Behind the scenes at a stadium, you’d expect to find locker rooms, training equipment, or a broadcasting booth. But at the Stubhub Center, home of the L.A. Galaxy, a pro soccer team, there are some additional features that might surprise you.
Nowinski: “We have an onsite garden that our staff has garden boxes in. We have a chicken coop on-site. We have an avocado orchard that is going to be planted shortly. We have citrus trees on-site.”
That’s Lauren Nowinski of the L.A. Galaxy Foundation. She says growing food on-site is just one part of the team and stadium’s efforts to promote sustainability and reduce their environmental impact.
To conserve water, the stadium irrigates its landscaping with recycled water and installed waterless urinals. To save energy, it uses LED lights and batteries that reduce energy consumption during games.
Nowinski says sports venues are great places to teach new audiences how to protect the environment. She hopes fans will be inspired to make changes in their own lives.
Even if you’re not a soccer fan, you might swing by and visit the Galaxy’s greenhouse or beehives.
Nowinski: “I always encourage people if they’re in the area to come by and see it firsthand. There’s so many things happening here that you don’t expect.”
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.
(Image: Created by David McCarthy. Credit: L.A. Galaxy video.)