https://www.nps.gov/samo News releases from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. en-us https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/los-angeles-national-park-wins-award-for-volunteer-efforts-to-monitor-wildlife-recovery-after-the-2018-woolsey-fire.htm Wed, 24 Sep 2025 20:00:00 EST The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area received the 2025 Excellence in Volunteerism Innovation Award for its Woolsey Fire Recovery Camera Project, a volunteer-driven initiative launched in response to the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The project, led by park scientists and educators, trained over 4,300 volunteers to deploy wildlife cameras and analyze over one million images, documenting the recovery of mammal populations across the park. The effort revealed both common and rare species, contributing valuable data for long-term ecological monitoring. Now in its sixth year, the project continues to engage the public through educational events and partnerships, highlighting the role of community science in post-fire wildlife research. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/los-angeles-national-park-wins-award-for-volunteer-efforts-to-monitor-wildlife-recovery-after-the-2018-woolsey-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-announces-weekday-closures-for-portions-of-the-hastain-discovery-trails-to-repair-storm-damage-in-franklin-canyon.htm Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:00:00 EST The National Park Service, in partnership with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), will begin trail repairs on the southern switchback section of the Hastain Trail in Franklin Canyon on Monday, September 29, 2025. The project will require weekday closures (Monday–Thursday) while crews are on-site, with weekend access remaining open. Repairs aim to address storm damage from February 2024 and will later extend to the Discovery Trail. The work is expected to take approximately three months, weather permitting. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-announces-weekday-closures-for-portions-of-the-hastain-discovery-trails-to-repair-storm-damage-in-franklin-canyon.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hundreds-of-california-red-legged-frog-tadpoles-raised-at-aquarium-of-the-pacific-in-long-beach-released-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:19:00 EST Biologists “rescued” the threatened species, after extreme weather and wildfire disrupted native breeding grounds, as part of an emergency effort after the LA wildfires https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hundreds-of-california-red-legged-frog-tadpoles-raised-at-aquarium-of-the-pacific-in-long-beach-released-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/reer/learn/news/reconstruction-era-national-historic-network-announces-the-inclusion-of-seven-new-sites.htm Tue, 03 Jun 2025 20:00:00 EST On June 5, 2025, the National Park Service announces the addition of seven new sites to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. https://www.nps.gov/reer/learn/news/reconstruction-era-national-historic-network-announces-the-inclusion-of-seven-new-sites.htm https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-adds-31-new-listings-in-13-states-to-the-national-underground-railroad-network-to-freedom-program.htm Thu, 01 May 2025 06:00:00 EST The birthplace of abolitionist John Brown in Connecticut, the rescue of 14 freedom seekers in California and a monument commemorating 326 people of African descent who sought freedom through the St. Louis, Missouri circuit courts all appear in the latest additions to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The Network has added 31 new entries to its list of sites, interpretive and educational programs and research facilities related to its twice-yearly appraisal of applicants. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-adds-31-new-listings-in-13-states-to-the-national-underground-railroad-network-to-freedom-program.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-hosts-a-naturalization-ceremony-for-50-new-citizens-from-25-countries.htm Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:13:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— On Wednesday morning, 50 immigrants became United States citizens during a ceremony at King Gillette Ranch hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-hosts-a-naturalization-ceremony-for-50-new-citizens-from-25-countries.htm https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/jody-lyle-selected-as-superintendent-of-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Thu, 18 Jul 2024 05:57:00 EST SAN FRANCISCO – The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Jody Lyle as the new permanent superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) beginning July 28, 2024.  https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/jody-lyle-selected-as-superintendent-of-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/42-new-american-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— On Thursday morning, 42 immigrants became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/42-new-american-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/national-park-service-selects-david-szymanski-as-regional-director.htm Wed, 06 Dec 2023 07:30:00 EST WASHINGTON – David Szymanski, a 25-year National Park Service (NPS) veteran, has been selected to serve as the regional director for the Pacific West Region, which includes all parks in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, parts of Arizona and Montana, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. He begins his new role after the holidays. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/national-park-service-selects-david-szymanski-as-regional-director.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/48-new-american-citizens-from-18-countries-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Fri, 03 Nov 2023 10:08:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— On Thursday morning, 48 immigrants from 18 countries became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. See photos here. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/48-new-american-citizens-from-18-countries-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/cheeseboro-canyon-trailhead-reopened.htm Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:50:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A popular trailhead in Cheeseboro Canyon has reopened to the public after a series of improvements were made over the last 10 months. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/cheeseboro-canyon-trailhead-reopened.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/-park-after-dark-festival-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:06:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif – National Park Service rangers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) will host a "Park After Dark Festival" on July 29 from 7 to 10 p.m. The free event will be held at Peter Strauss Ranch, 30000 Mulholland Highway in Agoura Hills. Parking is free. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/-park-after-dark-festival-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/black-bear-bb-12-killed-on-the-101-freeway-at-the-top-of-the-conejo-grade.htm Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:24:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – BB-12, a black bear National Park Service (NPS) scientists had been tracking for the last three months, was struck and killed by a vehicle on the 101 Freeway at the top of the Conejo Grade between Newbury Park and Camarillo. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/black-bear-bb-12-killed-on-the-101-freeway-at-the-top-of-the-conejo-grade.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-celebrates-latino-conservation-week.htm Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:48:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif – National Park Service rangers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) will host "Loteria Night" as part of a celebration for Latino Conservation Week on July 22 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-celebrates-latino-conservation-week.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/temps-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-to-reach-triple-digits.htm Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:05:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif – With temperatures rising into the triple digits in some areas of the Santa Monica Mountains this weekend, National Park Service rangers are urging the public to avoid recreating in the middle of the day when it’s the hottest and to leave their dogs at home. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/temps-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-to-reach-triple-digits.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/wildflowers-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-still-thriving-due-to-winter-s-productive-rains.htm Thu, 29 Jun 2023 06:18:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— According to local National Park Service biologists, Mother Nature has extended the spring bloom season in the Santa Monica Mountains due to last winter's abundant rains. They've been gushing about how native blooms will uncharacteristically extend into July. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/wildflowers-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-still-thriving-due-to-winter-s-productive-rains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/final-necropsy-results-released-for-mountain-lion-p-22.htm Wed, 14 Jun 2023 06:41:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and National Park Service (NPS) reviewed the final postmortem examination and lab tests from P-22, the mountain lion from Griffith Park. The results confirmed P-22 had been suffering from multiple severe injuries and chronic conditions that impaired his ability to function in the wild and would have lowered his quality of life if placed in human care. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/final-necropsy-results-released-for-mountain-lion-p-22.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/all-female-litter-of-mountain-lion-kittens-discovered-in-simi-hills.htm Thu, 25 May 2023 07:22:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— According to National Park Service (NPS) biologists, mountain lion P-77 recently gave birth to three female kittens in the Simi Hills, a small area of habitat between the larger Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountain ranges. All three kittens are now known as P-113, P-114, and P-115. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/all-female-litter-of-mountain-lion-kittens-discovered-in-simi-hills.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/paramount-ranch-and-rocky-oaks-reconstruction.htm Tue, 23 May 2023 09:41:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The National Park Service has awarded a contract to AMG & Associates, Inc., a company based out of Santa Clarita, California, to rebuild park facilities in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) that were lost during the 2018 Woolsey Fire. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/paramount-ranch-and-rocky-oaks-reconstruction.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-biologists-capture-a-black-bear-in-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Wed, 03 May 2023 07:58:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – On April 23, National Park Service biologists captured and radio-collared a 210-pound black bear in a natural area of the western Santa Monica Mountains south of the 101 Freeway. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-biologists-capture-a-black-bear-in-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/57-new-american-citizens-from-23-countries-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:11:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— On Thursday morning, 57 immigrants from 23 countries became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/57-new-american-citizens-from-23-countries-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-year-goal-of-planting-100-000-native-plants-reached.htm Wed, 22 Mar 2023 06:51:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – After 7,000 hours of participation from 3,000 volunteers, the park’s largest ever restoration project to restore 100,000 native plants in the Santa Monica Mountains is at the finish line, according to National Park Service officials. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-year-goal-of-planting-100-000-native-plants-reached.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-seeks-public-input-on-a-plan-to-create-more-accessibility-for-visitors-with-disabilities.htm Wed, 01 Mar 2023 04:38:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. —  The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking comments on a draft plan that provides recommendations for removing barriers to key visitor experiences at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The 30-day comment period begins today and will end Thursday, March 30. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-seeks-public-input-on-a-plan-to-create-more-accessibility-for-visitors-with-disabilities.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-81-likely-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Fri, 27 Jan 2023 08:12:00 EST Mountain lion P-81 was likely killed by a vehicle strike Sunday, Jan. 22. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-81-likely-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-p-22-from-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Sat, 17 Dec 2022 04:37:00 EST The National Park Service joins our partners, friends, and community members here in Los Angeles, and around the world, in remembering mountain lion P-22. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-p-22-from-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/health-evaluation-underway-for-mountain-lion-p-22.htm Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:46:00 EST The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and National Park Service (NPS) have successfully tranquilized the mountain lion known as P-22 and transported him to a wild animal care facility for a full health evaluation. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/health-evaluation-underway-for-mountain-lion-p-22.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-us-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:48:00 EST Today, in a beautiful courtyard at King Gillette Ranch, 57 immigrants became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-us-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/adult-female-p-65-is-the-first-mountain-lion-in-study-to-die-of-complications-from-mange.htm Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:06:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Adult female mountain lion P-65 is the first mountain lion in a two-decade-long National Park Service (NPS) research study to have died of complications from notoedric mange, a highly contagious skin disease caused by a mite parasite. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/adult-female-p-65-is-the-first-mountain-lion-in-study-to-die-of-complications-from-mange.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/adult-female-mountain-lion-p-54-and-her-four-full-term-fetuses-were-exposed-to-multiple-anticoagulant-rodenticides.htm Wed, 07 Sep 2022 06:31:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Adult female P-54, a mountain lion struck and killed by a vehicle earlier this year, was pregnant with four kittens. According to biologists from the National Park Service (NPS), all five animals tested positive for multiple anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poison). Watch a video of P-54 here, and photo here. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/adult-female-mountain-lion-p-54-and-her-four-full-term-fetuses-were-exposed-to-multiple-anticoagulant-rodenticides.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-90-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Fri, 26 Aug 2022 08:06:00 EST Early this morning, subadult male mountain lion P-90 was struck and killed by a vehicle on State Highway 33 in Oak View, just south of Ojai in Ventura County. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-90-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trailhead-improvement-project-to-begin-at-cheeseboro-canyon-sept-19.htm Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:55:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service has awarded a contract to AMA Diversified Construction Group, a company based out of Torrance, California, to revitalize the trailhead parking lot at Cheeseboro Canyon in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). The project will include site grading; the installation of potable water and storm drainage utilities; new gravel-paved roadways and lots; a pedestrian pathway; and a new vault toilet. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trailhead-improvement-project-to-begin-at-cheeseboro-canyon-sept-19.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-acquires-45-acres-of-land-adjacent-to-the-backbone-trail.htm Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:41:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service (NPS) has acquired 45 acres of land that abuts the Backbone Trail and is a critical portion of its viewshed in the Circle X Ranch area of the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-acquires-45-acres-of-land-adjacent-to-the-backbone-trail.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-89-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:22:00 EST On the morning of July 18, 2022, subadult male mountain lion P-89 was found dead along the shoulder of the 101 Freeway between the DeSoto and Winnetka exits in Woodland Hills. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-89-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-to-host-las-montañas-festival-in-calabasas.htm Wed, 13 Jul 2022 12:42:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif – National Park Service rangers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) will host “Las Montañas,” a festival featuring family-friendly events, guided hikes, and speakers who work in conservation. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-to-host-las-montañas-festival-in-calabasas.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-issues-finding-of-no-significant-impact-fonsi-on-woolsey-fire-disaster-recovery-project.htm Wed, 13 Jul 2022 06:22:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the availability of the “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)” for the Woolsey Fire Disaster Recovery Project. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-issues-finding-of-no-significant-impact-fonsi-on-woolsey-fire-disaster-recovery-project.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-national-park-service-program-introduces-high-school-girls-to-the-outdoors-and-camping.htm Tue, 05 Jul 2022 05:42:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A new National Park Service (NPS) pilot initiative will introduce 35 girls attending Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) high schools to camping outdoors for their first time. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-national-park-service-program-introduces-high-school-girls-to-the-outdoors-and-camping.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-54-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:57:00 EST Not too far from where her mother was hit and killed by a vehicle back in January 2018, P-54 became the latest grim statistic for regional mountain lions when she was also struck and killed by a vehicle this morning. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-54-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/zuma-creek-bridge-reconstruction-complete.htm Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:07:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, the official non-profit partner for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), held a dedication ceremony for the Zuma Creek Bridge today. Click here to see photos from the event and a short time-lapse video. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/zuma-creek-bridge-reconstruction-complete.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/peter-strauss-ranch-to-reopen-june-6-2022.htm Fri, 03 Jun 2022 07:15:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The grounds of Peter Strauss Ranch will reopen to the public on Monday, June 6, in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). The public is invited to park on-site, picnic, and hike through the beautiful oak woodlands. The site will be open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/peter-strauss-ranch-to-reopen-june-6-2022.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-asian-american-native-hawaiian-pacific-islander-heritage-day.htm Fri, 13 May 2022 06:23:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The public is invited to celebrate Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Day on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-asian-american-native-hawaiian-pacific-islander-heritage-day.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/the-national-park-service-to-host-ranger-led-hikes-april-29-to-may-1-2022.htm Tue, 26 Apr 2022 09:10:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif – National Park Service rangers will be leading hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains on April 29 through May 1, 2022, as part of the City Nature Challenge. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/the-national-park-service-to-host-ranger-led-hikes-april-29-to-may-1-2022.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-97-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Thu, 21 Apr 2022 11:13:00 EST We’re sorry to report that P-97, an 18-month-old male mountain lion, was struck and killed on the southbound 405 Freeway near the Getty Center at around 1 a.m. today. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-97-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/more-than-25-years-of-wildlife-research-has-supported-the-need-for-the-wallis-annenberg-wildlife-crossing.htm Wed, 20 Apr 2022 04:56:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Twenty-five years of research by National Park Service (NPS) biologists and collaborators have documented the effects of habitat fragmentation and pointed to the importance of connectivity in the region, culminating in the wildlife overpass that is breaking ground this week in Liberty Canyon. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/more-than-25-years-of-wildlife-research-has-supported-the-need-for-the-wallis-annenberg-wildlife-crossing.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mile-section-of-the-backbone-trail-to-be-closed-from-april-18-to-may-19.htm Fri, 15 Apr 2022 04:32:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Backbone Trail section between Newton Canyon Trailhead at Kanan-Dume Road and the north-south Zuma Ridge Trail, will be closed to the public from April 18 to May 19, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mile-section-of-the-backbone-trail-to-be-closed-from-april-18-to-may-19.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kittens-found-outside-thousand-oaks-office-complex-test-positive-for-rodenticide-poisoning-feline-panleukopenia.htm Wed, 13 Apr 2022 03:53:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— A necropsy report shows that two kittens, P-100 and P-102, discovered last November in a Thousand Oaks office complex as part of an orphaned litter of four, had residues of three different types of anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) compounds in their livers, according to National Park Service (NPS) officials. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kittens-found-outside-thousand-oaks-office-complex-test-positive-for-rodenticide-poisoning-feline-panleukopenia.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-104-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm Wed, 23 Mar 2022 11:25:00 EST P-104, a subadult male mountain lion, was hit and killed by a vehicle going northbound on the 33100 block of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) at around 7 a.m. today. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-104-killed-by-vehicle-strike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-american-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm Thu, 03 Mar 2022 11:26:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— In a beautiful courtyard in the Santa Monica Mountains, 40 immigrants became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Photos here. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-american-citizens-sworn-in-at-naturalization-ceremony-at-santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-film-created-by-the-national-park-service-tells-the-story-of-a-local-mountain-previously-named-a-racial-slur.htm Fri, 25 Feb 2022 03:57:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Today, the National Park Service released a new 13-minute film called To Right a Wrong: The Story of Ballard Mountain, which documents a community effort to change the name of a local peak in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-film-created-by-the-national-park-service-tells-the-story-of-a-local-mountain-previously-named-a-racial-slur.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-nat-l-recreation-area-receives-national-park-foundation-grant.htm Thu, 03 Feb 2022 04:09:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area recently received an Open OutDoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF). This grant will enable 4th graders from Title I schools in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties to virtually engage with rangers in the country’s largest urban national park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-nat-l-recreation-area-receives-national-park-foundation-grant.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/analysis-of-first-15-years-of-mountain-lion-locations-reveals-they-thrive-in-shrublands-and-rarely-enter-residential-areas.htm Thu, 27 Jan 2022 04:09:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— According to a recently published National Park Service study, one of the world’s most widespread and adaptable animals, mountain lions, regularly uses and even selects the chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats in and around Los Angeles, a megacity of 16 million people. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/analysis-of-first-15-years-of-mountain-lion-locations-reveals-they-thrive-in-shrublands-and-rarely-enter-residential-areas.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/southern-california-mountain-lions-show-first-reproductive-effects-of-inbreeding-according-to-ucla-led-study.htm Fri, 07 Jan 2022 06:57:00 EST Southern California cougars often make the news with their litters of oh-so-cute kittens, but a UCLA-led study suggests that these mountain lions may soon find it much harder to reproduce due to a lack of genetic diversity. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/southern-california-mountain-lions-show-first-reproductive-effects-of-inbreeding-according-to-ucla-led-study.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/four-mountain-lion-kittens-found-outside-a-thousand-oaks-office-complex.htm Thu, 09 Dec 2021 03:07:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Last week, National Park Service biologists assisted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) with four mountain lion kittens that were discovered under a picnic table near a Thousand Oaks office building that abuts open space. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/four-mountain-lion-kittens-found-outside-a-thousand-oaks-office-complex.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-releases-environmental-assessment-for-woolsey-fire-disaster-recovery-project.htm Mon, 25 Oct 2021 04:21:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The National Park Service (NPS) has released an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the redevelopment of sites that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-releases-environmental-assessment-for-woolsey-fire-disaster-recovery-project.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hikers-urged-to-consider-canine-safety-on-local-trails.htm Thu, 09 Sep 2021 06:28:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The National Park Service (NPS) is urging pet owners to think twice before hiking with animals after at least three dogs have died on local trails since June of this year. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hikers-urged-to-consider-canine-safety-on-local-trails.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lions-in-los-angeles-moved-less-with-fewer-humans-in-parks-during-the-covid-19-stay-at-home-order.htm Wed, 18 Aug 2021 03:00:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— According to a recent study published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, as people sheltered in place during the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spring 2020, mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding areas in Greater Los Angeles used smaller areas and moved shorter distances. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lions-in-los-angeles-moved-less-with-fewer-humans-in-parks-during-the-covid-19-stay-at-home-order.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/for-the-first-time-threatened-california-red-legged-frogs-are-independently-breeding-at-two-reintroduction-sites.htm Tue, 29 Jun 2021 04:14:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – National Park Service biologists have discovered California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii), a threatened species, independently breeding at two sites that were severely impacted by the Woolsey Fire. These sites have not had wild breeding for perhaps as long as half a century. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/for-the-first-time-threatened-california-red-legged-frogs-are-independently-breeding-at-two-reintroduction-sites.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-comments-sought-on-proposed-woolsey-fire-recovery.htm Tue, 15 Jun 2021 04:20:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The public is invited to provide comments on the redevelopment of sites within Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The National Park Service (NPS) is initiating a public scoping phase to kick off the preparation of an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-comments-sought-on-proposed-woolsey-fire-recovery.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-kittens-found-in-oak-tree-cavity.htm Thu, 27 May 2021 04:47:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— A bobcat captured and collared more than a year after the Woolsey Fire gave birth to three kittens recently - B-379, B-380, and B-381, according to the National Park Service. Click here for photos and video. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-kittens-found-in-oak-tree-cavity.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/caltrans-and-nps-retrofit-project-helps-wildlife-cross-highway-118.htm Wed, 14 Apr 2021 03:51:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Wildlife, large and small, are getting some help from their biologist friends at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the National Park Service (NPS) to cross a dozen-mile stretch of State Route 118, a two-lane highway in Ventura County. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/caltrans-and-nps-retrofit-project-helps-wildlife-cross-highway-118.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/biologists-attempt-to-foster-orphaned-mountain-lion-kittens.htm Thu, 01 Oct 2020 03:00:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— This summer, biologists with the National Park Service (NPS) at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) attempted to foster two orphaned mountain lion kittens and keep them in the wild. Fostering involves getting a wild mountain lion mother to "adopt" the orphaned animals and care for them as her own. They believe this marks the first time such an experiment has been tried with this species. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/biologists-attempt-to-foster-orphaned-mountain-lion-kittens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/first-abnormalities-linked-to-inbreeding-depression.htm Wed, 09 Sep 2020 06:04:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— A young male mountain lion with physical abnormalities – a kinked tail where the end is shaped like the letter “L” and only one descended testicle -- has been discovered in the Santa Monica Mountains, biologists with the National Park Service say. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/first-abnormalities-linked-to-inbreeding-depression.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/the-santa-monica-mountains-are-experiencing-a-summer-of-kittens.htm Wed, 02 Sep 2020 04:06:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— It’s been one mountain lion kitten den after another this summer for National Park Service biologists in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. In total, 13 kittens were born to five mountain lion mothers between May and August 2020. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/the-santa-monica-mountains-are-experiencing-a-summer-of-kittens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-and-mountain-lion-found-dead-from-anticoagulant-rodenticide-poisoning.htm Thu, 27 Aug 2020 06:35:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— An adult female bobcat and a subadult male mountain lion have both died directly from the effects of anticoagulant rat poisons (or anticoagulant rodenticides, also known as ARs), in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains north of the Santa Monica Mountains this year, according to National Park Service biologists. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-and-mountain-lion-found-dead-from-anticoagulant-rodenticide-poisoning.htm https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/nps-california-wildfire-utility-collaboration.htm Thu, 25 Jun 2020 08:23:00 EST The National Park Service (NPS) has issued permits to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) to perform wildfire prevention activities in 12 California national park units through a new public-private partnership that focuses on protecting park resources and streamlining communication between the NPS and utilities. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1180/nps-california-wildfire-utility-collaboration.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-gives-birth-to-three-kittens.htm Wed, 03 Jun 2020 05:02:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – It’s a boy, boy, and girl! P-54, a three-year old mountain lion living in the Santa Monica Mountains, recently gave birth to a litter of kittens – males P-82 and P-83, and female P-84, according to National Park Service biologists. Researchers believe this is her first litter. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-gives-birth-to-three-kittens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-in-santa-monica-mountains-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-local-health-guidance.htm Wed, 01 Apr 2020 04:40:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains, in response to guidance from the State of California and Ventura County, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-in-santa-monica-mountains-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-local-health-guidance.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-local-health-guidance.htm Sat, 28 Mar 2020 06:31:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), in response to guidance from the State of California and Los Angeles County, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-local-health-guidance.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-further-modifying-operations-to-implement-latest-health-guidance.htm Tue, 24 Mar 2020 08:12:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), in collaboration with a state parks order issued by the Governor of the State of California on March 24, 2020, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-further-modifying-operations-to-implement-latest-health-guidance.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/solstice-canyon-to-close-starting-monday-march-23.htm Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:09:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Solstice Canyon, a National Park Service site, will close Monday, March 23, according to officials at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). All other sites, which include hiking, biking, equestrian trails, parking lots and restrooms, will remain open for now. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/solstice-canyon-to-close-starting-monday-march-23.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-latest-health-guidance.htm Tue, 17 Mar 2020 11:24:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. As of March 18, 2020, the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, is closed until further notice. All hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, parking lots and restrooms will remain open. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-is-modifying-operations-to-implement-latest-health-guidance.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-study-says-urban-coyotes-eat-garbage-ornamental-fruit-and-domestic-cats.htm Thu, 12 Mar 2020 04:30:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.-- The final result of a multi-year National Park Service and California State University Northridge (CSUN) research project that studied coyote diets show that these urban canines are not as discriminating in regard to their culinary tastes as their suburban counterparts, according to a new study. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-study-says-urban-coyotes-eat-garbage-ornamental-fruit-and-domestic-cats.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/male-mountain-lion-killed-under-state-depredation-law.htm Mon, 10 Feb 2020 04:47:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – P-56, a 4 to 5-year-old male mountain lion that was living in the western Santa Monica Mountains south of the 101 Freeway, was recently killed under state depredation law. This marks the first time that a radio-collared mountain lion has been killed under a California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) depredation permit in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/male-mountain-lion-killed-under-state-depredation-law.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-is-invited-to-bid-farewell-to-witness-tree.htm Tue, 04 Feb 2020 09:42:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The public is invited to say goodbye to Paramount Ranch’s “Witness Tree,” a beautiful Valley Oak that has been around for many decades and has “witnessed” weddings, hundreds of films, special events, family photos and other memorable occasions. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-is-invited-to-bid-farewell-to-witness-tree.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trail-user-survey-shows-visitors-to-the-santa-monica-mountains-want-more-improvements-to-facilities-at-trailheads.htm Wed, 22 Jan 2020 10:00:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The results of a trail user visitor survey conducted in 2018 reveals that visitors to the nation’s largest urban national park would like to see improvements made to bathrooms, drinking fountains, trash cans and maps of trailheads and trails, National Park Service officials say. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trail-user-survey-shows-visitors-to-the-santa-monica-mountains-want-more-improvements-to-facilities-at-trailheads.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/site-clean-up-effort-set-to-begin-one-year-after-woolsey-fire.htm Wed, 13 Nov 2019 06:11:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- One year after the Woolsey Fire damaged 112 miles of trails and 88 percent of federal park land in the Santa Monica Mountains, a second phase of the recovery effort that began immediately after the fire is poised to begin today with the testing of hazardous materials and removing debris from 30 structures and outbuildings. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/site-clean-up-effort-set-to-begin-one-year-after-woolsey-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/night-surveys-show-a-small-number-of-threatened-california-red-legged-frogs-were-able-to-tough-out-the-woolsey-fire-and-subsequent-mudslides.htm Tue, 15 Oct 2019 13:50:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A total of 28 adult California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) were discovered in the four translocation sites that were set up by National Park Service biologists in 2014 in an effort to re-introduce the threatened species back into the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/night-surveys-show-a-small-number-of-threatened-california-red-legged-frogs-were-able-to-tough-out-the-woolsey-fire-and-subsequent-mudslides.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rancho-sierra-vista-and-satwiwa-native-american-culture-center-spared-from-the-wendy-fire.htm Fri, 11 Oct 2019 07:24:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Due to a 91-acre wind-driven fire that ignited at Rancho Sierra Vista and the Satwiwa Native American Culture Center in Newbury Park Thursday evening, the National Park Service sites are closed through Saturday, October 12. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rancho-sierra-vista-and-satwiwa-native-american-culture-center-spared-from-the-wendy-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mountain-lions-found-found-dead-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 08 Oct 2019 05:16:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Two mountain lions have been found dead in the Santa Monica Mountains recently and the cause of death for one of them, a healthy six-year-old male known as P-30, was anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning, say National Park Service biologists. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mountain-lions-found-found-dead-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/law-enforcement-rangers-to-begin-patrols-on-mountain-bikes-and-on-horseback.htm Thu, 26 Sep 2019 13:40:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Law enforcement rangers will begin patrolling the Santa Monica Mountains on mountain bikes and on horseback in an effort to educate visitors on proper trail etiquette, according to the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/law-enforcement-rangers-to-begin-patrols-on-mountain-bikes-and-on-horseback.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-surveillance-video-shows-mountain-lion-p-61-getting-chased-by-another-lion-near-the-405.htm Wed, 18 Sep 2019 05:21:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Dramatic new surveillance video shows mountain lion P-61 getting chased by an uncollared lion minutes before he is struck by traffic and killed on the 405 Freeway early in the morning of September 7, National Park Service biologists say. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-surveillance-video-shows-mountain-lion-p-61-getting-chased-by-another-lion-near-the-405.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-61-killed-crossing-405-freeway.htm Mon, 09 Sep 2019 11:38:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- At around 4 a.m. on Saturday, September 7, the mountain lion known as P-61 was struck and killed on the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass area. His final GPS point indicates that he was between Bel Air Crest Road and the Sepulveda Boulevard underpass. Today, his carcass was picked up and he will undergo a necropsy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-61-killed-crossing-405-freeway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hiker-dies-near-backbone-trail-in-malibu-on-labor-day.htm Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:00:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A 64-year-old male hiker was found deceased by emergency responders about a mile from the Kanan Backbone Trailhead in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Monday afternoon. The hiker was part of a group that had left the official trail and entered an area of the backcountry that the National Park Service had closed after the Woolsey Fire. Click here to see map. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hiker-dies-near-backbone-trail-in-malibu-on-labor-day.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-405-freeway.htm Thu, 08 Aug 2019 05:23:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service has documented a rare case of a mountain lion crossing the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass area. The male mountain lion known as P-61 made his way east of the massive freeway sometime between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on the morning of July 19th. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-405-freeway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/female-hiker-found-deceased-near-popular-trail.htm Wed, 07 Aug 2019 10:10:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A 72-year-old woman was found deceased near a popular trail in the western portion of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Tuesday afternoon. No foul play is suspected. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/female-hiker-found-deceased-near-popular-trail.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/annual-summer-night-sky-festival-to-be-held-at-paramount-ranch-saturday-august-3.htm Thu, 25 Jul 2019 06:32:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The National Park Service invites you to stargaze with rangers and astronomers at our annual Summer Night Sky Festival while enjoying a variety of activities for all ages. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/annual-summer-night-sky-festival-to-be-held-at-paramount-ranch-saturday-august-3.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/all-portions-of-the-backbone-trail-now-open-months-after-woolsey-fire.htm Wed, 17 Jul 2019 10:26:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The 67-mile Backbone Trail has been reopened in its entirety following extensive damage from the Woolsey Fire and winter storms. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/all-portions-of-the-backbone-trail-now-open-months-after-woolsey-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/golden-eagle-chicks-found-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-for-first-time-in-30-years.htm Wed, 26 Jun 2019 03:12:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif - A pair of golden eagle chicks, a fully protected species in the state of California, have been found in a nest in a remote area of the western Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/golden-eagle-chicks-found-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-for-first-time-in-30-years.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/woolsey-fire-a-major-setback-for-california-red-legged-frogs.htm Wed, 19 Jun 2019 03:56:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif - Seven months after the Woolsey Fire, an initiative that began in 2014 to reintroduce the threatened California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) into the Santa Monica Mountains is struggling to regain its footing after perhaps hundreds of frogs perished. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/woolsey-fire-a-major-setback-for-california-red-legged-frogs.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/tourism-to-national-parks-benefits-local-economy.htm Thu, 23 May 2019 10:16:00 EST VENTURA, Calif. – A just released National Park Service (NPS) report for 2018 shows that 366,000 park visitors spent an estimated $22.9 million while visiting Channel Islands National Park. That spending supported 285 jobs and contributed $32.4 million to our local economy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/tourism-to-national-parks-benefits-local-economy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-launches-crowdsourcing-effort-to-catalog-photos-of-wildlife-along-the-la-river.htm Thu, 23 May 2019 05:45:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Calling all community scientists in Los Angeles! Biologists at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area have launched a crowdsourcing effort to catalog tens of thousands of wildlife photos that have been collected over the past year and were taken from several dozen cameras that have been set up along the Los Angeles River. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-launches-crowdsourcing-effort-to-catalog-photos-of-wildlife-along-the-la-river.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-found-dead-poison-suspected-as-cause-of-death.htm Tue, 30 Apr 2019 13:10:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The mountain lion known as P-47 was recently found dead in the Santa Monica Mountains, and lab results indicate he may have succumbed to poisoning from anticoagulant rodenticide, commonly known as rat poison. P-47’s remains were discovered on March 21 after his GPS collar sent out a mortality signal and NPS biologists hiked in to find him in the central portion of the mountain range. He did not have any visible wounds. Testing on a sample of his liver showed that the three-year-old male had been exposed to six different anticoagulant compounds, and a necropsy conducted by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab found internal hemorrhaging in his head and lungs. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-found-dead-poison-suspected-as-cause-of-death.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-362-gives-birth-to-a-litter-of-kittens-3-girls-1-boy.htm Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:14:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A young bobcat captured and collared a day before the Woolsey Fire started last November gave birth to four kittens recently - B-364, B-365. B-366 and B-367. Photos and video here. Using VHF radio-telemetry and GPS points from B-362’s collar, biologists from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area located the young female bobcat in a dense area of vegetation in a large residential backyard in Westlake Village. Researchers received permission from the homeowner to access the bobcat’s den. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bobcat-362-gives-birth-to-a-litter-of-kittens-3-girls-1-boy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/a-superbloom-impersonator-invasive-weeds-cover-hillsides-in-fields-of-green-yellow.htm Wed, 17 Apr 2019 05:48:00 EST Thousand Oaks, CA - As the saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold.” The hillsides covered in lush green and bright yellow flowers after a season of heavy rains have a masquerader that will soon become a forest of dead brown stalks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/a-superbloom-impersonator-invasive-weeds-cover-hillsides-in-fields-of-green-yellow.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/number-of-visitors-in-2018-dropped-due-to-woolsey-fire.htm Thu, 21 Mar 2019 07:40:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A recent National Park Service report for 2018 shows that Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) was on track to surpass the number of visits from the previous year but then the Woolsey Fire struck on November 9, 2018. There were 867,154 visits recorded total for the year - a decrease of about 61,409 visits from 2017. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/number-of-visitors-in-2018-dropped-due-to-woolsey-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-year-coyote-scat-project-ends-with-over-3-000-specimens-collected.htm Fri, 08 Mar 2019 06:05:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A two-year National Park Service research study of scat, aka poop, that focused on what coyotes eat in urban Los Angeles, is culminating with a “scat party” Saturday morning at the Audubon Center at Debs Park (March 9). Volunteers will dissect the final samples and then celebrate their participation in the project with tacos. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-year-coyote-scat-project-ends-with-over-3-000-specimens-collected.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-suffering-from-skin-disease-may-be-linked-to-poisons.htm Thu, 07 Mar 2019 05:44:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service researchers recently re-captured the female mountain lion known as P-53 and treated her for mange, a parasitic disease of the hair and skin. Mange is generally rare in wild cats, however, it has been widespread in bobcats in the Santa Monica Mountains area since an epizootic started in 2002 caused extensive mortality and a significant population decline. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-suffering-from-skin-disease-may-be-linked-to-poisons.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/segments-of-the-backbone-trail-re-open-four-months-after-woolsey-fire.htm Fri, 01 Mar 2019 05:49:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - A portion of the Backbone Trail managed by the National Park Service in Malibu reopened today, along with the popular Grotto Trail in the Circle X area.The majority of the 67-mile Backbone Trail is now open, with the exception of a four-mile stretch from Yerba Buena Road to the Mishe Mokwa Trailhead and a six-mile stretch from the Kanan Trailhead east to the Corral Canyon Trailhead. Large portions of the trail have been closed since the Woolsey Fire destroyed 88% of federal parkland in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area last November. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/segments-of-the-backbone-trail-re-open-four-months-after-woolsey-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/destructive-fire-steady-rains-a-spectacular-wildflower-season.htm Mon, 11 Feb 2019 08:45:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Biologists are hoping that the destructive Woolsey Fire and recent steady rains prove to be the perfect combination for a promising display of spring wildflowers in the Santa Monica Mountains during the peak flowering season that typically occurs in March and April. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/destructive-fire-steady-rains-a-spectacular-wildflower-season.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-re-opens.htm Mon, 28 Jan 2019 11:24:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- With the enactment of the continuing resolution, staff at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) have resumed regular operations. Some areas of the park remain closed, however, due to impacts from the Woolsey Fire. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-re-opens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-survives-flames-but-dies-weeks-afterward.htm Fri, 07 Dec 2018 03:53:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Earlier this week, National Park Service (NPS) researchers discovered the remains of P-64, a male mountain lion who survived the flames of the Woolsey Fire, but died a few weeks afterwards. Although the cause of death is not known at this time, P-64’s paws were visibly burned. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a necropsy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-survives-flames-but-dies-weeks-afterward.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/plants-are-re-sprouting-in-the-burned-areas-of-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Mon, 03 Dec 2018 07:35:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – At least two plant species have been spotted sprouting amidst the charred ash of the Santa Monica Mountains after the Woolsey Fire burned through almost 100,000 acres and 88% of federal land. That’s both good and bad, National Park Service biologists say. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/plants-are-re-sprouting-in-the-burned-areas-of-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/campaign-launched-to-rebuild-paramount-ranch.htm Fri, 16 Nov 2018 08:16:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Today the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is launching “The Paramount Project,” a campaign to rebuild Paramount Ranch’s Western Town, recently destroyed by the Woolsey Fire. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/campaign-launched-to-rebuild-paramount-ranch.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-s-most-unique-halloween-event-is-back-with-scare-a-mount-ranch.htm Thu, 18 Oct 2018 07:14:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Are you ready to get scared (but in a really fun and unique way)? On Saturday, October 27, the National Park Service will host Scare-A-Mount Ranch, a one-of-a-kind event in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-s-most-unique-halloween-event-is-back-with-scare-a-mount-ranch.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteers-needed-to-plant-oak-trees.htm Wed, 26 Sep 2018 14:14:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- On Saturday, September 29th from 9am to 12pm, the National Park Service and Mountains Restoration Trust will host a tree planting volunteer event. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteers-needed-to-plant-oak-trees.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/open-outdoors-for-kids.htm Mon, 24 Sep 2018 11:03:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has been selected to receive an Open OutDoors for Kids Focus City grant for the 2018-2019 school year from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. The grant will help fund the same popular program that brought more than 20,000 students from Title 1 schools in Los Angeles during the 2017-18 school year. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/open-outdoors-for-kids.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/carshowdriveinmovie2018.htm Fri, 14 Sep 2018 04:16:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The National Park Service will host a free classic car show and drive-in movie featuring ‘80s comedy “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” The event, which will be held at historic Paramount Ranch, will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 4:00 to 9 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/carshowdriveinmovie2018.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nationalpubliclandsday2018.htm Thu, 13 Sep 2018 03:57:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Join us outside and at your favorite local park for the 25th annual National Public Lands Day on September 22. This year’s theme is restoration and resilience and there are two opportunities in Los Angeles to participate in a volunteer activity - Paramount Ranch and Audubon Center at Debs Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nationalpubliclandsday2018.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/invasiveplantpressrelease.htm Thu, 06 Sep 2018 06:36:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service has prepared a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to complete its conservation planning process for the Redwood National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Invasive Plant Management Plan Environmental Assessment (EA). https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/invasiveplantpressrelease.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/pumakittensp70top74.htm Tue, 04 Sep 2018 12:40:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service researchers recently discovered a litter of four mountain lion kittens, two males and two females, in a remote area of the Santa Monica Mountains. The four-week-old kittens are now known as P-70, P-71, P-72, and P-73. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/pumakittensp70top74.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/samo-youth-2018.htm Mon, 06 Aug 2018 12:50:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Although Amelia Realzola dreams of working with wildlife, she didn’t grow up going outdoors. There were no family camping trips or summer hikes in national parks. She learned about nature through documentaries, textbooks, friends’ social media posts and YouTube videos, but now that she’s had a taste of what it’s like to work in the outdoors, she can barely contain her enthusiasm and walks around with a constant smile on her face. The bubbly 18-year-old is one of 22 high school students who were chosen to participate in a National Park Service program called SAMO Youth, which began in 2000 in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/samo-youth-2018.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/researchers-discover-litter-of-four-mountain-lion-kittens-all-female.htm Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:55:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service researchers recently discovered a litter of four mountain lion kittens in the Simi Hills, a small area of habitat wedged between the larger Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountain ranges. All four kittens are females and are now known as P-66, P-67, P-68, and P-69. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/researchers-discover-litter-of-four-mountain-lion-kittens-all-female.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/peterstrauss.htm Tue, 29 May 2018 09:08:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The days are getting longer and hotter, which means the National Park Service will again play host to an exciting summer season of free music and performance events at Peter Strauss Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Just think of this historic and unique venue as a much smaller version of the Hollywood Bowl, but more rustic and with no parking or traffic hassles. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/peterstrauss.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lariverwildlifeproject.htm Thu, 03 May 2018 12:05:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service researchers recently installed 39 cameras in and around 30 miles of the Los Angeles River and some of its tributaries in hopes of understanding how wildlife are using urban park lands and, more specifically, the Los Angeles River. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lariverwildlifeproject.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/pledge-to-protect-wildlife.htm Tue, 01 May 2018 07:02:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Santa Monica Mountains Fund is seeking 10,000 community members to sign an online pledge to refrain from using rodent poisons that work their way up the food chain and sicken or kill wildlife. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/pledge-to-protect-wildlife.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/tourismbenefitslocal-economy.htm Thu, 26 Apr 2018 07:07:00 EST VENTURA, Calif. -- A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2017 shows that 383,687 park visitors spent an estimated $23.1 million in local gateway regions while visiting Channel Islands National Park. That spending supported 308 jobs and contributed $32.3 million to our local economy. In the past year, 897,593 visitors to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spent an estimated $38.3 million in the local area, supporting 512 jobs and providing $51.8 million in economic benefit. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/tourismbenefitslocal-economy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/news.htm Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:11:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A new report offers recommendations on the location and type of wildlife crossing structures proposed for two of the busiest freeways in the world. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/news.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/wildflowers-late-bloomers.htm Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Less than average rainfall and late in the season rainstorms might mean this season’s wildflowers will be ‘late bloomers,’ according to ecologists at Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/wildflowers-late-bloomers.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway-at-future-site-for-wildlife-bridge.htm Tue, 13 Mar 2018 08:41:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service researchers have documented a rare case of a mountain lion crossing the 101 Freeway in the Liberty Canyon area of Agoura Hills, underscoring the area’s importance as the ideal location for a wildlife crossing. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway-at-future-site-for-wildlife-bridge.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/military-vets-train-for-wildland-firefighting-at-national-parks.htm Fri, 02 Mar 2018 03:55:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- About 200 aspiring wildland firefighters – all local military veterans – will attend four days of wildland firefighting training from March 2-5 at Paramount Ranch in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and at Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/military-vets-train-for-wildland-firefighting-at-national-parks.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-killed-on-malibu-canyon-road.htm Thu, 01 Feb 2018 11:26:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Earlier this week, National Park Service biologists recovered the remains of a female mountain lion near Malibu Canyon Road. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-killed-on-malibu-canyon-road.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/well-known-mountain-lion-was-exposed-to-multiple-poisons.htm Tue, 19 Dec 2017 10:51:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- According to recent lab results, the mountain lion known as P-41 was exposed to multiple compounds of anticoagulant rodenticide, a form of rat poison. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/well-known-mountain-lion-was-exposed-to-multiple-poisons.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/availability-of-the-invasive-plant-management-plan-for-public-review.htm Wed, 18 Oct 2017 10:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service has announced the availability of the Invasive Plant Management Plan/Environmental Assessment for Redwood National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area for public review and comment. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/availability-of-the-invasive-plant-management-plan-for-public-review.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-found-dead-in-verdugo-mountains.htm Thu, 05 Oct 2017 10:01:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The mountain lion known as P-41 was found dead yesterday on the edge of the Verdugo Mountains, near the Shadow Hills neighborhood. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-found-dead-in-verdugo-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lottery-dates-announced-for-guided-backbone-trail-hike.htm Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:51:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Members of the public interested in experiencing the 67-mile Backbone Trail across the Santa Monica Mountains will soon be able to have a chance to apply for the National Park Service's 15th annual group-led hike of the trail. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lottery-dates-announced-for-guided-backbone-trail-hike.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mountain-lion-kittens-found-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 29 Aug 2017 14:05:00 EST National Park Service researchers have added two new mountain lion kittens to a long-running study of the species in and around the Santa Monica Mountains. The siblings, a female and male found by National Park Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists earlier this month in the central portion of the range, are named P-59 and P-60. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-mountain-lion-kittens-found-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/drought-uncovers-new-facts-about-west-coast-toads.htm Fri, 25 Aug 2017 13:54:00 EST The prolonged drought in California had at least one silver lining for researchers studying wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/drought-uncovers-new-facts-about-west-coast-toads.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-appearance-in-backyard-video-mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm Mon, 07 Aug 2017 09:10:00 EST National Park Service researchers have documented a rare case of a mountain lion successfully crossing the 101 Freeway. P-55, a subadult male who was recently collared in the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, crossed the artery near Thousand Oaks last week soon after he was caught on video in a Newbury Park backyard. He is currently roaming the Santa Susana Mountains after also crossing Highway 23 and the 118 Freeway. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-appearance-in-backyard-video-mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-solar-eclipse-events-in-la-area.htm Wed, 26 Jul 2017 11:39:00 EST On the morning of August 21, millions of Americans are expected to step outside to witness the solar eclipse, a natural phenomenon that hasn’t been witnessed in the continental U.S. in 38 years. To celebrate, the National Park Service is hosting three local viewing events, two in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and one near downtown Los Angeles. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-solar-eclipse-events-in-la-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-area-teens-join-national-park-service-for-summer-jobs.htm Tue, 25 Jul 2017 14:03:00 EST As far as outdoor summer jobs go, this one could take the cake. Twenty two high school and college-bound students are working with the National Park Service in the L.A. area this summer as part of a program called SAMO Youth. After weeks of trail and restoration work in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Channel Islands National Park, their upcoming work includes outdoor projects in neighborhoods. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-area-teens-join-national-park-service-for-summer-jobs.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/night-sky-festival-is-back-will-include-new-jr-ranger-patch.htm Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:35:00 EST With the new moon that evening, the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower nearing its peak, and the total solar eclipse the next month, the National Park Service is excited to present its annual summer Night Sky Festival in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday, July 22. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/night-sky-festival-is-back-will-include-new-jr-ranger-patch.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/historic-ranch-in-mountains-to-host-a-summer-of-music-art-and-performance.htm Wed, 10 May 2017 09:58:00 EST As the summer season approaches, the National Park Service is gearing up for nearly a dozen free music and performance events at Peter Strauss Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/historic-ranch-in-mountains-to-host-a-summer-of-music-art-and-performance.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/laarea-national-parks-benefit-local-economy.htm Fri, 21 Apr 2017 06:40:00 EST A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2016 shows that 906,605 park visitors spent an estimated $39.4 million in the local community while visiting Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. That spending supported 557 jobs and contributed $54.3 million to our local economy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/laarea-national-parks-benefit-local-economy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-heavy-rains-park-needs-help-eradicating-super-bloom-of-weeds.htm Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:38:00 EST As the rich display of native wildflowers fades, a new “super bloom” has begun to dominate many hillsides throughout the Santa Monica Mountains: invasive plants. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-heavy-rains-park-needs-help-eradicating-super-bloom-of-weeds.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kitten-born-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 04 Apr 2017 06:52:00 EST National Park Service researchers, together with biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, recently marked a four-week-old mountain lion in the Santa Monica Mountains. The good news is tempered by suspicion that the young female, now known as P-54, is a product of inbreeding. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kitten-born-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/high-levels-of-rat-poison-found-in-dead-bobcat-from-simi-valley-area.htm Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:14:00 EST Necropsy results for Bobcat 332 are in and the findings are what biologists suspected. The 3-year-old wild cat had anticoagulant rodenticide, commonly known as rat poison, in his system. Specifically, very high levels of the compound bromadiolone were found, in addition to brodifacoum, difethialone, and diphacinone. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/high-levels-of-rat-poison-found-in-dead-bobcat-from-simi-valley-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-species-discovered-breeding-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm Wed, 22 Mar 2017 04:45:00 EST It was a moment made of excited shouts, high fives, and elated tears. National Park Service researchers surveying a stream last week spotted signs of California red-legged frog reproduction. The nine egg masses found are the first known evidence in recent times of the species sustaining a population in the Santa Monica Mountains without the help of humans. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-species-discovered-breeding-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/las-national-park-sets-visitation-record.htm Mon, 13 Mar 2017 11:23:00 EST Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the national park that stretches from the city of Los Angeles west into Ventura County, recorded 906,606 visits in 2016. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/las-national-park-sets-visitation-record.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/veterans-to-prepare-for-upcoming-wildfire-season-at-la-area-training.htm Wed, 08 Mar 2017 11:23:00 EST Over 50 veterans are headed to the Santa Monica Mountains this weekend to become wildland firefighters. The group of students will be members of Team Rubicon, an L.A.-based nonprofit organization that unites the skills of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/veterans-to-prepare-for-upcoming-wildfire-season-at-la-area-training.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/most-solstice-canyon-trails-remain-closed-after-storm.htm Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:56:00 EST The majority of trails at Solstice Canyon will remain temporarily closed after sustaining damage from winter weather last week. However, the popular Solstice Canyon Trail, which takes hikers to the waterfall and the Tropical Terrace ruins, remains open. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/most-solstice-canyon-trails-remain-closed-after-storm.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/what-are-coyotes-eating-conejo-valley-locals-sought-to-help-analyze-coyote-scat.htm Thu, 16 Feb 2017 08:14:00 EST Over a decade ago, National Park Service researchers collected coyote scat from 14 sites in and around the Conejo Valley. They wanted to understand the diet of local coyotes. Researchers are now going back to those same sites to repeat the study and see what has--or has not--changed. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/what-are-coyotes-eating-conejo-valley-locals-sought-to-help-analyze-coyote-scat.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/second-mountain-lion-kitten-struck-and-killed-by-vehicle-near-simi-valley.htm Fri, 27 Jan 2017 03:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A young female mountain lion was struck and killed by a vehicle on State Route 118 last week, marking the third time a mountain lion was hit by a vehicle on the same stretch of freeway since December. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/second-mountain-lion-kitten-struck-and-killed-by-vehicle-near-simi-valley.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-mountain-lion-p-52.htm Thu, 05 Jan 2017 10:43:00 EST We are saddened to report that the seven-month-old kitten known as P-52 was recently struck and killed by a vehicle on the 118 Freeway. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-mountain-lion-p-52.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-struck-and-killed-by-vehicle-near-chatsworth.htm Thu, 15 Dec 2016 04:48:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service (NPS) biologists confirmed this week that a mountain lion recently struck and killed by a vehicle on the 118 Freeway was P-39, an adult female with three six-month-old kittens. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-struck-and-killed-by-vehicle-near-chatsworth.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/more-than-500-jobs-available-at-california-national-parks.htm Tue, 13 Dec 2016 05:54:00 EST Los Angeles, CA – If you ever dreamed of working for the National Park Service, now is the time, with more than 500 seasonal job openings available for the summer of 2017, in over fifteen parks across the state of California.  https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/more-than-500-jobs-available-at-california-national-parks.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-mountain-lion-p-45.htm Tue, 29 Nov 2016 09:08:00 EST We extend our condolences to those who have lost a pet or other animal as a result of being preyed upon by native wildlife. This is extremely unfortunate for everyone. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/statement-on-mountain-lion-p-45.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/localsand-their-dogs-sought-for-volunteer-positions.htm Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:05:00 EST The National Park Service is launching a local effort to recruit volunteers to help out in and around the Santa Monica Mountains starting in 2017. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/localsand-their-dogs-sought-for-volunteer-positions.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-bobcat-appears-recovered-from-bout-with-mange.htm Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:25:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- When National Park Service researchers captured Bobcat 342, known as B-342, back in early July, the four-to-five-year-old male was clearly suffering from mange. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-bobcat-appears-recovered-from-bout-with-mange.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-seeking-classic-cars-for-paramount-ranch-event.htm Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:25:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service is looking for owners of classic cars to help celebrate an historic car racing site in the Santa Monica Mountains. The vehicles will be on display at the first-ever Car Corral & Picnic on Saturday, October 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Paramount Ranch in Agoura. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-seeking-classic-cars-for-paramount-ranch-event.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/light-pollution-from-within-socal-s-coastal-national-parks-steady-or-decreasing.htm Wed, 14 Sep 2016 09:58:00 EST Thousand Oaks, CA - A study published today found that the amount of light pollution produced within Southern California’s three coastal National Park Service units has not significantly changed, and in one case has decreased, over the past two decades. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/light-pollution-from-within-socal-s-coastal-national-parks-steady-or-decreasing.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/every-kid-in-a-park-program-returns-to-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Wed, 07 Sep 2016 07:45:00 EST LOS ANGELES - Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encourages all fourth graders to visit the park this year as part of the Every Kid in a Park program. The program gives fourth grade students, and those accompanying them, free access to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters. Visit www.EveryKidinaPark.gov to download the pass and obtain more information. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/every-kid-in-a-park-program-returns-to-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-mountain-lion-population-faces-precipitous-decline-in-genetic-diversity-within-50-years-possible-extinction.htm Tue, 30 Aug 2016 12:01:00 EST A paper published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains face the possibility of extinction in the near future. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-mountain-lion-population-faces-precipitous-decline-in-genetic-diversity-within-50-years-possible-extinction.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bear-discovered-in-malibu-creek-state-park.htm Thu, 04 Aug 2016 06:51:00 EST Evidence of a black bear in the Santa Monica Mountains was discovered Tuesday by National Park Service employees. The researchers were reviewing photos from two camera traps set up in Malibu Creek State Park to monitor for wildlife movement and came upon images of the mammal dated July 26. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bear-discovered-in-malibu-creek-state-park.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-youth-land-summer-jobs-working-with-the-national-park-service.htm Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:30:00 EST The 22 youths were hired as part of a National Park Service program called SAMO Youth. In addition to providing paid summer employment, the highly selective program introduces high school juniors and seniors to environmental careers through specialized training in the outdoors. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-youth-land-summer-jobs-working-with-the-national-park-service.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/sixth-coyote-tracked-as-la-urban-coyote-project-marks-one-year.htm Thu, 14 Jul 2016 08:00:00 EST A new coyote has been added to the National Park Service’s study of L.A.’s urban coyotes. C-149 was outfitted with a GPS collar in early June and is the sixth coyote to be tracked by researchers since the L.A. Urban Coyote Project launched a little over one year ago. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/sixth-coyote-tracked-as-la-urban-coyote-project-marks-one-year.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-litters-of-mountain-lion-kittens-born-in-local-mountains.htm Wed, 06 Jul 2016 14:36:00 EST National Park Service researchers recently discovered two litters of mountain lion kittens in the eastern Santa Susana Mountains. A total of five kittens, three females and two males, were eartagged and returned to their respective dens earlier this month. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/two-litters-of-mountain-lion-kittens-born-in-local-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/backbone-trail-set-for-completion.htm Thu, 26 May 2016 05:15:00 EST On June 4, a group of partners, including the National Park Service, will officially celebrate the grand opening of the Backbone Trail, a 67-mile trail that stretches from the city of Los Angeles to Ventura County. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/backbone-trail-set-for-completion.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/deceased-individual-found-in-trailhead-parking-lot.htm Wed, 25 May 2016 13:07:00 EST A body of an adult male was found in the parking lot of the Newton Canyon Trailhead on Kanan Dume Road in the Santa Monica Mountains on May 25. The cause of death was suspected to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/deceased-individual-found-in-trailhead-parking-lot.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/weeklong-bioblitz-coming-to-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Wed, 11 May 2016 17:31:00 EST A BioBlitz is a quest to discover living organisms through public involvement. During these rapid biological surveys, scientists and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds work together to compile a "snapshot" of biodiversity in a short span of time, in this case, the week of May 16 through May 22. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/weeklong-bioblitz-coming-to-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/angelenos-sought-to-help-collect-coyote-scat.htm Tue, 03 May 2016 09:49:00 EST National Park Service researchers are readying to embark on a new study that focuses in L.A.’s urban areas, from Boyle Heights to Beverly Hills. Do these coyotes, who deal with more concrete, traffic, people, and fewer open spaces, persist on a similar or different diet than coyotes in natural areas? https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/angelenos-sought-to-help-collect-coyote-scat.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-area-national-parks-benefit-economy.htm Mon, 25 Apr 2016 13:13:00 EST A new National Park Service report for 2015 shows the economic benefit of Channel Islands National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to the local economy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-area-national-parks-benefit-economy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-frogs-find-new-home-in-california-state-parks.htm Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:05:00 EST VENTURA, Calif. - A rare amphibian that has been lost from 70 percent of its historical range has been given a fighting chance to repopulate on state-protected lands in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-frogs-find-new-home-in-california-state-parks.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-truck-hits-streets-of-los-angeles.htm Wed, 02 Mar 2016 06:08:00 EST As the National Park Service nears its 100th birthday, L.A.’s local national park unit has launched a LA Ranger Troca to bring the parks to people. The truck will rove city streets with rangers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to reach the next generation of park goers. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-truck-hits-streets-of-los-angeles.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mourning-the-loss-of-fallen-inmate-wildland-firefighter-shawna-lynn-jones.htm Tue, 01 Mar 2016 11:01:00 EST Shawna Lynn Jones, 22, an L.A. County inmate wildland firefighter, suffered a serious injury during suppression efforts on the Mulholland Fire in Malibu, Calif. on National Park Service land. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mourning-the-loss-of-fallen-inmate-wildland-firefighter-shawna-lynn-jones.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-river-coyote-drowned-in-lake-at-macarthur-park.htm Wed, 20 Jan 2016 06:56:00 EST A radio collared coyote found dead in a City of Los Angeles park last December is believed to have died by drowning. The female subadult coyote, known as C-146, was tracked for two months as part of researchers’ efforts to better understand how coyotes live in extremely urbanized areas. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/la-river-coyote-drowned-in-lake-at-macarthur-park.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kittens-born-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm Thu, 14 Jan 2016 07:12:00 EST Biologists from the National Park Service recently discovered two mountain lion kittens in the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The female and male kittens, now known as P-46 and P-47, were implanted with tracking devices after researchers located their den in a remote area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-kittens-born-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-film-event-celebrates-100-years-of-national-parks.htm Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:34:00 EST In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, local film historians will host “The Centennial on Screen: 100 Years of our National Parks in the Movies” at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center on Sunday, January 24. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-film-event-celebrates-100-years-of-national-parks.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/griffith-park-mountain-lion-appears-healthy-recovered-from-mange.htm Thu, 07 Jan 2016 07:10:00 EST National Park Service researchers recaptured the Griffith Park mountain lion known as P-22 last month and report that he appears healthy and has recovered from a serious bout with mange. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/griffith-park-mountain-lion-appears-healthy-recovered-from-mange.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scientists-capture-adult-male-mountain-lion.htm Fri, 04 Dec 2015 08:30:00 EST A National Park Service biologist recently captured a large adult male mountain lion in the Santa Monica Mountains. Now known as P-45, he is estimated to be three to four years old. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scientists-capture-adult-male-mountain-lion.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bird-fest-2015.htm Tue, 24 Nov 2015 10:50:00 EST Bird Fest, an event featuring a host of free activities, will be held Saturday, Dec 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center. Bird enthusiasts and newbies alike are invited to celebrate all things bird. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/bird-fest-2015.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/p-34-test-results-confirmed.htm Tue, 10 Nov 2015 10:31:00 EST Lab results confirm that the mountain lion known as P-34 was exposed to multiple compounds of anticoagulant rodenticide, a form of rat poison. The subadult female, tracked as part of a National Park Service study, was found by a hiker in Point Mugu State Park on September 30. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/p-34-test-results-confirmed.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scientists-begin-tracking-la-river-coyote.htm Wed, 21 Oct 2015 08:12:00 EST As part of their recent efforts to better understand how coyotes survive in extremely urbanized areas, National Park Service researchers recently began tracking a coyote in Northeast Los Angeles near the LA River. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scientists-begin-tracking-la-river-coyote.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/deaths-of-young-mountain-lions-illustrate-challenges-to-survival.htm Fri, 09 Oct 2015 06:32:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Three young mountain lions have been found dead in the Santa Monica Mountains in recent weeks, illustrating how difficult it can be for the large carnivores to survive into adulthood in such an urbanized and fragmented landscape. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/deaths-of-young-mountain-lions-illustrate-challenges-to-survival.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-festival-encourages-outdoor-recreation.htm Mon, 05 Oct 2015 07:45:00 EST AGOURA, CALIF. - Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend the National Park Service's second-annual Recreation Festival on Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Also known as Rec Fest, this free, family-friendly event will take place at Paramount Ranch in Agoura and will feature several hands-on opportunities to introduce families to the outdoors. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-festival-encourages-outdoor-recreation.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/reptile-and-amphibian-show.htm Tue, 08 Sep 2015 05:52:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Fans of all things slithery and scaly are invited to attend the Live Reptile and Amphibian Show at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center on Sunday, September 20 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/reptile-and-amphibian-show.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-youth-complete-summer-jobs.htm Wed, 19 Aug 2015 04:00:00 EST LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- A National Park Service program designed to introduce inner-city youth to environmental careers wrapped up its 16th season this week. A new partnership with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps helped organizers double the size of this year’s cohort. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/local-youth-complete-summer-jobs.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-killed-by-vehicle-on-interstate-5.htm Thu, 13 Aug 2015 08:45:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A young mountain lion was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 5 near Castaic early Monday morning. Known as P-32, he is the only male known to have dispersed out of the Santa Monica Mountains and into the more contiguous habitat areas to the north. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-killed-by-vehicle-on-interstate-5.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-festival.htm Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:38:00 EST AGOURA, Calif. – The National Park Service will co-host the third annual Summer Star Festival from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 8 at Paramount Ranch in Agoura. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-festival.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-study-la-urban-coyotes.htm Tue, 28 Jul 2015 02:15:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A National Park Service effort to better understand how coyotes survive in one of the nation’s most intensely urbanized areas is providing new insights into their movements and behavior. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-study-la-urban-coyotes.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/native-american-mapmaker-visits-local-culture-center.htm Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:42:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- Noted Native American cartographer Aaron Carapella will visit a local culture center and present his work onSaturday, July 18. The National Park Service will host two presentations, at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/native-american-mapmaker-visits-local-culture-center.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-frogs-survive-first-year-in-new-home.htm Mon, 15 Jun 2015 04:00:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- At least a handful of rare frogs have survived their first year in the Santa Monica Mountains, part of the first-ever effort to expand the range of California red-legged frogs in Southern California. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rare-frogs-survive-first-year-in-new-home.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-patrol-horse.htm Fri, 05 Jun 2015 08:58:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service recently welcomed a new patrol horse to its ranks. Known as Jordan, the 10-year-old quarter horse was donated by the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, the park’s official fundraising partner. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-patrol-horse.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/verdugo-mountains-p41.htm Fri, 29 May 2015 04:47:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- National Park Service biologists captured a mountain lion in the Verdugo Mountains on May 7, marking the first time a large carnivore has been studied in that small and isolated mountain range. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/verdugo-mountains-p41.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-invited-to-national-trails-day.htm Fri, 22 May 2015 06:48:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service and its partners invite the public to roll up their sleeves and participate in National Trails Day on Saturday, June 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be repairing a portion of the Backbone Trail east of Encinal Canyon Road. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-invited-to-national-trails-day.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-concert-series.htm Fri, 01 May 2015 10:02:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. —The National Park Service’s annual Sunday Concerts in the park will kick off at 4 p.m.May 10 at Peter Strauss Ranch featuring local bands the Hanydymen and the Chance Bands, playing songs from the Eagles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan the Byrds, Mavericks and others. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-concert-series.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/second-mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm Fri, 24 Apr 2015 04:50:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. − Following the example set by his sister, a young male mountain lion known as P-32 recently became the second big cat in less than a month to cross the 101 Freeway and disperse north, out of the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/second-mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/economic-benefit-of-local-national-parks.htm Fri, 24 Apr 2015 04:29:00 EST Ventura, CA – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows the economic benefit of Channel Islands National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to our local economy in supporting 706 jobs with a cumulative benefit to the local economy of over $68 million. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/economic-benefit-of-local-national-parks.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/find-your-park.htm Mon, 20 Apr 2015 05:08:00 EST Ventura, CA — Today, Channel Islands National Park and Santa Monica National Recreation Area invite the public to celebrate National Park Week at their local parks and to join the Find Your Park National Park Service Centennial campaign. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/find-your-park.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gps-data-offer-clues-on-famous-lion-locations.htm Fri, 17 Apr 2015 05:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- New GPS data provide additional insights into the days before and after the mountain lion known as P-22 was discovered under the crawlspace of a Los Feliz home, triggering an avalanche of media coverage. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gps-data-offer-clues-on-famous-lion-locations.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm Fri, 20 Mar 2015 03:18:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – For only the second time since the National Park Service began studying local mountain lions in 2002, researchers have documented a successful crossing of the 101 Freeway. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-crosses-101-freeway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/genetic-change-in-la-bobcats.htm Mon, 16 Mar 2015 04:02:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A recent study documents that freeways, urbanization and a disease outbreak have led to significant genetic differentiation among bobcats in and around Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, but that natural selection is helping to reduce potential negative effects. Researchers from UCLA and the National Park Service collaborated on the peer-reviewed article, recently published in the journal Evolutionary Applications. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/genetic-change-in-la-bobcats.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-restoration-project.htm Tue, 03 Mar 2015 03:33:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Help is on the way to revive native trees and plants in the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, thanks to a $94,469 grant by the Ventura County Tree Mitigation Fund. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-restoration-project.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-star-party.htm Wed, 11 Feb 2015 06:26:00 EST AGOURA, Calif. – The National Park Service invites the public to attend the Winter Star Party at Paramount Ranch on Saturday, February 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-star-party.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hollywood-movie-mountains.htm Wed, 28 Jan 2015 03:11:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. — “Oscar Goes Outdoors!” is the theme of a full-day event celebrating Hollywood’s Movie Mountains, co-sponsored by the National Park Service and Western National Parks Association on Sunday, Feb. 15. One week before the Academy Awards, film experts will reveal the secret sites of Oscar-winning and nominated movies shot in the Santa Monica Mountains, from 1939’s “Gone With The Wind” to 2014’s “American Sniper.” https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hollywood-movie-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/photos-of-griffith-park-mountain-lion.htm Thu, 04 Dec 2014 06:42:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Newly released images indicate the Griffith Park mountain lion known as P-22 has recovered from mange. After capturing the animal for a routine battery change of its tracking collar in March, biologists noted his deteriorated health and treated him for mange and exposure to rat poison. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/photos-of-griffith-park-mountain-lion.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-invited-to-document-post-fire-landscape.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2014 08:58:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Scientists are asking the public to help document how the landscape is recovering from a major fire, and hoping the recent rainfall will lend a helping hand. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-invited-to-document-post-fire-landscape.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-seeking-volunteers.htm Thu, 02 Oct 2014 10:59:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service is seeking volunteers with an interest in helping young people discover the beauty and history of the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-seeking-volunteers.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-nps-outdoor-rec-fest.htm Wed, 01 Oct 2014 09:47:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend the National Park Service’s inaugural Recreation Festival on Saturday, October 25 from 10:00 a.m until 4:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-nps-outdoor-rec-fest.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-festival-to-celebrate-all-things-bird.htm Tue, 23 Sep 2014 14:02:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Bird Fest , an inaugural event featuring a host of free activities, will be held Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-festival-to-celebrate-all-things-bird.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-rug-and-jewelry-show.htm Mon, 08 Sep 2014 07:30:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. -- The Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center will host a Navajo rug and jewelry show, complete with artist talks and demonstrations, on September 13 and 14. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-rug-and-jewelry-show.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/biologists-release-100s-of-frogs.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2014 04:59:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Biologists from the National Park Service released hundreds of California red-legged frog tadpoles this week, part of the first-ever effort to expand the range of the threatened species in Southern California. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/biologists-release-100s-of-frogs.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26m-local-economic-impact.htm Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:49:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 633,000 visitors to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 2013 spent $26 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 332 jobs in the local area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26m-local-economic-impact.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-fest-aug-2.htm Mon, 14 Jul 2014 07:10:00 EST AGOURA, Calif. – The National Park Service invites the public to attend the Summer Star Festival on Saturday, August 2 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Paramount Ranch in Agoura. The free event will feature star-gazing, constellation tours, music and children's activities. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-fest-aug-2.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/latin-american-art-may-24-26.htm Thu, 08 May 2014 06:22:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – An impressive variety of Oaxacan wood carvings, Mata Ortiz pottery and Zapotec rugs will be featured in the Latin American Art Show & Sale at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center on Memorial Day weekend. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/latin-american-art-may-24-26.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/live-reptile-may-18.htm Tue, 06 May 2014 06:01:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Fans of all things slithery and scaly are invited to attend the Live Reptile and Amphibian Show at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center on Sunday, May 18 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/live-reptile-may-18.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gp-lion-exposed-to-poison.htm Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:05:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Test results received last week confirm the Griffith Park mountain lion known as P-22 has been exposed to anti-coagulant rodenticide, commonly known as rat poison, and is suffering from mange. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gp-lion-exposed-to-poison.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26m-in-local-economic-impact.htm Mon, 03 Mar 2014 08:09:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that the 650,000 visitors to national park lands in the Santa Monica Mountains spent $26 million in the surrounding community in 2012. That spending supported 336 jobs in the local area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26m-in-local-economic-impact.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/3-mountain-lion-kittens-struck.htm Tue, 11 Feb 2014 03:21:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Three local mountain lion kittens have been fatally struck by vehicles in recent weeks, in two separate incidents. Roads pose one of the most significant challenges to the long-term survival of mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/3-mountain-lion-kittens-struck.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trailmgmtplan.htm Wed, 05 Feb 2014 08:20:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Park officials are preparing an interagency trail management plan for the approximately 500 miles of trails within Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trailmgmtplan.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-sky-star-party-feb-8.htm Tue, 21 Jan 2014 10:23:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – The National Park Service invites the public to attend the Winter Sky Star Party at Paramount Ranch on Saturday, February 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The free event will feature star-gazing, constellation tours and children's activities. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-sky-star-party-feb-8.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nighttime-closures-lifted.htm Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:08:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- As of January 15, officials with California State Parks and the National Park Service will lift the nighttime closures imposed after last year's Springs Fire. The restriction to official roads and trails remains in place. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nighttime-closures-lifted.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/prelim-nitrogen-deposition-results.htm Tue, 14 Jan 2014 04:19:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Initial results from experiments conducted in the Santa Monica Mountains indicate that high levels of nitrogen may adversely impact native plants and, by extension, increase the risk of wildfire. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/prelim-nitrogen-deposition-results.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-show-further-signs-of-inbreeding.htm Thu, 09 Jan 2014 04:25:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Preliminary DNA results from three mountain lion kittens born in the Santa Monica Mountains last month indicate they are the result of inbreeding. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-show-further-signs-of-inbreeding.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/good-news-for-threatened-frog.htm Tue, 17 Dec 2013 04:18:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Biologists received some good news this month about plans to re-introduce California red-legged frogs to the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/good-news-for-threatened-frog.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-highlight-need-for-wildlife-tunnel.htm Wed, 06 Nov 2013 03:44:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Preliminary DNA results from the mountain lion killed last month on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills indicate the lion was traveling from the north and was on the verge of bringing new genetic material to the isolated population in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-highlight-need-for-wildlife-tunnel.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/american-indian-basketry-show-nov-16-and-17.htm Tue, 29 Oct 2013 06:16:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – The Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center will host an American Indian Basketry Show and Sale, complete with artist talks and demonstrations, on November 16 and 17. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/american-indian-basketry-show-nov-16-and-17.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/smmnra-open-for-business.htm Thu, 17 Oct 2013 06:06:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area re-opened early Thursday morning. Popular trailheads and visitor contact stations had been closed since October 1 due to the government shutdown. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/smmnra-open-for-business.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/reptile-and-amphibian-show-oct-6.htm Tue, 24 Sep 2013 07:18:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Fans of all things slithery and scaly are invited to attend the Live Reptile and Amphibian Show at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center on Sunday, October 6 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/reptile-and-amphibian-show-oct-6.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/discontinue-sale-of-federal-lands-passes.htm Wed, 04 Sep 2013 12:20:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – As of October 1, the National Park Service (NPS) will end the sale of federal lands passes at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/discontinue-sale-of-federal-lands-passes.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/urban-wildlife-expert-sept-7.htm Fri, 30 Aug 2013 04:19:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – Urban wildlife expert Dr. Seth Riley will discuss the state of carnivores in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday, September 7 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/urban-wildlife-expert-sept-7.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteers-connect-young-people-with-outdoors.htm Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:29:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service is seeking volunteers with an interest in helping young people discover the beauty and history of the Santa Monica Mountains. The deadline to submit an application is September 14. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteers-connect-young-people-with-outdoors.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-trading-post-august-24-25.htm Wed, 07 Aug 2013 04:19:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – The Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center will host a Navajo rug and jewelry show, complete with artist talks and demonstrations, on August 24 and 25. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-trading-post-august-24-25.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/invasive-plant-management-plan.htm Tue, 06 Aug 2013 04:11:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service is preparing a joint environmental assessment (EA) for an invasive plant management plan for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and Redwood National Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/invasive-plant-management-plan.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-festival-august-10.htm Tue, 23 Jul 2013 05:49:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – The National Park Service invites the public to attend the Summer Star Festival at Paramount Ranch on Saturday, August 10 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The free event will feature star-gazing, constellation tours, music and children's activities. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-star-festival-august-10.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/federal-funds-for-springs-fire.htm Thu, 11 Jul 2013 07:44:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service recently received $263,000 in Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) funding to address safety, recreational and ecological impacts from the Springs Fire. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/federal-funds-for-springs-fire.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/surf-fishing-july-6.htm Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:22:00 EST MALIBU, Calif. – An opportunity to learn or improve your surf fishing skills will be offered by the National Park Service on Saturday, July 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/surf-fishing-july-6.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-trails-day-june-1.htm Tue, 21 May 2013 07:25:00 EST MALIBU, Calif. – The National Park Service and its partners invite the public to roll up their sleeves and participate in National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will be repairing a portion of the Backbone Trail east of Encinal Canyon Road. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-trails-day-june-1.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-to-re-open-additional-trails.htm Mon, 13 May 2013 09:02:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Now that the 24,000-acre Springs Fire is officially controlled, the National Park Service will re-open trails on the western side of the Santa Monica Mountains Tuesday morning, with restrictions. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-to-re-open-additional-trails.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-the-fire-nature-recover.htm Thu, 09 May 2013 08:52:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- In the wake of approximately 14,000 acres of burned park land, officials from the National Park Service and California State Parks have a few suggestions for how community members can help nature recover. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/after-the-fire-nature-recover.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-fundraiser-may-19.htm Thu, 02 May 2013 11:24:00 EST 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. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-fundraiser-may-19.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lyme-disease-at-paramount.htm Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:15:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Officials from Los Angeles county and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) are advising visitors that ticks from Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills recently tested positive for Lyme disease. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lyme-disease-at-paramount.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trail-closures-cheeseboro.htm Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:03:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The National Park Service (NPS) is advising visitors that trails at Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons will be intermittently closed during April and May due to the demolition and removal of surplus water conveyance infrastructure. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/trail-closures-cheeseboro.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-week-science-fest-april-27.htm Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:53:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – In commemoration of National Park Week April 20-28, Los Angeles' very own national park will host Science Fest at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills on Saturday, April 27 from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-week-science-fest-april-27.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lecture-on-car-culture.htm Mon, 25 Mar 2013 05:33:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – The National Park Service (NPS) will share an informative history on a less-recognized form of recreation – driving in the mountains – with its latest lecture series, titled "Mulholland, Miller and Motor Sports." The free event will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 30 at Paramount Ranch, once a hotbed in the feature film movie industry. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lecture-on-car-culture.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26-million-in-local-economic-impact.htm Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:09:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that the 650,000 visitors to national park lands in the Santa Monica Mountains spent $26 million in the surrounding community. This spending supported 350 jobs in the local area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/26-million-in-local-economic-impact.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-captures-300th-bobcat.htm Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:48:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – National Park Service biologists recently captured the 300th bobcat as part of the longest-running bobcat study ever conducted. Started in 1996, the study examines the behavior, ecology and conservation of bobcats, in particular how urbanization has affected the bobcat population in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-captures-300th-bobcat.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/ucla-and-nps-open-field-station.htm Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:15:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.-- UCLA and the National Park Service opened a field station in the Santa Monica Mountains Tuesday, providing a new headquarters and center of operations for the university's La Kretz Center for California Conservation https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/ucla-and-nps-open-field-station.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-sky-star-party-jan-19.htm Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:22:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – The National Park Service will co-host a Winter Sky Star Party from 5:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19 at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-sky-star-party-jan-19.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-premieres-native-american-art-jan-6.htm Thu, 27 Dec 2012 05:52:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS,Calif. – The National Park Service will host an exhibit opening for Native American artist Michael Chas Williams on Sunday, January 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-premieres-native-american-art-jan-6.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/holiday-sale-dec-15.htm Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:23:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Western National Parks Association (WNPA), a nonprofit education partner of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), will host its first annual holiday sale at King Gillette Ranch on December 15. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/holiday-sale-dec-15.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dead-mountain-lion-rodenticides.htm Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:25:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Necropsy results from the mountain lion found dead by hikers last month in the Santa Monica Mountains were inconclusive, but did indicate rodenticide exposure. Because the carcass was partially decomposed, the actual cause of death cannot be determined. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dead-mountain-lion-rodenticides.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-solstice-dec-2.htm Fri, 09 Nov 2012 04:37:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- As an early winter solstice celebration, and just in time for holiday shopping, the National Park Service will host its annual Winter Solstice Art Show and Sale on Sunday, December 2 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/winter-solstice-dec-2.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteer-restoration-dec-1.htm Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:35:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- The National Park Service will host a volunteer restoration project at Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park on Saturday, December 1 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteer-restoration-dec-1.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/safe-riding.htm Tue, 30 Oct 2012 05:16:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In response to increased complaints and collisions on local trails, the National Park Service (NPS) has teamed with the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclist Association (CORBA) to promote safe and courteous riding in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/safe-riding.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/stokes-creek-restoration.htm Thu, 25 Oct 2012 04:26:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Lend a hand and donate a plant at Stokes Creek in the Calabasas area on Saturday, November 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/stokes-creek-restoration.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hikers-find-dead-mountain-lion.htm Wed, 24 Oct 2012 07:55:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Hikers reported a dead mountain lion near Newbury Park in Point Mugu State Park on Sunday. A National Park Service biologist identified the carcass as Puma-25, a female lion approximately one year old, and transferred the remains to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory for necropsy. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hikers-find-dead-mountain-lion.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rim-of-the-valley-findings.htm Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:37:00 EST LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The National Park Service (NPS) has published preliminary findings and alternative concepts for the Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/rim-of-the-valley-findings.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/seminar-on-co-existing-with-wildlife.htm Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:13:00 EST WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. – The City of Westlake Village will be hosting a free seminar titled "How to Coexist with Wildlife" on Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/seminar-on-co-existing-with-wildlife.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/net-zero-dorm-award.htm Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:07:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Energy honored the National Park Service today with a 2012 Federal Energy and Water Management Award for a "net zero" dormitory in Calabasas. Completed in 2010, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area building is the first net zero facility built by the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/net-zero-dorm-award.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/astrophotography-oct-13.htm Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:28:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The National Park Service (NPS) will host a two-part program about astrophotography -- and the heavens in general -- on Saturday, October 13 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/astrophotography-oct-13.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/satwiwa-new-art-exhibit-oct-7.htm Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:07:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- The National Park Service will host an exhibit opening for Native American gourd mask artist Bernie Granados, Jr. on Sunday, October 7 at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/satwiwa-new-art-exhibit-oct-7.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-foundation-grant-brings-local-students-to-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 11 Sep 2012 04:47:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) was recently selected to receive nearly $7,000 in transportation funding from the National Park Foundation (NPF). The grant will provide funding for approximately 700 students and family members to experience a ranger-led program in the Santa Monica Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-foundation-grant-brings-local-students-to-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteer-for-national-public-lands-day-september-15.htm Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:23:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. -- In celebration of National Public Lands Day, the National Park Service invites you to a clean-up of Medea Creek at Paramount Ranch on Saturday, September 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/volunteer-for-national-public-lands-day-september-15.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-trading-post-coming-to-santa-monica-mountains-september-8.htm Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:00:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – Western National Parks Association (WNPA), a nonprofit education partner of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), will host a Navajo trading post at King Gillette Ranch on September 8. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/navajo-trading-post-coming-to-santa-monica-mountains-september-8.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-superintendent-for-national-recreation-area-selected.htm Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:31:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – David Szymanski has been selected as the new superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service. Szymanski replaces Woody Smeck, who recently transferred to Yosemite National Park after serving as the park's superintendent for ten years. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-superintendent-for-national-recreation-area-selected.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-sky-star-party-august-18.htm Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:44:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- Experienced and novice star gazers alike are invited to attend a "Sky Star Party" on Saturday, August 18 from 7:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-sky-star-party-august-18.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-welcomes-birth-of-mountain-lion-kittens.htm Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:33:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Biologists from the National Park Service recently discovered two mountain lion kittens in the Santa Monica Mountains. The female and male kittens were outfitted with tracking devices after researchers located their den east of Circle X Ranch in Malibu. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-welcomes-birth-of-mountain-lion-kittens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/inner-city-youths-begin-summer-employment-with-national-park-service.htm Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:54:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Eleven local high school students recently began work in the Santa Monica Mountains, part of a National Park Service program to prepare ethnically diverse youth for careers with the agency. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/inner-city-youths-begin-summer-employment-with-national-park-service.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/caltrans-mitigation-efforts-improve-sr-23-wildlife-movement.htm Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:22:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A recently released report from the National Park Service concludes that Caltrans' efforts to mitigate the impact of the widening of State Route 23 on local wildlife are effective. Installation of wildlife fencing and one-way gates, as well as clearance of three key underpasses, led to a six-fold increase in the number of successful wildlife crossings and an 88% decrease in coyote road mortalities. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/caltrans-mitigation-efforts-improve-sr-23-wildlife-movement.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/native-american-art-lecture-and-exhibit-set-for-july-8.htm Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:49:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. – The National Park Service will host an art lecture and exhibit at the Satwiwa Native American Culture Center on Sunday, July 8. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/native-american-art-lecture-and-exhibit-set-for-july-8.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-shed-light-on-dead-santa-monica-lion.htm Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:02:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Recently released DNA results from the mountain lion that wandered into downtown Santa Monica confirm the young male was genetically tied to the local population and not a pet. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/dna-results-shed-light-on-dead-santa-monica-lion.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-santa-monica-mountains-visitor-center-opens.htm Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:01:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. – The National Park Service, along with its partners, dedicated a new interagency visitor center in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) on Saturday, June 9. Located at King Gillette Ranch in the historic heart of the Santa Monica Mountains, the interagency building unifies the local, state and federal park system for SMMNRA's 35 million annual visitors. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-santa-monica-mountains-visitor-center-opens.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-peter-strauss-ranch-concert-set-for-june-17.htm Mon, 04 Jun 2012 05:56:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. -- Two local bands, The Greybeards and Nobody's Business, will perform at the Peter Strauss Ranch outdoor amphitheatre on Father's Day, June 17th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/free-peter-strauss-ranch-concert-set-for-june-17.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-hosts-national-trails-days-june-2.htm Tue, 29 May 2012 08:03:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. -- The National Park Service invites you to join a community of partners in an effort to repair popular hiking trails at Rancho Sierra Vista on Saturday, June 2nd from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-hosts-national-trails-days-june-2.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-net-zero-visitor-center-opens-in-santa-monica-mountains-june-9.htm Thu, 24 May 2012 08:00:00 EST CALABASAS, Calif. -- The National Park Service, along with its partners, will open a new interagency visitor center in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) on Saturday, June 9. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/new-net-zero-visitor-center-opens-in-santa-monica-mountains-june-9.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-fund-hosts-annual-native-plant-sale.htm Mon, 07 May 2012 07:24:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. – The Santa Monica Mountains Fund will host a native plant sale and community planting event Saturday, May 12 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The annual event, which falls the day before Mother's Day this year, offers the opportunity for community members to buy plants native to the Santa Monica Mountains, get free expert advice and publications, learn about fire-safe landscaping techniques and join other enthusiasts in a special planting event. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-fund-hosts-annual-native-plant-sale.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-launches-online-camping-reservations-and-new-fee-structure.htm Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:29:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will launch a new online reservation system and fee structure for its group campground on May 2. The Circle X Ranch Group Campground accommodates groups of 10 to 75 people and is located in Malibu. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-launches-online-camping-reservations-and-new-fee-structure.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/visitor-center-exhibits-color-and-light-art-through-april-30.htm Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:22:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A fine art exhibit featuring painter Harvey Cusworth, a plein air specialist reminiscent of impressionism, runs through April 30 at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Thousand Oaks. Titled "Santa Monica Mountains: Color and Light," the exhibit is the last art show before the Visitor Center relocates to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on June 9. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/visitor-center-exhibits-color-and-light-art-through-april-30.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-hosts-third-annual-science-festival-april-27-28.htm Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:58:00 EST AGOURA HILLS, Calif. -- Discover the national park right in your backyard, at the third annual National Park Service Science Festival. The event and parking are free and open to the public. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-hosts-third-annual-science-festival-april-27-28.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-captured-collared-and-released-in-griffith-park-area.htm Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Biologists from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) captured a mountain lion in the Griffith Park area on March 28. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-captured-collared-and-released-in-griffith-park-area.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-pilots-maps-for-smartphones.htm Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:05:00 EST NEWBURY PARK, Calif. – Smartphone users at select sites in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area can now scan a Quick Response Code for a free digital map. The pilot program is believed to be the first of its kind within the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-pilots-maps-for-smartphones.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-presents-free-lecture-on-wildflowers.htm Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:26:00 EST THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Visitors are invited to meet photographer Kahlee Brighton of the Wildflower Conservancy and learn about the spectacular array of local wildflowers at a lecture from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Part of the National Park Service's free lecture series, the event, titled "Capturing Ephemeral Beauty: A Celebration of California's Wildflowers," will be at the NPS Visitor Center, 401 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-presents-free-lecture-on-wildflowers.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-to-host-free-lecture-on-19th-century-native-american-woman.htm Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:49:00 EST (THOUSAND OAKS, CA) In honor of Women’s History Month, the National Park Service is sponsoring a free lecture by Moorpark College Professor Susan Kinkella on the fascinating life of a 19th century Native American woman who lived near present-day Calabasas. The 2:00 p.m. program on Saturday, March 24 will provide highlights from the life of Espiritu Chijulla, the daughter of a Chumash chief and the wife of Miguel Leonis, the namesake for the Leonis Adobe in Calabasas. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nps-to-host-free-lecture-on-19th-century-native-american-woman.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-equals-visitors-money-and-jobs-for-local-economy.htm Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:05:00 EST Thousand Oaks, CA – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 568,371 visitors in 2010 spent $22,915,000 in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and in communities near the park. That spending supported 301 jobs in the local area. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa-monica-mountains-national-recreation-area-equals-visitors-money-and-jobs-for-local-economy.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-annual-science-festival-april-27-28.htm Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:59:00 EST (Agoura Hills, CA) Come discover your neighborhood national parks at the third annual Science Festival. The event and parking is free and open to the public. Hours are 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, April 27th, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28th at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, CA. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-to-host-annual-science-festival-april-27-28.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/this-weeks-national-park-getaway.htm Wed, 26 Oct 2011 06:51:00 EST Thousand Oaks, Calif. – You might expect that the world’s largest urban national park would be among the most crowded. So, you may be surprised to learn that this week’s National Park Getaway, with its endless sandy beaches and hundreds of trial miles, is not one of the top 100 most visited national parks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/this-weeks-national-park-getaway.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/california-department-of-fish-and-game-and-national-park-service-seek-information.htm Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:13:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) One of the last remaining male mountain lions in an important wildlife study was found dead in the Southern California mountains recently. The animal, named P-15 in a National Park Service (NPS) research study was discovered on September 11, 2011 and officials say it did not die of natural causes. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/california-department-of-fish-and-game-and-national-park-service-seek-information.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-adds-another-section-to-65-mile-backbone-trail.htm Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:42:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) The National Park Service announced that it has acquired one of the three remaining pieces of land necessary to complete the 65-mile Backbone Trail. The trail stretches from Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles all the way to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-park-service-adds-another-section-to-65-mile-backbone-trail.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-comments-sought-for-proposed-online-reservation-and-fee-structure-change-at-circle.htm Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:55:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is composed of approximately 153,250 acres and has over 500 miles of trail for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Visitors can also enjoy the park by camping in one of the many campgrounds located in the recreation area. The National Park Service manages one group campground for overnight use located at Circle X Ranch in Malibu, California. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/public-comments-sought-for-proposed-online-reservation-and-fee-structure-change-at-circle.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-public-lands-day-2011.htm Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:45:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) The National Park Service and California State Parks will host a volunteer event in celebration of National Public Lands Day on September 24 from 9 am to 1 pm at Leo Carrillo and Point Mugu State Parks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national-public-lands-day-2011.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/old-marijuana-grow-site-reoccupied-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:20:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) Nearly 4000 marijuana plants were removed from National Park Service land off of Kanan Dume Road north of Malibu last Friday, September 2. Park Rangers and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies gathered and flew out two tons of trash and mature plants. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/old-marijuana-grow-site-reoccupied-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-18-killed-while-attempting-i-405-crossing.htm Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:14:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) On early Tuesday morning, P-18, one of the mountain lion kittens born in the Santa Monica Mountains in May, 2010 was hit and killed while attempting to cross I-405 just south of the Getty Center southbound onramp. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/mountain-lion-p-18-killed-while-attempting-i-405-crossing.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/marijuana-grow-site-found-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:14:00 EST (Santa Monica Mountains, CA) Park Rangers seized over 3500 marijuana plants across a 9.6 acre area of park land in the heart of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area this month. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/marijuana-grow-site-found-in-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-continues-with-movies-music-and-star-gazing-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:46:00 EST Looking for fun outdoor activities that beat the heat? Seven July events offer relaxing musical afternoons, nighttime star-gazing adventures, and even an electric campfire singalong. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/summer-continues-with-movies-music-and-star-gazing-in-the-santa-monica-mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/parkland_added_to_samo.htm Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/parkland_added_to_samo.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa_monica_mountains_2011_science_festival.htm Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/santa_monica_mountains_2011_science_festival.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national_park_service_annouces_parkcaching_program.htm Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) Visiting national parks isn’t just about campfire programs and nature walks anymore. This week, the National Park Service unveiled a new park activity in the Santa Monica Mountains, known as “ParkCaching.” https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national_park_service_annouces_parkcaching_program.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hupa_basketmaker_to_lead_workshop.htm Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST (Newbury Park, CA) On Sunday, February 6, Hupa artisan and storyteller Kat High will serve as the guest host at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/hupa_basketmaker_to_lead_workshop.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national_park_service_needs_volunteers.htm Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) Share your knowledge of the Santa Monica Mountains with visitors from around the world. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is seeking volunteers to staff the Visitor Center in Thousand Oaks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/national_park_service_needs_volunteers.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/billy_warsoldier_to_premiere_documentary.htm Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST (Newbury Park, CA) On Sunday, January 23rd, the National Park Service will screen a short documentary film about the art of Cahuilla Apache Artist Billy Warsoldier at Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/billy_warsoldier_to_premiere_documentary.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gamache_photographic_exhibit.htm Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST (Thousand Oaks, CA) The National Park Service is featuring the work of landscape photographer Tom Gamache in a free art show and opening reception at the Visitor Center at 401 Hillcrest Dr. in Thousand Oaks, CA. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/gamache_photographic_exhibit.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scifestsuccess.htm Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scifestsuccess.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scifestnight.htm Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/scifestnight.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/urbancarnivores.htm Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST The National Park Service announced today that a new book entitled Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation is now published and available to the public. The book is the first to address the topic, and covers the ecology and behavior of well-known urban carnivore species around the world. Several of the chapters were authored by National Park Service wildlife ecologist Seth Riley and are based on carnivore research done in Southern California. These chapters discuss the impact that urbanization has on mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes in the Santa Monica Mountains region, and represent one of the most comprehensive accounts of wildlife activity in the mountains to date.  https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/urbancarnivores.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/spidersurvey.htm Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST On Saturday, February 20, at 2 pm, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will present a lecture by Jan Kempf of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/spidersurvey.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/visitorcenterpubliccoment.htm Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/visitorcenterpubliccoment.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/citizen-science.htm Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/citizen-science.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/solsticeartsale.htm Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST On Sunday, December 6 from 10 am-3pm, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will host a day of hand crafted art, music, and family fun at the scenic Satwiwa Culture Center. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/solsticeartsale.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lichenlecture.htm Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST On Saturday, November 21 at 2 pm at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor Center, expert lichenologist Kerry Knudsen will unveil his latest scientific discoveries from the Santa Monica Mountains and Channel Islands National Park. Knudsen has been highlighted in Los Angeles Times articles about lichens, and recently received international attention for discovering a new species of lichen at Channel Islands National Park, and naming it Caloplaca obamae after President Obama. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/lichenlecture.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/whatsinvasive.htm Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/whatsinvasive.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nativeplantclass.htm Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/nativeplantclass.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/a-new-environmental-education-campus-for-southern-california-kids.htm Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to be home of fourth NatureBridge residential education campus. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/a-new-environmental-education-campus-for-southern-california-kids.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/king-gillette-ranch-visitor-center-focus-workshops.htm Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/king-gillette-ranch-visitor-center-focus-workshops.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/make-your-santa-monica-mountains-even-better-volunteer-for-national-public-lands-day.htm Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/make-your-santa-monica-mountains-even-better-volunteer-for-national-public-lands-day.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/sneak-peak-of-the-new-ken-burns-national-parks-documentary.htm Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area invites you to a special sneak peak screening of the upcoming Ken Burns Film: The National Parks: America’s Best Idea premiering on PBS.  https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/sneak-peak-of-the-new-ken-burns-national-parks-documentary.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/female-mountain-lion-collared.htm Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST Friday, July 31: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area staff captured, collared, and released a newly discovered mountain lion in the Hidden Valley region of the Santa Monica Mountains. Named P-13, this mountain lion could be the kitten of mountain lion P-6. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/female-mountain-lion-collared.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/come-take-a-visual-hike-through-the-backbone-trail.htm Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST On Saturday, August 15, from 2-3:30 PM, come to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor Center and experience the 62 mile long Backbone Trail without the summer heat. Photographer Jim Belsley will take you on a virtual hike through his photos and maps. If you are curious as to what the trail’s all about, or if you’ve thought about hiking the trail on your own but aren’t sure how to get started, come and get the latest information.  https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/come-take-a-visual-hike-through-the-backbone-trail.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/untold-stories-premiers-in-the-hollywood-theatre-district.htm Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST On Saturday, busses pulled into Los Angeles neighborhood community center parking lots and then, filled with excited children and families, headed for the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in the heart of the Hollywood Theatre District. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/untold-stories-premiers-in-the-hollywood-theatre-district.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/multi-agency-effort-successfully-eradicates-marijuana-plants-in-the-santa-monica.htm Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EST July 21, 2009: National Park Service Rangers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California State Park Police, CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting), and Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) entered three marijuana plantation sites, two located in Malibu Creek State Park and one located in the Zuma-Trancas Canyon area on National Park Service land. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/multi-agency-effort-successfully-eradicates-marijuana-plants-in-the-santa-monica.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/environmental_assessment_of_the_santa_monica_mountains.htm Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EST https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/environmental_assessment_of_the_santa_monica_mountains.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/ventura-county-star-thousands-attend-outdoor-screening.htm Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST Filmmaker's work to air on PBS in fall By Brett Johnson Saturday, March 21, 2009 History “is a place where we can all gather,” filmmaker Ken Burns noted Thursday evening during an interview in an old saloon. So, too, are our national parks, the subject of Burns’ next opus that will air this fall on PBS. Burns and about 2,000 people gathered for an outdoor “sneak preview” of his film “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” at Paramount Ranch south of Agoura Hills. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/ventura-county-star-thousands-attend-outdoor-screening.htm https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/battle-against-new-zealand-mud-snail-intensifies.htm Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:00:00 EST From The Malibu Times 11/02/2006 www.mudsnails.com The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, UCLA and Heal the Bay released a report last month that says the highly invasive New Zealand mud snail is present in 15 of the 44 sites surveyed in the Malibu Creek watershed. Mud snails were found in Medea Creek, Malibou Lake and multiple sites in Malibu Creek and Las Virgenes Creek, including the confluence of Las Virgenes and Malibu Creeks. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/battle-against-new-zealand-mud-snail-intensifies.htm