Santa Monica Mountains Fund to Host Mountain Lion Fundraiser May 19

National Park Service biologist Jeff Sikich, pictured here with one of the 27 mountain lions tracked during the course of the decade-long study, will be making a brief presentation at the May 19 fundraiser to support mountain lion research.

National Park Service

News Release Date: May 2, 2013

Contact: Kate Kuykendall, 805-370-2343

CALABASAS, Calif. - The Santa Monica Mountains Fund, official fundraising partner of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, will host a fundraiser to support mountain lion research at King Gillette Ranch on Sunday, May 19 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

All proceeds will support the decade-long mountain lion study currently conducted by the National Park Service. Park biologists are currently tracking eight mountain lions in an effort to understand how mountain lions survive in such a fragmented, urban landscape and how best to conserve them.

"The good news is that advances in technology like remote cameras and GPS collars have allowed researchers to learn more about the behavior of mountain lions," said Arthur Eck, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Fund. "Unfortunately, GPS collars average about $5,000, so it's increasingly difficult for the park to cover the cost of the research."

In addition to educational displays and a brief presentation by mountain lion experts with the National Park Service, the event will feature a live mountain lion, interactive tracking trail, silent auction, live music and food and wine. Nationally acclaimed artists Fred Stone and Joe Weatherly, as well as National Geographic photojournalist Steve Winter, have donated pieces for the silent auction. 

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund requests a donation of $100 for adults and $25 for children under 12. Reservations, as well as general donations, can be made at http://www.samofund.org/UrbCarn.htm. The deadline to RSVP is May 12. More information is available by calling 818-292-5920.

DIRECTIONS: The Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch is located near the intersection of Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road at 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, CA, 91302. Parking is free.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.  It comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities.

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund is a locally-based nonprofit committed to supporting the National Park Service and the California State Parks in their missions to provide for resource protection and public enjoyment of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.  Established in 1988, the Fund is a nonprofit affiliate of the National Park Foundation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and chartered by Congress in 1963 to promote charitable support of America's national parks. 

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