A Garden Dedication: Honoring the Legacy of Doris Sosin

Join us for a plaque unveiling and garden dedication on April 27^th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. 

We’re approaching ten years since the opening of the historic Shotgun House as the Conservancy’s headquarters. In this pivotal moment, we celebrate Doris Sosin, founder and benefactor of the Santa Monica Conservancy. On April 27^th, we’ll unveil a plaque dedicating the Shotgun House Native Plant Garden to Doris.

We’ll then host a reception celebrating her legacy filled with: 

• Live Music: A band will grace the Shotgun House with live music!
• Storytelling in Community: We’ll share stories about Doris and reflect on how far we’ve come as an organization amongst our members and long-time supporters.
• Earth Day Celebration: We’ll distribute native plant seeds to celebrate Earth Day. Doris was a climate advocate and a talented gardener. 

We hope you’ll join us. 

We hope you attend to celebrate Doris' impact on our communities. If you cannot make it - in lieu of attendance, consider a $50 donation to support our Shotgun House educational programs.

About Doris Sosin 

Doris Sosin was the inspirational leader whose passion for Santa Monica’s vintage homes became the catalyst for creating the Santa Monica Conservancy. Community organizing was in her DNA – she was responsible for forming NOMA, the North of Montana Association, which successfully revolutionized zoning regulations in that neighborhood. As she watched demolitions of historic homes in her neighborhood and throughout the city, her response was to fight back with a new nonprofit public interest organization that became the Santa Monica Conservancy. Her vision and values were the foundation of the organization that today has a distinct and important civic purpose. She nourished the rescue and rehabilitation of the landmark Shotgun House, with significant donations for its restoration and educational programs. Her deep roots in the community and network of personal connections helped the fledgling organization to create impactful educational programs. Her passion for preservation encompassed the natural environment, leading her to join the Urban Forest Task Force, and to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City.

About the Shotgun House 

In its founding year, the Conservancy worked with a community coalition to save the Shotgun House, built in 1897 at 2712 Second Street. The house relocated to 2520 Second Street in Ocean Park, and opened in 2016 as the Conservancy’s headquarters, receiving many awards as a model of adaptive reuse, including LEED Gold Certification for its green building strategies.