Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy

We're back with another California Native Plant Quiz and some of these are pretty tricky! How many do you know?

Scroll through and ID these native plants. Comment what you think each slide is - answers will be revealed tomorrow!

🌸🌱 Bonus points if you know their common name and their scientific name 🌱🌸

This Saturday, July 20th, join AFC at the Sunshine Preserve in Glendale! Help restore habitat by removing invasive plants and making room for native ones.

Bring work gloves and water, and wear sturdy shoes. If available to you, we also recommend bringing a tool such as a shovel, hand pruner, or trowel!

Registration is encouraged, but not required for attendance. To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

Meet one of your lesser seen wild neighbors: Bassariscus astutus!

The Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), also called the ringtail cat, or miner's cat, is a member of the raccoon family. They have a long tail with alternating black and white rings, a body like a cat, and a pointed fox-like face.

Ringtails can be found both in rocky desert and riparian habitats. They are solitary and nocturnal creatures, and one of the most elusive mammals that inhabit the mountains around Los Angeles. These omnivorous mammals have a changing seasonal diet of berries, plant material, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and large insects.

Ringtail populations were threatened because of the fur trade - their beautiful tails made them a target for many years, but in the 1960s, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife designated the species as fully protected.

Because of their population decline it was once thought that Ringtails no longer lived in the lower altitudes of the San Gabriel Mountains. However, this shy creature has been photographed both at AFC's Millard and Rubio Canyon! They are special and rare to see, so keep your eyes peeled next time you explore the foothills of Los Angeles!

Photograph by Johanna Turner

This Saturday, July 13th, come join us for a morning of fun restoring the natural habitat at the Rosemont Preserve. We'll be removing invasive plants, watering newly planted natives, and doing trail maintenance.

Please wear sturdy shoes, comfortable work clothes, and garden gloves (long pants and sleeves are recommended.) If you have any of the following tools, please consider bringing them: shovels, spades, loppers, hatchets, clippers. Other tools and equipment will be available.

The Preserve is located in La Crescenta at the north end of Rosemont Avenue, just past the chain link fence.

To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

Photo from the preserve, by Althea Edwards

Did you know that when we talk about creating wildlife corridors, we're not just talking about land routes? We also mean sky corridors!

Sky corridors are networks of habitat (protected preserves, yards, gardens, and even residential parkways and medians!) that create stepping stones for migrating and residential birds and insects.

Our Monarch Recovery Program provides community education and free milkweed as a way to support the declining Western Monarch population. We encourage people to restore their backyard with native plants and milkweed to create a network of habitat patches that provide food and safety for all the wildlife in our skies.

So, join us on July 11th, at 2:30pm, at The Huntington Library, Museum, and Botanical Gardens, to learn more about sky corridors, Monarchs & milkweed, and how you can join the effort! Tickets are sold out for the event but 25 seats will be reserved for walk-ins on a first-come first-serve basis! https://buff.ly/4eOmEWR

Photographs by Tom Mills and Althea Edwards .althea

This Saturday, July 6th, enjoy a morning in the mountains while helping to maintain the trails and restore habitat in Rubio Canyon.

Volunteers will meet at 1101 East Loma Alta Drive at 7:00 AM (note the earlier summer start time!)

Registration is encouraged, but not required for attendance.
To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

Thank you for your support! 🎆

We're welcoming summer with a host of restoration, education, and community events! You can help restore habitat, learn about Monarch Butterflies, enjoy peaceful time outdoors at one of our preserves, and more - so check out our calendar of events and come celebrate our precious habitats and wildlife together!

To RSVP and find out more visit our calendar!
https://arroyosfoothills.org/calendar/

Join us this Sunday, June 30th at Cottonwood Canyon in Pasadena to help restore habitat and maintain this critical wildlife corridor!

Please bring work gloves and water, and wear sturdy shoes.

To register click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

🌹 Thank you for your support!

💡 Have you ever thought about how our city lights affect the natural world? 💡

Los Angeles' bright lights don't just block our view of the stars, they also disturb our wildlife communities. From the wildlife in the sea and on the coasts, to the foothills and mountain dwellers, artificial light affects many species and disrupts their natural behaviors and patterns.

In the same way that fences, roads, and urban development create barriers for wildlife movement, artificial light can lead to habitat fragmentation. Many animals, both small and large, don't want to pass through lit areas because they can be more easily exposed to predators (or their prey). The bright lighting we use at night can limit the range of some species, like mountain lions, making it harder to find food and mates.

Many of our wild neighbors are nocturnal and are extremely sensitive to artificial light; it can disrupt hunting, migration, and reproductive patterns.Additionally, for roosting creatures like bats, lights shining on or near their roosts can be disorienting. It can cause them to not emerge at their normal time of dusk (when they can most easily feed). It can also cause them to abandon their roosts, or stay inside them leading to starvation.

While urban conservationists continue to study the impacts of artificial lighting on wildlife, and implementing dark infrastructure into habitat restoration, there are small changes we all can make at home that have a meaningful impact!

It's important to be thoughtful about outdoor lighting and when it's actually necessary. When you do need outdoor lights make sure they are not unnecessarily bright, and are directed efficiently (and downward). Implementing motion detectors and timed lights can also help in limiting the effect on wildlife. And of course, be vigilant about turning off all unnecessary lights at night!

Image by Johanna Turner

Coyote (Canis latrans)
Photo by Tom Mills https://buff.ly/4e1MyG3

Do you know about AFC's Hahamongna to Tujunga Wildlife Corridor Initiative?

In our overarching goal of increasing connectivity in our region, the HTC is one of our most pressing goals! This ambitious project aims to secure wildlife passage between the Verdugo Mountains and the San Rafael Hills and link back to the San Gabriel Mountains at the far end of each range (at Hahamongna Watershed Park and Tujunga Wash).

To understand where we should focus our resources, we completed a large-scale study of the region and determined the ecological value of individual parcels. We created a GIS database driven tool to rank the properties by conservation value - over 500 parcels were in our top tier of importance!

In our study of the land, we found 20 natural community types, 47 species that are listed as sensitive, threatened, or endangered, and habitat that is critical for the survival of 2 species (the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and the Santa Ana sucker fish.)

Creating the Hahamongna-Tujunga Wildlife Corridor, with the goal of eventually connecting Griffith Park to the Verdugo Mountains, will ensure that our wild neighbors can move between the isolated habitat islands that are spread throughout our region. In addition to allowing for larger ranges, this movement enables wildlife to mate with larger populations of their species and have access to a variety of food and water sources.

Linking natural landscapes has been identified as the single most important adaptation strategy to conserve biodiversity during climate change, which is why we work with such urgency to enhance connectivity.

Slide through to see some wildlife photos from our study of the San Rafael Hills and Verdugo Mountains.

1. Map of AFC's study area
2. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) by Johanna Turner
3. Coyote (Canis latrans) by Johanna Turner
4. Buck (Odocoileus hemionus) by Johanna Turner
5. Black Bear (Ursus americanus) by Johanna Turner
6. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) by Denis Callet

This Saturday, June 15th, join AFC at the Sunshine Preserve in Glendale! Help restore habitat by removing invasive plants and making room for native ones.

Bring work gloves and water, and wear sturdy shoes. If available to you, we also recommend bringing a tool such as a shovel, hand pruner, or trowel!

To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

For all news Sunshine Preserve, follow 🌞

At first glance you may think this a photo...but take a closer look and you'll see it's actually a drawing!

Fine artist Kathryn Hansen combines her love of animals and nature with her passion for art, creating beautifully detailed and hyper-realistic pencil drawings. https://www.kathrynhansen.com/

Of her work Kathryn writes, "I am committed to conveying realism, capturing the essence and honoring the spirit of each animal I draw. With a world of textures, colors and shapes around me to explore, I’ve discovered my own way of seeing animals in their environment, trying to capture their beauty and shinning a light on my love for them."

Kathryn hopes her art inspires viewers to realize their connection to all living things, and to make a positive impacts in preserving the exquisite complexity of our earth for many years to come.

Kathryn is a signature member of both the Society of Animal Artists and Colored Pencil Society of America and a recipient of the coveted CIPPY award.

We are looking forward to Kathryn's first workshop with AFC on June 22nd! Kathryn will be guiding participants on a hike at Millard, sketching the beautiful oak trees along the babbling brook. This workshop is full, but stay tuned for other collaborations between AFC and Kathryn, or message us to be placed on the wait list!

This Saturday, June 8th, join us for a morning of fun restoring the natural habitat at the Rosemont Preserve. We'll be removing invasive plants, watering newly planted natives, and doing trail maintenance. Bring your family and friends and help us tidy up the Preserve in preparation for upcoming field trips.

Please wear sturdy shoes, comfortable work clothes and garden gloves (long pants and sleeves are recommended.) If you have any of the following tools, please consider bringing them: shovels, spades, loppers, hatchets, clippers. Other tools and equipment will be available.

The Preserve is located in La Crescenta at the north end of Rosemont Avenue, just past the chain link fence.

To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

Join AFC in June at one of our many events! You can help restore habitat, learn about local ecology and camera-trapping, meet fellow conservationists, and more!

To RSVP and find out more visit our calendar: https://buff.ly/3UBge5b

This Saturday, June 1st, enjoy a morning in the mountains while helping to maintain the trails and restore habitat in Rubio Canyon.

Volunteers will meet at 1101 East Loma Alta Drive at 8:00 AM, bring work gloves and water!

To register please click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

Thank you for your support!

Meet your wild neighbor: Odocoileus hemionus!

'Tis the season for fawns! Southern California's resident deer species, Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), typically give birth in late spring through early-summer.

You can recognize these deer by their large ears (mule-like, hence the name) and black tipped tail. Males have forked antlers, meaning each side splits into two beams, which split further into two prongs. Bucks shed their antlers in January or February, after breeding season, and their new antlers typically finish growing by the middle of the summer.

Mule Deer are the largest herbivores in our region, foraging around dusk and dawn for grasses, tender shoots, young shrubs, acorns, and certain flowering plants. Their predators include our local Mountain Lions.

Does like to leave their fawns in safe places while they forage. So if you come across a baby deer on its own, just leave it be! Fawns can die from the stress of well-meaning humans trying to intervene, and the mother may stay away longer if she senses the presence of humans or dogs.

1. Doe with fawn by Johanna Turner
2. A fawn at Rosemont Preserve by Denis Callet
3. Buck by Johanna Turner

Join us this Sunday, May 26th at Cottonwood Canyon in Pasadena to help restore habitat and maintain this critical wildlife corridor.

Please bring work gloves and water, and wear sturdy shoes.

To register click here: https://buff.ly/3DB1r0V

💚 Thank you for your support!

Passionate about climate change?! Become an AFC Urban Conservation Fellow through the California Climate Action Corps!

AFC is excited to be a partner host for 2 fellows during the CCAC 2024-2025 Fellowship Term. In this unique, paid position, fellows will make a tangible impact on biodiversity while gaining valuable skills and experience in conservation education and community engagement. They will engage communities in stewardship activities, lead educational field trips, and advocate for climate action.

Fellows will learn and share knowledge of Southern California ecosystems, get to know the vibrant local communities we work with, and explore the fascinating interplay between urban development and the region's diverse flora and fauna. So, if you are passionate about addressing climate change, submit an application today, or share it with an eager conservationist you know!

For more details on this full-time position, and how to apply click here: https://buff.ly/44LTrHf

Come hang out with AFC this Wednesday, May 22nd, at Taco/Social in Eagle Rock! Starting at 5:30pm, we'll be gathering with fellow urban conservationists, enjoying tacos and drinks, and getting to know the broader AFC community. So bring family and friends - when you use the code ARROYO, 20% of your purchase will support AFC!

To RSVP visit: qrcodes.pro/afc-tacosocial

We hope to see you there!