Environment

Save Trees! Become a Detection Detective!

Concerned about the dead and dying trees throughout the Santa Monica Mountains? While some have succumbed to the seven-year drought, others are further impacted by infestation of several beetles and the Resource…

A Bunny’s Tale

Last year, sitting on my deck of a summer morning, café latte in hand, I was taking in the cool breeze before the summer heat kicked in when two tiny bunny ears…

The Owls Have It

It all started one morning about two months ago when Meagan arrived at the Nature of Wildworks wildlife center in Topanga at 9 a.m. to begin her day as a wildlife caretaker.…

Deadly Mushroom Is at Home in the Santa Monica Mountains

Three white mushrooms appeared this week under an oak tree in a local garden—elegant, pale and perfect. At first glance, these mushrooms appeared to be harmless, but a faint greenish tinge to…

More Backyard Wildlife

Great horned owls   Butterfly   Hummingbird   Baby blue jays  

Offshore Oil Drilling on Hold

A  Trump Administration plan to open federal waters to new offshore oil drilling is on hold following a major legal setback. The controversial plan to open nearly 90 federal waters to the…

Mothers of the Mountains

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) has three official founding mothers who fought to make the park a reality. Women have always been on the frontline of politics, activism, and…

Bobcat 362 Gives Birth

A young bobcat captured and collared a day before the Woolsey Fire started last November gave birth to four kittens recently, B-364, B-365. B-366 and B-367. Using VHF radio-telemetry and GPS points…

Challenges of the Urban Beekeeper

What do you do when your domestic bees abandon their hive and a swarm of wild bees moves in? My first introduction to backyard beekeeping was in February of last year when…

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Poppy Pilgrimage Is Worth the Trek

When conditions are just right the high desert east of Los Angeles blooms in a mad profusion of color, and spring 2019 may be a wildflower year for the record books. Abundant…