TNT designer Urs Baur’s elegant drawing celebrates the universal theme of motherhood for our special Mother’s Day issue of Topanga New Times. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mother figures in our lives: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, mentors, teachers, friends, and the mother of us all, Mother Earth! Cover design by Urs Baur.
The headlines are alarming: a “super” El Niño, a “mega” El Nino, a “Godzilla” El Niño, an El Niño so strong that it may permanently impact weather patterns and bring fire, flood, snow, drought, and, from the sound of it, possibly a rain of frogs or a plague of locusts. The alarmism evokes Bill Murray’s famous line in the 1984 film Ghostbusters: “Human sacrifice. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria!”
We were relieved to see Reuters’ unsensational but accurate version: “El Niño set to return as early as May, impacting global weather patterns, UN weather agency says.”
It’s true that there is currently a high probability (61 percent at the moment) that El Niño is likely to emerge in May or June, and that the weather condition could potentially persist through the end of 2026. It’s true that all the data suggest this could be an unusually strong El Niño, but the odds of that are currently one in four. Even an ordinary El Niño can have a major negative impact on the weather, but what this El Niño does, if and when it materializes, and how strong it will be depends on a lot of variables, and there’s no point in panicking.
There isn’t much we can do if this is a worst-case scenario other than cope with whatever comes when it arrives, but there are things we can all do to potentially reduce the impact on our homes and community. El Niño increases the odds that this will be a hot summer for us in Topanga, with potentially a wet winter to follow. It may also increase the risk of wildfire. We can prepare by meeting brush clearance requirements to reduce fire risk; fixing leaks (while also being mindful that this is peak bird and squirrel nesting season); clearing drainage channels and drains; stabilizing hillsides to mitigate potential heavy rains; and checking emergency supplies and updating evacuation and shelter-in-place plans—always a good thing here in “disaster central.”
Whatever the weather brings, we’ll get through it. We always do.
Four and a half years after the project broke ground, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills has an official opening date: December 2, 2026. The announcement was made on Earth Day.
Surprisingly, in this atmosphere of extreme partisan politics and the current administration’s major push to dismantle and eliminate environmental protections, a new, bipartisan wildlife bill was also announced on Earth Day.
Don Beyer (D-VA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the “Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026” on April 22. The bill proposes researching, mapping, and protecting wildlife corridors on federal public lands and water. If this legislation is approved, areas that receive a National Wildlife Corridor designation will be withdrawn from disposal and from destructive uses like mining, logging, and mineral extraction. All federal agencies involved in the management and use of federal public lands would be required to protect and manage designated corridors with the goal of preventing further fragmentation.
It’s an ambitious piece of legislation, especially in this political climate, but the fact that it has bipartisan support is heartening.
Wildlife crossing is always a concern here in Topanga, but especially in early summer when so many young animals are beginning to venture out into the world—neighbors had a young bobcat in their backyard this week, a friend had to stop to let a family of skunks cross a canyon road the other night, and all over the Santa Monica Mountains the first batch of fledgling birds are already taking flight, including a certain local family of great horned owls.
There are no plans for a wildlife bridge in Topanga or, unfortunately, any of the other local canyon roads where wildlife is at risk of encountering traffic, but we can all help by being aware that wildlife is present—even when we don’t see it—and slowing down.
This is our special Mother’s Day issue of TNT, but it is also our anniversary issue. Topanga New Times is turning six years old this month. Thank you to all of our amazing readers, advertisers, and contributors. You are the reason TNT exists. We are so grateful to be part of your lives, and part of this one-of-a-kind community!
Stay safe, be well. Happy Mother’s Day!
