and get to know your new local grocery store. Parking is limited so biking is encouraged – we’ll have ample covered bike racks. Event is free and open to the public.

RSVP: https://365bywfm-partyintheparkinglot.eventbrite.com

WHEN   Sunday, May 22
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

WHERE   365 by Whole Foods Market Silver Lake

                2520 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039

Credit: 365 by Whole Foods Market.

Denny’s needs your help to save the country from an earth-shattering invasion! America’s Diner is inviting fearless guests and movie fans to rise-up and join the fight to protect the nation from an impending alien threat ahead of the long-awaited film ‘Independence Day: Resurgence.’ Fans are asked to rally their troops and enter in an exclusive sweepstakes  for a chance to win an all-inclusive trip to the Hollywood premiere screening of the much anticipated motion picture event, coming to theaters nationwide on June 24.

Today, through May 27, fans can post a picture of the group of people they’d choose to help combat the impending alien resurgence on Instagram or Twitter along with the hashtag #IDRSweepstakes. Participants will be entered for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime, all-inclusive trip for two, including a three-day, two-night trip to Hollywood, tickets to the premiere event, a $1,000 gift card and limited edition ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ merchandise.

“At Denny’s, we love to feed our guests more of the things they crave,” said John Dillon, @DillonJohnW, chief marketing officer for Denny’s. “We’re thrilled to offer this epic experience that celebrates ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ and gives guests and fans an exclusive taste of the movie they can’t get anywhere else.”

Guests will have plenty of other opportunities to enjoy the resurgence at Denny’s with the ‘Red, White and Blue Slam,’ an all-American classic brought back in celebration of the movie and featured on Denny’s ‘Red, White & Bacon’ menu. Fans will also have access to a variety of movie content available via Denny’s ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ site, while the brand’s Instagram and Facebook channels will be posting a series of clips for followers. Plus, America’s favorite diner gang ‘The Grand Slams,’ will be getting an alien-inspired makeover in a ‘Slamsurgence’ episode featured on www.thegrandslams.com.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this unique experience to Denny’s customers,” said Zachary Eller, Senior Vice President, Partnerhships for 20th Century Fox. “This epic sweepstakes is just another great part of a fantastic integrated program Denny’s has launched in support of ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’.”

For more information about Denny’s ‘Independence Day: Resurgence Sweepstakes’ or the limited time ‘Red, White and Bacon’ menu, please visit www.dennys.com.

 Credit: Denny’s.

About Denny’s Corp.

Denny’s is one of America’s largest full-service family restaurant chains, currently operating 1,700 franchised, licensed and company-owned restaurants across the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Guam, Curaçao, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Chile, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. For further information on Denny’s, including news releases, please visit the Denny’s website at www.dennys.com or the brand’s social channels via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest,Instagram  or YouTube.

About Independence Day: Resurgence

We always knew they were coming back.  After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale.  Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet.  But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force.  Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

About 20th Century Fox

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world.  These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film:  Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, today announced the opening of a new location in Bell Gardens on Wednesday, May 4.  The restaurant, located at 6821 Eastern Ave., will roll out the pink carpet and open its doors to the public at 5 a.m. To satisfy guests’ cravings both day and night, the new establishment will provide Dunkin’ Donuts’ full array of iconic offerings including fresh brewed coffee, delicious baked goods and sandwiches.

As part of the opening day festivities, the first guest in line at both the drive-thru and lobby will receive a $100 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card. Meanwhile, travel mugs along with a $5 gift card will be given to the first 50 guests to arrive at the restaurant. Attendees will be greeted by beloved brand mascot, Cuppy, and free passed samples will be available throughout the day. Local dignitaries will also be invited to join in the grand opening excitement and welcome Dunkin’ Donuts to the Bell Gardens community.

A ceremonial ribbon cutting will take place to commemorate the grand opening, which will include a $20,000 check presentation to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank from The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF). In the final year of its three-year, $1,000,000 commitment, The DDBRCF is working closely with Feeding America® member food banks to support child-hunger initiatives nationwide.  This grant will further the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s efforts to help children who face hunger in the local Los Angeles community.

The Bell Gardens franchise will be operated by Prell Restaurant Group, owned by brothers Coby and Danny Sonenshine. The small business owners brought Dunkin’ Donuts to the communities of Downey and Whittier in 2014 and also operate a nearby Wingstop restaurant located in Bell Gardens.

“We are very excited to bring Dunkin’ Donuts full menu to even more Los Angeles residents with this new location and look forward to supporting and working with the Bell Gardens community through local events and fundraisers,” said Coby Sonenshine, Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee. “From our experience working in the Bell Gardens area, we are confident our new restaurant will quickly become a go-to destination and the local residents will soon be running on Dunkin’.”

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/DunkinLA) for real time updates. For media inquiries, contact dunkindonuts@havasformula.com.

About Dunkin’ Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 10 years running. The company has more than 11,700 restaurants in 43 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

About The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation

The mission of The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation is to serve its neighborhoods by taking care of their basic needs: hunger, children’s health and safety. The DDBRCF brings together a wide network of stakeholders, including franchisees, crew members and employees to serve their local communities. Launched in 2006, The DDBRCF has granted more than $11,000,000 to local charities.

Credit Dunkin’ Donuts.