BREAKING GROUND AT JEFFERSON TEST PLOT
By Andre Grospe (Test Plot Designer) and the Jefferson Test Plot Youth Fellows: Emily Salazar, Hazel Daniel, Gaby Chavez Abrego, Lizbeth Villalobos, Ashley Gramajo, Dayanara Munguia, Alexia Galbraith, Ruby Villalobos, Isabella Galbraith, Aiden Gonzalez
DATE: March 26, 2026
TEMP/WEATHER: HOT
FOLLOW ALONG: Maintenance journal
Over 100 plants were planted this past month at the Jefferson Test Plot, a former oil drilling site between the Adams-Normandie and Exposition Park neighborhoods. Thanks to the efforts of Redeemer Community Partnership (RCP), the RCP Youth Fellows, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land (LANLT), Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) and dedicated volunteers, we were able to gather and plant part of this block for the first time in over 60 years.
The following log is a history and reflection written by the cohort of youth fellows who were instrumental in starting and stewarding this plot.
Redeemer Community Partnership, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, and the Test Plot Youth Fellows
Redeemer Community Partnership (RCP) is a non-profit supporting children and young adults in South Los Angeles by creating a network of programs that advocate for public health and safety, environmental justice, and career development. RCP and Test Plot have created a cohort of 11 local high school students, youth fellows, to steward the Jefferson Test Plot. The youth fellows meet weekly at Greenhouse South LA, a community gathering space in Exposition Park that also promotes sustainable home electrification and youth workforce development. South Los Angeles is an overlooked community where many youth feel they don't have a voice, and this space allows them to express themselves creatively and explore different career paths.
LANLT and RCP partnered to purchase the site with a $10 million state budget allocation secured by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer. Together, RCP and LANLT steward the site, now known as the Jefferson Park and Affordable Housing Project.
LANLT is currently in the process of remediating underground pollution (though the site is currently safe to gather and work on) and finalizing the design of the future park and housing. Test Plot was brought on in this interim period to create a temporary native plant garden that would inform the final plant palette while also giving the community a chance to engage and build a relationship with native plants and the site itself.
The Jefferson Test Plot is generously supported by EJ Ready, a partnership by Liberty Hill Foundation and Resources Legacy Fund.
Jefferson Drill Site History (Slideshow)
2013
In 2013, Redeemer Community Partnership (RCP) began to advocate for the closure of this oil drill site. RCP and various community members came together at City Hall in order to protest the site operators' new applications for more oil wells. The protest was successful and overtime, more and more residents and community members organized against the oil drill site. This protest branched out to other organizations like STAND-LA to give testimonies against the oil drill site and obtain necessary health protections against the negative impacts of the site.
In 2013, Redeemer Community Partnership (RCP) began to advocate for the closure of this oil drill site. RCP and various community members came together at City Hall in order to protest the site operators' new applications for more oil wells. The protest was successful and overtime, more and more residents and community members organized against the oil drill site. This protest branched out to other organizations like STAND-LA to give testimonies against the oil drill site and obtain necessary health protections against the negative impacts of the site.
2018
After years of protest and advocacy, the city mandated several health and safety measures within the site. The oil operators opted to close the drill site rather than comply. RCP partnered with LANLT to conduct community visioning workshops between 2019-2021 to envision the future use of the site, with community members overwhelmingly identifying as a community park, housing, and a community center.
2022-2024
By 2022, all operations were removed from the site, and after due diligence in the acquisition process, LANLT purchased the site in 2023 in partnership with RCP and with a state budget allocation secured by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer. A community celebration in 2024 welcomed neighbors onto the site for the first time in over half a century.
2026 — Where we are now
Now that the Jefferson Drill site is fully closed, as of January 2026 RCP and LA Neighborhood Land Trust have been meeting at the Jefferson site regularly with community members to discuss remediation and the futre park and housing design concepts. In November of 2025, Test Plot was brought on to lead a temporary restoration garden in the interim years before the final housing and park project can be built.
Process
In January of 2026, the youth fellows met on site to brainstorm and sketch possible layouts. The initial designs consisted of symbolic images such as flowers, spirals, suns, bugs, smiley faces, and more. We wanted to make the plot an icon that people looking down from their apartments and second stories could recognize. We wanted to incorporate features like a central gathering area and log stumps that would give people to walk, rest in the shade, or run and play. This test plot will be accessible to all ages.
We ultimately decided to use the shape of the flower as it symbolized turning something negative and harmful, into something beautiful for our community. For the location, we wanted the plot to be highly visible to the community, where people could walk by and see all of the beautiful native plants. This area was also teeming with lush spontaneous vegetation, mostly mallow and Stork’s bill, which was a good sign that things could grow in our future garden.
We first cleared the space by weeding and picking out rocks. Jen led us through a design exercise, where we calculated the length of our steps as a way to figure out an appropriate scale of the plot. Using rope and flags, we walked out each petal, making sure they were large enough to work and plant in.
Before we planted, we sampled the soil and learned of its high pH and low nitrogen and organic matter content. Much of the soil appears to be backfill, full of rocks, concrete, bricks, and asphalt rubble, remnants of its industrial use and demolition, potentially contributing to its high 8.0 pH.
The soil was highly compacted and difficult to dig by hand. Facing this challenge we had to use water to soften it up for digging, weeding, and installing the fence posts. Because the soil is so compacted, we drilled several vertical mulch holes to help water infiltrate deeper into the site. Plants were organized around each of these holes. With time, as these plants grow, the soil will soften and reach proper nutrient levels.
Plant Selection
With consultation from the Theodore Payne Foundation, we selected a variety of California native grasses and coast sage scrub plants that would be suitable for such a tough site. We tried to prioritize pioneer species like Isocoma menziesii (goldenbush), Artemesia californica (california sagebrush), Encelia californica (bush sunflower), and alkaline tolerant species like Distichlis spicata (salt grass), and Atriplex canescens (saltbush). We also included flowering plants like Diplacus auranticus (sticky monkey flower), Epilobium canum (California fuschia), and Helianthus annuus (common sunflower) to add visual interest to the plot.
The five petals of our flower are broken into two grassland plots, two coastal sage scrub plots, and one desert plot.
With soil tests, plant palettes, and layouts done, we were eager to finally break ground at the plot. We hosted our first community planting day on February 8th with over 40 neighbors and supporters. It was definitely a party with lots of effort and good vibes. But breaking ground proved harder than we had hoped. Despite the weeks of rain in December thorugh the new year, the ground had quickly returned to its dry, stubborn, impenetrable state. With shovels alone, no one could get past a few inches. By the end of our first planting day, only a handful of plants made it into the ground. Thank you to the volunteers that dug the holes!
Learning from this first session, we diligently prepped the site ahead of our next planting day, our last opportunity to plant this season. We weeded, installed fences, and saturated the ground with water, allowing us to focus all our energy on mulching and planting.
As our March 14th event grew closer, the forecasted temperature continued to rise. We moved our event to the early evening to dodge this unseasonable, unwelcome heat wave. Thankfully, an eager crowd of volunteers returned to help plant the remaining plants. As the sun set, with auger in hand, we were able to get over 100 plants and several vertical mulch holes in the ground. Craig and Erik from the Theodore Payne foundation graciously taught volunteers how to plant and water. Esteban and Mireya from the LANLT installed a shed for tools and hoses. In the end, we planted 3 of the 5 petals with grassland and coastal sage scrub species. We were also happy to see that the handful of plants that we planted in February were not only alive, but thriving.
Jefferson test plot is our first properly urban site, not situated in or next to an extensive park system. Yet despite the lack of recreational foot traffic, folks have continually stopped, stared, and struck up conversations with us on our workdays. There is an encouraging and clear interest for people to work and contribute to the rehabilitation of this abandoned lot. It’s a promising sign, especially since the road ahead will be tough.
That planting day came late in the season. The days following the event have been brutally hot and dry, not ideal for establishing these plants. From now until the fall, we plan to water weekly, to give the babies a fighting chance. And there is still more to be done, mulching, adding signage, wayfinding, and other features to enhance the garden. The best is yet to come at the Jefferson Test Plot!