spring 2005: wildlife corridors - nature's freeways

Page Page

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get

to the other side, of course. You can’t get out of

third grade without hearing that prehistoric joke

at least once.

But in urbanized Southern

California, that moldy old joke

takes on a new meaning. What if

animals CAN’T get from here to

there? What if encroaching

urbanization isolates open spaces

into blocks of undersized habitat?

It means that wildlife will be deprived of an

adequate gene pool, leading to in-breeding and

loss of genetic diversity. This will gradually

weaken and diminish the ability of any species

to adapt and survive. It means that plants will

not be cross-pollinated by insects. It means

seeds will not be scattered by

birds that will not fly to habitat

they cannot see. It means that our

open spaces will not remain

viable habitat for the creatures

that currently depend on them

for their very survival.

(continued on page 2)

Wildlife Corridors - Nature’s Freeways

Do wildlife

corridors really

work? Preliminary

research shows that

they do.

Inside this issue….

1 Feature Story

2 Map of Wildlife

Corridors

2 Feature Story (cont.)

3 Greetings from the

MRCA

4 Cyberteer

4 From the Editor

5 Wildlife Corridors

6 Chautauqua

7 Ask the Naturalist

8 Featured Plant and

Animal

9 Science News You

Can Use

9 Park Training

Institute

10 Snow Day

11 For Parents and

Educators

12 Volunteer

Happenings

13 Volunteer Enrichment

Training

14 MRCA Makes

Connections

15 Notes from the Field

16 Photo Gallery

Spring 2005

Hoary-leaf Ceanothus at Sage Ranch

Symbiosis Spring 2006 Page Symbiosis Spring 2006 2

(continued from front page) The Santa Monica Mountains

Conservancy (SMMC) and the Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority (MRCA) consider habitat linkages

a primary factor in prioritizing land acquisitions; we work

together with other government agencies to preserve these

linkages. One can think of these efforts as “Connectors

making connections.”

To illustrate what we mean by this, consider Crummer

Canyon, part of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space

Preserve (ULV). Marked with a star on the map below. It is

one of two habitat linkages that connect the Simi Hills to the

Santa Monica Mountains. This habitat linkage is created by

joining up Crummer Canyon (owned by the SMMC and

managed by the MRCA), through Las Virgenes View Park (a

joint project of the SMMC, City of Calabasas and the Las

Virgenes Municipal Water District) to Malibu Creek State

Park (California State Parks). Crummer Canyon provides a

complete canyon bottom linkage between ULV and the

freeway corridor. The elevated deck of the 101 freeway

provides optimal conditions for the construction of a

specialized wildlife underpass. Eventually, Caltrans will

also be part of the our connecting partnership.

(Continued on Page 3)

Bobcat. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

Greetings from the MRCA. . .Greetings from the MRCA. . .

Dear Friends -

Connections. What it means depends on who doing the

talking. MBA’s speak of hub-and-spoke distribution

systems. Sociologists speak of folklore and urban legends,

stories that are passed down through kinship groups or, in

recent times, over the internet. IT folks speak of Routers and

Servers passing packets of data.

But wildlife biologists speak of something different. They

speak of habitat linkages and wildlife corridors, lands that

connect core habitats and allow passage between them.

Connections. We all need them to remain healthy.

We know a lap-top computer will only work a few hours

without being plugged into an outlet. Teachers cannot teach

without students. And human babies will not thrive

without the loving touch of a parent.

In the natural world, small and isolated populations of

mountain lions, bobcats and coyotes will not remain self-

sustaining without infusion of new animals. This infusion

occurs through habitat linkages and wildlife corridors.

The MRCA makes connections. We have been actively

involved in the acquisition and protection of wildlife

corridors throughout the Los Angeles Area. We make

connections with other agencies and professional

organizations where we work together to accomplish our

goals and share what we’ve learned.

We also make connections with the people who visit our

parkland and open spaces. Every hike, every campfire,

every workshop, every brochure, are measured by how we

build and strengthen connections. And to every volunteer

who helps us make those connections - thank you.

Now go outside and play!

Michael D. “Mike” Berger, Chair

Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority

(continued from page 2

Do wildlife corridors work? Preliminary research shows

that they do and further research is ongoing. Last October,

Dr. Ray Sauvajot, NPS Chief of Planning Science &

Resource Management, Santa Monica Mountains NRA,

presented a program “Mountain Lions in Los Angeles” at

our Chautauqua Series. He has graciously allowed us to

share his photos, which capture animals using highway

undercrossings through the use of remote cameras and

radio telemetry. Dr. Sauvajot recommends providing

suitable habitat around these undercrossings in order to

facilitate their use. 1. (Check out our back page for an example of

his work.)

There’s still much work left to do. In 2001, 160 scientists met

at the San Diego Zoo to discuss California’s wildlife

corridors. Their report, "Missing Linkages: Restoring

Connectivity to the California Landscape", identified 232

corridors in California. 14% have already been lost and 59%

are under threat from human encroachment. In Southern

California, the situation is worse; 80% of the wildlife

corridors are under threat. Each threat calls for specific

measures, which can be as simple as placing a culvert under

a highway or as complex as land acquisition.

____________________________

1. Sandra J. Nga, Jim W. Dolea, Raymond M. Sauvajotb,

Seth P.D. Riley, & Thomas J. Valonec, “Use of highway

undercrossings by wildlife in southern California”

Coyote using a culvert to safely cross under the road.

Photo Courtesy National Park Service


From the Editor…..From the Editor…..

“Hey Honey, come take a look at the new National

Geographic. There’s an article on California” my husband

hollered as he came in through the garage door. No matter

how much mail he’s carrying, he always manages to open

the Geographic before he returns from the mailbox.

“Huh, what page?”. I put down the knife I was using to

chop onions. “Let me see”, I said, grabbing it out of his

hands.

Dinner waited while I read the article. My first reaction was

envy. “Oh man . . . just look at those pictures.” Then as I

read further it dawned on me, “They’re taking about

California’s Mediterranean Ecosystem. We devoted an issue

to that last fall.” I grinned at my husband and started to

chuckle, “We scooped National Geographic. This calls for a

glass of wine before dinner!”

After I got my ego back under control, I reflected on how we

chose that theme last summer in an Interpretive division

meeting. So much of what you see in Symbiosis happens

behind the scenes. It truly is a group effort, centered around

the network of connections we’ve made within the MRCA

and with our volunteers, other partner organizations and

our visitors. Our Interpretive staff is only a small part of that

network.

In this issue, for example, the Mountain Lion sighting was

reported by Sabas Quinonez, one of our maintenance staff. Ranger James Latham reported the Osprey sighting and a

visitor supplied the photos. Ranger Mike Young shared his

snow photos of Joughin Ranch. And the Wildlife Corridor

Map was prepared by Marc Shores in our GIS section.

Volunteers are also part of our network of connections. The

cover photo was taken on a hike at Sage Ranch with Tom

Maxwell, one of our long time docents. The photos of MBU

training were taken by MBU volunteer Bill Foster. The

poetry we used in “SNOW Day” came from volunteer

Barbara Baron.

We invite you to join our network of connections. Share

your story, your photo, your sighting, or your question.

Who knows - you just might help us pull off another scoop

someday?

Wendy Langhans

310-858-7272 x 115

[email protected]

Cyberteer….Cyberteer…...

Here are some websites to help you navigate through the

internet to get better acquainted with wildlife corridors,

how they are being affected by development, and what that

means to the animals dependent on them.

For more information about the NPS mountain lion study

being conducted in the Santa Monica mountains, go to

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0521_030

521_tvmountainlions.html

Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority

has a brochure about their Wildlife Corridor.

http://www.habitatauthority.org/pdf/pg1-12v2b.pdf

The Friends of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor

have dedicated their website to informing people about the

importance of wildlife in their community, and how we all

benefit from the wildlife corridors:

http://www.hillsforeveryone.org/about-the-

corridor/corridor-studies.htm

South Coast Wildlands is a nonprofit organization working

to preserve wildlife habitat connectivity. This site has

regional maps identifying key wildlife corridors.

http://scwildlands.org/missinglinks/projectlinkages.htm

What’s so special about Wildlife Corridors...What’s so special about Wildlife Corridors...

For millions of years, animals and plants have migrated

across the land in order to survive and reproduce. Each

species requires a special combination of land and/or water,

environmental factors, and other

forms of life to create a “habitat”

where it can thrive. Sometimes these

habitats stretch out over large areas;

sometimes these habitat are like a

“string of pearls”, viable patches

surrounded by inhospitable areas.

Habitats change over time, sometimes due to long term

events such as climate change, sometimes due to short term

events such as a flood or wildfire. Give enough time,

however, plants and animals will successfully migrate and

reposition themselves.

But humans have greatly altered the land since the

beginnings of agriculture, about 12,000 years ago and this

process has accelerated within the last few centuries, as

human population has exponentially increased. In Southern

California, development has led to increased habitat

fragmentation, creating an “unstrung scattering of pearls”.

Some animals need a larger habitat than others to

thrive. Mountain Lions, for example, need 50-100 square

miles of habitat. A Bobcat needs 1/4 square mile and a

Coyote family needs several square miles. Even that’s not

enough for long term sustainability. Animals need to find a

mate. To maintain a viable breeding population with

sufficient genetic diversity, animals must be able range

beyond their normal habitat.

Wildlife corridors are used by more creatures than just large

mammals. A 2005 study in Florida tracked movement of

birds by using fluorescent Wax Myrtle berries. Patches of

land connected by a corridor showed 37% more use, based

on the fluorescent berries found in bird scat. It turns out that

the birds flew along the edges of the patches. (Habitat

corridors promote conservation. www.sciencemag.org )

So what will happen if the mountain lions and bobcats die

off? Animals such as mountain lions and bobcats are

keystone species, which are essential to the survival of other

species in the ecosystem. These carnivores keep the number

of prey species in check. If coyote habitat is fragmented,

fewer will be left to control populations of skunk, possum,

raccoon, and smaller animals they feed upon. Populations of

their prey will increase, upsetting nature's balance all the

way down the food chain. The ecological health of the core

habitat will decline without wildlife corridors.

The creation of wildlife corridors, provide animals and

other living things a lifeline between "islands" of core habitat,

serve as escape routes from danger and avenues to food

supplies and mates. Corridors can be narrow as a culvert or

wider than an eight-lane freeway. They may be short or

extend for miles, perhaps crossing over or under roads.

To move from one habitat to another involves risk. There

are natural hazards; animals may encounter predators or

lack of food or water. But with our roads and other

development, we have made it even more hazardous for

animals to travel. A well-known children’s campfire song

(sung to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree”) expresses this

danger succinctly:

Oh Tom the toad, oh Tom the toad

I see you lying on the road.

You used to be

So big and fat.

And now you're lying

Squished and flat.

Oh Tom the toad, oh Tom the toad

I see you lying on the road.

Core

Area

Core

Area Corridor

Buffer Zone

Buffer Zone

Core Habitats connected through a Wildlife

Corridor. Buffer zones allow minimal development.


Chautauqua programs for Spring…..Chautauqua programs for Spring…..

From Babylon to Ballona:

The History of Parks and

Open Space

April 18, 7:30 PM. Joe Edmiston

Join us on a journey through time

through the history of parks and open

space, from the Hanging Gardens of

Babylon through the contemporary

fight to preserve natural areas.

Joe Edmiston serves as the executive

officer of both the Santa Monica

Mountains Conservancy and the

Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority. He teaches a

course at UCLA on the history of the

park movement in the U.S.

Legends of the Land:

Provocative People in Poetic

Places

May 16, 7:30 PM. Ruth Kilday

Hear stories of the men and women

who settled the ridgelines and canyons

across the Santa Monica Mountains

through Spanish grazing concessions,

Mexican land grants, and homesteads.

Ruth Kilday was founder and

executive director of the Mountains

Conservancy Foundation (MCF). She

serves on the boards of the MCF and

the Malibu Lagoon Museum.

Secrets of the Chaparral

June 20, 7:30 PM. Richard Halsey

Join us as we explore the chaparral’s

unique natural history, reveal the truth

concerning its many myths and

mysteries, and why it represents such a

vital link to nature for all Californians.

Rick Halsey works with the San Diego

Museum of Natural History and

coordinates education and research

efforts through the California

Chaparral Field Institute. He will sign

copies of his book, Fire, Chaparral,

and Survival in Southern California,

following the presentation.

Rick Halsey measuring stump sprout

growth after a wildfire.

SMMC Chief Executive Officer

Joe Edmiston receives a Life

Membership Awards from the

Park Rangers Association

of California

San Fernando Mission

Location: Temescal Dining Hall

Temescal Gateway Park

15601 Sunset Boulevard

Pacific Palisades, CA

310-454-1395 x 106

Ask the NaturalistAsk the Naturalist……

Why do coyotes howl?

In the “Roadrunner” cartoons, Wiley Coyote never makes a

sound. But if you join us on a moonlight hike, you’ll hear

him. He’s really quite a vocal animal. As a matter of fact, the

word coyote comes from the ancient Aztec word

"coyotl," which means "barking dog."

Now imagine you’re with us at night. He starts with

one small bark Then another joins in...and

another...until it finally the sound crescendos into a

long eerie howl.

Oh yeah, we know what coyotes sound like. But do

we know why they howl? Sure - we know that

coyotes howl to communicate with each other.

And what’s more, we can make an educated guess as

to what they are saying.

A lone long howl might mean, “This is my territory.”

Or it could mean “Here I am, where is everybody?”

A coyote’s territory can vary greatly in size, but 10-12

square miles is possible. Their calls can travel as far

as 3 miles.

A series of short barks could indicate “Danger!” or

say “I need help.” It could also mean “Back off - this

is mine.”

A series of multiple animal yips and howls is the

pack’s way of communicating with each other. It

could be something like, “The roadrunner went this

way.” or “Oh, look, a package just arrived for Wiley

from Acme Products.”

A “growl” is a means of asserting dominance. Think

back to the last time you saw two people walking

their dog. When they met, did one dog growl at the

other?

Frenetic whining and whimpering is a sign of pair

bonding. And high-pitched barks to are used to

summon puppies.

Now you’re more familiar with coyote vocalization.

So the next time you watch a road runner cartoon,

you can add your own sound effects.

Quick - what would Wiley say?

E-mail your questions to

[email protected].

Coyotes can often be found (and

heard) at Franklin Canyon.


Featured Plant and Animal…..Featured Plant and Animal…..

Catkins and KittycatsCatkins and Kittycats

Bobcats are not Oversized Kittycats

The bobcat, Lynx rufus, is both endearing and deserving of

our respect. Endearing because its behaviors are similar to

those we see in house cats: aloof, solitary and territorial. A

bobcat scratches, pounces, rests, hunts and mates like a

household cat. Even its yowling sounds like our neighbors

cat. With its “bobbed” tail and tufted ears, we might be

tempted to underestimate this cute, albeit rather large, kitty

cat.

This kitty, however, deserves an inspection that goes

beyond fur-deep. Like their larger feline cousins, the

mountain lions, bobcats are at the pinnacle of the southern

California food pyramid. These largely solitary predators

require vast

ranges of

territory, and so

are among those

animals most

dependent on

the habitats

connected by

wildlife

corridors. The bobcat wanders the rocky areas and

chaparral of the Santa Monica Mountains, but is so well

camouflaged that many hikers may never see one.

Thanks to their highly developed senses of sight and

hearing, bobcats often pounce upon small mammals and

birds for a meal and may even sprint over short distances

after their quarry. These ferocious hunters are capable of

taking down prey even as large as deer.

Bobcats have proven fairly adaptable to living on the

boundaries of urban areas, but life is still a struggle. Many

are killed in vehicle collisions or bleed to death after poisons

like anticoagulant rodenticides migrate up the food chain.

Catkins are not Undersized Kittycats

There are six species of willows in our local mountains.

Sometimes they are difficult to distinguish because there is

a wide range of variations and hybridization. But all of

them are found near a source of water, whether a free

flowing stream or an underground spring.

Willows are one of the first plants to blossom in the late

winter and early spring. Their flowers are called catkins

and they resemble a mass of simple flowers clustered on a

spike. Willows and their catkins can be either male or

female. While many plants with simple flowers rely on the

wind for pollination, the willow relies on insects to get the

job done. Nectar glands located within each flower lure

bees to visit, feed, and carry some pollen over to the next

catkin.

The arroyo willow is one of many plants including

California black walnut, western sycamore, Mexican

elderberry, and mule fat, found in riparian habitat. These

shrubs and trees in themselves form wildlife corridors

within a wildlife corridor by providing under cover places

to hide and travel Predators such as mountain lions use

these green corridors for stealthily moving from one

location to the next.

Contributed by Keliann LaConte

Hear this little kitty cat ROAR at

http://home.att.net/~kittycatfurballssounds2/bigcat.html. These willow catkins are ready to blossom.

Science News You Can Use…..Science News You Can Use…..

The Sixth Sense

Consider the story of a two

year old male mountain

lion; he and his brother left

Mom a few months ago

but now it’s time to leave

his brother and find a new

territory for himself -

nothing fancy, just 50 to 150 square miles of open

space. He crosses a sparsely-traveled stretch of

highway late at night and manages to avoid

becoming road kill. Or perhaps he used a tunnel

under the road. Now what? Are their any other

mountain lions around here? A female is OK, it will

be even better when he matures in another year or

so. But he really doesn’t want to go up against an

older and more experienced male. How can he tell

whether to stay put or keep moving?

We know that mountain lions make scrapes, a four-

to-six inch mound of dirt and forest litter pulled

together containing urine and scat, which are used to

mark their territorial boundaries. Perhaps our

young mountain lion can explore the area, using his

nose to detect the odor.

If he finds a scrape, you may notice his face makes a

grimace, something we call a “flehmen”. He is

activating his vomeronasal organ, sometimes

referred to as VNO or Jacobson’s organ, which is an

organ behind his incisors that allows him to detect

pheromones, normally odorless chemicals that are

“released by one member of a species as

communication with another member, to their

mutual benefit”.

Some people refer to the vomeronasal organ as “the

sixth sense”. For our youngster, it provides a way

for him to identify other cats more closely or

determine if a female is in heat. He may not need to

know that right now, but

he will in about a year.

Just in case you were

wondering, we humans

also have a VNO. It was

discovered about 300 years

ago, but was thought to be

vestigial until recently. The human VNO system

consists of two sensory organs (one in each side of

the nose) located about an inch above the opening

and underneath the mucosal lining of septum, the

cartilage that separates our nose into two halves.

What’s NEW with MRCA Training? The Park Training Institute (PTI)

A program of the MRCA. Formerly

the Ranger Training Institute.

PTI has been serving the unique

training needs of park rangers,

staff, & volunteers in; interpretation,

law enforcement, wildland

firefighting, EMS, search & rescue,

park maintenance, management,

outdoor and classroom education

since 1998. All courses provide

good value at reasonable cost,

with certified trainers that work

in the field, offering a unique

park perspective.

Coming this year:Coming this year:

2 Day Storytelling Workshop

Wilderness EMT

Certified Interpretive Host

Certified Interpretive Guide

Fire Making & Survival Skills

Native American Games

& Craft Workshop

Leadership & Ropes Course

and many more

Contact us at

park [email protected],

or call 310-858-7272 ext. 132

for dates & locations.


SNOW DAY! SNOW DAY!

A winter storm in on March 11th brought

snow to the Santa Susana Mountains.

A silhouette of trees, softened by snow.

No chains required...yet.

Looking south from Joughin Ranch

over the San Fernando Valley.

Winter

Cold,

Blue-sky brilliance,

Grey sky dreary—

Forms the canopy

Under which I huddle,

Seeking warmth

In my nest.

MRCA Volunteer

Barbara Baron

For Parents and Educators…For Parents and Educators…

Wildlife corridors are like mazes for animals. They try to get to more resources, such as food or

shelter, or even to find a mate. Help this mountain lion cub who has been separated from his

mother to find her through this wildlife maze.

Start

WORD SCRAMBLE

Unscramble these to find

out the names of

these endangered animals

which rely on wildlife

corridors for survival:

See below for answers.

ALBD GEELA __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

UMOTNNAI INOL __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

EAS TOETR __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

OWORDTA __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ERD GELGDE GROF __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Finish

Answers: bald eagle, mountain lion, bob cat, wood rat, red legged frog

Websites For Educators:Websites For Educators:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website offers a variety of area

specific information to enrich a wildlife lesson:

www.fws.gov/educators/

This website is devoted to providing the latest information on

status of different endangered species. It offers a list of species

which have been recently added to the endangered list, and

how we can help: www.endangeredspecie.com/states/ca.htm

A great resource for any lesson and any age group! It pro-

vides many lesson plans on numerous wildlife topics includ-

ing visuals and teacher preparation techniques:

www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/lesson_plans/


2006 Spring Volunteer Naturalist

Training Graduation. All MRCA

Volunteers are invited to attend! Saturday, April 29th 10am-12pm

Let’s congratulate, support and meet our new

MRCA Volunteer Naturalists.

These dedicated new volunteers will have completed

ten weeks of intensive naturalist training, preparing

them to design and lead effective interpretive school,

scout and public programs for our MRCA park

visitors. Let’s give them a warm welcome!

Volunteer Meeting Saturday, June 10th 4pm –6pm

Franklin Canyon Park, Sooky Goldman Nature Center

Meet and greet fellow, and new volunteers.

Learn about upcoming trainings, special events

and volunteer opportunities. Bring a snack or

potluck diner to share!

After the meeting, everyone is

invited to stay for,

Evening BIRDS (7-9pm), Birds are full of activity when the

sun goes down. Join us for a

volunteer lead sunset stroll around

Franklin Canyon Lake.

or, stay to enjoy the

Family CAMPFIRE (6-8pm) Join us for an old-fashioned family campfire, with fun

stories, singing and s’mores around a crackling

campfire in the Sam Goldman Amphitheater.

Both programs

at Franklin

Canyon Park

Mounted

Volunteer Patrol (MVP)

Formerly, known as the Mounted

Assisted Unit (MAU). If you have a horse, and want to help patrol our

parks, this group is waiting to ride with you!

A partnership has recently been solidified with the

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority

National Park Service, and California State Park,

combining resources, and riders to provide quality,

consistent horseback patrol services to our parks

and park visitors. Don’t wait, for upcoming training

dates call Jodi Thomas 310-858-7272 ext.205 or,

[email protected]

Mountain Bike Unit Congratulations to our new crop of volunteers taking

part in the current Mountain Bike Unit training.

For information visit, www.mountainbikeunit.com

Botanical Drawing Tuesdays Every Tuesday, 11am-3pm, Franklin Canyon Park,

Lead by MRCA Volunteer Joanne Leonard.

Join this on-going gathering of artists of all levels.

Paint or draw plants while learning more about the

native flora of the LA Mountains. For information,

and to RSVP, call Joanne at 323-656-3899.

Many of our Botanical Artists will have their work

on display at the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern

California, Art Exhibition Sale & Workshop.

Saturday April 29th - Sunday May 7th

Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Gallery Hours: Weekends, 9:30am-4:30pm

Weekdays, 12:00pm - 4:00pm, for more information

on this event visit www.bagsc.org 626-821-4623.

Tracks, Scat, Skins and Skulls Saturday, April 8th 9am-4pm Franklin Canyon Park,

Sooky Goldman Nature Center

This fun, hands-on workshop will

help you to not only learn how to

identify common signs animals

leave behind, but also how to

effectively share, and show these

signs with our park visitors. Get

dirty, make replica scat for your

trail backpacks, and become more

aware of the animal stories hiding

in plain sight.

Native Plant

Uses and

Nature

Awareness

Skills

Saturday, April 15th 9am-4pm


What’s the Music Tree? How can I make soap right

on the trail? How can I see and share more animals?

Add these plant and awareness skills to your trail

tool kits and ways to share them with others.

CPR and First Aid

Certification Saturday, April 22nd 8am-5pm,

Franklin Canyon Park.

Would you know what to do if

someone needed immediate medical attention on

the trail? What are the first actions to take, who should

be called, and how to stay prepared? Must attend full

8hrs. for certification.

Campfire and Storytelling For MRCA Volunteers, friends and family!

Friday, April 28th 7:30pm - 9:30pm

The MRCA is offering a full schedule of

Spring and Summer Campfire programs for the

public. We need volunteer campfire leaders and

individuals to help with program set-up

and s’mores.

This evening will allow volunteers to potluck, play,

enjoy sticky s’mores, and see what leading a campfire

program is all about.

Waltz of the Flowers Wednesday, April 19th 7:30pm - 9:00pm


Come dance with us in an evening of wildflowers,

good company, and tasty snacks. Sit back and enjoy

a dazzling PowerPoint presentation where you can

learn how to lead meaningful wildflower hikes

without ever identifying a flower. Learn to use and

teach a rubric that will help you determine how

flowers attract and repel pollinators. Bring your

flower photos to share. This presentation was offered

at the National Association for Interpretation (NAI),

Region 8 Workshop, in Red Rock Nevada, by

Interpretive Specialist Wendy Langhans.

All MRCA Volunteers are Welcome to attend!


MRCA makes connections with MRCA makes connections with

other park professionals... other park professionals...

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) and the

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)

connect more than just property lines, wildlife corridors, and

public access to our LA mountain parks.

Our connections with other national and international

agencies allow us to teach, share ideas and learn from each

other. We grow as professionals and increase our ability to

preserve, promote and protect parkland.

In February staff from the Division of Interpretation led

sessions at the National Association for Interpretation’s

Spring Region 8 workshop in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. In

March staff members from the Division of Interpretation and

the Operations Division led sessions at the California Parks

Conference, sponsored by the Park Rangers of California and

the California State Parks Rangers Association. Ranger Dave

Updike served as Co-chair of the conference.

We are also making connections on an international level.

MRCA Executive Officer Joe Edmiston participation in the

Fifth World Parks Congress, held in Durban, South Africa, in

September 2003 motivated an international workshop on the

Mediterranean Eco-system organized by the California

Institute of Public Affairs and hosted by the Santa Monica

Mountains Conservancy. Out of this workshop came “The

Malibu Declaration,” a series of goals, objectives and

priorities regarding the international protection of

Mediterranean eco-systems around the world.

Deputy Executive Officer Amy Lethbridge has trained

eco-tour guides on the art of interpretation and effective

communication techniques in Mexico and Central America

and will be a featured presenter at the Interpreting World

Heritage Conference in San Juan Puerto Rico this May,

speaking on the MRCA’s 9methods of including local

communities during the park planning process.

We Teach. Interpreter Rebecca Farr

teaching at the California Parks Conference.

We Learn. Interpreter Asha Bankowski

practices the fine art of throwing an atlatl.

We Share. MRCA Chief Ranger Walt Young presents a

workshop on the Incident Command System at the

California Parks Conference

Notes from the Field….Notes from the Field…...

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

This Mourning Cloak butterfly looks a bit worse for wear.

It most likely hatched in June or July. When this

picture was taken in late February, it was perhaps

eight or nine months old and approaching the end

of it’s ten or eleven month lifespan.

Note the frayed edges of its wings - some predator took

several bites out of his wings. Looks like those deceptive

eyespots served their purpose well.

Osprey sighted at Franklin Canyon Lake

Osprey are winter visitors to the coastal areas of Southern California.

At one time Osprey’s could be found throughout North America, but

their numbers greatly declined due to use of DDT. Now, after the ban

on DDT, their population is increasing. They are still considered a

“Species of Special Concern”.

Osprey can be found hunting around water - either fresh or saltwater.

Living almost exclusively on fish, they hunt by soaring over the water,

then plunging feet first when a fish is spotted, as seen in these recent

photos taken at Franklin Canyon Lake.

Franklin Canyon is on the Pacific

Flyway - an aerial wildlife corridor.

(Photos courtesy Frank Mishenko.)

Mountain Lion spotted in

Franklin Canyon

MRCA employee Sabas Quinonez spotted a

Mountain Lion yearling near the lower

Ranch meadow in Franklin Canyon Park.

He spotted it about 5:30 PM on March 3.

He said, “It still had some grayish fur but

was turning tawny like the adults. I saw the

tail had a black tip.”

If you do spot a mountain lion, the California

Dept of Fish and Game suggests that you:

Stand and face the animal

Make eye contact

Make yourself appear larger

Yell with a loud, low pitched voice.

Remember, all sorts of wild creatures call

Franklin Canyon their home.


Stinging Lupine is another fire-follower.

Sage Ranch, located in the

Simi Hills, is part of the

Wildlife corridor between the

Santa Monica and Santa Susana

Mountains.

With the soil enriched by ash

from the recent Topanga Fire,

wildflowers are especially

abundant this Spring. Star Lily is known as a fire-follower, one

of a number of flowers more found more

often after a wildfire.

Remote cameras capture a wandering mountain lion. What path did he take to get from Deer Creek to

Castro Crest? Photo Courtesy Dr. Ray Sauvajot, National Park Service.

spring 2005: wildlife corridors - nature's freeways

Documents

page page

page symbiosis spring

habitat linkages

map of wildlife corridors

crummer canyon

viable habitat

complete canyon

las virgenes view park