Promoting Environmental Health in Leimert Park through Improved Solid Waste Management and Air Quality Education

About the Community

Leimert Park, located in South Los Angeles, is known for its vibrant culture of Black art and creativity. Nevertheless,  residents are disproportionately exposed to unjust and unhealthy high levels of air pollution and solid waste. Ezrach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to tackling inequalities. Our mission is to pave the way for economic opportunity, promote environmental sustainability, and advocate for equity to positively impact the community and its residents. Our priority for Leimert Park is to improve environmental health and foster a healthier and more sustainable community.

To address issues of toxic air quality, Ezrach collaborated with the University of California Los Angeles on community-based research, resulting in the publication of an air monitoring report. This report was shared with community residents and offered community-driven solutions to improve air quality. Recommendations for policymakers and change agents to contribute to the community’s growth in areas of air quality were also provided.

In line with these recommendations, Ezrach is partnering with the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEE) due to its expertise and resources in community-driven environmental projects. We rely on TEE’s support in designing and implementing nature-based community science initiatives focused on waste management and air pollution.

About the Project

Public spaces, including the Park, lack recycling and composting facilities and have insufficient general waste disposal facilities. This project will focus on improving waste management infrastructure within the community to reduce community exposure to solid waste and reduce the volume of waste unnecessarily sent to landfill (recyclable and compostable materials). The primary aim is to enhance residents’ understanding of air quality and waste disposal, install recycling and composting facilities in community spaces, and secure the necessary funding and logistical support to ensure their continued maintenance past the conclusion of the Thriving Earth project. To help inform these broader efforts, the project will host a Trash Action Day as “Keep Leimert Park Clean” campaign. The event will engage residents through a community cleanup and discussion workshop, gathering baseline insights into local waste patterns and community priorities. Findings from the event will inform receptacle placement, strengthen outreach strategies, and support collaboration with local stakeholders. Future studies will aim to understand the impact of improper waste disposal on air quality in Leimert Park.

 Deliverables:

• Trash Action Day & Community Insight
  • Conduct a trash cleanup to engage residents and encourage them to contribute household waste to a central collection point.
  • Characterize collected waste (e.g., morphology, material types, brands) to inform insights into local waste trends.
  • Develop partnership with the council office and local community organizations

Timeline and Milestones

• Fall 2025: Finalize recruitment of Scientist and begin collaboration
• November – December 2025: Connect with local elected officials and plan Trash Action Day.
• January 2026: community cleanup and workshop to collect baseline waste data and community feedback.
  • Identify champions and community experts to support the project.
• February – March 2026: Analyze findings from the Trash Action Day and compile insights.
  • Share findings publicly (newsletter/summary flyer/social media) to maintain engagement.

Community Leads

Dr. Edidiong Mendie is the Executive Director of Ezrach Brain Trust Association. A leader in the field of Environmental Justice, she brings extensive experience working with marginalized communities, policymakers, and clean energy stakeholders.

She is also an Adjunct Professor/Lecturer of criminal justice at California State University Sacramento and Texas Southern University, and began her career as a licensed attorney in Nigeria specializing in Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives. Dr. Mendie is a published author and has presented at 20+ international and local conferences.

Dr. Mendie holds a Ph.D. in Administration of Justice from Texas Southern University, an LL.M. in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law from the University of Houston, Texas, a B.L. from The Nigerian Law School, and a LL.B. from the University of Benin, Nigeria.

Mr. Shaahid Ali El is the Co-Founder and Chief Thought Officer of Ezrach. He possesses over 35 years of community and stakeholder engagement skills. Mr. Ali El will be in charge of developing and implementing strategies to engage community members, collaborating with residents, facilitating outreach initiatives, and ensuring that the project aligns with community needs.

Community Scientist

Dr. Win Cowger (AKA Dr. Trash) is the Research Director at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research and a Visiting Scholar of the Gray Lab at UCR. He studies the sources, transport, and fate of plastic pollution. His science focuses on identifying solutions to plastic pollution and assessing their effectiveness. As an applied scientist, Win collaborates with nonprofit organizations such as Let’s Do It World and Algalita, Government agencies like the Ocean Protection Council, and academics to apply science in practice. Win has been fortunate to be part of two other Thriving Earth Exchange projects that help communities address trash issues, and is very excited to work with the Leimert Park community as a scientist and their neighbor in Long Beach, CA.

Community Science Fellow

Melese Getenet Dessie is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Energy Geosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He earned his PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Granada, Spain, in 2023. During his doctoral research, he focused on the intricate processes of mineral self-assembly and pattern formation in alkaline soda lakes, employing advanced techniques like X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, and geochemical modeling. At Berkeley Lab, his research is centered on understanding the roles of mineral-water interfaces in chemical-mechanical processes involved in rock formation, deformation, and their implications for energy and climate applications. Specifically, he investigates carbonate minerals’ interfacial energy, thermodynamics, and the stress-driven dissolution-precipitation processes that could occur in natural and engineered geochemical systems.

Ezrach is a faith-based organization based in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. Ezrach seeks to advance its work in several areas: 1) air quality monitoring; 2) education and awareness; 3) advancing sustainability.