Wanting to slither and hop into your heart, reptiles and amphibians are often low-beasties on the wildlife totem pole. Is it because they are often small and good at hiding? Carapaces not cuddle-worthy? Not as showy compared to their mammalian or avarian counterparts? Be prepared to have those stereotypes bashed when you come face-to-face […]
The folks at Anza-Borrego are looking for sheep peepers to help them count big horn sheep over the long Fourth of July weekend in their longstanding citizen scientist program. It’s the 45th annual census and over the years, counters and biologists have seen growing numbers of the sure-footed sheep in the area. Current estimates are about […]
Bird is definitely the word, especially in Los Angeles County that’s home to the largest diversity of birdlife in the United States. Yes. Here. Los Angeles. Bird Capital. HERE. That’s the undercurrent to the first-ever Bird LA Day on May 2 which encourages Angelenos to embrace their feathered citizens that fly over oceans and mountains, […]
Even though he probably will never use it in his lifetime, P-22 (famed Griffith Park cougar) is the incentive for the current campaign to build a wildlife crossing in Southern California; the big city cat is also the inspiration a new photography exhibit that showcases other local critters that would benefit from such a passageway. […]
Body of water…. a wet concrete sidewalk…..sure, there’s a difference, but many eared grebes aren’t seeing it these days. The International Bird Rescue (IBR) reports that its San Pedro facility is taking care of 50 grebes, twice the amount of these migratory coastal birds they usually see this year – and no one knows why. […]
You think it’s just water, waves and sand at the beach? Think again. There are THINGS out there, SoCal. Living things!!!! (da da DUM!) It’s not a big newsflash, but sometimes we Southlanders need to be reminded about our wild neighbors (even those cold blooded and without lungs) that call the Pacific Ocean their home. […]
International Bird Rescue (IBR) and the Animal Legal Defense Fund have now posted a $10,000 reward to find those responsible for the recent, high-profile mutilation of a protected California Brown Pelican in Long Beach. On Sunday, the pelican, nicknamed “Pink” for the colored leg band the adult bird was assigned upon arrival at IBR’s Los Angeles […]
Wildlife lovers of all ages are in for a treat this Sunday, April 27 from noon -4pm when the California Wildlife Center in Calabasas opens their doors (typically closed to the public) for behind-the-scenes tours, up-close encounters and children’s activities. Admission is free and human-friendly refreshments will be served. Be prepared to learn about the […]
Lace up your hiking shoes for local bighorn sheep, SoCal. Three agencies are working together to survey the population in the San Gabriel Mountains and they are looking for volunteers to assist biologists in the annual bighorn sheep count on March 1 -2. No survey experience is necessary but vols (ages 16 and older) are […]
Native milkweeds, the mainstay of monarch everywhere, is in serious decline with new development bulldozing over many historic patches of the native plant — the only one that the monarch will lay eggs on. SoCal gardeners who want to promote and the plant in their backyards can find a wide variety of milkweed at theses […]
Hike, scavenge, snoop, seek …. Local and national wildlife groups will be enticing kids ages 3-10 and their families to tramp around in the most urban park in the country, Griffith Park, for a communal Hike and Seek event on Saturday Nov. 2. Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation (with many other local groups participating), […]
Step aside strange dead aquatic creatures like beaked whales and oarfishes – there’s plenty of other interesting beasties that can be found in our SoCal waters. In fact, two such critters were recently caught by fishermen off the Manhattan Beach pier. And they were alive, not dead… First, a young salmon shark raised eyebrows from […]