Backyard BioBlitz: Discover Nature Without Leaving Home
Looking for a fun and easy nature adventure this summer? How about a backyard BioBlitz? The term BioBlitz was coined in 1996 by U.S. National Park Service naturalist Susan Rudy for the first event of its kind, held at...
Humboldt Lilies
Humboldt lilies are one of the most spectacular wildflowers that grow in the Santa Monica Mountains. Early summer is the time to look for this increasingly rare wild lily. It usually only thrives in deep canyons along the sides...
Topanga’s Dark Skies Are the Perfect Backdrop for Celestial Summer Fireworks
Fourth of July firework displays may be on hold this year because of the coronavirus crisis, but skywatchers will be treated to a penumbral lunar eclipse on the evening of July 5, just after sunset. A penumbral lunar eclipse...
Meet the Neighbors: Animal Families Are a Lot Like Us
No one sends them cards for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or buys them flowers or ties, but there are some outstanding parents in Topanga’s animal kingdom. Species that raise their offspring cooperatively include a wide range of birds...
Surprising and Sometimes Scary, Snakes Are a Vital Part of Topanga’s Ecology
It’s snake weather in Topanga! Most reptile species in the Santa Monica Mountains don’t hibernate, they brumate—becoming inactive during cold weather and active during warm weather. On summer days when there is a heavy marine layer, snakes may only...
Growing a Coronavirus Victory Garden
Victory gardens are gaining popularity again, this time in response to the war against COVID-19. Industrialist millionaire Charles Lathrop Pack is credited with creating the American war garden movement in 1917, when the US entered the first World War....
Fire-Following Wildflower Makes a Rare Appearance
It has the elusive scent of a half-remembered perfume from childhood—vanilla, cinnamon, and musk, with a hint of dust and ashes—and it has covered wide swaths of the burned hills like a dusting of fragrant snow. Ehrendorferia ochroleuca is...
Celebrate Wildlife Crossing Week Online
As part of its successful P-22 Presents series, The National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign is launching “Wildlife Crossing Week” – a set of live and interactive online presentations featuring experts from all over the world that have dedicated themselves...
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