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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Scientists Identify Best Locations For Southern California Wildlife Crossings

After studying wildlife use, connectivity, and protected land status, scientists have pointed to a handful of places in southern California where it would make the most sense to build wildlife crossing structures along Interstate 15 and U.S. 101 to improve safety for the animals as well as genetic diversity for the region.

Around The Parks: Hurricane And Fires Recovery Fund, National Monuments, Santa Monica Expansion

A look around the world of national parks this week finds a new recovery fund in place to help national parks impacted by the recent hurricanes and wildfires, a number of groups calling for changes to The Antiquities Act and existing national monuments, and legislation calling for a 191,000-acre addition to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Wildlife Crossing That Would Aid Mountain Lions In Santa Monica Mountains Closer To Reality

Help may be on the way for an at-risk population of mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, as the California Department of Transportation intends to move forward with building a wildlife crossing over busy Highway 101, which could both help reduce the number of animals struck and killed by vehicles in addition to increasing the genetic diversity of the pumas by bringing new big cats into the area.

Drought Reveals Unknown Breeding Habits Of Toads In Santa Monica Mountains

The prolonged drought in California had at least one silver lining for researchers studying wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains. Native western toads were found to be breeding in September, the latest ever known observation for the species, which has a breeding season that typically begins in late January. Western toads need pools of water to breed, and without winter rains, it wasn’t until an unusual summer rain event, caused by Eastern Pacific Hurricane Linda, that the toads in this particular spot bred.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.